ML19343D431

Corrected Transcript of 800929 Interview in Pittsburgh,Pa Re TMI Accident & Multivolt Readings.Pp 1-13

ML19343D431
Person / Time
Site:	Crane
Issue date:	09/29/1980
From:	Bennett N METROPOLITAN EDISON CO.
To:
References
NUDOCS 8105040468
Download: ML19343D431 (14)

Text

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i

! In the Ma'ter of METROPOLITAN EDISON COMPANY

{Three Mile Island Unit 2}

Room 112, Airport Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Monday, 29 Septebmer 1980 The INTERVIEW 0F NELSON K.

BENNETT was convened at 1:30 p.m.

APPEARANCES:

TERRY HARPSTER, 3

Office of Inspection and Enforcement y

Nuclear Regulatory Commission y

Washington, D.C.

y f

JOHN CRAIG Office of Inspection and Enforcement

} On behalf Nuclear Regulatory Commission y

j Uashington, D.C.

of the y

I

""CI*

RICHARD HOEFLING, Esq.

y Office of the Executive Legal Director Regulatory y

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

} Commission Washington, D.C.

y EUGENE R.

FIDELL, Esq.

LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby & MacRae Washington, D.C. 20036 Appearing with Nelson Bennett I

MICHAEL F.

McBRIDE, Esq.

LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby & MacRae Washington, D.C.

i On behalf of Nelson Bennett

%Io5040447

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I-i bAPPEARANCES:{ Continued}:

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JANE G.: PENNY, Esq.

Killian a Gephart I

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17108' r

On behalf of Nelson-Bennett-I SMITHIB. GEPHART, Esq.

Killian & Gephart

.Harrisburg, Pennsylvania -17108

- On behalf of Nelson Bennett.

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PR0CEEDINGS 1

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{1:30 p.m.}

l MR. CRAIG:

On the record.

Mr. Bennett, this interview is being conducted as part of the Office of Inspection and Enforcement's continuing investigation into the overflow of March 28, 1979 4

Please raise your right' hand.

NELSON K. BENNETT was called as a witness in the above-entitled matter and, having been first duly suorn, was examined and testified as follows:

MR. CRAIG:

Counsel will please identify themselves.

MR. FIDELL:

Eugene R.

Fidell, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby and MacRae: appearing with Mr. Bennett.

MR. McBRIDE:

Michael F.

McBride, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby and MacRae; on behalf of Mr. Bennett.

MS. PENNY:

Jane G.

Penny of Harrisburg, Killian and i

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Gepharti on behalf of Mr. Bennett.

MR. GEPHART:

Smith B.

Gerhart, Harrisburg, Killian t

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and Gephart; appearing on behalf of Mr. Bennett.

MR. CRAIG:

Skip, we are poing to ask you some 4

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questions concerning multip12 readings taken on the norning of the 28th.

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l!ho recorded these seh4 de-readings?

f J. cW MR. BENNETT:

I recorded the multiple-readings.

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MR. CRAIG:

Did anybody'else record the readings?

U talere any other readings recorded?

F j-MR. BENNETT:

Not to my knowledge.

i NR. CRAIG:

You were the only one writing down the P

readings?

MR. BENNETT:

Yes, I was.

MR. HARPSTER:

Who else was there, Skip?

MR. BENNETT:

tir. Gilbert, Mr. Wrinht, and Mr. Yeager.

MR. HARPSTER:

They were there for the whole timer MR. BENNETT:

The majority of the period of time, to the best of my knc '

,ge.

MR. HARPSTER:

Did someone arrive after the work had begun; do you recollect?

MR. BENNETT:

Yes, Mr. Porter was in on at least one, maybe two occasions.

j MR. CRAIG:

Who correlated the :x'.tiple readings of temperatures?

MR. BENNETT:

I think that was pretty much a group j

effort.

MR. CRAIG:

And how was that donef Uas everybody looking at the table, the curves?

MR. RENNETT:

Everybody looking at the table.

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%dsoct4 MR. CRAIG:

Uere all the

' tipis readinos converted to temperatures as they were being takenf MR. BENNETT

No, they were not.

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b MR. CRAIG:

How were the recordings and the tempera-1

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ture conversions being made?

I nean, did you do a couple and then convert them, F

or did you do all of them~and convert them, or how did that work?

MR. BENNETT:

Ue took two or three readings at first, and converted those to temperature, and then took the remaining readings and converted them to temperature.

MR. CRAIG:

Who took the readings?

Who had the leads?

MR. BENNETT:

Either Mr. Yeager or Mr. Uright.

I can't remember which one for sure.

MR. CRAIG:

1.!as Ivan Porter present when the readings were completed?

MR. BENNETT:

I don't remember if he was present.at-b that time or not.

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MR. CRAI6:

Can you give us your best recollection as to when he was present durinc-the sequence of the readings?

l MR. BENNETT:

Yes.

He was there after we took the i

I first two or three readings, sometime after we completed we e

taking the first two or three readings that -he-had ' converted i

to temperature.

