ML19332E319

Requests Opportunity to Make Brief Presentation Re Plant at Commission Informational Meeting on 891019 in Rockville,Md, Per 891011 Telcon W/B Hill.Dallas Morning News 890612 Article Encl

ML19332E319
Person / Time
Site:	Comanche Peak
Issue date:	10/12/1989
From:	Ellis J Citizens Association for Sound Energy
To:	Chilk S NRC OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SECY)
References
CON-#489-9297, CON-#489-9298 CPA, OL, NUDOCS 8912070067
Download: ML19332E319 (6)

Text

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(CITIZENS ASSN. FOR SOUND ENERGY)

'89 OCT 13-Pi2 :42

.P bu'd October 12, 1989 Mr. Samuel Chilk Office of the Secretary U. S. Nuc1 car Regulatory Commission 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland 20850

Subject:

Commission Briefing Scheduled for Thursday, October 19, 1989, regarding Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, Docket Nos. 50-445, 50-446 Request for Oral Briefing by CASE to the Commission It is CASE's. understanding, confirmed during our October 11, 1989, telephone

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conversation with Mr. Bill' Hill, that there will be an informational briefing of the Commission regarding Comanche Peak Steam-Electric Station by l

-TU: Electric and-the NRC Staff on Thursday, October 19, 1989, from 10:00 to 11:30 A.M. in the White Flint Executive Conference Room.

CASE (Citizens Association for Sound Energy) requests that we also be

. afforded the opportunity to make a brief presentation to the Commission at that time; we believe.that such a briefing, from CASE's unique perspective, will be both helpful and necessary for the Commission have a complete overview of the status of Comanche Peak at this point in time.

CASE was one of three original intervenors in the' operating license proceedings begun in 1979 before the Atomic Safety & Licensing Board (ASLB);

L after the other two intervenors (ACORN and CFUR) withdrew from the l

proceedings (in 1981 and 1982, respectively), CASE continued in the operating license proceedings (both dockets) as the only remaining intervenor for over six more years as well as an intervenor in the construction permit amendment proceedings (Docket No. 50-445-CPA).

.Following a Settlement Agreement reached between CASE and TU Electric and-a Joint Stipulation between CASE, TU Electric, and the NRC Staff, on July 13, 1988, the ASLB held a prehearing conference and issued a Memorandum and Order dismissing the Comanche Peak proceedings.

The CASE /TU Settlement Agreement and the Joint Stipulatioh gave CASE extensive rights and opportunities to monitor completion of Comanche Peak in l

an unprecedented manner.

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The agreement.placed CASE in a formalized oversight role through several-mechanisms. including my five-year-plus appointment as a full member of TU Electric's Operations Review Committee (ORC), which is assigned the responsibility of review of safety-related. matters at Comanche Peak.

- Significantly, CASE. is being provided with sufficient resources to retain technical consultants to work with CASE in helping-to assure Comanche Peak's safety, and has received reimbursement of the substantial costs of its ten years of active participation in the several Comanche Peak licensing proceedings.

CASE's role includes regular attendance at NRC exit meetings and monitoring TU Electric quality assurance audits.

The-agreement also contains provisions for resolving technical safety issues l=

raised by CASE or plant workers, not resolved directly between CASE and TU l--

Electric.

This provision includes binding dispute resolution at a high level within the NRC's Office of Special Projects. CASE also reserved all of its rights to petition the NRC, if necessary, and to fully advocate CASE's position.

We believe that.a presentation by CASE, from.its unique perspective, will be l

extremely helpful to the Commission to assist in its understanding of-Comanche Peak's status at this point in time. This presentation, which would be-made by Ms. Billie P. Garde, my alternate on the ORC, will include l

. a brief review of CASE's current role, an overview of how the stipulation process is working, the types of issues being pursued, the dispute process, L

and CASE's views on fuel-load readiness.

Since there is not much time for us to. summarize here, I am attaching a recent newspaper article which will give an idea of some of CASE's activities.

Should you need additional information, please contact me at the telephone number on the letterhead or Ms. Billie Garde at 414/730-8533.

Respectfully submitted.

l CASE (Citizens Association for Sound l

Energy)

U rs.) Juanita Ellis President cc:

Mr. Christopher I. Grimes, NRC Mr. William Counsil, TU Electric L

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neammievamma.ama smae Papers and copying equipinent still fill Jumalta Ellis' Electric to allow her and others to have watchdog l

living reorn la months after a settlensent with TU roles at the Comanche Peak nuclear plant.

i Agreement lets watchdogs keep on site eye on Comanche Peak i

By David Real Ellis' 17-yearold family car. the sagging history had dene: monitor audits on site; at-

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self aseref neoshetssehspeus floor next to her kitchen sink appests - tend closeddoor smeetings between federal l

Eleven months ago, an Oak Cliff home-closer to giving way and new stacks of Co. regalators and utility officials. observe reme-i maker swapped her outspoken public oppo-manche Peak doctuments sway dangerously for tests; review thousands of plant docu-sition of North Texas'only nuclear plant for a few feet below the living renen ceiling.

sments: lectare utility employees about re-l 510 million and a role as an insider watch.

