ML20024E415
| ML20024E415 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Comanche Peak  |
| Issue date: | 03/31/1983 |
| From: | Dillingham A BROWN & ROOT, INC. (SUBS. OF HALLIBURTON CO.), Citizens Association for Sound Energy |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20024E412 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8308100385 | |
| Download: ML20024E415 (6) | |
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AFFIDAVIT OF J. R. DILLINGHAM My name is Arvill Dillingham, Jr. , better known as "J.R." I live in Glen <
Rose, Texas. I worked for Brcwn & Root for approximately ten years, including about seven years at the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant. During that time I was a boilermaker, and later a boilermaker General Foreman for about three or four years. While I was performing my duties as a general foreman, I saw a lot of things at the Comanche Peak plant which were not according to procedures and travelers, many of which could jeopardize the health and safety of the public.
I knew that something needed to be done before the fuel came in for the plant. I thought it over and decided that I would go to Houston to the Brown
& Root main office and report these violations to the President of Brown & Root direct, Mr. Thomas Feehan. I went to Houston and met with Mr. Feehan. I told him of some violations that were going on and told him that after ten years of experience, I thought some of those people might know better and show better craftsmanship and intelligence than they had used at the nuclear plant in Southport, North Carolina.
I told him about working at the North Carolina plant on some weld seams that were not supposed to lose more than an ounce of radiation per year (we '
were told). These seams, some of which were approximately 100 feet long, were in some instances leaking as much as 65 lbs. every three seconds, according to what was indicated when we turned the gauge off and watched the gauge drop.
At first we took the tes t channel off and started repairing the bad welds, which took several days. We were getting approximately 28 pin holes and indi-cations per foot. This was taking too much time to repair properly, apparently, so somebody in Brown & Root's organization came up with the brainy idea of having us take the first foot or eighteen inches off, repair the weld, replace the eighteen inches of test channel, block it off, and just hydro the one-foot area. QC assumed..,
we had the whole 100 feet under pressure and bought it off as is. In my opinion, '
that is lack of craftsmanship or experience or just downright sabotage. Personally, I think some of these people should go to prison for this, and I told Mr. Feehan that.
I also gave Mr. Feehan a letter with some things I knew about and that other people had told me about. He said he would send an investigation crew to investi-gate the Comanche Peak charges, and he did. I know of much more that I did not tell him or the investigative crew and have not in the past reported to the local NRC office because I feel the NRC is not interested in protecting the people's welfare and it will be covered up. I have been told by CASE (Citizens Assocjation for Sound Energy), the intervenor in the Comanche Peak operating license hearings, that I am required by law to report any problems which might affect the health ,
and safety of the public to the Nuclear Regulatory Conmission. I am therefore asking CASE to send this affidavit to the NRC as my method of reporting it, in the hope that by doing so it will force the NRC to really look at the problems ,
I've identified. I would like to get this information to Congress or someone ,
e, .
who's really interested in the safety and welfare of the people of Texas.
. - l 8308100385 830803 T DR ADOCK 05000445 PDR i
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Some of the stuff that goes on, for instance: My superintendent had us install some light poles. These poles are underwater lights inside the stain- r less steel liner around the reactor cavity. They are used when unloading the reactor underwater so the people can see what they are doing. They are nothing but stainless steel pipes with one end capped off and holes drilled in them.
As we were drilling the holes, drill shavings fell inside the pipe. We also used some cutting oil. My superintendent came out to the shop where we had the holes drilled and said "You don't have those poles in the hole yet?" And I said, "No, we're going to take a pencil grinder and deburr them, and take a steam hose and steam all the oil and shavings out." He said, "That's bull.
Get those poles on down to the hole so the electricians can install the lights on the pol es . " By our not taking about 15 minutes a pole to clean them right, the poles are now installed in the proper location. They pose a serious safety problem. When they're refueling, the shavings can be washed out of the pipe by the current when renoving the reactor head underwater, and also, removing the old fuel cells causes a current. The shavings can be washed inside the reactor, which can jam the fuel cells, could even fuse to the control rods and possibly cause a meltdown. I feel that their doing that is lack of sense, lack of ex-perience, or sabotage. Maybe Brown & Root's got an explanation for it, but I'd like to hear it.
r I also have information which indicates that during the early stages of construction around the time when the reactor cavity was being poured, concrete l aggregate material from a reject pile was used. My concern is that if the 700 ton reactor is sitting on rejected concrete, it could result in the weight
< shif ting to the loop pipe, causing it to crack or shear off, which could result in a meltdown. .
I am convinced that because I went to the Brown & Root Houston office '-
i with my concerns about the safety of the Comanche Peak plant and also the one in North Carolina, I am no longer employed with Brown & Root. They already had my name pulled off the board as General Foreman when I got back from Houston before the investigation group ever got to the plant. My future was already decided before I ever got back and before the investigation was ever started.
Later I was confined to one area of the shop for five weeks. I called Mr.
