ML19242A245
| ML19242A245 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Zimmer |
| Issue date: | 06/11/1979 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Gradison W HOUSE OF REP. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908010089 | |
| Download: ML19242A245 (4) | |
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June 11, 1979 The Honorable Willis D. Gradison, Jr.
U. S. Bouse of Representatives Washington, D. C.
20515
Dear Congressr.an Gradison:
I am pleased to respond to your letter of May 21,1979, which enclosed a letter you received from the Esitkar:p family of Cin-61nnati concerning the Zirmar nuclear power plant near Moscow, Ohio.
As my Deputy Director, Nr. Roy, discussed with you during your tour of the Zincer plant on May 29, the concerns expressed in the Beitkamp's letter, regarding the acceptability of components purchased by Cincinnati Cas and Electric Company and the welding on cable trays, were brought to our attention previously and have been investigattd by this office.
Copies of the investigation reports and related corraspondence are enclosed for your it.for-mation.
Also enclosed are sumarias of these investigation findings which nay be useful to you in responding to the Reitkan:ps.
With regard to the last sentence of the Beitkamp's second para-graph, that statement is new to ue and we plan to contact Mr.
Heitkax:p and Mr. Criffin proc:ptly to datermine if there is additional information which would warrant further investigation.
We vill inform your office regarding the results of this ioquiry.
During your tour of the Zirsmer plant on May 29, you were advised that we plan to in:plement a resident inspectiot; progra= at the plant in July of this year. The Cincinnati Enquirer in reporting on your tour, quoted you as saying that this is to begin July i.
To clarify any possible misunderstanding, I would like to point out that our plans for implementing the resident inspector progm at Zit:::or era for arid-to-late July.
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The Honorable Willis D.
June 11, 1979 I
Gradison, Jr.
I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm Mr. Roy's of fer to you of complete cooperation by ny staff should you require any further information from this of fice.
Sincerely, James G. Keppler Director
Enclosures:
1.
Sumary of Investigations 2.
Report No. 050-358/76-02 3.
Report No. 050-358/7821 bec w/ Enclosure 1 only:
S. J. Chilk, SECY C. Kam:nerer, OCA N. Haller, MPA H. Thornburg, IE N. Moseley, IE R. Heishman, RIII J. Menning, RIII Central Files Reproduction Unit NRC 20B PDR NSIC TIC James R. Yore, Chen.
ASLB Panel I
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NRC PORM 318 (9-76) NRCM C240 Tr u. a. oovsmauswv raiwnmo orescas seve-sas.es4 h
SUMMARY
OF INVESTIGATIONS 1.
In February of 19 76, Mr. Victor Grif fin, then t Sup~ plier Quality Assurance Engineer with Kaiser Engineers, Inc. (KEI) alleged a lack of source inspection for materials purchased by Cincinnati Gas and Electric, and that certain materials were being purchased I
under Class II requirements, upgraded, and utilized in Class I The inspections Mr. Grif fin indicated were lacking were
-f areas.
KEI inspections of materials prior to being shipped from the manufacturer and the materials noted as purchased under Class II reauirements were such items as steel plate, beams, and other structural materials.
Mr. Griffin was interviewed, and an NRC inspection focused on his allegations.
The inspection indicated that Mr. Griffin's statements were correct, but no violations of NRC regulations had taken place.
'tue type of source inspections mentioned by Mr. Grif fin are not required by the NRC, and a review of the procedures utilized to " upgrade" Class II materials to Class I materials indicated that they were acceptable.
The materials were foand to have all of the required tests and certifications to allow them to be used in Class I locations.
lE Inspection Report No. 050-358/76-02, issued in March, 1976, provides details of the NRC review of Mr. Grif fin's allega-tions.
2.
In August of 19 78, Mr. Edwin Hofstadter, former Manager of Industrial Engineering for the Husky Products Division of the Burndy Company, provided the NRC with allegations con-cerning the cable trays manufactured by Husky Products. Mr Hofstadter worked at the Florence, Kentucky plant for Husky Products, and visited the Zimmer site in May, 1978.
Mr.
Hofstadter alleged that low strength materials and improper welding were utilized in cable tray manufacture.
Mr. Hofstadter was it terviewed several times, and wrote several letters to the Region III of fice of the NRC.
The NRC investi-gation of Mr. Hofstadter's allegations included reviews of documents, interviews with Husky personnel, visit to an independent test lab, inspections, and destructive tests of samples of cable tray materials and welds.
It was found that Husky Products had not requalified a welding procedure when a change was made in an " essential variable" (shielding gas), and that two welders had welded a small number of three-piece siderail fittings (short, curved sections of cable tray) prior to their qualification to the welding procedure utilized.
Both welders had later qualified on the procedure, and a review performed by Husky personnel indicated 486 U43
Su==ary of Investigations 2
that fourteen such pieces were velded prior to their qualificati,n.
While these two items reflected noncompliance with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Welding Code, they did_not bring the soundness of the welding into question.
The allegation re-4 garding the use of low strength materials in cable trays could not be substantiated.
IE Investigation Report No. 50-358/78-21, issued in December 1978, provides details of the NRC Investigation into Mr. Hofstadter's alle gations.
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