ML19322C544
| ML19322C544 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 10/04/1979 |
| From: | Parler W NRC - NRC THREE MILE ISLAND TASK FORCE |
| To: | Deyoung R NRC - NRC THREE MILE ISLAND TASK FORCE |
| References | |
| TASK-TF, TASK-TMR NUDOCS 8001170873 | |
| Download: ML19322C544 (3) | |
Text
[j-Q
]
ga nog, o
UNITED STATES
[ \\[pk'm'W[
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION E
WASHINGT ON, D. C. 20555
- f$5Lll o
October 4,1979 g'u.....f MEMORANDUM FOR:
Richard DeYoung, Deputy NRC Staff Director FROM:
William Parler, Task Leader, Group 1
SUBJECT:
QUESTIONS FOR MR. BENDER, ACRS I request that someone ask Mr. Bender questions at the SIG's October 6,1979 meeting with the ACRS on the background set forth below.
Background
Mr. Bender in the August 16, 1979 issue of Nucleonics Week is purported to have said:
" Bender said there is too little to motivate the industry to do a good job on safety. ' People at the top of business are not there to protect the public, they are there to protect their money,' he said.
The question, he said, is how to make ' safety a motivator' for top management.
Kerr (also an ACRS member) disagreed, in part, observing that ' motivation for safety varies from utility to utility.
Some in industry are highly motivated on safety. '"
Mr. Bender's statement touches on a matter of general relevance to Group l's work - the tensions between safety and economic considerations.
It bears more specifically on the rush to commercial operations issue.
Although the questions are fairly apparent, the areas which should be probed include:
- Why does he think this?
- Does he have specific examples in the commercial nuclear power area?
- Is there a corporate management attitude to ignore safety?
- Is there, in his judgment, a financial incentive to ignore safety matters relating to a commercial nuclear power plant?
- Where are these incentives most likely to be the greatest -
o at the design stage?
O during construction?
O during start-up tests and ascension to power?
O assuring that the plant is declared to be in commercial operation by a certain date?
0 maintenance and repairs?
/ )..
1 0 training?
/
<-f
/,
.V William Parler, Task Leader, Group 1
Enclosure:
Excerpt from N/W, 8/16/79, p.12 9
O 8001170 o..
w n
i p
j
(,,,C r~ "O ('"h I Q Mi-ilt't(~r@W/J J $[YLC. ~.: _l
[$ Q-@g *~~~' ~',
f 2~
p tJ tht) C ti.L t d CBJ ~1 t.lE IO I (:, U C W f & f /'tf
<ects. sapng more attentien is pren tc. ie;al anc prceedur, qunnens tm it wy,
/ /
ACRS itseliM.. come in for scrutiny in the repen. Severd members a:d tne cemm; :ee is tryi ; w y tav much and has spmd itsdf :ce thin "We are u.;te; sing :he bredth of cut a;::v::ies "":. cut de:ren:r.g q.
1
' the cep:h." Sten ocaned.
{
Incunty receised a mixed reviev en its techmcal s:fety perfamance. bener sai;. :here is tuo : tie to n..*.ne :he mdustre to do a cood job en safets. " Pee:;e at :h. :en : our.sas are u :her: :e mien "
,,,,j pubhc.they are there to proteIt their money," he said.The questict, he said, ts how tc m::ke "sd[ty a moti-
~q [' to utility. Some in industry are highly motivated on s f
- vawr" :er top management. Kerr disagreed. in part. observ:ng that " motivation for saft:y vanes from utility
/
ACRS,as part of the discussion also reviewed the NRC pro;tess on sit:ng criteria and examined the ques-tion of whether some utilities might be technically unfit to operate nudear power plants.
SPAIN'S NUCLEAR LINEUP 51AS TIPPED IN FAVOR OF VALDECABALLEROS 1 AND 2, plus Trillo 1, as the next three units to be licensed for startup by 1987. The energy plan approved last month provides for at least three new nuclear units on hne by then. For the past several months it was widely assumed that these would be Vandellos 2, Trtilo 1 and Valdecaballeros 1. Technical considerations aside, this would give an even ';pread among suppliers, with General Electric, Westinghouse and Kraftwerk Union providing one unit each.
