Escalated Enforcement Actions Issued to Individuals - J

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Name and
NRC Action Number
NRC Action Type Date Issued Description
Mr. Billy Johnson
IA-20-017
IANOV 07/23/2021 On July 23, 2021, the NRC withdrew one of the three Notice of Violations initially issued to Mr. Billy Johnson on November 6, 2020.  Upon further review of the case facts, the NRC concluded that although a violation of a Tennessee Valley Authority procedure did occur, the actions taken by Mr. Johnson did not constitute a deliberate misconduct violation.  Accordingly, the Severity Level III violation associated with a violation of 10 CFR 50.5, “Deliberate misconduct” has been withdrawn.
Mr. Billy Johnson
IA-20-017
IANOV 11/06/2020 On November 6, 2020, the NRC issued a Notice of Violation to Mr. Billy Johnson for multiple NRC violations. The first violation, a Severity Level (SL) III violation of his NRC operator license, was issued for failing to adhere to operating procedures and other conditions specified in the Watts Barr Nuclear Plant Unit-1 facility license. Specifically, on November 11, 2015, as the shift manager, he continued a reactor heat-up evolution with only one reactor coolant inventory control system in service. This resulted in a relatively quick and uncontrollable pressurizer water level rise, which led the main control room (MCR) operators to take actions outside of approved operating procedures to re-establish pressurizer water level control. The second violation, an SL III violation of 10 CFR 50.5 was issued for his deliberate failure to ensure that MCR operators operated equipment in accordance with approved procedures. During a startup on November 11, 2015, he improperly directed MCR operators to place a reactor plant system in service in violation of approved procedures. The third violation, an SL II violation of 10 CFR 50.5 was issued for making false statements during an NRC Office of Investigations interview in which he stated there was no significant pushback from MCR operators to continue with the November 11, 2015 reactor heat-up and it was his decision to continue the heat-up. The NRC discovered two separate emails written by Mr. Johnson which stated he had been persuaded into moving forward with the heat-up and that continuing with the heat-up was really a senior management decision. In later interviews he admitted these facts.

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, July 28, 2022