ML19325F274

Responds to 890804 Update Re Inadequacy & Improper Followup of Personnel Safety & Procedure Compliance Concerns Reported in Insp Rept 50-336/88-13

ML19325F274
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone
Issue date:	09/26/1989
From:	Collins S NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Delcore J AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
Shared Package
ML19324D522	List: ML19324D521 ML19325F269 ML19325F270 ML19325F271 ML19325F273 ML19325F274 ML19325F276 ML19325F277 ML19325F278
References
RI-87-A-0113, RI-87-A-113, NUDOCS 8911200055
Download: ML19325F274 (7)

See also: IR 05000336/1988013

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UNITED STATES

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NUCLEAR REOULATORY COMMISSON *

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' Allegation No..RI-87-A-0113

50-336

Mr. John' Del Core

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244 Saint Johns Street

New Haven, CT 06511

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Dear Mr. Del Core:

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This responds to your undated letter to Mr. E. 'C

Wenzinger, which was received

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in the Region I office on August 4, 1989.

In it you contended that NRC

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follow-up regarding your personnel safety and procedure compliance concerns,

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reportert in Inspection Report No. 50-336/88-13, was cursory, inadequate, and

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improper.

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Regarding the " operator in attendance" tagging issue, inspector inquiries were

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unable to reconcile the conflicting claims involved. We acknowledge the

Stephen Scace memorandum of January 29, 1988 which you enclosed in your letter,

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We note that the event to which it refers occurred in a site outbuilding not

subject to nuclear tagging controls at the time. No connection relevant to

. nuclear safety is' discernible.

q,,gg%6fspreview;e(14aWfetyf atti teles regd

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s ' adequate to protect the radiological heal'tFand^ safety

of the public.

As is evident in this case, persons of good will may continue to differ. At

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this point, we believe that further NRC review of these allegations would

divert limited inspection resources from other issues of potentially greater

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nuclear safety significance, and therefore be counter productive.

Since your

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letter presents no newrfacts,or,, x myles,)PM(J genegd

A s M M g g t _1 @ .

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f,a u gitmto, control, nuclear

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safety activities,

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The NRC will continue to monitor licensee performance in the areas of work

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control and tagouts of plant systems important to nuclear safety through

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routine resident inspector coverage.

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Thank you for your concern.

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Sincerely,

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Deputy Director of Reactor Projects

Division of Reactor Projects

8911200055 891102

PDR

ADOCK 05000336

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PDC

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SEnvwC SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT SusCE test

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the e.wrw e '. or me pi.* d.r s an

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faiI N R C tests

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tmees a me.eme. m. ehsesi tammt, commttug itself se short- sad long- gue se erseenesse tramms program for

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By ROSERT A. IIAstit.70's

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terse changes in ns tratnrng and op.

she plasst's other opermeers, who will

Day Sta*rweener

O rnece=,r.t,

.fwa,s,acs

erstiosus precedures that were nego. he sessed in the wehe of the peer test

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redera

"If they de aB right en the tests,that

in meetness ISonday.

Medtst h h wee inststute onwel

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These were vie resuets of the res.isenricat.asi

flanked sex er 12 operstws

wiu be the s%esas for costsesed opers.

Abraham sasd be cou

longm etmages in les trasesag pre.

me.,e %. son tests last weet, and = ,e,,,rg > = = = ,e,,,,,,.e.~,,,ee,ktmotcosm-,,,:; -

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crews saad-

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paa,,iin new Engi.nd es,. i, ems oh,,e

It the crews de me em the wr4

• We are absetately admettes there

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elown.

could take any artice daemed neces. *ere procedural daftseultsen. sand

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dreethset ses*st

sary. 6neluding the immsedisse and Lov6s J. Keering. a spokesmee for NU.

