ML18101A198

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Forwards Article from Philadelphia Inquirer for Consideration & Would Appreciate Receiving Info Re Encl Inquiry as Soon as Possible
ML18101A198
Person / Time
Site: Salem  PSEG icon.png
Issue date: 07/29/1994
From: Bradley B
SENATE
To: Bangart R
NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
Shared Package
ML18101A197 List:
References
NUDOCS 9408300289
Download: ML18101A198 (5)
v • d • e


Text

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510 July 29, 1994 Mr. Richard L. Bangart, Director Director Nuclear Regulatory Commission Off ice of Congressional Affairs 1717 H Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Mr. Bangart:

I forward the attached for your consideration and would appreciate receiving information in regard to this inquiry as soon as possible.

Please direct your reply to the attention of the member of my staff listed below.

Thank you very much for your time and assistance in this matter.

BB/sr Attention: Shannon Richter Off ice of Senator Bill Bradley 731 Hart Senate Off ice Buil~ing Washington, DC 20510 r-----

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~riRaaoo289--94oe24 J I

p ADOCK 05000272 PDR Sincerely, Bill Bradley United States Senator

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Dear Sir/Madam:

I was outraged by the recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer

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u describing the Salem Nuclear Power Plant as one of the worst in the country.

I feel strongly that there should be a full investigation and all problems should be corrected immediately. If these problems cannot be corrected, the plant should not be operating! This is a concern which affects all of us.

I appreciate your prompt response to this important matter.

Sincerely,

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At.Salem rea~tors, (

Repairs unmade. Darkened warning lights unnoticed.

"Stuff just keeps happening,"*one regulator said.

I I

.By Andrew Maykuth and Pam Relluck INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS I

inspection team reprimanded the /

plant's manager last. week for trig-I geriiig the cascade of events on April i

7. The inspectors said Salem I's man-i ager. Public Service Electric & Gas i Co.. had failed to fix several Jong-i standing problems and had inade- !

quately trained reactor operators. i Inside one of the bullet-shape-d Sa-lem n ucJear reactors last summer, crucial control rods that tame the atomic reaction -

or halt it in an emergency.~ misfired again and agam.

Last fall, the men in Salem's con-trol room were caught listening to the World Series instead of paying full attention to the reilc:Or In 1992, a bank of alilrm lights in thut same room went d;.irk -

and nobody noticed.

A.nd the year before." a long-unre-paired valve set off an explosion rhat caused 575 million in damage.

All those foul-ups, and more, oc-curred in the last three years -

before the April 7 shutdown of the Salem I reactor that Jed to a seven-hour emergency alert.

A :\\Tuclear Reguiatory Commission

'}*

~--- ---.

Salem has heard it all before..

/

An Inouirer revi<:w of NRC docu-:

ments shows that the :\\pril 7 ind-dent fits into a pattern of break_,

downs at the twin Salem reactors in:

Lower Alloways Creek. '.'1".J..

Just a month beiore the alert; the.

NRC fined Salem 550.000 for rnainte-

  • nance violations it blamed on "con-;

tinued demonstrated weaknesses" or:

the *plant's management Federal investigators say public

  • safety was never directly threatened; by those violations. or by any of thei other incidents at Salem in recent/

years. But they say the April 7 event See SALEM on A 16

J~. *,.

l*

e e

A,review~ o! ~aJt;m-Plji11t da~

ShbWS -atttrn-=' OlbreakOoWitS _

I ;,_.;;;:,,.:,,;,~' i ~ t

--" - ~~~:.i.,~,., ~.,.; i eroded:the* reactor's s:ilety systems.~~~.@

  • ..?~

and that' continued problems at Sa-lem could.;put the public at -risk.,-*

  • And Salem's mediocre illetllne per**

.. form=ai-.the plant-has prodncoo

  • '-'.>power 111 Jess than S7 percent of 1ts

.:-capaclty-:..iswe reason that electric*

'.:! ralJ!S.~~ P~h.ia region are.~

GJIOng the nations highes~..,... **;i;*.

f. i.jRc officials'liafthe saJem c;;m-;t_;

.Ung Station;.wblch1s pe:rt-0wned l>Y#'

- ::;'l'l!!:n Energy.ctt. 'lll!d' serves four *ml];::

'.Hdii CllSIDmersin lllld around Ph!Ja.
  • '

~lphJa. is themosttroublesome ~

f!'Clear fac:lllty 1n -a :region *h~,

Jjdependent on nncl~ ~y..:i*;:

~

Salem *1 and 1I nre l'lllllred '.'lll!lo

~~worst of the nation's 109 comm.

