ML061460331

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OI Interview Transcript of Witness, Dated 02/13/2004, Pages 1-53
ML061460331
Person / Time
Site: Salem, Hope Creek  PSEG icon.png
Issue date: 02/13/2004
From:
NRC/OI
To:
References
1-2003-051F, FOIA/PA-2005-0194, NRC-1341
Download: ML061460331 (55)


Text

Of~cial Transcnpt of Proceedings NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Interview of'

Title:

~qu

(:1 Docket Number:

Location:

1-2003-051 F Salem, New Jersey Date:

Friday, February 13, 2004 Work Order No.:

NRC-,1341 Pages 1-53 NEAL R. GROSS AND CO., INC.

Court Reporters and Transcribers 1323 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 234-4433 in ~

remr was "i

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10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS INTERVIEW x

IN THE MATTER OF:

INTERVIEW OF (Closed) 01 Case No.

1-2003-051F

-- ------------------- X Friday, February 13, 2004 The above-entitled interview was conducted, at 1:12 p.m.,

BEFORE:

EILEEN NEFF, Special Agent ALSO PRESENT:

SCOTT BARBER, Senior Project Engineer NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

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P-R-O-C-E-E-D-I-N-G-S 2

1:12 p.m.

3 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

Today's date 4

is February 13, 2004.

The time now is approximately 5

1:12 p.m.

6 Speaking is Special Agent Eileen Neff with 7

the NRC Office of Investigations at Region One. Also 8

present from Region One Division of Reactive Projects 9

is Senior Project Engineer Scott Barber.

10 What follows is an interview of 11 Qwho was formerly employed by PSEG Nuclear as 12 at the Salem and Hope Creek stations.

13 As agreed, the interview is being tape 14 recorded.

And the location for this interview is 15 taking place at...

="-

16 Q90--.W 17 The subject matter of the interview 18 concerns the safety conscious work environment at 19 Salem and Hope Creek..

as been informed 20 that he's being approached as a witness for his 21 assessment of the work environment at Salem and Hope 22 Creek.

That you're not the subject of an 23 investigation, and that there is no potential 24 violation associated with the safety conscious work 25 environment.

And you understood that?

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SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

And you explained prior to going on the record you had indicated you had no objection to affirming to the information under oath.

Would you please raise your right hand?

Do you affirm that the testimony you're about to provide is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

  • I do.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

Thank you.

For the record, could you provide some background information, please. First I'd like to get some identifying information from you.

Date of birth, Social Security number.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

And we're at your regular residence*

I understand that you work ctually you're in currently?

Correct.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

We'll get into that when we cover your work experience.

What about your education?

I Education, I have a 1 NEAL R. GROSS iD(f 7TN-COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

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Also attended 4

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

And your 5

employment history?

6D 6

Employment history.

I 7

worked fo 8

10 And now I work for (phonetic).

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF-Okay.

In 12 what positions did you hold with them?

What was your 13 experience there?

14 My experience there was a 15 I worked my way up from a 16 17" all nuclear.

That 18 was a period of 19 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

At what sites did you 20 work?

22 23 24 25 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

And when you were at NEAL R. GROSS

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Salem and Hope Creek?

Salem and Hope Creek also for -- yes.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

While you were with 1~aananhsnra~!

yes.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

What was your position then when you were with Salem and Hope Creek, SPECIAL AGENT NEFF: L that would have been for what years then?

And 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

  • u7L That was mm4 during the I.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

And in Yes.