See h438.tSTOpsEpsye AS

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O Northeast untrees atrimened inserarn approval

t.eee RIonder. regulaters agreed to - +.-. '....ed shutdews of the plant, whsch owns and operates the Stir.

to .opersie the piant cononoont ews poes=g

Ntrs plan te keep the plant open unes he sm6d.

stese es= ries. He said the tranung m w M ano m"8 **

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• grades thes week try two addthonet crews.

at least the end f the weett, prerided

A spokesman for the New England , safety pombie-program won be rowed.*as fest as as

by sie

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two other operations crews scheduled

Power Pool said power these the 1.150-

gases se me omshuses.

DIS

to be tested this week pass the tests,

megewt3 plant, a t largest -_

He said the company has tahee

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MillstoneU"

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left lorsely op O untiltlet Hecting should be done and d obst time?

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g sold the NltC uses snore Ctenecht Kecsing sa6d

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yeguenthention requirements Most

piut the NitC inspoeters sald op

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of Ntt's operators passed under the

eretors shnWd have a ecquem to

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company's gradang of the prote'

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eu?os.he aste

f,o,llem in an)emitgenry = push

. itch A, then switch it, then

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Oswrotors at Millstone's Con' sentch 0, and never push C tehne

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hecL6run Yankee power plant 6n A,lur sustantt.

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Iladdam Nerk, a btG megamall

• Quite a few of the operators

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plant that toegen operation en July

,,,e perherming tasks out af ac-

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1>61, stready passed similar tests quenre? heesing sa6d *The pro

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tids pent, Keesing stid

eedpres shputd have all along In-

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Operators of the les other Wa-

eluded th6s seguenc6ng 6mlutnia

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terford planta Mallotswe 1, a MS-

tion.*

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megaestt plant that went on bne in

Kees6ng said none of the samula

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84cember of 19'l0. and Millstone 2.

tions ended in a eatentrophe. la all

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an 570-megamatt plant that began emes, the problems were brought

operatlon in Decemhet is76, are under tentrol. thnush het in the

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acheduled to umtergo the tests time et in the mannot prescribed

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later this year. Millstone 3 toegen b) the NItC,

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ectnmerc6al operat6on la April

As a result of the failures.a team

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of the cornpany's top nuclear op-

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Ntl owns two thirds of the Mill- erat 4phs orneers Amludar Sentur

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stone 3 New I;baland pcuer Co.

Vice president k.d Mrm n, Melb

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cons th.3 3*r.vnt and a slosen stone station Euperstite ndent

smaher uuhtees own up to 6 per- 6tephen Score, and Millstone 3

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tent ecch.

Super 6ntendent Carl Clement,

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NRC tests 12 opef alors

siny to"murb out a"pla'n to kee' p the

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The NltC was at Millstone 3 plant open

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Eept. It 23 ta test It operators in a

$hnrpy tectore 1 p en. the team

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special twotart reoushficat6pn reached in agreement pHh tegs*

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test. The operators make op three Inters

or the plant's at fout person ron-

Me have allowed thesn to ton.

trol room teams

linue operahan untH the two crem a

The first part of the test is job can be tephd later this seek," Ab-

performance measures, uhtte taham sant. If the trema slo sint

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eentrol roma operators are re- pna the tests, the plant could be

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cuired to getform emergency pro- shut dom m irnmediately,

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eedures w6 thin the plant. Kath eP

The NHC has :ever shut a plant

crator is suppowd to feriurm 10 down for fashng to eneet training

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procedurss The NltC failed als of and operations requirements, al-

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the operators 6n that portmn

though sme l'hereda plant e as

• $everal of the nperators eithet brought dawn by its operstars

were unable to perform the haruls- when it became clear ttie NILC ens

on metsvity or were shak y on l'iern,"

almut to iabe that action

Kee:6ng said. Operators had to

williern

p.

b h e. pt td so n,

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gerform at Acast eight of the 10 spokesman fur the New 4;sigland

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procedures.

poutr pimt, said the ergson wdl

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Three areas of the test gave most need the plant tb6s wintet,

of the flur,ked operators problems,

• Ariyhme a plant that anse isin

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Kees6ng sold They included

an entspected shutdpan, for

e A penress fnt isolat ng a sys.

ohntever reason, with Nem Kh -

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tem to add or shtute tmrte acid in gland a temer situohon as hght a,s,

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the teattor's ttmlant system,

it is, things are gmrig to be tough,

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e Starttrig an emergency diesel steperdson sald

system that prov6 des backup poner

$lererdson said the power from

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to the plant's safety systems

de Nant es W Wed an, M

e Itunnirig a program to recover min he by en6if November,

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• • 8 d Id'

the plant from a loss of power.

