ML19326D940

Requests Info Re IE Recommendation to Allow Gradual Resumption of Const & Issues Discussed in Related Commission Briefing

ML19326D940
Person / Time
Site:	Marble Hill
Issue date:	05/15/1980
From:	Deckard J HOUSE OF REP., GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
To:	Ahearne J NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML19326D935	List: ML19326D934 ML19326D940
References
NUDOCS 8007250246
Download: ML19326D940 (3)

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John F. Ahearne, Chairman Nuclear Regulato::y Commission Wishington, D.C.

20555 Gentlemen:

This is in reference to the Commission meeting with Cordel Williams and.Victcr Stello of the Office of Inspection and En-forcement concerning the Marble Hill Nuclear plant being constructed by Public Service Indiana at Madison, Indiana.

I ha've a nu 6er of concerns I wish to share with you in regard to the recommendations of the I & E to allow a cradual resumption I understand that the of nuclear related construction at the site.

Ccmmission has given itself five days frcm the briefing to decide whether to accept the staff recommendations.

I :n sorry that this letter will.aot be able to reach you beforc the expiration of that time period.

I wish to note, however, that Mr. Keppler and Mr.

Williants of Region III stated in response to questions fol' 3 wing

- the neeting that certain unresolved problems will delay the resump-tion of nuclear construction for at least another three weeks.

Because of the incremental natui e of the planned resumption, I assume the minds of the NRC staff and Commission members will remain open to the receipt of new information that wculd warrant reconsideration of the decision to allow construction.

According to Iir. Cordell Williams ' statement, seismic sampling of in-place concrete to date has resulted in no findings of struc-tural faults in the interior.

I find it remarkable that no voids have been discovered in the interior Nkqr; so many serious voids were found on the exterior.

As Com i.sicher Hendrie pointed out at the briefing, the seismic fin % e.5 could indicate a remarkably good and consistent aggregate f ft 7

'ncrete.

However, since the aggregate used in the intertor and in the exterior is identical.

the e.e erior voids and honeycombs would requt e an evaluation of the ac.crer. ate opposite to that reached by Coc. :nrioner Hendrie.

soonso pg

-s-3ecause the findings of the sei smic sampling are contrary o

the known condici0n of the exterior, this contradiction tends to cast some dout: on the seismic test itself or on the sampling technique used.

The test seems to be reliable judging from the cering results.

Therefore, the adequacy of the sampling technique should be explored.

A== '- er of my staff attempted to question Mr. Williams on

t..nis matter rottovine. the.crierine.

ne was o

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s was adequate but that the information regarding the actual amount tested was contai.ed in a voluminous report available only through i

the Madison Public Library at Madison, Indiana.

This seems to be a publi.c document, and I am concerned that it is not available through the NRO's Public Document Room in Washington, D. C. The report was presented over six weeks ago at a public meeting in Madison.

Could you please explain why it i s not available here at this ti.me?

I would appreciate your analysis of the adequacy of the sampling conducted.

What percentage of the total concrete placement has been tested?

If sampling is ongoing, what is the projected percentage

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I have been asked by Mr. Thomas Datillo, counsel for Save the Valley, to request your assurance that no resumption of construcuicn be permitted until an indepen/ ent consultant has examined the information regarding the integrity of existing structures.

Can

.Ou c.ive ce that assurance?.

In report number 50-546/79--11 the small number and lack of nuclear experience of the QA/QC staff was cited as a major contrib--

utinc factor of the e.roblems exo.erienced bv. PSI.

In that same report are included graphs which express the nu.Ther of QA/QC personnel as a ratio of the total construction personnel of PSI and Newburg.

In the text of the report on page 10, PSI QC are listed as a ratio of total QC personnel on site.

During the con'ference Mr. Williams stated that the QA/QC personnel had inc-reasM to over 103 persons.

I am curious to know whether those ratic hace changed and what the projected ratios will be when I

all work resumes.

Please state whether the current and projected p.rbers are of actual QC inspectors or total staff of the CC organinations.

Durinm the course of the Commission briefing, the subject-of the former US Testing employee currently under-subpeona by the SF.C was raised.

A question was asked regarding his allegations that he was told to bypass bad loads of concrete in the random sampling procedure.

That =atter has apparently not been resolved.

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In response to the question, Commissioner He.id.ie stated that if the employee was able to visually tell a good load from a bad he would undoubtedly be.the most valuable tan the. concrete

cne, industry could hrte.

I wish to nominate another for that distinc-tion:

the former site supervisor who apparently instructed him in the practice, and allegedly ordered the former employee to take these actions.

I wish to remind the Commissioner that the same allegation, or cne remarkably similar, was reported by Region III inspectors in NRC Inspection Report Number 50-546/79-09, pages 13,14:

Personnel interviewed stated that during tightening sampling, due to high slump, they had observed N-MH (Newburg-Marble Hill) QC production personnel remove trucks of questionable acceptibility from the line, s ubstitut e trucks not batched in sequence which contained concrete of acceptable slump, then subsequently dump the trucks which were originally removed.

This in effect avoids the requirement to discontinue concrete production and allows all concrete outside the allowable limits to be placed.

Because of the high degree of similarity of the. allegations.

I would appreciate a summary of the NRC efforts to resolve b6th atters.

I appreciate your taking the time to address these concerns.

I an looking forward to your response.

Sincerely, Joel Deckard, Member of Congress JD:rls i

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