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MR. CPAIG:

So'the four of you were there for the first two or three readings, and then Ivan Porter came inf i

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b MR. BENNETT:

To the best of my recollection, yes.

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MR. CRAIG:

How long.did he stay?

h MR. BENNETT:

It wasn't an extremely long period of

' time.

MR. CRAIG:

Who took the sheet on which the. readings were record up to Unit II Control Room?

MR. BENNETT:

I did.

MR. CRAIG:

Uas Ivan Porter informed a complete set of readings had been taken?

MR. BENNETT:

Yes, he was.

MR. CRAIG:

Was anyone else in the Control Roon infoamed, or who would have overheard that?

MR. BENNETT:

I don't believe so.

MR. CRAIG:

And do you. remember what you reported to Ivan Porter when you told him a complete set had been taken?

i NR. BENNETT:

I don't remember the exact words.

MR. HARPSTER:

Do you recall what the substance of l-i:

your conversation with Ivan Porter was when you +old him i

about the readings?

i MR. BENNETT:

Yes, you know, I'm trying to think b

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c h now.

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n I remember he had obtained the initial readings we

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had taken down there and converted to temperature and I i

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believe it was just, more or less, a statement that I had completed a complete set of all the thermocouples, written I.

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h e cl4 l them in the Reedings Book and placed on the Computer C-etmc+t.

e MR. CRAIG:

When you placed it, they were all i

- temperature readings; is that correct?

wh oeth MR. BENNETT:

All.=ultiple readings.

MR. CRAIG:

And when were they all converted to temperatures?

MR. BENNETT:

I have no idea.

MR. CRAIG:

What happened to the sheet?

You carried it up and put it where, in the Control Roomt do you remember?

cc ax i v.

MR. BENNETT:

On the Computer Progra.n Cour.ci-1 MR. CRAIG:

And you were aware the sheet was apparently overlooked and ncbody knew where it was for some oeriod of time.

MR. McBRIDE:

Is that a question?

MR. CRAIG:

No.

I just assumed that's common

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knowledne.

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It was missing, or misplaced, until May 7th?

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MR. BENNETT:

I believe I was there May 7th.

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i NR. CRAIG:

Who found the book, or said, here's the temperatures you were looking for?

How did they turn up; do you know?

E MR. BENNETT:

Yes.

I believe it was Ivan Porter who came into the Instruments Office and asked me if I still had them and I said--they weren't written on a sheet of paper;:

they were written in the Computer Book--and I told him that's

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' where they were ano would still be in the Control Room.

i MR. CRAIG:

Did you'then go get them, or did he?

MR. BENNETT:

I believe I went and got them.

I MR. CRAIG:

On the morning of the 28th, when you were taking readings, did you believe the core had been uncovered?

MR. BENNETT:

I don't know if I believed the core was uncovered or the thermocouples were giving incorrect readings.

It pretty much boils down to, I thought it was one or the other, or some of each.

MR. CRAIG:

Can you recall what discussions there were concerning core uncovery?

And by that, I don't necessarily mean total uncovery, or partial uncovery, but steam formation on the core, or things along that line.

MP. BENNETT:

Not other than the two technicians j

and the foreman and myself, down there had sa d the thermocouples were corrected in some of those areas, and I

!I had said I thought you would have to uncover that portion of r

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the core to obtain the temperature.

MR. CRAIG:

Was Ivan Porter present, or did he enter

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into any of those discussions?

I MR. BENNETT:

I don't remember him entering into the ;

discussions and he may or may not have been present at that time; I don't recember.

MR. CRAIG:

Uould you restate the general reaction o

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i of the four of them, the three other men, including your-

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self, who were down there.

Uas it a concensus that either a couple thermo-o couples were bad or the core was uncovered?

You said you thought it was one of the two.

How did the other people fee 19 MR. BENNETT:

I believe they felt pretty much the F way I did.

There wasn't a time when we sat there and the four of us came up with our own theory or anything like that.

. It was just general discussion, while we were taking the readings.

MR. CRAIG When you left, after you finished taking the readings that morning, were you the last one to leave the Cable Spreading Room?

MR. BENNETT:

I don't remember if I was the last one.

I Its all netting pretty much sketchy now, with time.

MR. CRAIG:

I can appreciate that.

I was wondering if you can give me a feel for what the scene was.

Did a couple people leave?

Is there somebody you

,s 1: remember being with you when you left?

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MR. BENNETT:

I believe Mr. Gilbert was with me.

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l' can't remember whether Mr. Yeager was or not.

MR. CRAIG:

When you went to the Control Room, told U Porter you had comoleted a set of readings; then what did you h

^ do?

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i NR. BENNETT:

I believe, from there, I went back to I. Unit II Instruments Shop.

MR. CRAIG*

Did you have any discussion with anybody I" in the Control Room about the core cover or thermocouple readings?

MR. BENNETT:

No, I didn't.

