ML17305B628

Lists Allegations Re Hydrogen Leak at Unit 1 Ongoing Since Late 1990 or Early 1991 & Fire Pump Malfunction Due to Lack of Adequate Maint.Requests That NRC Request Util to Voluntarily Cease Operation Until QC Breakdown Aborted

ML17305B628
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	06/06/1991
From:	Colapinto D, Kohn S ENVIRONMENTAL WHISTLEBLOWER CLINIC
To:	Carr K NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
References
NUDOCS 9107080231
Download: ML17305B628 (14)

Text

ACCELERATED DISTRIBUTION DEMONSTPA.TION SYSTEM REGULATORY INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (RIDS)

ACCESSION NBR:9107080231 DOC.DATE: 91/06/06 NOTARIZED: NO DOCKET FACIL:STN-50-528 Palo Verde Nuclear Station, Unit 1, Arizona Publi 05000528 STN-50-529 Palo Verde Nuclear Station, Unit 2, Arizona Publi 05000529 STN-50-530 Palo Verde Nuclear Station, Unit 3, Arizona Publi 05000530 AUTH.NAME AUTHOR AFFILIATION COLAPINTO,D.K.

Environmental Whistleblower Clinic KOHN,S.M.

Environmental Whistleblower Clinic RECIP.NAME

'ECIPIENT AFFILIATION CARR;K. 'ommissioners(Post 750119)

SUBJECT:

Lists allegations re hydrogen leak at Unit 1 ongoing since late 1990 or early 1991

& fire pump malfunction due to lack of adequate maint.Requests that NRC request util to voluntarily cease operation until QC breakdown aborted.

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ENVIRONMENTAL8'HISTLEBLOlVER PROJECT NATIONALWHISTLEBLOlYERCENTER 517 Florida Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 2000 I-1 850 202-667-7515

~ Fax (202) 4624 l45 June 6,

1991 Kenneth Carr Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.

20555 Re:

Palo Verde Nuclear Generatin Station

Dear Chairman Carr:

We are writing to inform the NRC of extremely serious allegations concerning the operation of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station ("Palo Verde" ) near Phoenix, Arizona which have recently come to our attention.

These allegations have been received by the National Whistleblower Center

("NWC") from several John Doe and Jane Doe whistleblowers who are present and former employees at Palo Verde.

The operation of Palo Verde by Arizona Public Service Co.

("APS") has reached crisis proportions.

The consequences of these allegations are so severe that there exists an imminent health and safety risk to the entire Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area.

These allegations are as follows:

(1)

A hydrogen leak in Palo Verde Unit 1 ?ias been ongoing since late 1990 or early 1991.

This has created an extremely dangerous and volatile condition which could ignite in a cat'astrophic fire. It is believed that APS has known of this condition for at least six months but.

has not fixed the problem.

Moreover, APS had an opportunity to resolve the, problem during a planned outage earlier this year but failed to do so.

(2) It has been recently discovered that the plant's fire pumps malfunction due to a lack of adequate maintenance.

Although this equipment was upgraded to quality augmented system in 1990 APS has failed to perform adequate QA and routine maintenance.

Thus, in the event of fire at the plant there exists an C50"F67 9107080231 910606 PDR ADOCK 0500052S P

PDR Education, Referral, Legal Services Recycled Paper, p

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Kenneth Carr, NRC Chairman June 6,

1991 Page Two unacceptable risk that the fire pumps would be unable to pump water to extinguish a fire.

The cooling towers for all three Palo Verde units are crumbling and are unsafe.

In fact, a portion of one of the cooling towers for Unit 1 recently collapsed.

APS has not proposed a solution to this problem, and it is believed that APS plans to continue to operate Unit 1 at full power even though a portion of its cooling tower is incapacitated.

It is also believed that APS has known for an extended period of time about the weaknesses in the concrete material used to construct the cooling towers but has failed to correct these deficiencies.

(4)

In numerous areas the NRC has permitted APS to operate Palo Verde outside safety regulations by accepting letters of Justification for Continued Operation

("JCO").

This is an unacceptable and highly dangerous practice.

First, APS has not. fully committed to permanent solutions for these JCO's.

For example, APS has not proposed a permanent solution for the JCO governing problems with its Reactor Coolant Seals.

Second, APS has been permitted to violate Technical Specifications'nd other licensing conditions for unreasonable and extensive periods of time and JCO's are not resolved in a timely fashion.

Third, neither APS nor the NRC has conducted safety evaluations of these JCO's.

Fourth, there are no procedures governing the writing and control of JCO's.

Fifth, given the sheer volume of JCO's in effect it is believed that the operators are not fully cognizant of operating conditions.

APS has not identified nor coordinated Appendix R breakers throughout the units.

Thus, in the event of a fire APS would not know what pieces o'f equipment would be lost.

(6) It has been rumored that APS has experienced a primary to secondary leak over 2 gpm in Unit 2 but has failed to properly notify the NRC or shut down the unit. If.

this is true, then the secondary system in Unit 2 has been contaminated with radiation.

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Kenneth Carr, NRC Chairman June 6,

1991 Page Three (7)

APS has covered up and knowingly failed to report safety violations to the NRC via Licensee Event Reports

("LER's").