E "s'I* Eor suo'nes,.I, k ph W

ed

Kecsirig sa6d one of the tensons

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'p"rn"r'D""N"""ntram. "and rs test

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for thnac failures was that one

edures, the

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Icem of oferstors consisted of pu

pervisors or trainers who oversee' the crews. in the coent of a shut-

down.

operat6ons, but do not toutinely Pr t

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involved in day to day operations,

The agreement mHh Ntt aho

part6eularly operations as dehtete provides for dehvery of a letter,

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outhnln

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9 g g g,s encasures that mHI

as those tested in the job perfor-

e

g gg.pg

snance measures

Kecsing said as a short term

niet, Keesing ><4nustedged. in

encasure, the rompany mHI remone

the event of an emergency those from dut) all the operators mho

employees would be required to failed the test, and have an estra

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help out or take ovet in ti.e control

heensed, stuahhrd nperator in the

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remm. *mhkh is the resson me're

ennteal room at til times to over6ee

taking this no ser60usly?

cperations.

The sestind part of the test is

in addit 6on, all incoming shifts

done 6n a control room simulator- min be br6efed on the step ee-

The operators niust respemd to sauences that are to be used in

emergency altushuns that NitC of-

emergene6es, he sa6d.

facials program into the equipment

The rompany agreed to toolong-

Dre-sters were tested on the term measures as well to r$nduct a

simulator tn teams of four.

speedy rev6cm of all training trul

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One of the tests involved simu- operahng procedures. an

iake

laurig the rupture of a steam gen- rreessary changes in tli

to-

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erstor tube, fullowed by the fallure dures as quit kly as possit.

of several small safety systems

ht! has Licen umter ser

Operators had to tiukkly bring tie the NitC for a failure of its i .

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plant back to a stable condition

tamination controls that aHomed

Kecsing said the plant s manu- entidly rnrhunctive equipment to

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fatturer, Wesunghouse Inc., pro- leave the plant for a marchause.

tided the company with enierrency

The failure of operators at the

procedure guldehnes that outilned plant is espected to provide am-

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mhat had to be done in an emer- muniuon to opponents of the bee

sency.

brook nuclear plant in Vermont

• lt mes tell to an operator's t+

NU is attempting to take caer that

perience and training y stecede plant and its coper, pubhe $ctvy

w hich sequence of PAcedures

0'0 of Nem llanphere.

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Test scores shock anti-nuclear activists

even have to be corruption.. he

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ity'ItonERT A. IIAMILTON

doing." Caldi said. "It's the human emergency. ~

pointed out. It might be a case of

factor that's the major problem, as

"When the emergency occurs,

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Day Staff Writer

we've seen in every nuclear plant you don't have time to consult the

-~...-..c not wanting to make the

l>aniel Caldi, an associate pro.

accident so far."

manual, if you know where the boss mad by flunking an operator.

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manualis." Prewitt said.

or not wanting to flunk a friend.

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ressor of physics at the University

"Pm more than surprised. t*m

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of connecticut and a member of the shocked." said Charles W. Prewitt

The Union of Concerneel Scien-

Cakli also pointed out that his

ihmm of Concerned Scecmssts an

Sr., a professor at Eastern Con- tists is opposed to the A. Jay. ;u.t

group does not particularly trust

i

anti-nuclear group. called it

necticut State University and of nuclear power and nuclear the NRC. beca*ase of its coriness

" scandalous that the operator 41 spokesman for the People's Alli. . weapons becat:se of what it says is with the mselear powerindustry,as

Millstone 3 failed federal .ceerts-

ance for CIcan Energy. another the inherent danger in nuclear fis- outliend in a Congresseonal report

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Iiration tests after passinf. internal anti-nuclear group. of the results of sion.

last year.

