ML19295A598

Requests Demonstration of Availability of NRC in-house Expertise to Assess Facility Const Safety.Nrc Should Allow Independent Examination of Const Activities to Ensure Against Const Error

ML19295A598
Person / Time
Site:	Marble Hill
Issue date:	07/29/1980
From:	William Ford SENATE
To:	Ahearne J NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML19295A597	List: ML19295A596 ML19295A598
References
NUDOCS 8010020413
Download: ML19295A598 (1)

Text

4 WENDEk H. FORD co a wesas.

COM MERCE. SCIENCE et t#VCKY AND TR ANSPOMTATION ENERGY AND

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'?)Cnifeb Siafes Senale AD N sT 7 8CN WASHINGTON D.C. 20510 July 29, 1980

Dear Commissioner Ahearne:

I appreciate your having Mr. William J. Dircks, Acting Executive Director for Operations, respond to my June 25 letter, but would ask several clarifications from you personally which would assure me that the future safety at Marble Hill is being carefully and competently monitored, as stated by Mr. Dircks on July 17.

The July 17 letter says "NRC inspectors and available technical expertise on the NRC Staf f generally have the requisite ability to assess the adequacy of construction of nuclear projects and their conformance to safety requirements."

With all due Dircks could not have voiced a more vague generalization respect, Mr.

or brought less comfort to me.

At the height of the public revela-tions about Marble Hill, the NRC called in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to do testing of at least one of the Public Serfices of Indiana subcontractors, United States Testing, and their concrete testing methods and equipment.

It can be reas m aa.y presumed that the Corps also performed other functionc for the NRC regarding Marble Hill concrete.

I would request that you please demonstrate to me the available NRC in-house expertise and its continuing future availability at Marble Hill.

To ensure against the chance that concrete flaws or other construction error again escape notice of NRC officials and to relieve the Commission of the possibility of future adverse comments,it would seem to be to the NRC's benefit that a continued independent examination of Marble Hill construction activities be permitted.

Sincerely, Commissioner John F.

Ahearne hd 42AnfS Chairman, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555 8 010 0 20 Y/3

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