20 21 22 23 24 25 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

And what was your title then?

~~~'~With PSEG?

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Yes.

ALI SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS And did that 7-/

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title remain the same throughou.

3 It was the

same, t., 4 1I acted as the, 5

1 for about a year.

And then sometime, I

6 guess in January of my title changed to I think 7

it was I went to the engineering 8

side for construction.

9 MR.

BARBER:

When was that again?

10 In January 11 MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

12 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

To engineer?

13

1.
jI went to engineering, yes.

14 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Now, when you acted 15 as what time period was 16 that?

17 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

I think it was 2000 18 or 2001.

And then I was from there I went to --

I 19 took the slot and 20 then went to engineering.

21 I also acted as theE.

WW"M MM0 22

.during the --

I guess it was the 2002 to 23 2003 period.

24 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF: Acted as th.

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NEAL R. GROSS

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a 2

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

3 If you look on payroll 4

records, my title always was 1

'*S-;JS i

5 pretty much until January 6

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

And thenq 7

did you hold that engineering position?

8 Now Yes.

9 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Until November M

10 j

Or around that.

11 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

Then you left 12 the company in November?

13 4 Right.

I was downsized.

14 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

In the reorg --

okay.

15 At that point?

16 af.

Yes.

17 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

And then you went to 18 the you said?

19 Correct.

20 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Which puts you 21 working in 22 23 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

And your position 24 there?

25 NEAL R.GROSSA COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 4-010 OCnI~ fl

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SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

When you were 2

working, starting in if you can recall, who was 3

in your chain of command when you were#"

4

  • in that time frame?

5 6

7 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

And then those 8

positions, when did they change?

I think different\\

9 later On --

10 know

-and I

11 think it was

-left and I don't know, early '99 12 I think it was when they left.

It wasn't a long time 13 that I was there when it changed and thery become 14 1 think it was o.MWM' "f

15 came in.

I'm pretty sure that was in

'99 or late '98.

16 I don't remember the --

17 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF: (

Okay.

.18 And they then would be who?

19 MR.

BARBER:

(phonetic) 20 then or had he left by then?

21 He left within 3 or 4 22 months of me getting there.

I don't remember.

23 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Was it 24 (phonetic)?

25

Yes, Yes.

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SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

'98/'98?

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Yes.

Yes.

3 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So afteri-4 would have 5

I think so.

6 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

And afte r!

8 ys 9

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Is that right?

10 Yes.

11 MR. BARBER:

When there 12 he was the though, right?

13 Yes, there wasn't anybody--

14 there was only one other than' 15 (phonetic) was I think a too.

16 MR. BARBER:

Yes, o

17 Rgt 18 MR. BARBER:

And th in 19 the position, he was aL*or was it a.'

20 No, he wasn't 21 MR. BARBER:

Right.

22 They split at some point 23 there they split into four --

I think we had five VPs 24 at one point.

25 MR. BARBER:

Okay.

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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 10 SPmCIAL AGENT NEFF:

(phonetic) was one, right?

No. ocame later.

MR.

BARBER:

Later.

He was only there a year and a half, two years.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Oh, okay.

Yes.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

But in terms of who you were reporting to?

J I reported to to Then after that I reported to For the rest of the time I was there until January of when I Vwent to engineering and then I reported to 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So was it

-" did they do away with the position that held?

Was it 71Yes, -it wasa And they moved that to a and then they put th0back in in 2002 to sometime in SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

When you acting as the in that 2002/2003 time frame?

A.

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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 1i Right.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Then for a while that position was just removed and you were a direct report to a That's right.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

So after it was it was then§ directly?

Right. I was direct report to I think it was two years.

It may have been a year.

I don't know.

It's a blur.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

2000 to 2002?

SI could get my r~sum6 out if I have it documented there if you think it's important.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

If we get an idea of who you worked with and in what time.

So would that put you in around 2000 to 2002 time frame or for directly reporting to' would that be --

Yes, I think that's the time period. Yes.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

In there.

Do you have any contact with people on the site now?

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10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Oh?

position?

t wr SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

Aside from then, do you have any contact with people who work on site or who you used to work with, put it that way.

Anybody you used to work with?

Well, people are always asking how am I and how's the new job, and that kind of stuff. But I don't see anybody routinely, no.

MR.

BARBER:

Do you talk to them about issues on site or things of that nature?

No.

No.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Are you aware of the letter that was issued by the NRC Yes..

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

to PSEG in late January?

  • '*."Yes.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

The letter in regard to the work environment?

Yes.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Are you familiar with did you read the letter?

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Yes. it was in the paper.

2 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

How did you 3

react to that?

4I guess I was a little 5

surprised by it.

6 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

In what way?

7

  • Well, I

had --

I just 8

didn't think that there was any issue with bringing up 9

safety concerns.

During the time I worked unde*

10 I was responsible from an aspect not nuclear safety, 11 but I was the

.1" on safety as a 12 topic.

But any initiative for physical safety.

And 13 it was always in our language that safety was first.

14 And so I was a bit taken back by the press.

15 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Was that your 16 experience there?

17 Yes 18 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

It was in your 19 language that safety was

first, but was that the 20 practice?