MR. CRAIG:

Is there a reason why you would or would not have talked to one of the Operators who was present, or one of the Shift Supervisors, and_ talked to them?

MR. FIDELL:

I'm not sure I understand that question.

MR. CRAIG:

It would seem,'most people would be curious about what was going on.

If you thought the thermocouples were bad or the core had uncovered, you would have looked at a Board or tried to talk to Joe Chwastyk or somebody else--I guess Chwastyk I

wasn't there--Nehler, or somebody in the Control Room, about I

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what the status of the primary system was.

Did you have a feel for what was going on in the plant at that timef MR. BENNETT:

I had a general feeling.

I was given a short briefing by Porter before going to the Cable E

i Spreading Room.

i To answer your question, it was just that there was t

a larger number of people than usual in the control room,

[ all quite busy, and I had told the Instruments Engineer, who e

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f;wastheonewhorequestedIgetthedata,andtolimitcon-i:

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.A A P-li fusion, I went into the C;.ntael San =- rather than standing I

!: out there.

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i NR. CRAIG:

Did Mr. Bennett leave with youf MR. BENNETT:

I'm Mr. Bennett.

MR. CRAIG:

I'm sorry.

Did Mr. Gilbert leave with youf MR. BENNETT:

He either left with me or he preceeded

' me.

MR. CRAIG:

Skip, earlier, when we interviewed Mr. Gilbert, he indicated that'Ivan Porter was there at the completion of the readings; that he had all the readings'he wanted.

You said Ivan was there for a few, and then left.

Did Ivan, to the best of your knowledoe, want the rest of the readings that you were taking?

l MR. BENNETT:

To my knowledge, I was asked to go down and take a few readings.

MR. CRAIG:

Did he direct you to complete the whole l4 l-set?

l3 MR. BENNETT:

No, he didn't.

MR. CRAIG:

Why did you take them?

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MR. BENNETT:

I felt it would give them a better 1

j profile so as to determine whether it was--I could have picked a bad thermocouple, just taking one.

l MR. HARPSTER:

How much time elapsed between 2

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Mr. Porter's departure and your completionf How much time l

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j! are we talking about?

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I guess about 15 or 20 minutes.

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MR. CRAIG:

When you left the Cable Spreading Room, was it your impression, or can.you verify, that.all the leads i.

were put back in place and the cabinets were shut and the

!portableinstrumentstakenbacktowheretheybelonged*

MR. BENNETT:

I believe all the leads were y

reterminated.

As far as the equipment, I know the thermocouple 7/

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m.M - (si;k The digital nu.).1ple readec, j Feeder went back to the shop.

I'm not sure whether it went to the shop or stayed down in the Cable Spreading Room.

i MR. CRAIG:

Can you tell me how big the Cable Spreading Room is, approximately?

Could the four of us get in there with a couple instruments and take the readinas?

t' MR. BENNETT:

Yes.

l -i NR. CRAIG:

Is it as big as this room?

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MR. BENNETT:

The Cable Spreading Room is larger than e

/this room.

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MR. CRAIG:

Larger than this room.

This room is i

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! E fabout 8 x 12, something like that.

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Okay, that concludes the interview.

Thank you for t

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> coming and talking to us.

We will get a copy of your transcript 4

.so you can look at it for corrections.

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{The Interview closed.}

i

13 e-This is to certify that the attached proceedings

.before the Office of Inspector and Enforcement, Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the matter of:

Date of Proceeding : Mondav, September 29, 1980 Docket Number Place of Proceeding:

Airport Hotel, Room 112 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 were held as herein appears, and that this is the original transcript thereof, for the file of the Commission.

Ruth Y.

Law 0FFICIAL REPORTER f.

w

. b lLk G

0FFICIAL REPORTER RUTH Y. LAW, NCIARf FUB18C PITTSBURGH. AlltGHfNY COUNTY MY COMMISSie laerPES RINE 23. 1381 Wember, Pennsylvania Association of Notarle;

- - - - _ =

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l NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 4

OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT I

i i

i Corrections to the Sept'mber 29, 1980, Interview of Nelson K. Bennett:

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Line Change To Read

• PG 3 Line 22 Multiple Millvolt

'PG 3 Line 24 Multiple Millvolt

'PG 3 Line 25 Multiple Millvoit UP,G 4 Line 16 Multiple Milivoit

'P,G 4 Line 23 Multiple Millvolt

?

'PG 5 Line 21 HE WE j

'P,G 7 Line 1 Readings.

Computer TG'7 Line 1 Council Console 1

G 7 Line 4 Multiple Millvolt 4

,PG 7 Line 10 Councilt Console i

'PG'11.Line'2 Control' Room-Instrument Shop

)

TG 12 Line 9 Thermocoupler Thermocouple 4G 12 Line 10 Leader Reader (fG 12 Line 10

. Multiple Reader' Multi-Meter j

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1 4

1 I

r syv $

G1m Nelson K.

Bennett

1. 2[!60 DATE:

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