Mrs. Ellis' cliettered home remains com-specting whistleblowers; and rossa the ase-dog.

fortably familiar, but a dramatic change has clear faLility with stuity escorts in search Some said Juanita Ellis maneuvered an come to Cithens Association for Sound En-of safety flaws.

l unwitting TU Electric into bankroIHag an ergy, the organization Mrs. Ellis had run.

Internal fight agafast its Connanche Peak The scrappy public-interest group has "They're all over ahet plant." said TU l

j nuclear plant in Somervell County.

traded its hard line for hard hets.

Electrie vice cheh BINasH. *'t have Others charged that the expensive settle-The stility has allo +ed the former inter-never given pt#e so much paper. I don't ment tempted Mrs Ellis to sell out her pub-venor group - once Intent on denylog Co-know wherdt's all going -

lic-activist roots for lifet! ne security.

asanche Peak an operating license - to do But Afrs. Ellis -and Iwr living runn -

But rust still eats through the roof of the what no other : velear-power opponent in Please see WATctIDOGS os Page 17A.

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f Watchdogs keep on site eyel Conansed from Page 11A.

was worth TU Doctne's concesions ' I kB8W-

l don't Want IO make it because the agrument officiauy to "There are not enough days in the week and not enough hours in Sound like pin Selling mond CASE ima 2e humang harmgs. A12cugh tM uuht) ruks,

the day." said Mrs. Ellis. "Tm buster them (Citizens a poenMe CASE asmuu to duemet than 1*ve ever been."

With TU Electne planning to Associat:On for Sound TU Esctne.Mr. Counstl said the be.

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load nuclear fnel into its Unit 1 reac-Energy) short or trat and raPect,and his behef 2m tar this fan. Mrs. Ellis has postponed news conferences and progress re. gOWngrading them, Se uuhty a um be open m anny any geom of..ie,r po,e,.

para to concentrate on ev==mmf because Um not.... It's "Jeamu is Imking for safay."

the plant.

he CASE organnation. previ. Just that 1 also have a Mr.Conant said."The whole idea of this estisement isihat we re boih as.

onely dependent on a handful of~ great deal Of COnNM e anng est me plantis mitI think C

public-interest lawyers and volun-tear engineers for expert help, has in the NRC and our in-It's important to the people of North Team to know em.omebody o2er hired two new consultants with its Spection program."

2an es federal gonrnment is om l l seulementmoney.

- Robert Warru. k, there watching as - and we're let-CASE espiore. and consuiuna c

ung een do it. We m Mg peopi whoaremonitanns the plant a*

Nuclear Regulatory

• A year after sagstag the settle1

• • h*=u'8t" aEdna Ottney, a quality assur.

L ance consultant hired last Septem.

Comm1SSton meat. Mrs. Elits said that she does '

L ber as the CASE onente project man-not have a doubt in her mind that ;

ager. Ms. Ottney coord. nates CASE's the CASE monitortng effort and her the agreement was more effecnve i acavities at Camaneha Peak, moni. dunes on the safety commanos, Mrs. than conunned licanang haanags tors TU Electnc audits and attends Elha and Ms. Garde attend monthly to guarantee a safer plant.

menshly clesaddoor meenngs be.

management moeungs with Mr.

"We know far more about the tween U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Com. Counstl and TU Electne attenaey tree conditicaaboutthatplantthan >

nusson Inspectors and TU Electne George Edgar, we ever would have been able to,

manag==an' sJerry Elus, who-asmsts his find out in the haanags," she said. '

.mowen Tbero a quauty assur. wife. Mrs. Elus, with special ambign- "Ithink we've had much more of an )

ance teettag spec aust who is press. monts thatinclude running errands impact as far as halpang to assure dont of F==h==d Quauty Tech. and copytag documenu.

thatit wiu be assafe as posible."

nology Co.Mr.Thero.52,and his 19 On the utility side of the ledger.

Both Mrs. Ellis and Mr. Coussil yeareid se. Matthew. began TU Electne manager Susan Palmer said the first yearwas a learntag ex. l working for CASE in November at serves as full-time liaison for CASE peneoce that included occamcual.

the Comanche Peak site, about 75 at ra===cha Peak She helps ar. flarsups and commumcation prob,

miles somewest of Dallas near Glen range CASEaccess to audit:11stedin less.

Rese. Mr. Thero. Hke Ms. Ottney, a 3. inch. thick book of plant sched-But both agreed they had made said he averages an 8Miour ulos and manages CASEinformanon progress toward a relanonship as werkweek.

requests. More than 60.000 pages of " professional adversaries" that.

B BDile Garde. a longume CASE documents have been supphed to couldstill be cordial.

atsorney who formerly spectahand CASE.Ms.Palmersaid.