21 Yes.

22 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF: There was more to the 23

letter, right?

There was --

24

,jJ Yes.

And I don't remember 25 specifically the letter.

But that's the thing that NEALOR.TGROSS 4/IRBR COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

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sticks in my mind.

2 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

It addressed 3

generally also it addressed operational decision 4

making.

5 Yes.

6 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Do you have any 7

concerns in that regard or any observations int hat 8

regard that you could --

9 Well, technically, I --

I'm 10 not a technical person when it comes to reactor 11 safety. I'm more of a construction and craft labor and 12 physical work.

That's my knowledge, my skill.

Yo 13 know, that's my background.

14 So, I mean based on my knowledge of going 15 to INPO and things like that, I know there's concern 16 that we operate safely and not -- that our decisions 17 are conservative.

Right?

That's knowledge that I 18 have.

And my witness or do I have any knowledge of 19 issues where people were directed to do things out of 20 conservative decision making space, I don't think so.

21 Because everything was always safety.

Safety is 22 number one.

23 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

24 Okay.

25 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

In terms of how NEAL R. GROSS AN IB COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS A"

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individual raised concerns and those concerns were 2

responded to in your experience, part of the safety 3

conscious work environment would be that individuals 4

feel free to raise concerns without fear of any 5

adverse action; that they do so comfortably.

Did you 6

see that?

Did it work on site while you were there?

7 I

would I

could 8

characterize this more from a personal, how people 9

would feel with some types of verbal responses.

I 10 think that people were maybe decreased in value, okay, 11 from a human aspect that maybe people would feel 12 reluctant to speak to anything about based on human 13 responses.

14 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

In what ways were 15 they made to feel decreased in value?

You mean in 16 terms of their input or just overall?

17 Overall.

It was, you know, 18 what some more of a I don't know how to say 19 this. It's a --

when a person is yelled at, screamed 20 at, belittled; that kind of stuff, they --

I would 21 think they would feel reluctant to say anything after 22 a while.

Now, that can be said to be well I can't 23 bring up safety concerns.

I could understand how a 24 person could get to that point and make that 25 connection.

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7 NEALR. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.

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SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Hesitate, if that's 2

the you get --

3 That's right. For bringing 4

anything up.

Safety, anything.

5 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Was that your 6

experience?

Was that the kind of treatment that you 7

received?

8 Yes, at times. Yes.

Yes.

9 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

From what level?

10.m ph 11 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

1 3 12hmln fli 13 14 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

That was his style, 15 I guess?

16 That was his style.

That's 17 how he was.

Yes.

He was --

I would characterize him 18 at that point in his career that he --

you know, he'd 19 strip you in public and it didn't matter. That's it.

20 So --

but that's you know, that's the '98/'99 time 21 frame.

22 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Right.

After him was 23 How did he compare with the management 24 style?

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He wasn't quite as I'll say NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

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aggressive or abrasive.

He's more humane.

2 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

What about 3

    • .hen, you worked directly for him afte 4

5

.i very demanding.

I 6

worked for at LaSalle also.

And he can -- he can 7

be quite abrasive, offensive to people and have them 8

not want to be open.

9 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Did you see the 10 jstyle having an effect on people 11 being able to raise concerns there?

12 MM:

I think that the people out 13 there are broken in spirit, that their spirit has been 14 broken and --

and I don't --

I don't think that they'd 15 be inclined to bring anything up based on --

on how 16 they've been treated.

17 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So is this what 18 broke them?

I mean, what do you see contributing to 19 that?

20

Well, there's been --

it 21 looks like there's been a cycle of --

well, it's a

22 cycle of management.

It's a continuous cycle since 23 I've been there in

'94.

I think I've been -- I've seen 24 at least four management teams, I think.

And so 25 there's always changing expectations.

They don't NEALR. GROSS A

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understand what that expectation or their role is.

A 2

lot of people have --

a lot of management have been 3

abusive and unkind.

And then there's been days like 4

Black Friday, which was in I think the '97 time period 5

where they laid -- just came in and let a whole bunch 6

of people go, no warning, and just escorted them off 7

site with security.

That breaks -- breaks people.

If 8

they've been long term --

long time and there's been 9

a lot of people there for a long time, maybe 20, 30 10 year employees there.

11 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Is there anything in 12 the work environment, and let's look at your more 13 recent years, the 2002 to 2003 time frame.

And I know 14 your position changed at least for about a year there.

15 In terms of the work environment, did you see the 16 environment having an strengths at all int hat time 17 frame?

18 Strengths?

I think we were 19 focused on safety and making sure that the units were 20 operating, fixing the plant. Yo know, we had a lot of 21 broken equipment, a lot of unresolved issues with 22 equipment.

And I think that --

during that time we 23 came together and we fixed a lot of --

a lot of 24 equipment and got things running how it needed to run.

25 There was a focus on -- on shorter outages NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE.. N.W.

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I view all that as positive during that period.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

At the same time there may have been some concerns about management.

And was it more than at the VP level, were there others who behaved in that way where it might not have been, you know, conducive to creating a or raising a concern you can tell me anything environment?

There was

VPs, superintendents, managers, all levels that had that style.

It was --

I think that style was expected at that time.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

I was going to ask you, you've had a lot of experience at a number of different sites.

I think you named six or seven of them.

Is that something that you see at other locations?

Is this unique to PSEG at Salem and Hope Creek, or how did you view it?

I see that in Exelon.

Exelon plants that understand I've never been --

seeing these other plants from a utility worker.

I've only seen them from a contractor.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

TI But the environment is is not friendly.

It sometimes borderline abusive NEAL R. GROSSRA COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