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tests for three years.

operator tests. "Our health is in

But Caldi said privately-owned

"If even for the NRC these op-

nuclear plants make no revise, be-

"It leaves one with the feeling, their hands."

cause invester-owned utilities are erators didn't pass. that's very,

what have we been hemg under for

Prewitt said at Chernobyl and

." Cakli said. W

interested mainly m Wds.

problem wiih nuclear power plants

the last few yearsr Caldi said.

Three Mile Islaml. the worst nu,

clear plant disasters. "it was a se-

In particular. Caldi said, private is that they're not like other pieces

"The results clearly simw tints

kmtside testing) should have been ries of mistakes thrt let those situ. companies should not be allowed to of equips. ant. If you make a mais-

done a long time aga-

ations get out of control." and the evaluate t'.s...-.~, when it comes take with noost machinery it's too

"The scary thing almut these same thing could happen when totheoperationernaclearplants.

bad, but it's not cat &;,_..;,;1y

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plants is that the people who run operators are not aware of the

"It's just too easy to start com

bad.andwithanuclearplantitean

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them may not know what they're proper sequence to control an r omising" Caldi said. It does not . be."

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Millstone 3 operators hold' feiiii5fary'psis

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'$ th' $ "r** $*id-

spokesman for NU. which owns

Carl Clement, superintendent use of tempora y appointments..

NU says iob status

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Northeast Utilities confirmed and operates the plants, vigor- of Millstone 3.said he expects to Clement said. But he said situs-

doesn't affect safetu

• $d=r Sa' he$e ker avera-

• "$'r di$9"t'd th*t alles=tiaa-

==aa="ce pr==atiaa$ ta itii the tiaa$ at the ri="t dictated the

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tors were on temporary assign-

"These are all qualified people . jobs permanently within the next arrangement. .

ments.

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and it has no bearing on how two to three w:-ks. He . said

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

By ROBERT A. HAMILTON

The source said the operators they do their jobs." said Louis J.

temporary upgrades are used to Commission Monday declared

Day Staff Writer

have not been promoted because Keezing the spokesman. "This evaluate someonein a new job.

NITS operator training program

of questions about whether they has no bearing on their ability to

"I would agree it's not opti.

"in: satisfactory" and flunked six

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Waterford - One of two Mill- are qualified for the jobs, but a run the plantor to take the test"

mum." to make such long-term of the 12 operators it tested last

week.

stone 3 nuclear plant shift su-

NRC spokesman Karl Ab-

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parvisors who face relicensing

raham said Monday the' plant

Adequacy of training programs -

tests this week has been an act-

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ing -a.e, for _e man a

controt room erews. scheduled to

year. but has never been o!Ti.

20 EEL,::

raises questions in some' quarters

MPn*C

off. saying the plant is an little

week. raising the possibility of a

shutdown for the plant, was also

By ROBERT A. HAMILTON

Northeast Utilities, which Proj et.an anti-nuclear arm of

danger of being shut down. Ab-

raham said NU documented it '

operates the Millstone 3 nu-

Ralph Nadar's group. Public

a long-time " temporary up-

Day StaffWriter

- clear power plant where six of Citizen. "The pub 7ic percep-

has 54 licensed operators. in-

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grade." a source familiar with

Two-thirds of the nuclerr 12 operators tested last week tion is of white-coated physi.

cluding the six who passed the

the control room operations said.

test and 48 others who are to be

plant operators in the United flunked. contends federal cists running these plants but

tested over the next tur uteks.