Official sources now say that Vandellos 2, a 1,000 Mw Westinghouse unit, will probably have to wait until next year for finallicensing. The three units are expected to be authorized by October. Valdecaballeros 1
[
and 2 are GE units and Trillo 1 is supplied by KWU. "We don't base our studies on multinational or political considerations," says a Ministry of Industry source. "If Valdecaballeros 2 is in the first group of three, this is for reasons of siting and capitalinvestment." The twin Valdecaballeros units are located in the south near Badajoz, an area with comparatively little antinuclear activity. In terms of capitalinvestment to date, this plant ranks second after Trillo l.
However, the president of Extremadura's regional government, Luis Ramallo, has requested Prem;er Adolfo Suarez to delaylicensing of Valdecaballeros 1 and 2 untillocal authonties decide on the viability of the twm 1,000-Mw nuclear units. Ramallo's request is expected to raise a flurry of controversy in government circles, since the regional president is a member of Premier Suarez' UCD Party, which is firmly committed to the gov-ernment's nudear program.
This is the first time that a government party man has voiced opposition to any of the nuclear plants under construction or awaiting authorization. Political sources, however. say that the regional government's request will be handled diplomatically, and there is not likely to be a delay in authorizing the Valdecaballeros units.
f Ministry of Industry sources say that of the units awaiting licerning. Valdecaballeros-1 and 2 and Trillo 1 are the furthest advanced in clearing government red tape. Westinghouse's Sayago unit is another strong con-8 tender for startup if a fourth unit is authorized.
A SLIM MAJORITY OF SWEDES WANT EXPANSION OF THE NATION'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, according i
to a survey by an independent foundation, Stiftelsen foer Opinionsanalyser (Foundation for Opinion Analysis),
f The survey was part of a large study under way on voter attitudes. The foundation was set up last year by a
~
group of university researchers with an aim of making unbiased, independent surveys, and is funded by all pohtical parties, trade unions. employer associations and cooperatives.
The nudear survey, cosenng 2200 people, concluded that 324 want nudear power tota!!y phased out, 31% wr.nt nudear expanded slowly and carefully to insure safety, IM want it expanded quiddy as long as safety is guaranteed,6% want it expanded as fast and efficiently as possible, and about 167 gave no answer.
g This means that 52% want nudear expanded.The researchers said, however, that "it's clear that the public's R views on nuclear power cannot be expressed simply as 'yes' or 'no': the majority wants nudear power, but 2
f this is divided into groups desiring vanous degrees of safety."
ifit meant a weak national economy and unemployment,29G feel a nudear p Other questions in the survey showed: 24% of Swedes would be willing to phase out nudear power even
,5 9J and :nmest half cf the women under 30 want nuclear phased out.
M me N,GRECONAL SU2 COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON WIPP IN NEW MEXICO LAST WEEK did little to shed
.Wn e of t:u thorny issues surrounding the proje:: and. instead. seemed to further deuj them. The g banna v.ere heO m Albuquerque and Carlsbad Auc. 6-10 m the House Cornrnatee on lmerior & Insular ' m23 A fairf sh:emn. ttee en ove: sight & investigations, ehaiad by Rep Harcld Rr.nel:(D-N.W.
Eh 2ptmr::.tn r of Nm Mex::o Governor Bru:e Km: d2 the st.ne v eau insis' 'na :he Waste linlaM P.i. Pe: M.pp) b !icented by SRC anc he decned DOE etempts w sm: su.l. rnpons.a.hn tv ti[Sh str.te. "We be:ine it is essential for a first of a bnd proje:t like Wipp to be subjected to the most ngorous
. w 16. Im Nt'ct t ONic h En:
hichard DeYoung 2
October 4,1979 cc:
E. K. Cornell B Bernero
. Vandenberg
.