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where I've refused to work at plants.

2 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Can you give an 3

example of like what kind of abuses have you 4

witnessed?

5

  • 7 Just verbal and, you know, 6

intimidation tactics, you know, that type of stuff.

7 But the performance.

8 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Performance, like 9

goal drive?

10 Goal driven performance.

11 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Performance, 12 expectations?

13 Schedule, budget, you know 14 that type of stuff.

But I don't have any perspective 15 from the other plants on reactor safety because I 16 wasn't I

wasn't involved.

Usually I

was in 17 shutdown turnaround stand -- you know, position or an 18 outage.

19 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So when you say that 20 what you saw at PSEG was something it wasn't 21 limited to the VPS, it went to other superintendents, 22 it was what was expected?

23 Yes.

24 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So where was that 25 coming from then?

I mean, does that go to the CNO NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 21 level or does that go --

how do you see that emulated?

I don't know. I know it's coming from the VPs. Where up above that, I don't know because, you know, I really wasn't exposed to those --

you know, any direction above VP.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

So for you it started there?

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

Can you think of --

we are talking in general about people raising concerns.

How did it work for you, personally?

Were you able to --

if you had an issue, were you able to front that issue comfortably?

I was because I

had relationship with --

with m

I had worked for him directly over the years.

I've worked fo directly over the years.

So I could --

I could pretty much raise concerns during the -- what was it?

'90 --

past '99 period.

Prior to that with no.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

You didn' t have that relationship and you didn't have that comfort level?

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Can you think of any situation where you would have had a concern that you elevated that didn't get handled appropriately?

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SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

In terms of safety?

3 j

Safety.

No.

4 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Safety related area?

5 No.

6 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Do you have any 7

concerns with how the --

from what you've observed on 8

site, any concerns with the safe operation of the 9

plants there?

10 No.

I live --

I mean it's 11 in my back yard now.

No, I don't.

Not from the time 12 I left.

I don't know what's happening now.

13 MR.

BARBER:

Now with -- you mentioned you 14 had some difficulty raising concerns with But 15 you didn't feel like that was an issue with 16 OEg11 17 No.

18 MR.

BARBER:

Do you recall any specific 19 issues that you raised with eithel**

20 and any specifics as far as what the issue 21 was and now they dealt with it?

22

Well, mine was more 23 personnel safety.

And it was just dealt with.

As 24 soon as I had a concern where -- for example, we had--

25 we had a serious near miss, I think it was in 2003 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS vao-a ownni: m Amn AVi ri w

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time period.

It was about a valve and a wedge fell 2

through the bottom of the valve.

I forget the valve 3

numbers.

It a heater drain valve over in Salem.

And 4

the individuals, they weren't doing proper pre-job 5

briefs, weren't doing proper turnovers, etcetera.

And 6

we stood down the whole maintenance organization and 7

changed our pre-job brief concept, retrained all the 8

foreman on pre-job briefs.

No, I was responded to 9

with that.

And I connected dots between multiple 10 injuries or potential near miss injuries and I had no 11 issue with the resolution with that or how it was 12 handled.

13 MR.

BARBER:

Now, that type of issue 14 sounds more like a program process issue and put in 15 programs and process.

16 What if it involved --

17 4 Well, it was training.

18 MR.

BARBER:-

Okay.

19....

It was program, program 20 processes like you say and expectations and 21 reenforcement of expectations.

22 MR.

BARBER:

If it involved with the fix 23 or the resolution of some issue which involved any 24 significant expenditure of money or some sort of 25 funds, did you get the same kind of reception?

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9.

If it had to do with 2

safety, yes.

3 MR. BARBER:

With personnel safety?

4 Ys 5

MR. BARBER:

Like clothing or safety 6

equipment or what have you? If you went in and said, 7

hey,jý I need a 1,000 of these things.

8 Go get it.

9 MR. BARBER:

It wasn't a concern?

10 11 MR.

BARBER:

Did you have to ask or did 12 you just have your own authority up to a certain 13 level?

14 We went back and forth with 15 that during a period.

And at one point I

had 16 authority, then I had to ask.

Then I had authority.

17 But even if I had the authority I had to ask.

18 MR. BARBER:

Okay.

19 I didn't mind asking if, 20 you know, it was just fine.

21 MR. BARBER:

Okay.

All right.

22 j7 Well I asked and I got what 23 I needed.

24 MR. BARBER:

Okay.

So mainly what we're 25 talking about here as far as safety is industrial NEALR.TGROSS JN 1 R

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safety, is that correct?

2 Right.

3 MR. BARBER:

Personnel safety?

4

§3 Right.

Personnel safety 5

because there really --

as aLand 6

my positions that I held I really didn't have much to 7

do with reactivity or nuclear safety as far as the 8

operation of the reactor.

9 MR. BARBER:

Was there any push from a 10 goal standpoint to reduce backlogs whether it be 11 corrective maintenance or preventative maintenance?

12 Ahuge push.

13 MR. BARBER:

Was it constant or did it 14 kind of ebb and flow?

15 Constant, from the time I 16 got there.

17 MR. BARBER: Did it vary from time-to-time 18 as far as like well you know --

19

,KII intensity?

20 MR. BARBER:

Yes, intensity and like which 21 one was more important.

Okay.

PMs are more important 22 now, CMs are more different?

Did you get a sense of 23 that or --

24 It was a constant let's 25 reduce the backlog of CMS.

It was constant for the NEAL R. GROSS 1( 7 COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE.. N.W.

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duration of time.

The first year I was there I was 2

mainly doing construction type work and then I moved 3

into the.arena.

And then it 4

was constant let's get the plant fixed, get the 5

backlog down in CMs.

Corrective maintenance fixed.

6 MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

Now, when you 7

initially started was there did the Win Team 8

(phonetic) exist then or was that something that was 9

a later 10 Win Team Win Team was 11 there.

12 MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

Did you work them or 13 were you working primarily with --

14 I was their for a 15 while, for about a year.

16 MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

Okay.

So they tended 17 to handle the more immediate emergent small scope, you 18 know, you can go on the field and fix it type jobs --

19 Correct.

20 MR.

BARBER:

And they're relatively easy 21 to fix.

22 W

Yes.

23 MR.

BARBER:

Did you ever feel like the 24 pressure you got either in that position or in other 25 positions just was unbearable or excessive or to the NEAL R. GROSSjjI C COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS Rwnnfgln IMI ANf AVF N W

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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 point where, you know, you felt like they're telling you to drive the numbers down regardless of how you get them down?