One othe shift supen.isor and

States do not hold college de-

training and education re-

that'slimited to the movies-

Bossong said industrywnde.

at

to eep the

open

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g co t

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thers d

to

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ap ed

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adds nal operators

up

to k p th pla

car Regulat

Com

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enneth

See TRAININGpage AIS

long-term operation. Abraham

safe, hava Seen on Memporary

approval.

tot of the Critical Mass Energy

Scr OPERATORSparc A19 ~

upgrada" for as long as three

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Operators "-"

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said. Even if half the remaining two crews that will be tested this

Clement said all thc people art-

nierators fall the test, NU would meek, a source who requested an-

ing in any especity held the ap-

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have enough heensed personnel to onymity se6d managers who have prepr6 ate lecenses

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keep tuaning.

not earned permanent status are

"I ha,ve more people who aro

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Abraham said the NitC has also often in charge of the control room. quatMed than I have posluons to

scheduled tests for operators at

Keesing acknowledged one of

Gil," Clement said.

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Mmstone I for the last two weeks NU's employees had been on a

of October, and for Millnene 3 nest temsmearp upgrade for a lengthy N#I8If 40'80IO31

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summer.

Intriod or time before promotion.

The source also said the wide,

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Einergency resposine

,a,,oins art, failed the test a few spread use of lengthy temporary

nd then

r he mas apietnted to upgrades has anected aiorale at

A major problem is that NU has the job pern anently.

the plant.

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"Three years is an awfbl lon

never instructed its operators in

• Itut there are others who failed

time to leave someone hanging.g

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spectne sequences that should he .plac, Five others failed," Keesing

followed when handling an emer- sold

the source said. "These guys are on

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gency While the crews could con-

Clement said he does nel know of tenterhooks. Manag*ement just

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trol almulated disasters pro- eny supervisnes who had been en leases them danghng

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grammed by NtLC inspectors, they temporary upgrade for more than

The snurce said not only are the

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could not do it in the time or man- 18 months, but he acknowledged swo sh6R aupervisors and three ae ,

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ner required by NHC regulations.

some have served "in amt out of pior control room operators ab

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Two of the three fuur person their capacities.* for longer perg. Iceted, but 30 are the plant equip-

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control room crews tested last ods, and the fiumber used at hilli, ment operators who have teen put

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week failed simulator tests, and sta stone 3 was higher than at other on temporary upgrades to Gil their

of tlw 13 control room operators, plants.

jobs Those promotions cannot be

tested indiv6 dually. nunked.

" Generally they're not employed made germanent, either, until the

supervisors: and senior operators

The control room crew consists for as long a Ome as that at the

"gf*"' "p',',"*,

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of a shift supervisor who oversees other units," Clement said.

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plant operauons and would make a

Neither the NRC or NU has a said, is that the company has not

deels6on, say, to reduce power time limit on how long someone communicated the problems to

output; a supervising control room can remain in a tempot ary upgrade control room staff-

operator who oversees the rest of position, Clement said.

• As of Monday, we had no Ides

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the crew; and two teactor opera-

lie said !.e hirec a new opera. who had passed and s ho hr.d falled

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tors, who keep an eye on the con- tions supervisor about a year ago the tests," the pource said. "And

trol teard. They are supported by for htillstone 3, who wanted time to until (Tuesday), no one was told

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four plant equipment operators, evaluate the people who were do-

who would be taking the test

1

who are in the plant to relay in-

ing the jobs on a temporary bests-

Thurshy.

i

formation on actual conditions, and

Clement said there are twe levels

Clement acknowledged that long

perform funct6ons such as manually of NitC licenses, that for a senior periods of temporary assignments

closing a valve that cannot be done renetor operator,m ho can be a shth could damage morale, but the op-

remotely.

supervisor or supervising control erat 6ons supervisor has recently

While the company scrambled room operator, and that for a reae- made his promotion recommenda.

'

Tuesday to revise the training of tor operator, who can stand watch tions. and those jobs wllt be Alled

all the crews, and especially the in the control room.

permanently in October.

