A member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has testified that a Utah County man who operated a laboratory that processed depleted uranium had a poor record of compliance with NRC regulations.
Edwin R. Flack testified Wednesday on the second day of an evidentiary hearing before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.John P. Larson requested the hearing after the agency revoked his licences for the Wrangler Laboratories in Evanston, Wyo. He also operates Larsen Laboratories and Orion Chemical Co. in Provo.
His company uses Uranium 238, the waste material from the U-235 used by nuclear power plants.
Flack testified that Larsen had a poor history of compliance dating to 1980. He said violations included exceeding the 15-pound limit on possession of depleted uranium materials, refusing to provide records to inspectors and contamination outside his facility.
Flack said fines had been imposed twice and that the decision to revoke Larsen's license was made after the regional director had reviewed all the testimony and inspection reports submitted.
He also testified that in 1987 supervision of the Utah facility was turned over to state officials who operated as an arm of the NRC, and inspections revealed 17 violations.
Larsen has contended during the hearing that the reports submitted by inspectors have not contained any record of improvements he made in the operation in an effort to comply with the regulations.
"Why is there nothing positive said about me in these reports?" he asked.
However, the chairman of the three-judge panel asked Larsen to wait until his direct testimony to make statements.
Larsen's plant makes a catalyst that hardens the plastic casings in land mines sold to the government.