. ~reactors.The units have spent

-:~~to!the!rllvesSlrnt down fof;'.:;:

'.'i;;:,m,,wm~;~;-On.tr 10 *~erf;

  • -:::-reectors 'ha~
  • more. time idled-::

J'f~~s:; ;~~;;;ri~g ~-;,;._;. **~

~.'"-;.;.;::~* ::... :. -~-.::.,~:;:;:...'..-*:;.,- *--:;:.

i._ 1em, - said ~~:c. ~~er

..an..::.*

. ~~ic ~.'RS Ae'lllf' _(llrectly threatened

~4~j].! '

-=~~~~1:

  • * :These1cindsdfproblemsyoucan'I::;-
.*.typed some commands on his com-ing had f!x'Ove~ghtby1Jtt!tlllg 8 wire some-"';
  • puter keyboard-and unknowingly -
  • Once "

vbere, said °Stephen Barr,. an NRC.

diSconnected the. control room's to do Ix mspector ~ho :Jla;.. been Involved..

A'*

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panel of overhead alarm lights th*t *.*

. ~~~~;;.~:

fo{o~*'::, ;:~::.~;;;.. :~~~. ~. :iitff!;f"':>7*~*- *,<~;~,~:.. nt:r.~'"~": ~~-,~i::i ~~;:ict!~r~~~~... :

!>"RC

,~with-:- a~'.and.a.cuJ-takes o~:;the-Delaw~v~er.'c' We_'d prefent !,lth~:al!nl~:;:_lhst.Ji.~ of.lights had gone ~.:Salem *

~.;,;.;".

  • , -.*~, *;~;..*

.. ~-**.

=rged.:'.!,J;C'fEmperatures #PPe<l lllOre llggressive, Th~~~le.l~;;"-'1Ark:.~~-->>* ****. **"""-*.. _ ~*- _.,.,:,~nfou,

=l'SE&G officillls say.they,:"100; are Fnulty~ent saJlt"fallii!>:lgnaJs;";: Lhe regional:NRC ~fur;sm~ ***-;*-..,~*--**'-c -** * * --:*;~:-<:They

.... displeased with Salem*s**m;prd_ The The1'ijieiiiim, ui~~d;; fuIL-~ 1984.*:~~;--* *;::'.!?~Fe~ g:- *Ir th~y d known or.this break!own,.~.i!red !ht

~ company has shuffied *1is~anage-.. overlooked'tlie;Ms..10 =trailer: Thc~::~Lax :nainterumce endangered.'th"5: :c _{az:;.~ sat~~ on~d :.... BCtors.

  • ~ ment*and commi!Illd S300 niillion.to ~ :valves didmDR!Pen *.eetttng. otI:yet~plant in 1991;'°-when Salem II=ffered;r:

ve.

-1 8 nu

. en.. -- ** ;ears ol,

    • "'re)1talize". the reactors. It ~,,Im::. another chain *yveiP:s lh4t farced ".:*..a masSive failnre-.a:!"tnrbine.aver~ No one told.the !"ffiC until 18 hom;s _..13.l But c prov:fng training. procednres?rui -SaJem.10 dec!arma seven:honr alen,:*:-.speed event,~ in the'jargon o(..;tbe,.~er. The.staff did not tell Salems *;.tors of i

_ _ ~amware.. ::::z':::* *:~=:'.*: _7'... ~fthe ~-most~out;or ~nr ~h',;J.n~*~ -;.,:.,. '-': ;a-- :;r=---!'} ~niC?L~l!g~ent.lllltil :fh.e._n~L-~. ha'

' "tet me statec!early," PSE&G chief.....emergency classif1cadons.**-*~'-"-- That Nnv' g ;a_.Y&u...aiilttxiI!i

-..mo.'21~~--**

  • ..,.. --*... ** ::..::..:.:: _.:__corrls.,_

-::-. cacmtive **K-:J°ames--_,,erland * *101~ ~-NRC said".saiem*s-decide.:of~-nr1b.e"ttirtnne tocked"Open 3;a.::**Flve months *later, at Salem Q a": They b 1f stoc:tholders on April 19, "'that Salem ~'::!:failing.to fix the device was. typical :"'causing the'tnrbine's giant'rutors n)$°control-room operator noticed lba1 a.. -- PSE&G's

