ML19254B048
| ML19254B048 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 07/26/1979 |
| From: | Kidwell J, Shackleton O METROPOLITAN EDISON CO., NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| TASK-TF, TASK-TMR NUDOCS 7909190226 | |
| Download: ML19254B048 (9) | |
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSICH i
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In the Matter of:
IE TMI INVESTIGATION INTERVIEW 3!
of John M. Kidwell Control Room Operator, Nuclear 4!
Representatives:
Si G. W. Condran, Jr.
Si Vice President IBEA Local 563 7i Ernest L. Blake 81 Council GPU Trailer #203 9t NRC Investigation Site TMI Nuclear Pcwer Plant 10!
Middletown, Pennsylvania lli July 13, 1979 12!
(Date of Interview) 13I July 25, 1979 1 41 (Date Transcript Typea) 334 151 (Tape Nu:ncer(s))
16; 175 18i 19i 20; 21i NRC PERSCNNEL:
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Owen C. Shackleton 23t 24!
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7909190.22f I
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SHACKLETON: The time is now 1:18 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, July 13, 1
2 1979, this is the voice of Owen C. Shackleton, this is an interview of Mr.
i 3j J hn M. Kidwell, Mr. Kidwell is employed as a Control Roon Operator Nuclear f r the Metropolitan Edison Company assigned to the Three Mile Island 4:
gj Nuclear Power Station, this interview is taking place in Trailor number 203 6
which is parked just south of the south security gate at the Three Mile Island installation, present during the course of this interview at the request of Mr. Kiewen is Mr. a. W. Coneran Jr., Mr. Condran is a vice g
President for the IBEW Local 563, also present, at Mr. Kidwell's request is Mr. Ernest L. Blake, Mr. Blake is the Cru,cil for the GPU presently assigned during the course of the, after following the accident at the Three Mile 11!
Island Installatio', just prior to going on a tape I presented to Mr.
Kidwell the two page advisement document from the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory i
13l Commission, Mr. Kicwell I haven't seen the statement, have you signad it or 141 do you care to sign it?
151 16i KIDWELL:
I would care to sign it I just want to make sure that it is 17!
documented on the tape before we start.
18t 19i SHACKLETON:
And at this time Mr. Kidwell has a statement that he would 20:
like to read into the record, and gentlemen because there are five of us 21!
present if you can, please give your last name before you speak so that it 22; will he',p the girls in transcription identifying who is speaking and now 23t Mr. Kidwell you can go ahead with your statement please.
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KIDWELL:
Being that the occurrence happened on March 28, 1979 and the 2j request for this interview was made 104 days later on July 10, 1979 I I
31 personally feel that 100% of correct accounting of blank conditions prior 4
to and after the occurrence could be and stand a high probablity of being 5
partially incorrect, this is due mainly to the elapse time that has taken 6
place, the inefficency of the commissions operation and many new operations 7j and discussions that have taken place, I want it to be understood that I l
intend to cooperate fully to the best of my ability and recall the way Mr.
g Herbein and !!r. Arnold requested, I will not make any assumptions or tell g
10t you that I think that's the way it was, I will not answer any questions i
that I am not reasonably sure that I could give correct answers to, I will not shoot the bull off the record as the Commission has tried to persuade 6
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the operator's to do in the past, my viewpoint has to be understood and 131 respected due to the underhanded things that I've seen or heard of in conjunction with the Commission such as, example 1, when an NRC representa-15!
tive made the statement about the reactor being out of control for 15 hours1.736111e-4 days <br />0.00417 hours <br />2.480159e-5 weeks <br />5.7075e-6 months <br /> after the accident, example 2, the hydrogen bubble that can explode, even though enough oxygen was not present to present fammability, example 3, the ISI control room operator with his big belly covering the indicating lights for 19i EFD 12 A and B, example 4, NRC inspectors trying to see personnel so that 20!
they could sneak into Unit l's reactor building, example 5, NRC inspectors 21!
hiding stop watches for timing at the startup of the Unit 2 Emergency 22l diesel and many more but I don't care to go into them.
Therefore from the 2 31 l
past NRC presentations I feel that the trustworthiness of the Commission is 2 46' disputed, thus tnere is no reason wny I should answer anything unless I am 2Si
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absolutely sure, I honestly feel that the NRC would at this time try to f
capitalize on any errored statement, possibly change it and/or record out 2
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of context for the previous examples for the purpose of getting themselves out of the hot water that there irresponsibility and poor leadership has gj got them into, I feel the NRC, Washington D. C. and Harrisburg Pennsylvania 6i at the expense of Met Ed, GPU and other Nuclear Generating Facilities would 7
oc anything to save their necks, that's the end of the statement.
81 SHACKLETON:
g Alright Mr. Kidwell regarding the advisement statement, do you care to sign or check off the answers on the second page?
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XIDWELL: As close as much time as I've had to read it, I do understand the 12!
above which is the first page statement, yes you do have my permission for 131 the tape interview and I do want a copy of the tape.
15, SHACXLETON: Would you also like a copy of the transcription?
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KIDWELL:
Yes I would.
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SHACKLETON:
We'll make that a mattar of record, we can give you a copy of 20; the tape at the conclusion of the interview, however, the transcription 21!
will take at least several weeks.
Mr. Blake.
