ML062540377
| ML062540377 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem, Hope Creek  |
| Issue date: | 10/15/2003 |
| From: | Meyer G NRC Region 1 |
| To: | Barber S, Neff E, Vito D NRC Region 1 |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2005-0194 | |
| Download: ML062540377 (7) | |
Text
DEC-d5-2003 14:06 From:
,To:
Date:
Subject:
DRP 01533422714 P.03
-R 83153422714I iP.I3 0
VaqC. 1 Glenn Meyer)
David Vito: Eileen Neff, Scott Barber 10/15103 1:53PM Fwd: UPDATE ON SALEM/HOPE CREEK FYI - Hub's update today. I didn't know If you received from separate email.
Glenn Information 1n f*hls r8cord wa. deloeteW in accordance with ýhe redom o
Act, exemptions, o
Inforration F01AC
DEC-05-2003 14:06 DRP 83153422714 P-02 4-WARNING ------
SENSITIVE ALLEGATION MATERIAL THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH MAY RELATE TO AN OFFICIAL NRC INQUIRY OR INVESTIGATION WHICH MAYBE EXEMPT FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE PURSUANT TO ONE OR MORE PARTS OF TITLE 10, CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS OFFICIAL USE ONLY SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED, DISPOSE OF THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT IN A SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED WASTE RECEPTACLE ACCESS TO INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS LIMITED TO STAFF AS REQUIRED FOR BRIEFING AND RESOLUTION.
DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS IS PROHIBITED
.4A
DEt-05-20G3 14 From:
To:
Date:
Subject:
- 06 DRP 83153422714 P. 04 I Iw,,c Hubert J. Miller Jim Dyer; Samuel Collins; Victoria Ibarra; William Travers 10/15/03 12:04PM UPDATE ON SALEMJHOPE CREEK I
Bill T., as we discussed, here is the current update.
Hub A. Randolph Blough: Ernest Wilson; Glenn Meyer; John Jolicoeur, jtwl CC:
DEC-e15-2003 14:06 DRP 83153422714 P. e5 October 3, 2003 NATURE OF ALLEGATION UNACCEPTABLE ENVIRONMENT AT STATION PRODUCTION.PRESSURES -. STARTING AT CORPORATE LEVEL -ARE EXCESSIVE o
EXAMPLES INCLUDE iNAPPROPRIATE DECISIONS ON PLANT OPERATION WITH EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS UNDER PRESSURE FROM VERY SENIOR UTILITY MANAGEMENT EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION SUPPRESSION OF DOCUMENTS (NOT VERY SPECIFIC)
ALLEGER ESCALATING LEVEL OF CONCERN (E.G.. DIRECT LETTER TO REG ADMIN RECOMMENDING SHUTDOWN) - ALLEGER CONTENDS THAT. TAKEN TOGETHER, DAMNING STATEMENTS BY VERY SENIOR PSEG OFFICIALS ARE COMPELLING AND SUFFICIENT. IN AND OF THEMSELVES, TO MAKE CASE THAT SAFETY ENVIRONMENT IS UNACCEPTABLE LIKELY TO GET EXTENSIVE PUBLIC AND MEDIA ATTENTION - ALLEGER CURRENTLY IN COMMUNICATION WITH NATIONAL PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS OUTSIDERS MIGHT DISMISS ALLEGATIONS AS MOTIVATED BY DISPUTE WITH COMPANY (SHE HAS FILED DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS) BUTALLEGER APPEARS TO BE GENUINELY CONCERNED BASIS FOR ALLEGER CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY OF OPS ALLEGER WORKED DIRECTLY FOFORMER Cla-HAD ACCESS TO VIRTUALLY ALL SITE PERSONNEL INCLUDING SENIOR EXECUTIVES SHARPLY-WORDED STATEMENTS OFFORMER AND CURRENT TOP LEVEL LICENSEE OFFICIALS (E.G., VP.LEVEL) ABOUT SERIOUS SAFETY CULTURE PROBLEMS STATEMENTS ARE VERBATIM EXCERPTS FROM LENGTHY TAPE RECORDINGS LENGTHY CONTACT LIST OF SENIOR STAFF PERSONS (CURRENT AND FORMER PSEG EMPLOYEES) AND CONTRACTORS WITH ANPCDOTAL COMMENTS ASSESSMENT OF PLANT SAFETY.
