ML19322D339
| ML19322D339 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Surry  |
| Issue date: | 01/24/1977 |
| From: | Ryan W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTOR & AUDITOR (OIA) |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTOR & AUDITOR (OIA) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19322D327 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-79-416 NUDOCS 8002110509 | |
| Download: ML19322D339 (2) | |
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MEMORANDUM FOR:
File 77-4 William E. Ryan, Acting, Assistant Director for Investi-FROM:
gations, DIA
SUBJECT:
SURRY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT This investigation was based on infomation furnished by an employee of Relion IV to Arthur Schnebelen during a visit to that Region's head-This employee requested thatCidentity be, kept confidential.
quarttrs.
- prior service The irlomation provided by the eniployee related to in Region II.
In essence, the information was that a Region II inspector by the name of 34AMhad found some bad welds in the neutron shield tuclear Power Plant.
Whe C ;; attempted to report of Unit I, Surr this, the principal inspector pulled this finding out of the report and c
" swept it under the rug." See r,emorandum, December 7,1976, Schnebelen to Ryan in File.
Because of the potential health and safety problem, this office called the matter to the attention of John G. Davis, Deputy Director, Office e
of Inspection and Enforcement, and later confirmed this in writing.
10, 1976, in file.
j,.3 memorandum, December On January 12, 1977, a draft reply to Thomas J. MnTiernan from Ernst Volgenau was furnished for review with the approved reply being furnished on January 14, 1977, Volgenau's reply states that he requested Moseley, Region II Director, to look into the allegation and also asked
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Grier, IE lieadquarters staff to analyze the safety significance of
".3 possible bad welds in the neutron shield.
i Moseley's inquiry disclosed that@ lated to surface roughness, in some
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, did report welding deficiencies of the neutron shield, principally, re J
of the welds 'and to discontinuPAih one weld seam.
(C.0. Report 50-280/70-1, 50-281/70-1). The same problem was addressed by two other -
ctors.
Ww -
- (C.O. Report 50-280/70-3, 50-281/70-3, and
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Report 50-280/70-4,~50-281/70-4, 50-280/70-6, 50-281/70-5.
3 Moseley advises that the last report ofQ4'does not concisely close the 27, 1972 welding questions, however,Qverbally informed Moseley on December that it was closed at that time ano if at he then (in October 1970) had' no concern for the safety of operations using the tank as fabricated."
Grier in a memorandum to Volgenau, dated December 16, 1976, concluded that "this matter is of no concern with respect to public health and. safety."
..9 Grier advised that the evaluation of his office was concurred in by NRR. -
In a second memorandum to Volgenau, dated January 11, 1977, Grier pointed out that subsequent to his memorandum of December 16, 1976, he learned that,the neutron shield, in addition to providing shielding and-coding-(Wdy
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Grier stated, functions also provides support for the reactor vessel.
"Our earlier conclusion regarding the safety significance of the alleged We continue to conclude that these defecting (sic) welding remains valid.
allegations relate to' matters which are of virtually no real safety Grier stated that fiRR concurred in this finding.
significance."
Ba'ci upon the Volgenau memorandum, it can be concluded that no health and safety problem exists because of defective welding in the neutron shield It can be further concluded that%Qdid formally report welding tank.
deficiencies in the tank, as didCQandCand that these deficiencies were corrected.
Arthur Schnebelen suggests that the only way that we can be sure that the were or were not covered in welds that the informant alleged to be ba and intervie % ~[1 the inspection. reports would be to loc ~ateAlthougn, as Arthur suggests, it
<= w regarding the informant's alleg,ations.
might be helpful to interview i it is y opinion that the record before us does not disclose any irreg'ular conduct by NRC personnel as intimated by the informant.
In addition, it is also q view that we are entitled to rely on the advice of IE, concurred in by liRR, that assuming there were defective welds in the neutran shield tank no real safety problem exists.
It is noted that Volgenau's reply relates apparently to Surry Unit No. 2, Since inspection reports whereas our allegations related to Unit 1.(C.0. Reports 50-280 and 50-281) referred to above concerned both vie 4+c M* S
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this is not of consequence.
I reconmend that our file be closed and Volgenau so advised.
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Wi'lliam' an, Acting Assistant Director
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for Investigations Office of Inspector and Auditor i
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Subject:
77-4 Ryan Reading Abston Reading r
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