[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61671-61674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24942]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[IA-02-017]


Perry M. Beale; Order Prohibiting Involvement in NRC-Licensed 
Activities (Effective Immediately)

    Perry M. Beale, a consultant in the field of health physics, 
provided consulting services to City Hospital in Martinsburg, West 
Virginia, Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal, Virginia, Culpeper 
Memorial Hospital in Culpeper, Virginia, Fauquier Hospital in 
Warrenton, Virginia, and Prince William Hospital in Manassas, Virginia 
(Licensee or Licensees). City Hospital holds License No. 47-15501-01 
issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) 
pursuant to 10 CFR part 35, last amended on June 25, 2001. Warren 
Memorial Hospital holds License No. 45-19566-01 issued by the NRC 
pursuant to 10 CFR part 35 on January 12, 1981, and last amended on 
October 12, 2001. Culpeper Memorial Hospital holds License No. 45-
23040-01 issued by the NRC pursuant to 10 CFR part 35 on September 19, 
1984, and last amended on June 12, 2002. Fauquier Hospital holds 
License No. 45-19484-01 issued by the NRC pursuant to 10 CFR part 35 on 
November 20, 1980 and last amended on August 2, 2001. Prince William 
Hospital holds License No. 45-19485-01 issued by the NRC pursuant to 10 
CFR part 35 on October 27, 1980, and last amended on October 12, 2001. 
The licenses for each Licensee authorize the medical use of byproduct 
material in accordance with the conditions specified therein.
    In March 2001, NRC inspections of licensed activities were 
conducted at City Hospital and Warren Memorial Hospital, and an in-
office review was conducted of the Culpeper Memorial Hospital license 
file. Based on the results of the inspections and in-office review, the 
NRC's Office of Investigations (OI) initiated an investigation in April 
2001, to review the circumstances surrounding the potential 
falsification of xenon gas clearance rate calculations, and dose 
calibrator accuracy evaluations. Xenon gas clearance rate calculations, 
required by 10 CFR 35.205(c), determine the amount of time that would 
be needed to clear accidentally spilled radioactive xenon gas from 
rooms where it was to be used. Dose calibrator accuracy tests, required 
by 10 CFR 35.50(b)(2), compare a known radiation activity to that 
measured by the calibrator. Mr. Beale had provided consulting services 
to each of the licensed facilities with respect to the foregoing 
calculations and evaluations. On March 27, 2002, OI completed its 
review of the matter. A predecisional enforcement conference was held 
between the NRC Staff and Mr. Beale on July 15, 2002, to discuss these 
matters.
    Mr. Beale admitted that he had knowingly prepared and submitted 
inaccurate xenon gas clearance rate calculations to City Hospital, 
Warren Memorial Hospital and Culpeper Memorial Hospital, and had 
knowingly prepared and submitted inaccurate dose calibrator accuracy 
evaluations to Culpeper Memorial Hospital. Specifically, Mr. Beale 
submitted numerous reports to City Hospital,\1\ to Warren Memorial 
Hospital,\2\ and to Culpeper Memorial Hospital,\3\ stating that he had 
calculated xenon gas clearance rates according to the procedure 
specified in Appendix O to NRC Regulatory Guide 10.8, ``Guide for the 
Preparation of Applications for Medical Use Programs.'' The reports 
stated that the rooms in question at the three hospitals all had the 
same volume of 0.697 x 107 ml, although in fact they each had different 
volumes. The reports further stated that all rooms at the three 
hospitals had a total room air exhaust rate of 1.5 x 10\7\ ml per 
minute, although Mr. Beale did not measure or calculate that value. 
Although the values purportedly used to make the calculations were the 
same, reported calculated xenon gas clearance rates varied. Mr. Beale 
told OI investigators and NRC Staff, that in fact he had measured 
airflows into and out of the rooms at each of the three hospitals to 
determine that the rooms were under negative pressure, performed no 
calculations, and then ``guessed'' the clearance rates. In addition, 
Mr. Beale admitted that on a day after May 6, 1999, he had generated 
three dose calibrator accuracy evaluation reports for Culpeper Memorial 
Hospital dated May 16, 1998, December 10, 1998, and May 6, 1999. Mr. 
Beale stated that he had used published decay tables to determine the 
remaining activity in a calibration source, but the values he reported 
were markedly inconsistent with the values which would have been 
determined using published decay tables.\4\ Mr. Beale submitted a 
report to Culpeper Memorial Hospital of a dose calibrator accuracy 
evaluation, which he purportedly performed on April 25, 1997, for a 
Cobalt-57 source, Serial No. 559186-9, which was certified as having 
been initially calibrated by the manufacturer on November 1, 1997. Mr. 
Beale could not explain these inaccuracies. Records of xenon clearance 
rate calculations and dose calibrator evaluations are required to be 
maintained by 10 CFR 35.205(d) and 10 CFR 35.50(e), respectively. These 
records are material to the NRC in that they are relied upon to 
demonstrate the Licensees' compliance with 10 CFR