REGION I HAS HAD HEIGHTENED CONCERN ABOUT SALEM/HOPE CREEK FORTHE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. A MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL NUMBER OF EVENTS AND PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS HAVE GIVEN RISE TO THIS CONCERN. TUESE ARE DOCUMENTED AND EVIDENCED BY.CROSS CUTTING ISSUE PSEG MANAGEMENT HAS.IN MANY INSTANCES. BEEN DEFENSIVE WITH NRC (WE UNDERSTAND ALSO WITH INPO)
S HAVE PICKED UP SOME STRONG VIEWS FROM STATION STAFF IN.MANAGEMENT SITE VISITS TURNOVER OF STATION STAFF IS HIGH (E.G.. MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL LICENSED OPERATOR ATTRITION)
BUT.
REGION HAS, FOR SOME TIME, PROVIDED HEIGHTENED ATTENTION TO PLANT
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.PC MUCH HIGHER THAN.NORMAL AMOUNT OF INSPECTION (NUMBER OF INSPECTION HOURS, SPECIAL INSPECTIONS, ETC.)
FOUR FULLTIME RESIDENT INSPECTORS ASSIGNED TO STAFF. REG DID NOT BACK DOWN FROM TWO-SITE LEVEL OF INSPECTION WHEN LICENSE '.'MERGED OPERATIONS" NUMBER OF EXTENSIVE SENIOR REGIONAL MANAGEMENT SITE REVIEWS PERFORMED OVER THE PAST YEAR CONCERNS REGISTERED.WITH COMPANY APPEAR TO HAVE SOME IMPACT - NEW SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM INSTALLED AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES MADE TO INCREASE DEPTH OF MANAGEMENT TEAM FROM STAFF INSPECTIONS AND REVIEWS TO DATE, NO SINGLE EVENT OR PLANT ACTIVITY POSES OVERALL, UNDUE RISK TO SAFETY (STILL ASSESSING)
STATEMENTS BY SENIOR OFFICIALS ARE VERY POSSIBLY NOT AS SERIOUS AS THEY APPEAR ON THE SURFACE - THEY MAY HAVE BEEN JUST PART OF VERY "LOOSE TALK"....SEVERE OVERSTATEMENTS NOT REFLECTING THE TRUE FEELING OF PEOPLE ABOUT OVERALL SAFETY (IHOWEVER GIVEN NUMBER AND NATURE OF THE STATEMENTS. THEY CANNOT BE IGNORED AND WE CANNOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT LATER CONCLUDING SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CULTURE PROBLEM EXISTS)
PLANT STATUS ALL UNITS RETURNED TO FULL POWER FOLLOWING HURRICANE RELATED SHUTDOWN NRC ACTIONS TO DATE LENGTHY INTERVIEW WITH ALLEGER REVIEW OF DOCUMENTS AND TAPES PROVIDED BY ALLEGER S
01 INTERVIEW WITH KEY OFFICI APPROACH GOING FORWARD WHILE STAFF DOES NOT SEE NEED FOR IMMEDIATE. EXTREME ACTION (E.G.. SHUTDOWN).
FOLLOWUP INTERVIEWS AND ASSESSMENT OF ALLEGATION IN ALL ITS COMPLEX ASPECTS MUST PROCEED WITH HIGHEST PRIORITY RAPID OVSTAFF INTERVIEW OF SELECTED KEY COMPANY OFFICIALS QUOTED BY ALLEGER (3 FORMER) 1 CURRENT)
SUBSEQUENT. WIDER INTERVIEWS OF CROSS SECTION OF STATION PERSONNEL (E.G.. ALL SHIFT MANAGERS)
ALLEGATION FOLLOWUP WILL BE DONE IN CONTEXT OF ALREADY HIGH LEVEL OF REGIONAL OVERSIGHT AND INSPECTION (E.G.. FOLLOW THROUGH ON PLAN TO HAVE REGIONAL SEN MANAGEMENT AT EXIT MTG FOR "LOSS OF POWER" SPECIAL INSPECTION)
QUESTIONS ABOUT BROADER, SAFETY CULTURE INSPECTION(S) TO BE CONSIDERED ON CONTINUING BASIS AS WE PROCEED IN STEP WISE FASHION WITH CURRENT PLANNED INTERVIEWS - CONSIDERING SECY-98-176 SRM (PROPOSED OPTIONS FOR ASSESSING A LICENSEE'S SAFETY CONSCIOUS WORK ENVIRONMENT), THESE OPTIONS INCLUDE:
o SPECIAL NRC SCWE INSPECTION o
ORDER TO DO A THIRD-PARTY ASSESSMENT GIVEN NATURE OF ALLEGATION AND LEVEL OF INDIVIDUALS, REFERRAL IS NOT APPROPRIATE
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OCTOBER 15 UPDATE ON SALEMIHOPE CREEK ALLEGATION UPDATE ON 01 INTERVIEWS Of has interviewed 4 of the key senior managers the alleger pointed to. Overall, while acknowledging there has clearly been increased emphasis and attention to economics, the senior officials interviewed said in no case has production overridden safety. A few were adamant that the alleger's portrayal of an "unsafe" situation is off base. There have been some mixed stories on specific incidents that the. alleger has cited in registering her concerns, however, and 01 is pursuing these disptrities with staff assistance.
While senior officials say that decisions on plant operations are being made on safety grounds, overall, a couple have registered concerns of their own about the environment.
One former senior manager said he is considering an employment discrimination case himself, feeling he was let go for having regularly challenged top level management decisions.
S 01 has begun review of an extensive investigation performed by Winston and Straun at PSEG's behest in response to previous alleger complaints. The investigation concluded that
- while there management Issues surfaced in their interviews - there was not a "chilled environment7 and the alleger was not discriminated against.
ALLEGER STATUS 0
The alleger served a civil suit on top PSEG officers on October 10.
0 The alleger continues to contact Region I and 01 with information and concerns expressed to her by staff (some of whom are still on site).
OFFSITE STAKEHOLDERS Congressman Lobiondo's staff approached NRC with general questions about this situation indicating information on the alleger's concerns are becoming more widely known.
PSEG ACTIONS PSEG continues to ake manageme t an es at t e tation. F rexam haskT-L bm a ne*
orm ne NRC ACTIONS The staff and 01 are continuing to pursue this matter as a matter of top priority.
The staff continues to believe, notwithstanding performance issues which we have been pursuing, the three station units are safely operating.
I
From:
Theodore Wingfiel'd To:
A. Randolph Blough; Brian Holian; Cornelius Holden; Daniel Orr, David Vito; Diane Screnci; Glenn Meyer; Hubert J. Miller, James Clifford; John Boska; John White; Mel Gray; Neil Sheehan; Robert Fretz: Ronald Nimitz; Scott Barber; Theodore Wingfield; Thomas Madden; Wayne Lanning Date:
10/23103 1:02PM
Subject:
Re: Salem Comm Team -Conference call Thurs 10 am I have attached the latest version of the Q&As.
Noteworthy Changes:
(1) I have split the external & internal portions into separate documents (I believe this will make distribution easier based on a "need to know basis.")
(2) I have included a "revision status" in the footer to ensuire everyone can be clear about versions when discussing further changes.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL OR FAX ME YOUR COMMENTS:
tvw(@nrc.gov (Fax) (610) 337-5349 *
>>> Scott Barber 10/23/03 11:40AM >>>
Enclosed is an early draft of our Q's & A's. Randy has given us his first set of comments. I believe we have other comments from Randy to incorprate. These have been discussed in recent Salem Comm Team meetings. We are still accepting comments and feedback on them from the comm team members.
>>> Hubert J. Miller 10121/03 02;37PM >>>
Sam, the staff here is drafting some Q&As reflecting the points captured in my previous two pager. (I requested they be prepared yesterda'y and understand a draft is already circulating.... ) We should be able to forward this to you and others in the next day or so.
A special communications team meeting was held today. It includec OCA/PAO/EDO/NRRIOI reps. We'll keep you posted.
Hub
>> Samuel Collins 10121103 10:06AM >,>
Hub, thanks for the update. At the Chairman's briefing this morning this topic was raised in the context of preparation of "talking points" for OPNStaff in the event the alleger goes public and the NRC needs to respond....your thoughts? Sam
>>> Hubert J. Miller 1-0116/03 12:08PM b,>>
Hopefully, the update we provided yesterday was received in time for Bill's periodic with Comm Merrifield and that the Commissioner is satisfied.
As you can tell, we are giving this a lot of management attention.....working hard to avoid the many potential pitfalls that lie before us.
FYI -- In the latest call yesterday afternoon, the alleger made references to close contacts she has with "significant media outlets" (the NYTimesiWashington Post). She seems to be bringing this up in the context of questions she is asking about the pace of our investigationslallegation followup.
We are staying on course.... following through on the plan layed out in my two pager with a sense of urgency and within the constraints of our allegation process.
I will keep you informed.