No.

No.

It was fix -- make sure it was fixed and take the --

the credit.

It wasn't just close them.

Now, below, I think when I when I got there I think there was some feelings of that below in the supervisory ranks and some of the superintendents.

MR.

BARBER:

How did you address that if that was your perception?

j I don't take credit unless it's done done.

If you walk down the work is

done, then it's closed.

If it's not done, you don't close it.

I approach things from an honest standpoint that if it's not done, it's not done.

So we put that off.

MR.

BARBER:

Did you ever have problems where, you say the Win Team, you know someone would go in the field to look for a problem, they'd look for it and say, you know, it says this is broken. I'm sitting there looking at it and it's not broken, it's working?

SYes.

MR. BARBER:

You know, I mean there's no--

if there's nothing surreptitious about it, I mean it's just

-- you know you go there and you do -- you know, NEAL R.TGROSSCR COUR~T REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

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2 3

4 5

6 7

8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 you do your initial review --

jWe would close those to try anew when it came again.

We would try and find it again.

MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

SgYes.

MR.

BARBER:

Did you have problems with that kind of thing like on certain systems or components, or did you have --

I I think there were some problems over at Hope Creek with the electronics we were chasing -- chasing ghosts on a couple of systems.

MR. BARBER:

Okay.

Do you remember any of the details or any of the systems that were involved?

iOne was seismic monitoring.

That one I remember.

And rod control.

MR. BARBER:

Okay.

Do you remember any of the nature of the problems with these electrical systems?

- -.I remember there was some electronic failures.

We hadn't had PMs, I think, established and we had to go and establish PMs for the electronics over at Hope Creek.

MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

Was that both systems or just seismic or --

1iI --

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jjSeismic, I think we -- the system was analog and we were changing it and we were going --

there's a plan to change it to digital.

MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

Something like that.

So it was just antiquated.

You couldn't get spare parts anymore, that type of stuff.

MR. BARBER:

Okay.

Was that a big problem with spare parts?

I mean, was there -- you know, the systems on site, did you have a lot of systems that kind of fell in that category where they were older systems and it was hard getting parts?

a a

Not really.

Just the -- the one thing that sticks in my mind is the seismic monitoring system.

MR.

BARBER:

Seismic.

What about radiation monitoring system?

3..Rad monitor over at Salem, that was --

yes, that's a problem system.

MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

When you left was that still a problem system or had that been updated at all, upgraded?

WhenI left we were going through a major renovation and replacing the system.

And that was --

I was doing that work as the --

over NEAL R. GROSS A1 TiC7 COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

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on the construction side.

2 MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

3 Replacing the system.

4 MR. BARBER:

Okay.

Was it your perception 5

that the management wanted your bosses wanted 6

things fixed right or did you feel like there was a 7

lot of pressure I mean, you're saying that you 8

wouldn't do anything if you didn't feel comfortable 9

doing it.

That's the impression I'm getting.

10

/11No.

11 MR.

BARBER:

But did you feel pressure 12 from your bosses where you felt like at times they 13 really wanted to just you know, they wanted the 14 grind the numbers down?

15 9 No.

Basically if 16 directive was it's not fixed until it works per 17 design. And it was driven into us.

It's not fixed 18 until it works on demand for the operator.

That was 19 constant for the time I worked under him.

20 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Did you get the 21 resources that you needed to get the backlog down and 22 to keep things fixed per design?

23 We had plenty of resources.

24 I think our problem was more productivity and labor 25 issues, trying to get production.

Like I did a study NEAL R. GROSS!jj7-COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE.. N.W.

31 1

direct work waS down around 12 percent wrench time.

2 So it was a productivity issue than anything.

And

.3 also, they issued a number of PMs that came out when 4

we had revised the PM program, was unbearable. It was 5

just a lot of PMs and a lot of what we figured out 6

that were unnecessary.

7 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

It's just a lot to 8

sort through and deal with?

10 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So what time frame 11 was that when the program was revised?

12 I think the program was 13 revised as I was coming in in the '98 time frame,

'99.

14 And then it continued a revision process for at least 15 two or three years it was being revised.

16 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

And the productivity 17 issues, you're saying wrench time was low?

18 j

Very low.

19 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

What was the cause of 20 that?

21 I think the relationship 22 with labor was poor with the bargaining unit and there 23 was just a lot of turmoil there, relationship with 24 management and the bargaining unit.

25 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Caused hold ups and NEAL R. GROSS 7//

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setbacks and work stoppage?

2 MW Poor attitudes and you 3

know.

When it came down to an outage or something, 4

though, they got what they needed to do, they got it 5

done.

But --

6 MR. BARBER:

Was this 12 percent, was that 7

an online maintenance number?

8 3 Yes.

And I think that's a 9

12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br /> shift number, that one, if I remember right.

10 MR.

BARBER:

So what does that mean?

does ii that mean like if I took a 12 hour1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br /> shift, the average 12 actual wrench time is an hour and a half?

13 Ta' t

14 MR.

BARBER:

So the other 101A hours is 15 done, is doing what?

16 There's a whole pie chart 17 that tells you that's out there.

18 MR.

BARBER:

Was some of that just 19 13 Some of it

-- some of it 20 MR.

BARBER:

inherent in the process?

21 Some of it is, yes. Some of 22 it's turnover.

Some of it's pre-job briefs.

Some of 23 it's walking to the job.

And some of it's just nobody 24 knows where they are.

25 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Physical where the--

NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE.. N.W.

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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 33 Where the worker is.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Where the worker was?

jj Right.

So the productivity is shot.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

What do you think caused the damage with the labor relations there?

What was do you know what that goes to?

13 Yes.

It's the same --

same topic we were talking about earlier how you treat people.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

Just starting from what you observed at least back as far as time frame?

U-61ma~ot' 198.

Yes.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

When he was 2J Right.

That's correct.

And that was all bargaining unit.

And thenA (phonetic) was another one for how he treated people.