"But Juanita isn't boshful about g

in whistleblowercomplaints for the Mr. Counsil said he spends about picking up the phone at 6:30 in the l

Government Accountabihty Protect 25 percent of his une working with morning and cauing me at home j in W=h*-ma. D.C. She conducted CASE.related issues.

and chewing on me." Mr. Counal more than 20 two. hour seminars The nearly 1 year old settlement said.

this spnng to train 1.000 to 1.260 Co. with CASE grants the citizen group CASE consultant Mr. Thero said manche Peak supervisors and mid-broad access to the plant. 54.5 mil-he apphes the same kind of strong.

level managers in deahng with hon to retaburse CASE for 10 years independent monitanng - in an workerconcerns.

of expenses. a seat on the plant's amicable atmosphere - to the nu-aJack Doyle and Mark Walsh. safety review committee and an an-clear plant site.

former Pa==ncha Peak engineers nual $150.000 fee for consultant ex.

"We don't want to be Just a potted who brought evidence of senous penses. An additional 55.5 million plant." Mr. Thero said. "When we pipe support problems before a 11-flowed indirectly from the CASE say something, we want to be lis.

canang Judge in 1982. Mr. Doyle, a agreement to 30 whistleblowers.

tened to - and not just becease strees engineer for almost to years Mr. Counni said the settlement we're CASE. but because CASE has who helped design the Apollo com.

mand module for the U.S. space pro.

gram and many otner aircraf t, said he spends about 30 hours3.472222e-4 days <br />0.00833 hours <br />4.960317e-5 weeks <br />1.1415e-5 months <br /> a week re-

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vwwtng Comanche Peak engineer.

ing issues.He is currently helping to simplify the piping system for Unit

2. Mr. Walsh is less involved with the plant.

a Mrs. Ellis. CASE president and a young member of TU Electnc's powerful Operations Review Com-

ton Comanche Pedk plant done their homework and they have a great deal of confidence in ;

, know what the requirements are."

"mether we changed-the NaC and our inspection pro.

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"**Y "'d CA8E ****"2""

gram."

. are not on -the job to be confronta history or not, I don't Mr. Warnick said there has been

. nonal with - utility officials or to know. Whether I Or no ammosity between CASE and the grab media headlines for imple C SE ever get any NRO.

menung thein 2ovauve settlement.

i.,,i,,y, f,it 13,,,.13,,x,,33 y

Whether we changed history or Credit,it doesn't make the help we can get." Mr. Warmck 1

• not. I don't know " Ms. Ottney said.

Whean i or CASE ever get any any difference to me. If I said. "We're going down parallel paths becaun we're interesied in credit. it doesn't make any diffw-can help make the plant the same thing they're taterested in.

l ence to me. If I can help make the safer, that,s all I want to It's been a good relationship."

plant safer.that's all! want to do."

For the utility s part. Mr. Counsti

. Opinion is divided on whether do."

said CASE is vwy effecuve.although

.i the CASE experunant has made the it is too early to judge the group's plant safer.

- Edna Ottney, impact, no,ever, ne,,id t3e citi, t

. CASE engmeer Mr.Doyle said the On4ite manager sens* organisation was responsible watchdog group's earlier efforts

- that forced the utility to hire new for CASE for prompung the utility to upgrade the mid.1,70s standa,es of the origi.

t'a=-ha Peak managers - were nal plant demgn to late.19eos stand.

-) more significant to plant safety than CASEis usingits settlement money, ards.

3 the settlement agreement. He said "I'm still troubled that there has Mrs. Ellis said she is canuously L

t.the new managers, including Mr. ~ been so much silence and secrecy opumisuc that CASE can be a cats-l t : Counsil, are dedicated to plant about what's actually gotng on with lyst that will make the unlity do a s safety and reshze the economic what I consider public money." Mrs. ' better job.

penalties of a poorly constructed Brink said.

"We have no illusions about how y plant.

Robert Warnick, the NRC's asast. much we can accomplish."Mrs.Ellis

'1

. "If the utility is doing what they antdirectorforinspecuanprograms said. "There's no way that we can should be doing - and they are

. at Comanche Peak,said he could not tell the public that we areabsolutely u

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i. how can we have an impact?" asked detect a difference in the utility's going to make sure this plant is 100 2 Mr.Doyle, performance since CASE arrived.

percent safe. We can't promase that.

Be~ty Brink, a mamhar of Fort "I don't want to make it sound We'veneverpromssed that..

t e-Worth-based Citizens for Fair Utility like I'm selling them short or down.. "Now whether or not we can L

.1 Regulanon.said the CASE watchdog grading them, because I'm not." Mr. make a difference and help make it i

.. lost its public bark and eroded pub-Warnick said."! have a lot of respect a safer plant. that's something else."

il lic confidence by not holding regu-for them and their optrions and she said. "I think we can, have, and

> lar news conferences.to expiata how their findings. It's just that i also are.Butthejuryis stillout."

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