[[Page 61672]]

35.205(c) and 10 CFR 35.50(b)(2), which require the performance of 
xenon clearance rate calculations and dose calibrator evaluations, 
respectively.
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    \1\ Dated February 6, 1998, August 7, 1998, February 5, 1999, 
August 2, 1999, February 4, 2000, August 24, 2000, and February 21, 
2002.
    \2\ Dated January 8, 1999, July 14, 1999, January 7, 2000, 
January 11, 2000, July 7, 2000, and July 12, 2000.
    \3\ Dated May 14, 1998, November 12, 1998, May 3, 1999, November 
19, 1999, and April 22, 2000.
    \4\ For May 6, 1999, 1.58 millicuries versus 1.37 millicuries. 
For December 10, 1998, 2.65 millicuries versus 1.99 millicuries. For 
May 16, 1998, 1.1 millicuries versus 3.34 millicuries.
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    In addition, Mr. Beale admitted at the predecisional enforcement 
conference that inaccurate information regarding his educational 
background and professional qualifications had been provided to 
Culpeper Memorial Hospital. Specifically, Mr. Beale's resume indicated 
that he had received a Master of Science Degree in Radiologic 
Technology, Nuclear Medicine, Radiological Physics from the University 
of Virginia and that he had been certified by the American Board of 
Radiology (ABR) in Radiological Physics. Mr. Beale also acknowledged 
that a certificate purportedly issued by the ABR indicated that he was 
certified in Radiological Physics. Mr. Beale stated at the 
predecisional enforcement conference that, in fact, he does not possess 
a Master Degree from the University of Virginia and has not received 
ABR certification. Based on a written request from Culpeper Memorial 
Hospital dated December 19, 1995, the NRC amended Culpeper Memorial 
Hospital's license to name Mr. Beale as alternate RSO by Amendment No. 
10, dated December 22, 1995. The request from Culpeper Memorial 
Hospital included Mr. Beale's inaccurate resume. In addition, based on 
a written request from Culpeper Memorial Hospital dated July 23, 1996, 
the NRC amended the license to name Mr. Beale as RSO by Amendment No. 
11, dated August 7, 1996. The request included Mr. Beale's inaccurate 
resume and a copy of the purported ABR certificate. The inaccurate 
resume information and purported ABR certificate were material to the 
NRC because they were relevant to Mr. Beale's qualifications to be 
named an alternate RSO and an RSO on the Culpeper Hospital Memorial 
license.
    After the predecisional enforcement conference, NRC staff conducted 
inspections from July 31 through August 2, 2002, at Fauquier Hospital, 
Culpeper Memorial Hospital and Prince William Hospital, hospitals which 
used the consulting services of Perry M. Beale. Mr. Beale contracted 
with the hospital to provide reviews of their radiation safety programs 
and to participate in Radiation Safety Committee activities. Mr. Beale 
also performed xenon clearance rate calculations, leak tests, dose 
calibrator tests (including decay correction calculations) for the 
hospitals, and undertook to have the licensees' survey instruments 
calibrated by a calibration vendor at the appropriate frequency. The 
inspections revealed that xenon clearance rate calculations prepared by 
Mr. Beale for the three hospitals were similar to those he had prepared 
for City Hospital and Warren Memorial Hospital and which had been 
examined during the OI investigation. Specifically, the input values 
for the calculations were the same, and the forms Mr. Beale provided to 
the three hospitals stated that his xenon gas clearance rate 
calculations were performed according to the procedure specified in 
Appendix O to NRC Regulatory Guide 10.8, ``Guide for the Preparation of 
Applications for Medical Use Programs.'' The clearance rates calculated 
by Mr. Beale, however, were different from those that would have been 
calculated if the formula specified by Regulatory Guide 10.8 had been 
used. Records of xenon clearance rate calculations are required to be 
maintained by 10 CFR 35.205(d), and are material to the NRC in that 