That was"the I think.

That's going back a long time.

That was

'98 and before.

But -- and during his tenure we unionized the planners and schedulers.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

Tj Okay.

MR.

BARBER:

What was behind that?

Why NEAL R. GROSS

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did that happen?

2 7 They were being mistreated.

3 They felt that they weren't being represented and they 4

approached the union for representation.

5 MR.

BARBER:

In what were they being 6

mistreated?

7 j* Number of work hours and --

8 MR.

BARBER:

What?

You mean they working 9

out extra hours and not getting paid for it, that type 10 thing?

11" Yes.

12 MR. BARBER:

Did they ever come to you and 13 express concern with that?

14

'N That was before I

was 15 Public Service.

16 MR. BARBER:

Okay.

You probably must have 17 heard some of that when you were there?

18 Yes 19 MR. BARBER:

I mean, not that you could do 20 anything about it because you were a contractor.

21 was a contractor.

22 MR. BARBER:

Yes.

But you must have heard 23 that?

24 Qu But I stayed out of that.

25 MR.

BARBER:

Yes.

NEAL R.

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I did have the planners and 2

schedulers under me, though, for a year as a Public 3

Service employee in the '99 time frame.

4 MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

Right after they had 5

unionized?

6 No.

I think they had 7

unionized in

'97.

8 MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

Or soon thereafter?

9 Soon thereafter, right. I 10 wasn't --

I was at.

so I'm not sure.

But it 11 was somewhere in there.

12 MR.

BARBER:

Did any of those folks ever 13 come to you with any kind of concerns about, you know, 14 the way they were doing their work or what they were 15 asked to do as far as their work, or was it strictly 16 like an hours and pay type issue?

17 E

Right.

And whose on night 18 shift and whose --

you know, whose working overtime as 19 though overtime's not equitable, that type of -- those 20 types of issues.

21 MR. BARBER:

What do you think some of the 22 biggest problems are that the station faces or was 23 facing, you know, as you were kind of in your last few 24 months of leaving?

And you must have kind of thought 25 kind of looked at what was going on and had some NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS3 AND TRANSCRIBERS a

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2 3

4 5

6 7

8 9

10 ii 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 thoughts on what the problems were?

The last few months I was there was pretty much dedicated to the reorganization.

So it was --

it was a bit of chaos.

And people didn't know whether they had jobs or they did.

So it was more or less demoralizing to folks that I spoke with.

And that to me was the biggest problem was how people felt about coming to work each day.

MR.

BARBER:

And that was something that

-brought in?

I mean, that whole --

the change in the organization or was that was that underway prior to that?

Yes, I don't know that

'--brought in the reorganization from the aspect of we're aligned --

I think it was with the NEI model for a while unde And he wanted it back to the traditional traditional model where you have engineering and ops, and you have a VP, a VP ops.

I'm not sure what

'title right now.

(phonetic).

But I don't his intent was to demoralize people. I think that was --

was an outcome of how,you know, of what happened.

Because people were losing their job and, you know, or changing their jobs.

It was just an outcome.

I don't think set out to demoralize people.

-.I / 6/k-,

NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.

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MR.

BARBER:

Well, in that time frame or 2

maybe even just prior to that, was there anything that 3

you kind of reflected on, you said boy if I was in 4

charge, I would definitely address this?

Do you have 5

something that kind of like jumps out and says this is 6

something that needs to be addressed?

7 The only thing is this same 8

issue I keep I

keep talking is how people are 9

treated and how they feel about themselves after 10 coming to work at the power plant. And I think that 11 has them hesitate to bring things up and, you know, 12 questions why they work there and --

and just how they 13 feel about themselves.

14 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

In spite of what you 15 saw and what you just said that,you know, you see 16 people hesitating and how they're treated and that 17 they'd hesitate to bring up concerns, in spite of that 18 you said that when you saw the NRC letter you were 19 surprised.

20 L

J Well, because it was --

I 21 kind of took like a reactor safety issue that people 22 were were afraid to bring up when there was a

23 reactor safety or reactor management issue.

24 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

25 And that's why I

was NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

38 1

surprised.

I take it more --

2 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

It would surprise you 3

that someone would not raise a reactor safety issue in 4

that environment?

5 j

Well, I guess not.

I 6

wouldn't be surprised if under those circumstances 7

people wouldn't bring anything up.

But I never took 8

it as they wouldn't bring up reactor safety.

I mean, 9

reactor safety is is prime mission.

There's no 10 choice. You have to bring it up.

11 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So you're thinking 12 the environment wouldn't have had that impact to that 13 degree?

14 Right.

15 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

16 Because of that that 17 level of importance.

18 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

19 Rgt 20 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Right.

21 l31 mean, it wouldn't to me.

22 We had so many avenues to bring that type of issue up.

23 We don't have to go through up through the 24 management chain, right?

I mean, you just don't have 25 to.d(

1ý NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS Iqq RHonF IRI ANn AVF.- NW_

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SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Right, there are 2

avenues.

There are very --

3 So I guess that's what I 4

was surprised about.

5 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

I see.

7 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So another thing --

8 I'm trying to --

I've been listening to you.

I'm 9

trying to figure where would the problem be if in 10 the latter years under

-if he's 11 supportive and the message is safety first, industrial 12 safety is important.

If you need something fixed, you 13 fix it for worker related concerns.

And at the same 14 time, he wants the equipment maintained in per design 15 condition so the operators are satisfied.

Where does 16 it all go bad then?

How come they have these labor 17 relations issue?

And if you're getting that level of 18 support from th where'Is the breakdown?

19 I think tha is driven, 20 a very driven person.

And he's goal orientated.

And 21 he wants it, and he wants it done, and he wants it 22 done how he wants it done.

All right. So I as a 23 manager got support from o complete the goals he 24 wanted me to complete.

Okay.

And when you deal with 25 labor, though, it was --

I guess it's an attitude or n

A Or%

t2 06OLI 010

40 1

how you speak with them and how you interact with 2

them.

I see that as a breakdown.

3 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So what they saw from 4

him was this goal driven intimidation and sort of 5

abusive communication 6

(inaudible) right.

7 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF: His high expectations 8

they weren't willing to meet because of the way it was 9

communicated, is that what you were saying?