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23' Bl3L KE:
I want the record to reflect I have not previously seen the statement L
241 written by Kidwell and I'd like him to confirm that these are his personal 25i views, this is not a company position that has been put forward here.
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13 KIDWELL:
Yes, it is very true that the company nor the union body knew 2',
that I had drawn this letter up to read it into the tape but just that I 3j felt that it was necessary to due the past history that has taken place 4
since the occurence, I feel that it is something that people ought to be 5l 1
king at.
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SHACXLETON:
Thank you Mr. Kidwell and now, go ahead Mr. Hunter, do you g
care to ask some questions regarding the incident.
9t HUNTER: John we'd like to go br.ck with you on 3/28, generally to the best 11,!
of your memory indicate if you would when you came on site and your job 12[
that you were involved in, the activities that you were involved in during that, the 28th, which shift you are on and at best you can recollect.
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14 XIDWELL:
On March 28, 1979 approximately 1830 hours0.0212 days <br />0.508 hours <br />0.00303 weeks <br />6.96315e-4 months <br /> or 1845 hours0.0214 days <br />0.513 hours <br />0.00305 weeks <br />7.020225e-4 months <br /> I reported on site to take relief in the Unit 2 Control Room, my job was to relieve the operators in the Unit 2 Control Room that had been there, the previous entire midnight shift all day long.
My responsibilities were 181 basically just to replace them and perform the functions that was necessary 19t and called for at the time, what our shift performed was..., now we started 20!
the reactor coolant pe:.rp, just the general functions, to give you specifics 21; I can't, that the biggest item that I remember the day.
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HUNTER:
Do you recall who you relieved when you came on that evening?
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lj KIDWELL:
No I do not.
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HUNTER:
Do you recall whether you had the control panel or the switching 3
4j and tagging position as a control room operator?
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KIDWELL: Well under the canditions that we were under at the time there 6
was zero switching and tagging taken place, so everf man that came in to
't relieve was in the control room to perform operator f unctions as necessary.
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HUNTER:
Okay John do you recall earlier in the day there generally had 1gl been a operator assigned to each panel or that type of assignment, do you recall if that was still in existence wnen you relieved and if so what 12'.
panels, primarf or secondarf did you pick up?
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KIDWELL:
That's still a tough statement to answer, I':n sure people was assigned, that they was, I can't say, who they were I cannot say, my job i
16i maintained primarily around that primary plant panel but as far as specifics i
1t was not labeled as such, there was enough people there to take the 18J secondarf panel, the primarf panel, the makeup panel, the electrical panel, 19I turbine panel if necessary and perform the other functions as recuired and 20t j
as an operating crew what we normally due is we work together and if we are 21t observing something on one panel or one man is, he will advise another man or discuss it with him, get his opinions on it and this is the way we work 23t on a shift.
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HUNTER: The general plant conditions that existed at that time, do you 2j recall looking at the plant parameters prior to starting Rad coolant pump?
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KIDWELL: All parameters was checked, the procedure was in hand as far as 4;
g what the parameters where, I can't recall at this time.
Si HUNTER:
7; Did you work with the makeup panel that night from 1800 till you gj left the site?
9l Oj KIDWELL:
I can't say for sure.
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HUNTER: Were you involved in repressurization of the plant and putting on the, prior to putting on the reactor coolant pump?
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KIDWELL:
Yes I was.
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16i HUNTER:
Joe Chwastyk the Shift Supervisor had relieved Bill Zewe by the 17!
evening, he relieved at noon and I believe that Bill, I believe Joe had the 1St 3 to 11 shift, is that your normal shift the 3 to 11 that day?
191 20t KIDWELL: Yes.
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HUNTER:
Okay and when did you go home Joe, John?
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i lj KIDWELL:
I'd have to check my time slip, I knew I was there a long time.
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3l HUNTER:
Pass the normal 3 to 11 shift?
l 41 5l KIDWELL:
Yes.
t 6i HUNTER:
7 Did you, were you involved in the secondary panel at all is feeding the A once through steam generator which was the generator that was g
being used at that time?
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KIDWELL: Yes and no as far as manipulations I can't remember if I performed 111 i
eny manipulations as far as obser /ation of the primaries and pressures, I 12!
have to say yes to that.
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HUNTER: Okay John you indicated that you were involved in general control 153 room activities and that included the starting of the reactor coolant pump in the evening which at that time included bumping the pump for 10 seconds 17i i
waiting 15 minutes and th.$.n restarting the pump and then from that point on 18!
the pump stayed on and the plant system stablized and you worked through 19t the 3 to 11 shift into the 29th of March?
20i 21l KIDWELL:
Yes.
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HUNTER:
Okay I have, I don't have any further questions.
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l SHACKLETON: At this time while we are still on tape, is there anyone 1
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present who would like to make any additional comments, if not a this time 3j we will close this interview, the time is now 1:32 p.m. Eastern Daylight 4l time and if I failed to acknowledge at the beginning, present frcm the U.
f S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct this interview is Mr. Darwin R.
g 6i Hunter, Mr. Hunter is an Inspection Specialist assigned to the Performance 7
Appraisal Branch, Inspection and Enforcement Reactor Construction Inspection, g
my name is Owen C. Shackleton and I'm an investigator assigned to Region V, this is a termination of the interview.
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