ML12320A386
| ML12320A386 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | San Onofre  |
| Issue date: | 08/30/2011 |
| From: | NRC/OI/RGN-III/FO |
| To: | |
| References | |
| 4-2011-059, FOIA/PA-2012-0238 | |
| Download: ML12320A386 (28) | |
Text
EXHIBIT 4 Case No. 4-2011-059 EXHIBIT 4
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10 ii 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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++++
OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS INTERVIEW
-- x ER OF:
F 01 Case No.
4-2011-059 IN THE MATT:
INTERVIEW 0 (b)(7)(C)
[
(CLOSED) x Tuesday, August 30, 2011 Meeting Room Marriott Residence Inn 3603 Ocean Ranch Boulevard Oceanside, California 92056 The above-entitled interview was conducted at 1:55 p.m.
Information in this record was deleted in accordance witht Fre,:,,,* ul-Wormation Act, exeptionsL MV'rnT:'.
FOlk-
't (b)(7)(C)
EHI&T-i9 1 4 20~11-059' (202) 234-4433 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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2 PROCEED I NGS 2
(1:55 p.m.)
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(b)(7)(C)
We're on the 4
record.
This is an interview of (b)(7)(C)
Today's 5
date is August 3 0 th, 2011.
It is approximately 1:55 6
p.m.
7 The location of this interview is in the 8
Meeting Room at the Marriott Residence Inn, 3603 Ocean 9
Ranch Boulevard, Oceanside, California 92056. Present 10 at this interview arel (b)(7)(C) 11 (b)(7)(C) 12 This investigation involves an allegation 13 of discrimination against al (b)(7)(C)
I 14 for reporting nuclear safety concerns to the NRC, and 15 it's reported under 01 Case number 4-2011-059.
16 I(b)(7)(C)
Jhe NRC 01 protocol includes the 17 swearing in of witnesses. Do you have any objection to 18 being sworn in this afternoon?
19 (b)(7)(C)
No.
20 (b)(7)(C)
Can you raise your 21 right hand, sir.
22 Do you swear that the information that 23 you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth, 24 and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
25 (b)(7)(c)
J I do.
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(b)(7)(C) kThank you, sir.
- Sir, can you give for the record your full name, please.
(b)(7)(C)
(b)(7)(C)
(b)(7)(C)
-And what's your current position, sir?
(b)(7)(C)
I 'm retired.
(b)(7)(C) d what had been your position prior to your retirement?
E (b)(7)(C)
I I
was the I(b)(7)C F
(b)(7)(C)
ýt the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
(b)(7)(C)
- We'll go off the record for just a second.
(Off the record.)
(b)(7)(C)
Back on the record.
And you had been employed by whom when you were working at SONGS?
(b)(7)(C)
Southern California Edison.
(b)(7)(C)
- Jkay. And when did you retire from your position at SONGS, sir?
(b)(7)(C) he official retirement date was (b)(7)(C)
I (b)(7)(C)
IDo you have any military experience?
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(b)(7)(C) es 2
(b)(7)(C)
[What would that 3
be, sir?
4 (b)(7)(C)
Thirty-four years in the United S
States (b)(7)(C) 6 (b)(7)(C) khank you for your 7
service, sir.
8 (b)(7)(C) hank you.
9 (b)(7)(C)
We were talking 10 off the record and I was telling you about the scope 11 of my investigation, and how it involved (b)(7)(C) 12 which I believe (b)(7)(C) for at least part of 13 the time that you were at SONGS.
Correct?
14 (b)(7)(C)
Yes.
15 (b)(7)(C)
How much 16 interaction did you have wit (b)(7)(C) 1 17 (b)(7)(C)
J I was first employed as the 18 *a alead~b(7)c) nI (b)(7)(C),
Fb. 7 18 (b()I)I_
n 19 (b)(7)as already a (b)(
at that time.
20 Didn't have much interaction with
- him, had not 21 previously met with him.
Our (b)(7)(C) 22 in thel (b)(7)(C) nnounced a position 23 opening for an (b)(7)(C) in
- there, which handled 24 relations with the (b)(7)(C) 25 (b)(7)(C) various odds and ends NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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that didn't fit in the (b)(7)(C) 2 and he was the successful applicant.
3 I do not remember what date that was.
I'm 4
sure that's in his employment record.
We were 5
impressed with him.
Right away he was a no-nonsense, 6
get it done, real team player kind of guy.
I mean, he 7
just seemed to have a knack for that.