10 It was a total change of 11 what people were used to.

I mean, when I went into 12 mechanical maintenance, you didn't leave a piece of 13 equipment until it looked brand new and functioned 14 brand new like the way it operated the day it was put 15 in.

And that was hard for people to adjust to, 16 especially to the way the message was given sometimes.

17 Right?

If there was resistance, it was --

it was 18 dealt with I'd say not very humanely.

Right.

19 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

20 M

But the goal was fix the 21 equipment, fix it right and have it work on demand 22 when the operator needs it.

That was -- that was the 23 message.

24 MR.

BARBER:

So was that a change in 25 standards?

NA GO1 COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE.. N.W.

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Yes.

A huge change in 2

standards.

3 MR.

BARBER:

What was the old standard?

4

Well, I think it was more 5

like we change parts.

It wasn't things didn't get 6

fixed.

They were -- parts were changed.

They were 7

repaired.

There's a difference between fixed and 8

repaired.

It now works as designed every time.

9 Repaired is where we've fixed it for now.

10 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So the standard of 11 making it look and work, function like brand new was 12 new?

13 Was a huge step change.

14 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

And that came in with 15 at what time frame?

16 j

Whe got there.

17 MR.

BARBER:

Why would there have been 18 such a strong resistance on the part of the union to 19 that?

Was it something where they felt like --

20 J

Well, take something as 21 simply as like I was mechanical maintenance.
Well, 22 all the pumps were to be painted and I wanted the 23 mechanics to do it.

Well, they didn't they didn't 24 feel that painting was in their you know, it's 25 beneath them.

Go hire a painter to do it.

NEALR.GROSS A

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I wanted the mechanics to maintain the 2

equipment and have pride in the equipment.

And it's 3

their equipment.

I wanted them to own the equipment.

4 It's different.

It's a huge difference.

That was one 5

of the issues we had.

6 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF: That goes to what you 7

questioned about the attitudes?

8 Yes.

9 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

That was the kind of 10 thing?

11 Yes.

12 MR.

BARBER:

Was that a typical type 13 response when you --

it sounded like what you were 14 trying to do is try to instill ownership for the 15 equipment and you got resistance?

16 It depends on what the 17 issue was.

I mean, sometimes things were met with no 18 resistance at all and they were fine.

It depends on 19 our approach, right?

You know, it's human approach.

20

And, you know that evolved over time to be better.

21 But I can see why, you know, at various levels that 22 there is mistrust between the union and management and 23 there's hard feelings and.

24 (End side 1 tape 1).

25 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF: What you were talking NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

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3 4

5 6

7 8

9 10 11 12 13, 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 43 about were the different levels of mistrust at the different levels of the organizations, varying types of distrust at the different levels?

Correct.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

And the tape rolled over.

If you could continue from there.

-]

Well, I

think I

was finished with what I was saying.

MR.

BARBER:

Well, did you find one group to be more willing to take ownership than another and if so was there some reason why?

I have.

Me personally as a

I had a difficult time at Salem with the mechanical maintenance department at Salem.

This is when were still had Salem and Hope Creek maintenance.

And it was --

I think it was easier at Hope Creek to make the change than it was at the Salem units.

MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

So Hope Creek seemed to go along a little bit better and Salem was a little bit more resistent?

.-They were more advanced in work management.

They had further progressed further along that path, and things like that.

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

The Salem side?

NEALPR.TGROSS T

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No, the Hope Creek side.

2 They were much further advanced than just in, I would 3

say, nuclear professionalism than the Salem side.

4 MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

5 M

Mechanics.

6 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

I just want to 7

take a break quickly and check my notes.

8 (Whereupon, a recess) 9 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

A quick break. It's 10 approximately 2:01 p.m.

11 And the question to you was there anything 12 that was a concern to you that we hadn't addressed.

13 And you started to summarize that what bothered you 14 was the way people were treated.

15 jJ Right.

And I said I don't 16 I don't think it was maliciously intentional.

I 17 just think it's a style, it's a management style.

And 18 that's it.

And it kind of squashes people.

19 MR. BARBER:

Well, one of the things that 20 I picked up, and I hope I got it right, that you have 21 more difficulty dealing with han withw 22 23 Yes.

24 MR.

BARBER:

But there may have been 25 others that had trouble dealing with eitheror NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERSRu 7 '

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2 3

4 5

6 7

8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Sure.

MR.

BARBER:

Is that possible?

Yes.

Well, me personally, I was the during restart working foril developed a relationship with him. He knows my work style.

He knows my work ethic.

So I had a--

I would think I had an easier time working wi than others and the same witl MR.

BARBER:

Now, what was unique about your style and your work ethic as opposed to your peers that allowed you to have an easier time working for him?

I don't know if I was any different than my peers. I was just a known entity in some very difficult trying times, like the restart at Salem, okay, and the restart of LaSalle.

I was a and moved things along, advanced things within the goals and targets.

And I was a known entity.

MR.

BARBER:

So when you're saying you were doing that and you were a known entity, are you saying you were doing that as a PSEG employee or as a j

As a-'

And then I moved over to Public Service and so that COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1 '

46 1

that reputation followed me.

2 MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

But they had firsthand 3

working knowledge of what your capabilities and 4

talents and --

5 fj That's right.

6 MR.

BARBER:

work ethic?

7

  • Jrhat's correct.

8 MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

9 So I don't think I was any 10 different or any better than anyone else. I just think 11 that the relationship might have been --

might have 12 been different.

13 MR.

BARBER:

Now when. you mentioned 14 you said that you had difficulty working with him 15 because he was abusive.

Did you ever findeor 16

  • to be abusive to people?

17NoN' 18 on occasion, yes.

19 MR.

BARBER:

Is there certain things that 20 would push his buttons that would really set him off?

21 Failure to do things on 22 time.

Failure to meet a commitment.

Failure to fix 23 a component.

24 What is there was some 25 valid reason like, you know, you ordered a part of NEALPR.TGROSS ATRNI COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS fl i&

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5 6

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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 47 something and it just physically couldn't get here for two weeks, was that an acceptable reason or was that--

