ML19247A374
| ML19247A374 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Marble Hill |
| Issue date: | 06/29/1979 |
| From: | Gossick L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | William Ford SENATE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19247A375 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7907310172 | |
| Download: ML19247A374 (2) | |
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UNITED STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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,j WASHINGTON. D. C. 20555 e
June 29, 1979 The Hcnorable Wendell Ford United States Sena'.e Washington, D. C. 26510
Dear Senator Ford:
I am pleased to res)and to your letter of June 14, 1979, to Chairman Hendrie about constructior, quality problems at the Marble Hill Nuclear Power Plant Station construction site.
Chairman Hendrie has referred your letter to me for reply because he may have to sit in adjudication on this subject.
The NRC's Regional Office in Chicago initiated an investigation June 22, 1975, into the allegations of a " cover up" of concrete defects at Marble Hill.
The alleged defects invoh ed -- called "honeycombing" -- appear to be the same problems identified by NRC inspectors during the past three ir.onths.
In response to concerns identified by the NRC in this regard, Public Service of Indiana already had begun corrective action to improve its quality assurance program for concrete work.
As you know, James Keppler, NRC Regionei Director, and others of his staff visited the site to review the problems on June 26, 1979.
At that time, in recognition of the extent of the problem, the company agreed to stop placement of concrete for safety-related structures (primarily the reactor containments and auxiliary buildings).
The utility will continue work o non-safety-related structures using its upgraded quality assurance program in order to demonstrate its effectiveness.
An additional team of NRL inspectors was dispatched to the Marble Hill site to carefully monitor these concrete placement activities and to evaluate programmatic improvements in the quality assurance program.
Once the effectiveness of the quality assurance program is demonstrated, the NRC will permit safety-related work to resume.
On the other hand, if additionel proalems are identified in this ongoing work, the company has agreed to stcp ali concrete work until acceptable correctiva action is taken.
Steps are also being taken by the utility to verify the adequacy of previously poured concrete.
The NRC inspection staff will also monitor this verification program.
The commitments made by Public Service of Indiana are documented in the enclosed copy of an Immediate Action Letter issued to the company on June 27.
In the meantime, the NRC' investigation will continue its examination of the allegations of " cover up."
Thus far, both the company and the NRC investi-gators have determined that a number of the concrete repairs were improperly made.
The motive and caure of these defective repairr is still under investi-gation.
The NRC thus far has been unable to arrange a meeting with the con-struction worker (ho made the allegations; negotiations with the worker's attorney are continuing.
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The Honorable Wendell Ford I can assure you t:iat the concrete problems at Marble Hill will be tnoroughly investigated and that proper regulatory action will be taken to assure that the quality of construction there meets NRC requirements.
Sincerel,
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/ Lee V. Gossick Executive Director for Operations
Enclosure:
As stated me 426 347