8 In the subsequent years, his immediate 9
I (b)(7)(C)
She had been with the company for 10 over (b)(7)(¢)
Iand he applied for her position along 11 with a number of others.
It was a highly competitive 12 selection, and he was the successful candidate to take 13 over that littl 1
(bX7)(C) 14 (b)(7)(C) 15 Now I became involved with him on a day-16 to-day basis.
In fact, probably more so than some of 17 the other groups because he was the kind of cats and 18 dogs group that picked up all of the other issues.
He 19 was the kind of go-to guy for some new issue that 20 would come up, and really showed a penchant for 21 coordinating, gathering people, getting consensus.
22 That was -- as I remember his performance when he was 23 in the division, that really was his forte.
24 (b)(7)(C)
That was a
25 management position.
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(b)(7)(c)
]Yes, it
- was, a
first level manager.
(b)(7)(C)
PSo, he actually --
he was al (b)(7)(C) and he left the (b)7)(C)
Iand it was then that you had more dealings with him even though he was --
! (b)7)(C) o, he was still in theI (b)7)(C)
I (b)(7)(C) h is whole time.
-rls he went fromI b)7C)
(
b)(7)(C)C)
(b)(7)(C) esIew n
r m b()C (b)(7)(C))
(b)(7)(C)
Okay.
(b)(7)(C)
IThe (b)(7)(C) was a direct report to me.
He subsequently, a few years later, applied for and was the successful candidate to (b)(7)(C)
Now he was aI (b)(7)(C)
And that's when I had daily interface with him.
He was --
had a good reputation throughout the station for working together with people. In fact, he was put on some projects station-wide with other committee members to solve problems and organize things.
I (b)(7)(C) s that about when he I (b)(7)(C)
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(b)(7)
- o. In fact, he was pretty good, 2
I've got to tell you.
- And, fortunately or 3
unfortunately for me, since he was al (b)(7)(
he 4
was the successful candidate in applying for a lateral 5
move.
It was a (b)(7)(C)
D osition, but it was at 6
the (b)(7)(C) 7 1(b)(7)(C)
He 8
became I believe his title wasI (b)(7)(C) 9 (b)(7)(C) it was (b)(7)(C) it 10 wasn't the (b)(7)(C)
It was he 11 was al (b)(7)(C) 12 (b)(7)(C) 13 14 Because he had shown a significant amount of 15 not only proficiency in that
- area, but he had 16 impressed thel (b)(7)(C) people 17 in Edison over the years, because we in (b)(Z)(C) 18 we're so large, and of course after 9/11 we (b)(7)(C) 19 (b)(7)(C) people just ini (b)(7)(C)
Ialone. So, we were 20 the predominant I (b)(7)(C) if you will, or (b)(7)(C) in 21 Edison, all across Edison.
So, this kind of put him 22 in the spotlight, I guess you would say, and his 23 performance shined.
24 We were hiring so many people, in fact, 25 that -- and because of his proficiency, Edison let us, NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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essentially, run our own procurement:
We were hiring 2
predominantly former military people.
We knew the 3
territory at Camp Pendleton so we would go out and do 4
a lot of those steps under their supervision, of 5
course, but they appeared very satisfied with that.
6 I think that's what generated his value.
7 He appeared very valuable in that area, so they were 8
naturally going to recruit him away from me.
But that 9
was good for all of us.
That was good for all of 10 Edison because he was a quality performer, and went on 11 to that position.
12 He was in there I'd say a couple of years.
13 Again, you'd have to check the employment record.
I 14 had --
I probably saw him once a week after that.
His 15 replacement in my division did most of the interface 16 with him, so I didn't directly.
When there was a 17 particular
- issue, or if there was a particular 18 candidate that had contacted me directly, I would 19 forward that information to him.
So, for the next few 20 years my contact with him probably there at SONGS was 21 very limited.
22 I did see him in a number of important 23 meetings.
He was clearly a
-- I'd say a
(C) 24 supervisory person from the Edison headquarters that 25 were stationed at SONGS.
And then the next thing I NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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knew he had applied for I'd heard that he had 2
applied -
through somebody probably on our staff 3
that he had applied for a similar (b)(7)(C) 4 and subsequently he got it (b)(7)(C)
I remember S
seeing him in the parking lot and saying goodbye to 6
him.
And that was really the end of our relationship 7
there.
8 I had no contact with him at all that I 9
can rememberl (b)(7)(C)
I There may have been 10 a phone call, hello, how are you?
I don't even 11 remember that, but he had a residence here in in 12 fact, not far from where I live. I don't -- I've never 13 been over to it, but I think it was a condominium.
14 And I don't know if he kept that or not.
I think I 15 might have seen him in the area during those years.
16 (b)(7)(C)
Okay.
17 2
(b)(7)(C)
ISo, other than that, I didn't 18 have any contact with him while he was (b)(7)(C) 7 19 (b)(7)(C)
But eventually he 20 (b)(7)(C) 21 (b)(7)(C) es, All of a sudden he 22 T
I didn't know he was applying for a job, or 23 whatever.
He was successful in getting I think it was 24 a
(b)(7)(C) osition in (b)(7)(C) ivision, which 25 was (b)(7)(C)
Now, that title NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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9 10 ii 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 10 may have changed a little bit during the last few years, but that was what it was called.
Handling --
they handledl (b)(7)(C) and a number of other things, I'm sure, but they worked for the (b)(7)(C that I did. I (b)(7)(C)
(b)(7)(C)
(b)(7)(C) l (b)(7)(C) ho was the Director at the time?
(b)(7)(C) t the time he was hired
- back, I'm trying to remember the names of the different Directors.
I (b)(7)(C)
I could throw out a name if that would help.
(b)(7)(Ic)
I(b)(7)(C)
MVayb b()C (b)7)()
N,
()(7(C) as ou rsfGI (b)(7)(C)
I I
(b)(7)(C)
J ckay.
(b)(7)(c)
He was thel_.
(b)(7)(c) on a loan from INPO.
He had full authority as a
)ci (b)(7)(C) ithough he was I
need to correct NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 myself.
He was not a (b)(7)(C) f Edison, only because he was not an Edison employee.
He was an INPO employee, and was not actually voted on as a corporate officer.
(b)(7)(C)
(b)(7)(C) at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
He worked directly for the (b)(7(c)
(b)(7)(C)
I LI (b)(7)(C) kay.
(b)(7)ZC) nd under him there were a
number of there were a couple of Vice Presidents over time, and there were a number of Directors in the various departments, Site Support was one of those.
I(b)(7)(C)
Af terl (b)(7)(C)
(b)(7)(C) and started working at SONGS was there ever a time you heard anything through the management chain --
and let's face it, just like in any other business, people talk, and talk about their superiors, their subordinates.
Did you ever hear any negative things being said abouId (b)(7)(c) t any time?
L (b)7)(C)
- e was -- he'd been at SONGS for some time, you know, at least a year, I think, or close to it.
And as an aside, we I(b(7)(C) nd I used to quite frequently (b)(7)(C)
(b)(7)(C)
They were regular, they were typical as you see in a nuclear organization NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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very open and frank.
I think it was the first time I 2
heard about any deficiency talked about in his 3
performance was probably at one of those meetings, not 4
openly but maybe she as an aside, because she knew he 5
used to work for me. And as I recall the comment was 6
to the tone of gosh, you know, he just seems to have 7
changed.
He's not the same guy we heard.
Well, he'd 8
never worked for her before, but this kind of bothered 9
me because he was always a very energetic, go-getter 10 kind of guy, a lot of initiative, thought on his feet 11 well, so this was the first kind of inkling I had that 12 she was concerned about his performance.
And she 13 didn't mention any specifics, but that his interaction 14 in the group really wasn't what she expected, wasn't 15 meeting her expectations.
16 And I
remember over another couple of 17 conversations we talked. I said, "How is E
~oing? ri 18 And she's, "Well, you know, he's just -- I've had a 19 talk with him."
So, I got a sense from her that she 20 had had a number of sit-downs with him.
And then at 21 a point when a senior employee in that group is put on 22 a I (b)(7)(C) 23 that's as a result of some deficiency comment in their 24 evaluation, and then given a certain amount of time to 25 improve.
That event, I remember, was known to several NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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of us there in the Division, or in the Directorate.
2
- Again, it wasn't open common knowledge.
This was --
3 obviously, personnel issues are confidential issues.
4 And, at that time, I believe I offered to 5
C, although she may have called me first just to say 6
what do you know of anything that would be 7
interfering with his performance.
At the end of that 8
conversation, whoever's idea it was, I offered to meet 9
with him just as an old contemporary, or colleague, 10 and I was a little I didn't want to pry into his 11 personal business, but I said let me see what I can 12 find out.
13 i subsequently met with him.
I think he 14 came over to the office probably a week later, and he 15 was pretty frank.
He didn't sound like there was 16 anything terrible going on, but that yes, he was 17 having issues in the unit. He didn't mention what they 18 were, that he didn't --
he got along with some folks 19 and didn't get along with some others.
He kind of 20 gave me the indication that didn't quite 21 understand him, or I don't know if it was she didn't 22 give him enough freedom, or she was too explicit about 23 his assignments.
You know, maybe I kind of took that 24 away because I
remember him as a
very self-25 initializing kind of guy.
And I thought well, you NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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- know, maybe he's okay. He's working in an area that 2
has some pretty tight protocols and rules, and he's 3
not used to that maybe.
That's really what I took 4
away from that.
5 I had no more contact with either of them 6
on that untill~
alled me one day.
And this was 7
probably months, quite a few months later now.
And as 8
I look back on it, probably the end of this 9
(b)(7)(C) period.
10 (b)(7)(C) kay.
11 (b)(7)(C) nd she said, "He's going to be 12 his employment is going to be terminated."
And I 13 was I think I probably --
I think they asked if 14 somebody should be withEE))uring the termination, 15 and I said I'll do that, becausel ad done the same 16 for me, as other managers had.
It doesn't happen very 17 often, but we back each other up. You should have two 18 people there.
19 (b)(7)(C)
-Sure.
20 (b)(7)(C)
Just for 21 (b)(7)(C)
- itness.
22 (b)(7)(C)
- es, witness and it's hard to do 23 that.
It's hard to terminate somebody, and
)Iis 24 very --
I mean, she looked at her employees as her --
25 clearly her responsibility.
This was not something 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 15 she ever wanted to do.
I knew she felt uncomfortable with it, just as I had a couple of months prior, and she had sat in.
I mean, it gives you a little support that hey, we're doing the right thing because that's how our process works.
It's not a pleasant event.
He didn't say anything really at the termination procedure.
So, that was the only other contact I had with him at that time.
And as best as my recollection, you know, I'm trying to think back on that actual meeting, and I can't recollect
- boy, I
tell you, it might be a senior moment but I'm -- I've got to say, I know I volunteered, and I'm pretty sure I was there with her. I think that's probably in the record somewhere.
It could have been another employee.
(b)(7)(C) lOkay.
(b)(7)(C)
I
- mean, it could have been.
(b)(7)(C)
ýli right.
(b)(7)(C) don't want you know, you never say never, and I've learned well to not be certain, but I'm pretty sure I was at that particular termination.
It was uneventful, but the records may show that I was at another one with her --
(b)(7)(C)
Okay.
(b)(7)(C) somewhere along the line.
(b)(7)(C)
All
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problem.
2 Across this series of conversations you 3
had with (b)(7)(C) egarding c
what was the 4
overall tone involved? And what I'm looking for is, 5
was (b)(7)(C)I frustrated withl (b)(7)(C)
J or was she 6
angry at him for whatever reason?
Did you sense an 7
overall tone in how she was talking about him, and the 8
problems that she had with him and stuff?
9 I
(b)(7)(C)
- Oes, I think I understand your 10 question.
I sensed frustration, disappointment.
I 11 think her expectations were very high for him, 12 extremely high.
She was looking for boy, this guy is 13 going to be (b)(7)(C) 1 man.
He had a great 14 reputation here.
He's (b)(7)(C)
We don't 15 have to start from scratch. He knows the place.
And 16 she appeared really disappointed that he didn't seem 17 to fit very well.
There was some comments about his 18 work ethic.
You know, most everybody there just works 19 to get the job done.
I mean, you don't worry about 20 hours2.314815e-4 days <br />0.00556 hours <br />3.306878e-5 weeks <br />7.61e-6 months <br /> or anything else.
There were some implications 21 that he was not of that vent as a managerial employee.
22 He was still working more like a salaried, an hourly-23 type employee that would leave a job say unfinished.
24 And I say that only because I think it was comment on 25 one meeting that I heard of that he was supposed to go 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 17 brief somebody but it was late, and he went home.
That's hearsay, secondhand information, but she didn't seem to be mad at him.
I think she was disappointed that he didn't turn out to fit the mold of the expectation she had probably built up for herself, as any one of us would.
I mean, here's a guy (b)(7)(C)
I
- Gosh, you
- know, it looks like he'll fit right in the slot, and then didn't.
(b)(7)(C)
During what time period did a lot of these conversations take place? I know we're going back a ways, if you could just give me a rough period of time.
(b7)(C All of that really happened within a few weeks, probably.
I (b)(7)(C) qkay.
Would this be like in the (b,(7)(C)j (b)(7)(C)
ýhatl's - -
S(b)(7)(C)
Y es.
(b)(7)(C)
I I
thought his (b)(7)(C) really ran from because I met with him.
You know, I'd have to look back on my calendar, which I can find that, I'm pretty sure. I (b)(7)(C)
What was his termination date?
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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 (b)(7)(C) been- -
18 It would have get a benchmark.
,et me give you a (b)(7)(C)
I I
C
- yes, so it would --
I might have met with him in
),
something like that. And then he was put on this (b)(7)(C) somewhere after that in the
(
And didn't have any contact with him --
- well, yes, I'd see him in there, but I mean I didn't have any talk with him about his performance, but I'd hear about his performance throughout the (b)(7)(c)
(b)(7)(C) kay.
(b)(7)(C)
-But then kind of nothing, and then all of a sudden he was being terminated.
(b)(7)(C)
Just out of curiosity, how did you find out that he was on a (b)(7)(C)
(b)(7)(C)
'm pretty sure --
I probably got it fromF73W)1 (b)(7)(C)
- ,Okay.
Is that --
(bI(i7)C though, he may have reflected that, too, at some point.
-1 A1 I
(b)(7)(C) 1 0K NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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He wasn't closed about it, I
mean, with me anyway.
We might have bumped into each other.
I(b)(7)(C)
Is that information that's commonly shared between senior managers?
(b)(7)(C)
- Well, if you've been brought into the mechanism of trying to improve his performance, which that I think I was when she asked me to assist her in this.
(b)(7)(C) kay.
(b)(7)(c)
Ind I had --
we talked about the confidentiality, that this is a very serious thing.
She said, "Well, you're the one guy here that he worked for that he was doing really well."
And she really was trying to turn this performance around.
She was looking for any avenue.
I was unsuccessful.
I thought I could kind of get to him and find out if there was some issue, were there personal issues that were bothering him outside of work.
You know, you don't need to tell me, but is there something really -
- can we help somehow?
And he says, "Oh, no, no."
He says --
in fact, at that point he said, "I'm doing okay."
He says, "I'm" this is early. He didn't really come forth with any of that.
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9 10 ii 12 13 14 15 16 17 is 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 didn't und that she r*
the same g about him.
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thought he he indicated that she erstand him. I think that was his mind set, eally doesn't understand me. He seemed to be uy, you know, overtly in a conversation.
I (b)(7)(C) 1kay.
(b)(7)(C)
Pnd from what I'd remembered (b)(7)(C)
LDid you at any time have an inkling that she was, or could have been retaliating against him, or discriminating against him in any way, shape, or form?
I (1o, I didn't have that inkling.
I'm not saying that isn't the case, but I mean you all
-- you know, you're an NRC employee.
I mean, I get it.
I've been in nuclear for a long enough time.
That's something that's just -- you watch out for. You watch out for it in your own actions, anything you might say that would indicate that.
It's completely not tolerated, so you can go to great lengths sometimes to make sure that what you're doing is not perceived as retaliation.
So, I never saw that in any of her actions.
In fact, she --
when I look back on when she brought me in to try and help his performance, and then at some subsequent time putting him on a
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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 21 (b)(7)(C) all the way through months later to where I assume he didn't perform according to that
- plan, and was subsequently terminated, that was a lengthy process. I did not get involved in it.
I didn't see any documentation, obviously, but the time frame to go through clearly showed me she had followed the process all the way through. There was no --
I didn't think it was a knee-jerk reaction at all, so I didn't sense anything.
(b)7)(C)
Okay. Just one of the final questions I have for you is, during that one meeting you had with (b)(7)(C) the meeting in which you asked him how are things going?
Are there any problems you're experiencing, whatnot?
Did you ever advise him that was out to get him, and was badmouthing him to other people?
I 1absolutely did not. I would --
in
- fact, I
was very careful about that she's concerned about your performance.
And I'm concerned.
You know, we as a team here at SONGS are concerned, and want to know if there's any issues.
The fact that he the fact that she talked to me about that may have given him the indication that she was badmouthing him, but I gave him no indication she wasn't badmouthing him.
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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 22 mean, that was the bottom line.
She really --
she was struggling to try and find a solution, what's the problem here? And I think she didn't just reach out to me on her own.
This was --
our Director was involved in this.
I think she had clearly talked to him beforehand, because I had had subsequent conversations with him.
He was concerned about his performance, because he knew himi (b)(7)(C) at SONGS, as well, and I think thought highly of him.
I(b)(7)(C) there any way that he could have gotten the wrong impression talking with you, because the way it
- sounded, and I'm paraphrasing here. Okay?
(b)(7)(C)
J es.
(b)(7)(C)
'But it sounded like you might have had one of those c
alking to a
7C) conversations, and you might have been telling him, and I'm paraphrasing, watch your back.
(b)(7)(C)aS been saying bad things about you.
Watch out.
(b)(7)(C)
Okay.
I b),7)C 1I know I didn't say anything like that.
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(b)(7)(C) a kay.
2 (b)(7)(C)
I didn't --
in fact, I didn't 3
believe he needed to watch his back at that point.
I 4
- mean, I was --
no, I would --
I tell you, I have a lot 5
of respect for (b)(7)(C) can't imagine any venue 6
where I would tell somebody to watch out for 7
)mean, it I think she's a very forthright 8
and honest person.
If anything, is overly sensitive 9
to making sure that she dots every I and crosses every 10 T.
11 I also have a lot of respect for 12
[c)7 i
think he has high integrity.
He has always 13 been forthright with me.
I was always able to trust 14 him.
I would trust him today. I don't know if that's 15 aL (b)(7)(C) khing, or we have some kind of connection, 16 but on a personal
- level, I think he has a high 17 integrity.
That's why this is
-- this whole claim is 18 somewhat of a surprise to me. And I've been involved 19 in enough of them to know that well, they can happen, 20 you know, and sometimes you don't see all of the 21 signs.
But I didn't see that in his termination, I 22 didn't see it at all.
It looked like a very well 23 thought out plan to
- improve, and
- failure, and 24 termination.
25 (b)(7)(C)
Okay.
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9 10 1i 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 24 1And yet, he --
I know him.
(b)(7)(C)
Right.
(b)(7)(C) lAnd he's never I've never known him to be a liar.
I've never known him to do anything to undermine anyone else.
You know, it's frustrating for me to see this, because this is a
serious charge of suppressing a nuclear safety issue, I
- mean, that overarching claim.
That just sends shivers through you, you know, when you think somebody might be doing that.
And I knol oesn't --
like all of us, we didn't do things in a vacuum.
You know, the chain of command was -- the chain of supervision was always involved and kept informed.
We didn't do things along at SONGS.
We involved Employment Relations, ER we called them, Employee Relations people in any kind of activity.
Al (b)(7)(C) would have to have been approved by Employee Relations folks to make sure that we were not straying from any particular policy or process.
And I know she was --
she would have been --
she's extremely detailed in insuring that that would have been followed.
(b)(7)(C)
Okay.
(b)(7)(c)
I want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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to meet with me today and answer my questions this 2
afternoon. I really appreciate it.
3 Is there anything else that I didn't ask 4
you, or is there anything that we didn't talk about 5
that you feel is important, that you want to add for 6
the record?
7 (b)(7)(C)
- Well, bottom line, in all my 8
dealings here regarding his termination, I didn't see 9
anything that was retaliatory, or in reaction to some 10 any kind of a nuclear safety concern.
11 And, on the other hand, I didn't I have 12 not
- seen, or did not see anything in (b)(7)(C) 13 performance that would give me indication that he was 14 trying to do something nefarious or work around his 15 chain of command. I didn't see that.
Honestly, that's 16 going to have to be developed from other evidence.
17 I was involved initially with the Director 18 and (b)(7)(C) Z n this, but then was really on the 19 periphery keeping my confidentiality about this, and 20 I never talked to any other employees about it, so I 21 didn't get any other hearsay or information.
22 (b)(7)(C) j=kay.
(b)(7)(c) 23 have I or any other NRC representative threatened you 24 in any manner or offered you any rewards in return for 25 this statement?
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(DMM IHave you given this statement freely and voluntarily?
(b)(7)(C)
- Yes, I have.
(b)(7)(C)
Is there any additional information that you'd care to add for the record?
(b)(7)(C)
ýO, I don't.
(b)(7)(C)
- ~ I interview will be concluded.
approximately 2:30 p.m.
(INTERVIEW CONCLUDED.)
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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 (b)(7)(C)
Docket Number:
4-2011-059 Location:
Oceanside, California 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.
(b)(7)(C)
OfficiA Transcriber Neal R.
Gross & Co.,
Inc.
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