did he just view that as, you know, totally unacceptable?

No.

When that was explained, that was acceptable.

If you can't get it, you can't get it.

He did expect, though, that for him himself to contacted and so he can contact the organization, right, like say GE VP, you know, to get it

-- to get the part.

MR. BARBER:

Was that something that would happen a lot?

Did you have a lot of problems with getting parts in house?

  • NM No.

Not especially.

No.

MR. BARBER:

How about having parts on hand, did you have the parts you needed on hand to do routine repairs?-

Pretty much except for some obsolete parts.

We had a problem with obsolete parts, either changing the design or getting us parts.

MR. BARBER:

Did you ever have any issues with concerns over how much --

how many spare parts were being stocked or critical spares in the warehouse because of "amount of taxes" that PSEG would pay on that?

l

ýk\\ AC/

NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

48 1

Yes.

We had --

yes.

We 2

had issues there.

And I had brought up a concern that 3

I didn ' t think that the warehouse should determine our 4

level of critical spares. Maintenance should.

5 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Who did you take that 6

to?

7 Ag M

I took it to the warehouse.

8 But when I moved out o j

,that was still an 9

ongoing issue.

I brought it to the director of 10 maintenance and the warehouse and they were trying to 11 figure out what to do with that when I left.

12 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

And when did you 13 initiate the concern?

14 It was probably third 15 quarter 2003-ish.

16 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF: Right before you left 17 then?

18 Right before I moved over 20 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Third quarter of 21 2002?

22 I'm sorry.

2002. Yes.

23 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

In that time frame?

24 Yes.

25 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Did you raise that COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 49 concern to at that time?

No.

It was --

I think(

knew about it, but I

raised it to (phonetic).

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

But it went unresolved through the time that you left?

It was still an issue.

dg It was a couple of three months, yes, from the time I took -- when I left, it's over to engineering.

I don't know --

I lost track of it when I went tof SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

By the time you went there in early 2003?

SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

I see.

MR.

BARBER:

Who did the warehouse report to?

Wen?

MR. BARBER:

Well, -- like, when you were-SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Time frame.

MR.

BARBER:

Yes, who were they reporting to?

Was it a nuclear group or were they like -- did they report to the --

No, it was a nuclear group.

NEALo R.GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS Alx6

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3 4

5 6

7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 50 I think they' re reporting off site now when I left in November.

But I was say it wa and then when

[1eft the new --

MR.

BARBER:

MR.

BARBER:

Wasn' t No, engineering for a time during this period.

MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

But of all the other stuff.

MR.

BARBER:

All right.

-Warehouse being one.

MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

SFinance being another,HR, etcetera, etcetera when they went to the five VPs.

MR.

BARBER:

All right.

But I

can't remember his name..

took over that duty.

And now I think when I left in November, I think that changed to an off site function.

MR.

BARBER:

Okay.

So do you think that was on the road to being fixed or was it you just NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS I.v!RW I

fl. : IPI AN lAVO M W.

51 1

really don't know?

2

Yes, I don' 3

it was a concern.

And I think mair 4

determine how many critical spares the 5

warehouse.

They're the ones that know 6

what's -- you know, what parts they ne 7

they're doing PMs, etcetera, right?

8 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

But 9

discussed it with' 10 Yes.

11 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

He wa 12 13 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

14 at that time. What was th 15 got to with them I mean, when yoi 16 discussion?

17 1 was abs 18 And people had --

corrective action pl 19 plan for maintenance and it was going t 20 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So tt 21 would make the call on how many spaz 22 stock?

23 Right.

24 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

25 notification that exists then if you pul NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 4§§1 DUAC IM1 AMfn AV=

Ki W t know.

I know itenance should y have, not the their usage and ed and when and you said you is the --

ie response you a had a verbal olutely right.

.an, a get well o be addressed.

tat maintenance

es to keep in Is that a

t on corrective

52 1

action?

Did you write the notification?

2 No.

We had a get well plan 3

at the time.

And I don't know.

That might be in a 4

notification.

I'm not sure.

It may have been 5

transferred, the whole plan have been transferred into 6

a--

7 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

What was the get well 8

plan about?

9 Ever since

  • got there we 10 always had a health plan for maintenance and how to 11 improve it.

12 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

13 Yes.

14 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

So this was a

15 suggestion that was incorporated as part of that then?

16 es.

17 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

Anything 18 further on this?

19 MR.

BARBER:

No.

20 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

No.

Do you have 21 anything that you would like to add?

You see the kind 22 of concerns that we're exploring here.

If there's 23 something that we're not covering that you would like 24 to bring to our attention or some outstanding concern 25 that we haven't talked about?

NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS

-~

I-

^..

A

.t -S

-A

53 1

No.

2 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

I' Ill close at 3

this point then.

4 Have I or any other NRC representative 5

offered you any promises of reward or threatened you 6

in any manner in exchange for your information today?

7 NNo.

8 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

Have you 9

appeared here freely and voluntarily?

10 Freely and voluntarily.

11 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

All right.

12 Yees.

13 SPECIAL AGENT NEFF:

Okay.

I thank you 14 for your time.

15 And we can go off the record.

It's 16 approximately 2:10 p.m.

17 (Whereupon, the interview was concluded at 18 2:10 p.m.)

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 NEAL R. GROSS

'COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.

CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the attached proceedings before the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the matter of:

Name of Proceeding: Interview of

  • 7C Docket Number:

1-2003-051F Location:

Salem, NJ were held as herein appears, and that this is the original transcript thereof for the file of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission taken by me and, thereafter reduced to typewriting by me or under the direction of the court reporting company, and that the transcript is a true and accurate record of the foregoing proceedings as recorded on tape (s) provided by the NRC.

Official Transcriber Neal R. Gross & Co.,

Inc.

NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS