Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. has been notified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it is proposing a $100,000 fine for an incident in which a security officer at the Susquehanna nuclear plant was subjected to adverse action after he reported personnel concerns to the NRC.

"We regret that the incident occurred," said Herbert D. Woodeshick, PP&L's special assistant to the president for Susquehanna. "After a thorough investigation, we have taken significant steps to ensure it does not happen again, and we will accept the NRC's decision."

The NRC fine follows a U.S. Department of Labor ruling in October 1995 that the security officer was subjected to adverse action by a supervisor after he raised a concern with the NRC in 1992 about the administration of a security requalification exam.

In a January meeting with the NRC regarding the Labor Department ruling, PP&L officials explained the corrective actions PP&L is taking. Those steps include creating a special team to address security issues, providing training for security supervisors to enhance their ability to respond to employee concerns in a positive manner and contracting with an outside firm to do an independent assessment of the work environment at the Susquehanna plant.

The NRC proposed the fine for violation of a commission regulation forbidding adverse employment action against an employee who raises such concerns.

"We believe strongly that plant safety is best served by maintaining a work environment in which employees feel free to raise concerns to management and the NRC," said Woodeshick.

"The independent assessment that was done found that more than 98 percent of plant employees would report concerns to plant management or through the plant's employee concerns program," Woodeshick said. "That assessment leads us to believe that the corrective actions we are taking are working, but we will continue to make further improvements. "