=afic!n has nor*met the-high e~:::'.~ the *plai;i,!s trou~l!!'d h_istory<:i~~~"!J>in *oll!.-~oei>nq:1>L Tue.Illrhine ~ns:te7' of.con~! ~~

not.. be-c...Bnt the s*

~o~

have for o=.etves.'~ :,;;:*~~;*"Management. thought.. 'Well, ~:We.::' J>l<_>ded: ~:.?hrougb Its -tn~, llaVlllg.. The rods *Plnngemto the re-.. erates r~

~Despjte the.;uti!Jty'.S ettans.~lhe~, :!mow about It and our operators can;.* *. thici: s;.ee!ica81Dg. sbowenng**shra~~ cor: wb~. ~~~

.~

door to S;

. ll!>_vernment's1ast.threeCOl!lprehen-., get aronnil it."' :he NRC's*B= ~d.~::nel 300 feet,Jmd.lgnitlng ~Jln.;

.~"

1t f.ssiou.. ;;;!...*:*~.ll.'"""- :.*:;!f::r*

'tile beSt 0 Sl?~assessments,of Salem "haven't "Maybe yon can getarounditm most *.!'.. :Salem declared an alert. N'lii::!ear'l'f-' The operator med again a:tul again They l.

-'-. seen:CUuch change." said Thomas'!'.* -eases. bnt not*every CB!le; ln'thlscase;~*aiens are rare*-=-eight were:i1eC14roo;;:-."Ill get)he control rods:m*opemte:J.n. "iest of S.

0

  • . M~

the NRC administrator re-~* It bit them. "l~' *

,;~**. *:~tr.i,~.;;.:i-"IIl!tionwide µst year..;_~

1 unison. Once, a cluster Qf rods went... has give*

~)po~ror~~~~-SaJem.has !Jeen._1?1~=..n~<ili,~hadkn.owi)orik **. v

_ :wh_en i,!._~,!io~d-~~e~i;i_e~~h~biU~.*

  • m~

. ln** l~ tw~t* ~~a yem-and had-prom1sed.'?Attix I

.-:;:t.Il NRC-ieam. bJamed--rlre ]!J'061eiil,_~The, * *

..._::. *;.,. ":: ". ~

-5"";*, -'i. -. ' signed-to shut Salem1.'1mmea~*'-1ilx'1iiont:bs *before the firi!-."tfii.!NR

.. Oll':e wrongly positioned dtcu.lt cal'it'~ers' cm::

~:... I. IS l

  • smoJJ de~-MS'~~

__ Jt wl!'il!. comp!..failure ofthe-mUo;,.:.:sa!d::Sev=U.snpervisarx-wmdOu

  • .~ agency _cited penmmel less ~611ted romT?ll ":

.exact.~,._,... -

  • manc>aystem ~ gned to shnt ~_,; *. 10 have ignored tests sho~ the
  • ~tISlllg tbe*problem than for what_.; But.of!.

. !ts JOb

!P"n and close valves the react~r ~.emergencY..-*~.::_~Blves' defects.*

'.'*!o:.-*::-..;J!!. i ~ppened next."'!,*

...,..,~......,.,:-*.....-~*:allty cl*

. In the P1JlElt!i:t!iat carry high-pressure Tlie.-lnc1deliQ'iVent unreponed.....:r,.-;4'be NRC said lt was concerned~.. ~;:~ kept trying to relll!iert the -.-: They steam from-:a nuclear reactor to the;

'l'hn!e days~r. both breakers:* 'itbont

  • workploce that --Wonllt per*: rods. rather ** than ngu;e, ont wh~~ and ale

. _.huge _mrblnes ~enerate power.,.*. failed again:~ hadn't ~prop.-

!!!.lt snch ~basic flaw in perfol1iianre*

'We?!? wrong, the *NRC s.i's-...zingc*

ftlperc

. At Sale.m. the MS-10 bad been maJ.

e;IY Jubricated.~e NRC, distressed to pervade through mnltiple l"!els of. recalled last week..PSE&G pr:om!sed alcoho.; *

..:.: fnnctionmg for 11t least 10 years.. IQ>>learn of tbe_.Uer faillll'J!. fined oversight and control".. ::'""~*--

i 10 retrain us.wo~ * -:--
    • _no lull;
  • Management knew.anddid not fix It. *1he plant 5850.000~ a record*for the Stilt the NRC decided not td fine :f *' Last October, the:?iRCJonnd Salem
  • 1t m;

---~perators compeJ:!SllledJ1l'.operat1ng_NRC. The*"!lenc1'Q1Ued It the"""'rst-Salemf0Mbe~los1on-=-

prtng;-wor<<ers tmproVIslng-egnin: Employ-* *'1Jese :t n manually.

