ML19219A239
| ML19219A239 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/06/2019 |
| From: | NRC/OCIO |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19219A416 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA, NRC-2019-000328 | |
| Download: ML19219A239 (2) | |
Text
Subject:
FW: Media Interest in TVA ECP Fron:i: Hannah, Roger I
Sent: Wednesday, June 5, 2019 9:50 AM
- To: Ledford, Joey <Joey.Ledford@nrc.gov>; Castelveter, David <David.Castelveter@nrc.gov>; McIntyre, David
<David.Mclntyre@nrc.gov>; Burnell, Scott <Scott.Burnell@nrc.gov>; Lopez-Santiago, Omar <Omar.Lopez-Santiago@nrc.gov>; Price, Sarah <Sarah.Price@nrc.gov>; Kowal, Mark <Mark.Kowal@nrc.gov>
Subject:
Media Interest in TVA ECP We have been advised by TV A that at least two reporters have asked questions about some changes made to their nuclear employee concerns program (including the dismissal of several employees).
The ECP is apparently also the subject of a filed 2.206 petition. TVA provided us with their reactive statement (below), but we have not yet been contacted. In consultation with our regional counsel, we have crafted a statement in case we are contacted (also below). Let us know if you have any questions.
TVA Reactive Media Statement The primary goal of TVA Nuclear's Employee Concerns program is to reinforce a healthy Nuclear Safety Culture by providing employees with one of several avenues for reporting issues involving nuclear safety, quality or technical impacts to the safe operation of our plants.
Based on employee feedback, the current ECP program is not viewed as an effective avenue for resolving issues. As a result, TVA Nuclear will be changing the Nuclear ECP program to better achieve issue resolution.
The changes are based on benchmarking with other utilities that have a high performing Nuclear ECP program.
ECP staff members remain independent from management in its reporting structure, and will continue to respect and preserve employee anonymity as requested.
TVA remains committed to ensuring that all individuals feel free to raise safety concerns using any ofthe multiple reporting avenues available to them.
No changes are being made to the non-nuclear ECP program at TVA.
NRC Statement on TVA Nuclear Employee Concerns Program:
The NRC was recently made of aware of changes being made to the TVA nuclear employee concerns program. The NRC issued a chilling effect letter to TVA in 2016 and a confirmatory order in 2017 related to issues identified with TVA's safety conscious work environment, but did not require that TVA make any specific changes to their employee concerns program.
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The NRC expects that all NRC-regulated sites have an environment where employees feel free to raise any safety concerns, but each licensee decides how best to ensure that it exists.
The NRC continues to inspect and evaluate the safety conscious work environment at TV A's three nuclear sites and all other commercial nuclear plants.
Roger Hannah, APR Senior Public Affairs Officer Region /I --Atlanta, Ga.
Office - 404-997-4417 Mobile - 404-317-3879 roqer.hannah@nrc.gov rr~U.S.NRC l'ro1r"i"J: Proplr and t/,r r:111*ir-rm111r111 2