West Virginia University took immediate and aggressive action to correct violations cited in November by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Provost Gerald Lang said today (Feb. 7).

The University was cited back in November for several violations caused by our faculty for not adhering to NRC policies for safe use of radioactive material,Dr. Lang said.The institution tookimmediate and aggressive actionto ensure that these violations were corrected, he added, including working with the faculty who oversee the laboratories.

Lang said representatives from WVU met with staff of the NRC in January to outline the proactive, corrective steps. The NRC noted in a subsequent statement that WVU had taken the necessary corrective actions to prevent a recurrence.

The NRC s civil penalty of $2,750 (announced today) stems from this November inspection, and is related to failure to secure licensed materials from unauthorized removal or access. The fine involved portable gauges containing radioactive materials that were stored in an area of the Civil Engineering Department in the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and unlocked and unattended laboratories in Agriculture, the Cancer Center and the Health Sciences Center.

WVU believes the NRC was fair in its inspection and appreciates the concern for safety,Lang said.Safety of faculty, staff and students is extremely important and our Radiation Safety Office will be aggressively working with faculty to ensure that they are using radioactive materials in a safe and proper manner.

The safety of our employees is a key issue,Lang noted.The NRC and WVU have rules and policies that govern the use of radioactive materials and we have taken proactive measures to ensure that these are not violated. Our Radiation Safety Office will be extremely vigilant in monitoring University facilities.