. ;~

incident since ~ee Mlle Island.

a rebuke from U.S. Sen. Josep Biden i* ees '1ad repeatedly pm tlle. wrong monlh. **

... Until April 7.*

-** ::. \\.

PS&l.G promise<!'{Q do bellel'.. 'rhe CD.. DeLl. whocould5eethe jacentli Jabe..s.and. d.irecuons ~equipment.

Tue r

  • On*thot morning, opennon-srrug*

NRC believed the*'Canse was partly Hope Creek reactor ofrom h apart*!

The lapses obliged one technician PS&l.G gle.i.to regain control of the l'lonctor growing patns-Salem I wa5 onlystx mem across the Delaware: "I very *\\to le11p from a ladder to avoid getting utilir,-

. ami'1 a flurry of events that began years old then. The~was critidstn,* concerned that other di~1

.. ulso smacked by a whipping steam base.

the I'.

wbdn sea gross clogged water~n-too.

  • .:.~ :

_ :.~. preventable, mighLbe allow lo oc:

Another* worker acc1de~ly sliced whet:

  • 1
.-):

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en}. plallt data

)f lireakdoWns

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~t. * -.~?H~*:t~~~~.>

.-:*. * :.. ::. -1:.:.~-~

  • re Rl;;;r. Powe1':~~hV~'d p_refer it:if:l* were a l.i r:ires,.,_. dropped-'.**~more aggressive." Thom.as Murie ern W.se ~1gna.ts,,.--;::~the regional NRC admmistrator.

beir hands;; full:.:. *in 1984. :,:> <; *.:

o*controller:*Th~ * -~. di m;.u:;t~nance en~g~~i a.. semng off yet plant in 1991. when Salem II snffe rents-that forced a:.massive failure -

a "turbine ov seven-hour alei:t.:.*.*speed. event" ia the jargon of t

)US ot fo~'.-~~-~dustry....,.*:.;...;.:.- -2;: :., :_

=anons;. -

~ ---*--*"'-That' Nov. w:a:*vaive::.coruro.

llem-.: decade.- of::i;stealil. to -the. turbine locked open

eVlce*~* typicaF ::*cansing. the turbine'* gianr rota

'led bJS!ory.. *:*., spin. our of control The turbine ou'ibt. 'Well we ploded.. blll8tlng_ through. its in

>ur opera!Drs.can thick steel ca.~ing. £howenll8 sh

' ~iRC's Barr.Said..... nel 300 feet ma 1gnmng a firel

aronnditin~~Salem declared an alert. Nucl
case. In this case, ~illerts are rare-eight were dee!
  • *:* *-:-::-:.-; *.:;-~~nwtde,lasr year.

bitten before. } *. -.,;;'"PSE.!<G had known of the bed v

mt breakeis-"de- :*far a year and had promised to f t

n Salem I jammed-*

  • six mou~ before. the fire. the _

aJ!ure of.the auto- *~_S8ld: Several snpervlsors were fo

  • ned ta:.shut down ro *have ignored: test> showing tllB emergency,,._..

val ires' defects.

-.;:-*:.:',~-

E nt unre~.

The.NRC said~*;;,;; wncerned

r. both. bRalters about* a* workplace th.al "'.Would pef.:

hadn"t beeii*prop-mit such a basic naw m periormance

,e ~C. cll.strellSed to pervade through multiple levels ~f'

  • tier iailure. !Jiled 'oversight and controi'~*-

r*

- a record for the Still. the NRC decided not tn fine

ailed it the worst:, Salem for the explosion-promptillg
ee llile Island. ~ a rebuke from U.S. Sen. Josepb Bldan 1 to do better. Thei~ <D.'. DeL), who could see the adjaCCllt
  • co use was partly "Hope Creek reacrnr froni hb apert-alem I was only soc ment across the Delaware: "I am vea::J

.ere waS cntic1sm., Concerned thnt other ~aste*rs. aJio l

preventable. might be anowed to f j

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