APS has knowingly and wilfullyoperated Palo Verde while not in compliance with its licensing requirements.

(8)

Although APS committed to be able to move its hydrogen recombiner from one unit to another in a 72 hour8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> period, it has never done so and has no procedure to move it.

Moreover, APS does not have a back up hydrogen recombiner (although it committed to have one).

(9)

APS failed to properly implement its Design Change Package

("DCP") for Control Element Drive Mechanisms

("CEDM's") in Unit 3 (RCTS 4039846).

This DCP was designed incorrectly resulting in pulling the wrong group of rods during testing.

However, rather than resolve this problem APS removed the DCP in order to restart Unit 3 without committing to permanent resolution.

It is alleged that the CEDM problem is a generic one at Palo Verde.

(10)

APS has engaged in widespread harassment and retaliation of employees who raise safety concerns.

This has created a "chilling effect" on employees at Palo Verde and resulted in the suppression of the free disclosure of safety violations.

Palo Verde is a nuclear power plant that is out of control.

APS management either will not or cannot solve the serious safety problems which exist today at Palo Verde.

These risks of a major accident or fire are unacceptable at any industrial facility, let alone at one of the world's largest nuclear power plants.

If left unresolved, these severe problems could develop into a nuclear disaster on a scale larger than Chernobyl.

We request that the NRC take immediate action regarding these ongoing unsafe and hazardous conditions.

Units 1 and 2 at Palo Verde should be immediately shut down until these serious safety problems have been fully resolved.

APS should not be permitted to restart these units as well as Unit 3 until it can prove that it can operate Palo Verde in conformance with its licensing requirements.

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Kenneth Carr, NRC Chairman June 6,

1991 Page Four Accordingly, we ask that the NRC Commissioners request APS to voluntarily cease operating until the pervasive quality control breakdown is aborted.

If the licensee will not voluntarily shut down, the Commission should order APS to cease operation of Palo Verde.

Furthermore, a special investigative team should be appointed to monitor and inspect conditions at the plant.

Sincerely, David K. Colapi Attorney for Palo Verde Employee Alleger Stephen M. Kohn

Chairman, Board of Governors, National Whistleblower Center

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ENVNONbtEh TAL fVHfSl'CEOLOH'8'Rl ROJEC'T NrNAALa WSni'BLOBz~ <ENE'8 S J7 Florida Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D,C, 20001 ~l850 202467 75l5 > Fox g02) 1624!4S goO<~:

(208) 667~7SXS paved Oo3.apinto or stephen M, Kohn The National Mhistleblower center ("Center" ) p n washington, D C. public interest qLoup, today requested Kenneth carr/

chairman, U<S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ta take immediite action concerning alleged safety hazaz'ds at the Palo Vexcte Nuclear Generating Station near Phoenix,

Arizona,

.The Centezrs alert is based on safety allegations received from se~era3.

dohn Doe and sane Doe whistleblowers who are former and, present employees at Palo Ver'de.

The serials allegations disclosed

today, which may pose an imminen health and safety risk to the residents of Phoenix, hriaana<

inoludst

~ BI A hydrogen leak in Unit t has been ongoing for at least six months.

This aondition could result in a catastrophic fire, Fire pumps at the plant have mal.functioned and are

@nabs,e ta fumy water in the event f a fixe.

Cooling towers fox'll, three units ax'e arumb3,ing and unsafe.

A portion of one ot the cooling towers in Unit X recently cod,Layied.

For mox'e than a year, the NRC has ]permi4te~

Palo

'Ve};de to operate in violation ol safety aequi@'ements.

Education, ReJerral, Legal Service ArPrlildPOprr

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JIJN 56 '91 h4'1kI4M IIFIIIS ZC SUSJNKSS

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The Center has demanded that the NRC Commissioners xecpes Arizona Public Service Co.

(<<@PS<<) to voluntarilp cease operations a0 Palo Uerde until these problems and the pervasive auality aontzol breakdowns at the plant are corrected, Xn the event APQ refuses to voluntarily cease aperations the NRC shouLd ordex a shut down of Palo Verde.

ln today's letter to NRC Chairman Carx, the center warned; polO Verde ia a nualear power plant that is out of control>

APs management either vill not or cannot solve the serious safety proNems which exist today at ~"

Falo Verde.

These risks of a ma)or accident or fire axe unacoeptab3.e at any industrial faoi3,ity, let alone at one of the world's largest nuclear power plants, Xf left unresolved>

these sevexe problems could develop into a nuclear disaster on a scale larger than Chernobpl.

A'opy of the letter sent hp the Center to NRC Chairman Carr is

enclosed, The National Mhistleblower Center is a pro)ect of Northwest Knvironmental Advocates, n non-profit, tax exempt orqanisat;ion formed Xn f989, The center was created in 1988 and supports precedent, setting li<ig'ation on behalf of employee wh3.st),ebloMers, provides Legal advice and referrals fox counsel to vhistlebl'owors nationwide, and educates the public about the rights of M/I,Oyees to make diseloemes regarding corporate Ox governnent misconduct; environmental protection or health and sated/'iolations.

The Center is currently assisting Vhistlehlcwers at Palo Verde to discIosa safety allegations, 4

end Encl.

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