they are relied upon to demonstrate the Licensee's compliance with 10 
CFR 35.205(c), which requires the performance of xenon clearance rate 
calculations.
    Also, during the inspection at Prince William Hospital, a survey 
instrument that was used to perform activities required by regulation 
was observed to have an overdue calibration sticker. When questioned 
about this, the licensee representative presented a current calibration 
certificate which showed that the instrument had been calibrated within 
the past several months. As part of his consultant activities for the 
hospitals, Mr. Beale was to pick up their instruments prior to the 
calibration due date and send them to RSO, Inc. for calibration. After 
calibration, Mr. Beale was to return the instruments to the licensees 
with a current calibration certificate and calibration sticker. The 
calibration certificate which Prince William Hospital provided stated 
that RSO, Inc. had calibrated the instrument on May 7, 2002. The RSO, 
Inc. representative, whose name appeared on the certificate as the 
individual who had performed the calibration, advised NRC inspection 
staff that according to RSO, Inc. records, no instrument bearing the 
serial number referenced on the calibration certificate for Prince 
William Hospital (119312) had been calibrated by RSO, Inc. for 
several years. The RSO, Inc. representative further advised that the 
RSO, Inc. order number referenced on the calibration certificate 
supplied by Prince William Hospital (2118) was in fact for 
Culpeper Memorial Hospital. Comparison of the Prince William Hospital 
calibration certificate to the calibration certificates obtained from 
Culpeper Memorial Hospital and Fauquier Hospital demonstrates that the 
calibration data, order/tracking numbers, and probe serial numbers were 
identical for all three hospitals. Based on the above, the NRC 
concludes that Mr. Beale did not calibrate a radiation survey 
instrument for Prince William Hospital at the required frequency, and 
that Mr. Beale deliberately provided inaccurate information to Prince 
William Hospital to conceal his failure to calibrate the instrument. 
Licensees are required to note on the survey instrument the date of 
calibration and the apparent exposure rate from a dedicated check 
source, and to retain calibration records by 10 CFR 35.51(a)(3) and 
(d). These records are material to the NRC in that they are relied upon 
to demonstrate the Licensee's compliance with 10 CFR 35.51(a), which 
requires calibration of survey instruments. Moreover, the calibration 
certificate which Mr. Beale supplied to Prince William Hospital 
certifies that the instrument had been calibrated on May 7, 2002, 
approximately one year after Mr. Beale's interview with NRC's OI. 
During that interview, the Commission's regulation requiring complete 
and accurate information and the deliberately inaccurate xenon 
clearance rate calculations and dose calibrator evaluations which Mr. 
Beale had submitted to City Hospital, Warren Memorial Hospital and 
Culpeper Memorial Hospital were discussed at length.
    Based on the above, it appears that Perry M. Beale has engaged in 
deliberate misconduct in violation of 10 CFR 30.10(a)(1) in that he 
caused City Hospital, Warren Memorial Hospital, Culpeper Memorial 
Hospital, Fauquier Hospital, and Prince William Hospital to be in 
violation of 10 CFR 35.205 and 10 CFR 30.9. It also appears that Mr. 
Beale engaged in deliberate misconduct in that he caused Culpeper 
Hospital to be in violation of 10 CFR 35.50 and 10 CFR 30.9, and caused 
Prince William Hospital to be in violation of 10 CFR 35.51 and 30.9. It 
further appears that Perry M. Beale has engaged in deliberate 
misconduct in violation of 10 CFR 30.10(a)(2) by providing to Culpeper 
Memorial Hospital information regarding his educational and 
professional qualifications that he knew to be incomplete or inaccurate 
in some respect material to the NRC. The NRC must be able to rely on 
its Licensees and their employees, including consultants, to comply 
with NRC requirements, including the requirement to provide complete 
and accurate information in