Rice in Houston and asked him how long I was goin'g to be confined and told l him that if I was going to be confined, the people I had made the charges
! against should also be confined hecause they were still violating procedures.
I had called TUGC0 before I called Houston and they removed me from standing in the shop and put me in a little tool room in the shop. Mr. Rice said, "As
! far as I'm concerned, the investigation has been over with and furthermore, you called TUGCO. If I worked for Brown & Root, I'd call Brown & Root. If I worted for TUGCO, I'd call TUGCO. If I worked for the federal government, I'd call the federal government. But you called TUGCO." I said, "I, tried to call you l guys first, but you weren't there." He replied, "You think we're going to sit by this G.D. phone and wait for you to call?" I said, "Well, maybe they're try-
) ing to discourage me here until I quit." He said, "Maybe you're finally getting I the idea." I said, "As long as you guys can pay me General Foreman's wages, I'll sit in this little tool room forever." And he said, "We'll see about that."
Then the next Monday morr.ing, I was given the choice of either working as a pipe journeyman, which would have greatly reduced my salary and relieved me of all my responsibility as a supervisor. So they R0F'd me (laid off as part of reduction of force"). But they were increasing my department at the same time and after I lef t.
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s The information preceding was given to CASE in the form of an affidavit on December 18, 1982. However, I did not want them to turn it in in the hearings or to turn it over to the NRC or the utility. I gave the information to some newspaper reporters, and an article ran in the FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM on January 7, 1983. A copy of- that article is attached. After that interview, I was shot at and have been on the run ever since and have been in touch with CASE a few times by phone from different states. One night when I came home, I found my cat; its head had been cut off smooth and its body was missing.
Since the article appeared in the paper, I have had a front-end problem with three different vehicles (one truck and two cars); they all appear to have the same problem -- the nuts were just about to fall off the tie-rod ends. I've been scared to go back and sign up every six weeks for my unemployment because I'm scared someone may shoot me.
Some of the reasons I'm scared is because of the things I know about at Comanche Peak and another nuclear plant where I've worked, the South Port, North Carolina, Brunswick Project Nuclear Plant. As I mentioned before, there are weld seams around the Reactor Core and new spent fuel pools which we were told were not supposed to lose 1/2 ounce of contaminated liquid per year per seam.
These seams were approximately 100 feet long;when we tested these seams, some of them were losing approximately 65 lbs. a minute Instead of repairing some of these seams, the gauge was blocked off and pressure was put on the gauge only.
When the inspector passed the weld seam, he thought the whole 100 feet was under pressure, not just a few inches. Also, some of the stainless liner walls broke loose from embedded plates that are in concrete walls which some of these plates were improperly welded. By these walls breaking loose they sprang out several inches from concrete wall; therefore, when refueling the reactors, the stainless steel liners were flooded with water. Of course, the weight of the water will push the liner walls back to the concrete. After the refueling process is over , '
and water is drained out of the liner, the walls will spring back out, which could result in welds cracking or walls splitting. When I reported these viola-tions to Brown & Root's Vice President, he told me he was not that concerned about the gauges being blocked off but he was concerned about the walls breaking loose. If I had told him of improper welding on these walls, I wonder if he would have been concerned at all? I feel these , coblems should be repaired.
Regarding Comanche Peak nuclear plant, there are safety violations such as torquing. For instance, quality control is supposed to verify the torquing of piping support that should be torqued at 130 lbs. The hanger is on a 20 foot ceiling with a scaffold built to them. Quality contr'ol is on the floor; the torque wrench is sent down to get QC to verify the number and setting of the torque wrench and carried back up and placed on the nut before torquing. QC hears
- a torque wrench click twice on each nut and buys off (approves) the hanger. What QC di'd not know was that the construction personnel had a second torque wrench and also had a nut welded on the scaf fold. The second torque wrench was set at a low torque poundage such as 3 lbs. and they clicked it twice. Therefore, the nut on the hanger was never torqued; only the nut on the scaffold was torqued.
There were also violations such as pipe supports around the pipe. For instance, 3/16" clearance is supposed to be maintained on each side and on top and the pipe is supposed to be resting gently on the bottom of the support. For instance, a 2" pipe: a construction supervisor will climb on the pipe and get some of his crewmen so when QC comes to inspect the support, the weight will push the pipe to the bottom. In some cases, the pipe was binding so tight they would use a timber to jack the pipe down from the ceiling while QC bought off the pipe.
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In some cases, when they can't get the right clearance on each side of the pipe, they take a grinder and grind between the pipe and tube steel, which in '-
some cases results in a reduction of wall thickness of pipe. I believe this ]4 could result in a rupture of the pipe. Construction has also tried to straighten a p.ipe support by using a sledge haniner; this is done quite often. An employee to.ld me that while hitting on the hanger he also hit the pipe and caved in the side of the 2" pipe 1/2 inch or more. He reported it to his supervisor who said .
not to tell anyone and covered it up with I.D. tags.
