The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Friday said potential top civil penalties for violations of the 1954 Atomic Energy Act had been doubled from $140,000 to $280,469 per violation, as mandated under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015.
A preliminary “catch-up” fine update is demanded by Aug. 1 of this year, according to an NRC press release. The agency, under the law, must also update fines for inflation each year, starting next January.
“The NRC may assess penalties up to the new maximum in all cases assessed after Aug. 1, even if the violation occurred before that time,” the release says. “The NRC will soon publish conforming changes to the agency’s enforcement policy, which includes the process for assessing civil penalties based on the violation’s severity and the type of licensee.”