Y,

e

e

'l, raining -"

requalification tests. At Northeast sa6d blost of NU's oparstors, he qu6el$ly approsed aner some minor

Utilities * billistone 3 nuclear powee said, have put in several years changes, Dossong said.

plant,60 percent punke,d last wet k.

aboard nuclear powered Navy

..One interpretation of that

"These results represent a real vessels, and heve come up through would te that the programs as

need fur additienal education and the plant learning each system.

proposed are great," hossong said.

training" agreed U.S. Itep. Sam

"& tore important than having a * Hut given the failure rate on to-

9ejdenson, D Hosrah, whose re- plete of paper is having that espe * qualu6 cation testing, that's obyl-

port, *NitC Co:iness with Indus- rience,* Keesing said-

ously not the case."

try,"in 1987 blasted regulators for

Keening said, however, that NU

btoreover, though the operators

not doing their job.

has a program ulth Thames Valley

sup e

'

"The good neus is we caught this State Technleal College for plant

I,

sI s grou

in a test instead of in a catastro- operators to carn college degrees found instances of plants going as

.

phe," Gejdenson said. "This is a in nuclear plant operations.

long as six years between te -

!

very unforgiving technology, and

Keening said it was not the fault The testing st ntillstone 31ast

.

It's important for NU to keep its of the six operators who flunked was the Drst since the plant opened

people trained to the very highest last week. Ile said the company

IR IE

level."

wrote emergency procedures that

Gejdenson said NU has long en-

allowed operators to use their own

Bossong said his group reviewed

joyed a renutation as one of the judgment; the NHC requires strict the records of the 1,000 NitC.

best nuelcar plant operators in the authnen of the sequence to follow licensed nuclear plant operators in

country. "I hope this isn't a sign in an emergency. Though the op-

the country, and found only one-

they were resting on their laurels," erators were able to control simu- third had a college education.

Gejdenson said

lated emergencies, they could not

"The NitC recently proposed

Hossemt'a group is suing the NRC do ll In the time or manner re-

requiring a college degree for a

to force it to implement a training quired by the NitC.

superv6 sing reactor ope,ator, but

program review process.

"What happened here is not a the industry opposed that," Doss-

NitC ornefals, asked for comment training problem. These people ong sant. "T1.c only requirement on

on Bossong's charges. provided rollowed the procedures enactly as the buuks right now is that t esetor '

eight pages of " policy statements" they mere written," Keesing said. operators must have a hlgh school

en the subjects issued on training "The proble,m is they were written degree, and in a few cases even

and education two years ago.

Improperly-

thars been skirted and the opern-

Those statements said the process

Dut Dossong said the failure iate tot has taken a high schout equive-

In use is adequate.

at NU and other plants in Florida lency exam."

'

t.ouis J. Kecsing, a spokesman and New York, where as many as

for NU, said educational and train- half the operators nunked. Ind6- g,[n(s d that is distur

Bo

ng

ing requirements are not neces- cates a much ticeper problem than

emergoney, those operators might

sary.

the lndustry acknowledges

have to read and quickly interpret

• lf you look at the record of our

Dossent sam one of the problems

,

some comples operations rianuals

nuclear traming programs them- is Ihat the NitC is riot allowed ac-

selves you'll see they're the most ecas to inhirmation on training

all's not suprising that with poor

comprehensive industrial training programs, whirh are reviewed and training and hmited education.

\\

programs ever developett " Keer- appenveit by the Institute or Nu-

they do so poorly on requahnention

ing sani The imlustry is tining the clear Power Operations. a trade

tests." Bossung said "The overall

'

job well enough that whhlumal grnup.

training prov6ded to plant workers

regulation is not neetted, he snhl.

Of more thnn 600 programs has been poor, anti the reason it's

"Amt to say it takes a college INp0 has res6 cued. all but four so poor la the NitC has no stan-

educQm is just not try." Keesing were approved, and t[use were dards."

'

1

,

.

.

,

.

,

.

.

Failures concern local officials

!