[[Page 61673]]

all material respects. Mr. Beale's deliberate misconduct, including 
falsification of records related to his qualifications to be named a 
Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) and to licensees' compliance with 
regulatory requirements, especially continued falsification of records 
after being interviewed by OI concerning his falsification of records, 
raises serious concerns regarding his trustworthiness and reliability, 
and call into question his willingness to comply with NRC requirements, 
including the requirement to provide complete and accurate information 
to the NRC and to entities who perform NRC-licensed activities.
    Consequently, I lack the requisite reasonable assurance that 
licensed activities can be conducted in compliance with the 
Commission's requirements and that the health and safety of the public 
would be protected if Perry M. Beale were permitted at this time to be 
involved in NRC-licensed activities. Therefore, the public health, 
safety and interest require that Perry M. Beale be prohibited from any 
involvement in NRC-licensed activities for a period of three years from 
the date of this Order. Additionally, Mr. Beale is required to notify 
the NRC of his first employment in NRC-licensed activities following 
the prohibition period, and provide documentation of his qualifications 
to fill that position. Furthermore, pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202, I find 
that the significance of Mr. Beale's conduct described above is such 
that the public health, safety and interest require that this Order be 
immediately effective.
    Accordingly, pursuant to sections 81, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182 and 186 
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Commission's 
regulations in 10 CFR 2.202, 10 CFR 30.10, and 10 CFR 150.20, it is 
hereby ordered, effective immediately, that:
    1. Perry M. Beale is prohibited for three years from the date of 
this Order from engaging in NRC-licensed activities. NRC-licensed 
activities are those activities that are conducted pursuant to a 
specific or general license issued by the NRC, including, but not 
limited to, those activities of Agreement State licensees conducted 
pursuant to the authority granted by 10 CFR 150.20.
    2. If Perry M. Beale is currently involved with another licensee in 
NRC-licensed activities, he must immediately cease those activities, 
and inform the NRC of the name, address and telephone number of the 
employer, and provide a copy of this Order to the employer.
    3. After completion of the term specified in Paragraph IV.1 above, 
Perry M. Beale shall, at least 20 days before resuming participation in 
NRC-licensed activities (as a Consultant to, Radiation Safety Officer 
for, or employee of, an NRC licensee, or in any other capacity), 
provide notice to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, of the names, addresses, 
and telephone numbers of the employers or entities for whom he is, or 
will be, involved in NRC-licensed activities. In the notification, 
Perry M. Beale shall include his qualifications to participate in NRC 
licensed activities (as appropriate), a statement of his commitment to 
compliance with regulatory requirements, and provide a basis for why 
the Commission should have confidence that he will now comply with 
applicable NRC requirements.
    The Director, OE, may, in writing, relax or rescind any of the 
above commitments upon demonstration by Perry M. Beale of good cause.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202, Perry M. Beale must, and any other 
person adversely affected by this Order may, submit an answer to this 
Order, and may request a hearing on this Order, within 20 days of the 
date of this Order. Where good cause is shown, consideration will be 
given to extending the time to request a hearing. A request for 
extension of time in which to request a hearing must be made in writing 
to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and include a statement of good cause 
for the extension. Unless the answer consents to this Order, the answer 
shall, in writing and under oath or affirmation, specifically admit or 
deny each allegation or charge made in this Order and shall set forth 
the matters of fact and law on which Perry M. Beale or other person 
adversely affected relies and the reasons as to why the Order should 
not have been issued. Any answer or request for a hearing shall be 
submitted to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: 
Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555. Copies also 
shall be sent to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, to the Deputy Assistant 
General Counsel for Enforcement, and to the Director, Office of Nuclear 
Materials Safety and Safeguards, at the same address, to the Regional 
Administrator, NRC Region II, 61 Forsyth Street, SW., Suite 23T85, 
Atlanta, Georgia, 30303-8931, and to Perry M. Beale if the hearing 
request is by a person other than Mr. Beale. Because of continuing 
disruptions in delivery of mail to United States Government offices, it 
is requested that any request for hearing be transmitted to the 
Secretary for the Commission either by means of facsimile transmission 
to 301-415-1101 or by e-mail to [email protected] and also to the 
Office of the General Counsel either by means of facsimile transmission 
to 301-415-3725 or by e-mail to [email protected]. If a person 
other than Perry M. Beale requests a hearing, that person shall set 
forth with particularity the manner in which his or her interest is 
adversely affected by this Order and shall address the criteria set 
forth in 10 CFR 2.714(d).\5\
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    \5\ The most recent version of Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations, published in January 2002, inadvertently omitted the 
last sentence of 10 CFR 2.714(d) and subparagraphs (d)(1) and 
(d)(2), regarding the criteria for intervention and contentions. 
Those provisions are extant and still applicable to petitions to 
intervene. Those provisions are as follows: ``* * *such ruling body 
or officer shall, in ruling on-- (1) A petition for leave to 
intervene or a request for hearing, consider the following factors, 
among other things: (i) The nature of the petitioner's right under 
the Act to be made a party to the proceeding. (ii) The nature and 
extent of the petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in 
the proceeding. (iii) The possible effect of any order that may be 
entered in the proceeding on the petitioner's interest. (2) The 
admissibility of a contention, refuse to admit a contention if: (i) 
The contention and supporting material fail to satisfy the 
requirements of paragraph (b)(2) of this section; or (ii) The 
contention, if proven, would be of no consequence in the proceeding 
because it would not entitle petitioner to relief.''
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    If a hearing is requested by Perry M. Beale or a person whose 
interest is adversely affected, the Commission will issue an Order 
designating the time and place of any hearing. If a hearing is held, 
the issue to be considered at such hearing shall be whether this Order 
should be sustained.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(i), Perry M. Beale may, in addition 
to demanding a hearing, at the time the answer is filed or sooner, move 
the presiding officer to set aside the immediate effectiveness of the 
Order on the ground that the Order, Including the need for immediate 
effectiveness, is not based on adequate evidence but on mere suspicion, 
unfounded allegations, or error.
    In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of 
an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the provisions 
specified in Section IV above shall be final 20 days from the date of 
this Order without further order or proceedings. If an extension of 
time for requesting a hearing has been approved, the provisions 
specified in Section IV shall be final when the extension expires if a 
hearing request has not been received. A Request for hearing shall not 
stay the immediate effectiveness of this order.


[[Page 61674]]


    Dated this 23rd day of September 2002.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Deputy Executive Director for Materials, Research and State Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-24942 Filed 9-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P