'-

B3Jt0I*fti A. IIA 4BILits

faith in the NitC.

fur ficabronk and its parent stiltty,

Day blaff Wrlier

• Probably all the NatC will do if which is in hankruptcy hecause the

'

operators ronunue to faH the test is {'lant that was supposed to esist $8

j

Local effktals reacted with dis- change the test," Ms. Perkins takl,

,

,

HHon and te en hne in le79 has

bouet and enneern Tuesday at

,e

g

news Ilial als of 13 operators of the

Itut she said the nuclear industry cost ng l>Huon and is only in kw.'

Millstone 3 nuclear power plant requires people limined sufliciendy W II'*U"E

g

lead failed frdern! steefdAcaHon to make the right decispms elvekly

Compeutors for the Scabrook

en estremelp etressful sHuauons.

plant have been qu6ct on NU)

Y. hey have to come up to the made la seven seconds, that's ho,

"These dectslons have to te problems, as is common withm the

endustry.

3

Ifh ' t be

a r'f

a ng it tank Chernobyl to go up,"

- '

s

At Unned lHumtnating in New

b

First Selectman Lawrence J. Det-

Ms. Perkins sald referring to U*

lleven, which has made its om n hid

famous nuc! car disastor in the So* for Seabrook. a spokesman de-

I.

i

11e said omclais at Northeast

-

thned to comment on Wa attum-

Utiltues, the owner and operstor of.

NU has mah a W enuHon tdd hon.

.

i

i

the Millstone comples told him the

i

problem stemmed from stricter

e

,,

U.S. Nuclear llegulatory Commla-

%

'

anon standarde.

}

• ! deal with the NitC all the time

'

g

on dritis, and I don't always agree

a

wHh them," Itettencourt acknowl-

edged. *Itut whether you hke the

procedures or not, you follow

them." .

"You have to have tralned oper-

alors for water systems and sewer

systems so you don't muck up the

environment," said New Lominn

City Manager C Francis Driscoll,

.

• Prohtems at a nuclear plant,

'

which can be far more dangerous

than a sewage spill

dealt with quickly," , have to be

A prepared release from the

,

state Publ6c UtilHy Control Av.

thority stated, *We are deeply

4

concerned about this altuallort We

'

trust the company and the NitC

will take all appropriate and timely

metion to assure the safe operauen

of all our nuclear units?

The statement also observed that

l'the plant is shut down, NU couhl

le forced to swallow the cost of

i

replacement power, because the

PUCA position in the pa*t has dis-

allowed those costs where company

negligence has been responsilde

,

for the misoperation of a nuclear

unit.

But the reaction in New Ilam.

pshire is the one NU has to watch

,

most closely, because there NU has

asked to take over operation of the

Seabrook nuclear power station, a

sister plant to Millstone 3.

"We're sHH getting information

about (what has happened at NU),

but obviously this is a source of

major concern," said Larry 6muk-

ler, senior assistant Attorney

Geneial in New flampshire. The

v

attorney general and governor of

e

that state had backed NU's bid.

• After we have all the facts we'll

5

rnake a judgment of what, if any,

eflect this mill have on our en-

dersernent," Smukler said.

, Attorney Itobert Dachus, head'of

the Seacoast Anti Pollution

I cague in New Itampshire, a group

that has opposed Seabrook from

~

the start, sant NU's problems will

v6de ammuniUon to block its

"We would oppose a license

transfer, but that a really prema-

ture because they haven't even

applied yet,"Ilackus said.

"I think this says a lot about the

abihty of the enhre industry"

Itachus said. "NU has had a record

or being one of the best operators

in the country,ITivU can't pass the

(?st, we've really got to be wor-

tied."

• lt doesn't surprise me," said

Kathryn Perkins, a spokeswoman

for the Clamshell Alliance, a conh-

tion of New England ant 6-nuclear

groups. "NaHonwide, the operators

of these plants just are not weu

' trained enough to run them."

But fit. Perkins said nuelcar

opponents also do not placeglot of

. _

. , _ - . - - - .