Another incident is improper personnel designing and engineering pipe supports . For instance, one helper told me while he was employed at the plant he designed many pipe supports for engineers. One day he wondered if.they were using his engineering and if they were then checking his work, so he decided that he would design a hanger improperly and send it to engineering. The engineer passed it on to construction which built the hanger and it is presently installed ,
improperly. The helper said that he did not want to go to any NRC hearing but he would love to have a showing and he could show many things if he was allowed ,
to take investigators and actually show them the supports in the plant. Other helpers have also been involved in making major decisions for which they are not qualified.
Another violation is a sensor in a dam was run over and broken by a bulldozer.
I understand that these sensors are placed in the dam in a vertical position in order to tell whether the dam moves or not. This sensor was not removed or re-paired. It was held up and dirt packed around it while being embedded in the dam.
The construction company, Brown & Ront, lost a $3 million contract at Crystal River Power Company in Florida, by a dam breaking, I was told by one of the Vice Presidents of Brown & Root. What concerns me is that if this dam .
breaks, they will lose more than a $3 million contract; it will endanger many li ves .
There is also a violation that concerns me regarding the use of rejected concrete material in the early stages of the plant when the reactor core was poured. A friend of mine told Brown & Root's Vice President's investigatirg .
crew that he was a front end loader operator at the concrete plant and one day a QC inspector told him that the concrete should be thrown away because it was hard and dried. The inspector walked away and my friend started throwing it away and a supervisor told him to put it back in and use it and they did.
My friend also told the investigating crew of some type of sampling machine that tells whether there are good samples or bad samples in the concrete. It'
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! had a. wire run to it while QC watched the machine to verify the use of good samples.
l Personnel would pull the wire to make it read good when it was not. My friend l
also told of other people that know of these violations and as far as I know, Brown & Root did not contact any of these people, but talked with one of their supervisors and his brother that worked at the batch plant; they, of course, told them that they knew nothing of this incident and since the superintendent is deceased.
they did not see any further investigation of this incident. I am sure that the NRC is aware of this statement, because i t was in the FORT WORTH STAR TELEGRAM article (attached) . Undoubtedly, they are not concerned about the situation.
l I have not been contacted and nei ther has my friend.
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If indeed a 700 ton reactor is setting on rejected concrete, you have a very serious problem as the reactor gets hot and begins to move around, the concrete can give putting stress on the reactor piping, which could cause it to shear or crack, which could even result in a meltdown. This could also be a problem in case of an earthquake.
I know of many, many more problems and violations than I can remember right now. What is funny to me is the big deal everyone made of Russia's 300 lb.
nuclear satelite falling back into earth's atmosphere, when we have a possibility of a 700 ton reactor setting on rejected concrete and no one is concerned. If all nuclear power plants in the U. S. are built the way the ones that I have worked at are, we are in trouble. We'd better make friends with Russia so we will have somewhere to go.
But speaking seriously, I think this should be investigated by someone with a little construction experience or common sense. It has been drawn to my attention that I am not a civil or a mechanical engineer and that it is not up to me to '
decide whether these plants are safe or not. But I feel it does not take a civil or mechanical engineer. Even a 6-year-old would know these violations should be corrected.
v I have. read the foregoing 5-page affidavit, which was prepared under my '
personal direction, and it is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. The thoughts and words expressed therein are my own thoughts and words (with the exception of minor granmatical changes, either to correct spell-ing or to clarify what I meant, which did not change the intent of my thoughts).
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Date: March 31, 1983 w
STATE OF TEXAS On this, the 31st day of March, 1983, personally appeared Arvill "J. R."
Dillingham, Jr., known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged to me that he executed the same for the purposes therein. expressed.
Subscribed and sworn before me on the 31st day of March,1983.
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HtIDAY MOItMNG, JANUARY 7,y983)* ' . gc
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s Comandie. Peak"chargesq igham is not quah. to the Nuclear Regulatory Commis- was fired tliree separate timesirom He said the improperly poured; mentsonpotential sion because he does not trust the ' construction jobs at two different basecould shift undertheweighto@
at involve the con- federalagencytoconductanimpar- nuclear plants after testifying at the 700' ton reactor, causing the pipe' t walls. tial investigation. regulatory hearings about faulty that supplies cooling water to thd fied to be talking Opponents of nuclear energy welds at Comanche Peak, which is reactor to break. l
[that," Vega said. have questioned the commission's ' underconstructionnearGlenRose Larry Witt. a former Brown &l Iralengineer.He's impartiahty in hearmgs before the Juanita Ellis.presidentof theCiti- Root front-end loaderoperator. told le in engineering federal Atomic Safety and Licens- zens Association for sound Energy. ( ompany investigators last August;
- oncrete." ing Appeal Board, said at least a dozen nuclear plant that he was ordered to use the re-l
- nost significant Last month.a former we:Jang in- employees backed out o( testify ine jected aggregatematerialbya supe l Iwoalleged afety spector at the plant. who charged before theNRC because they feared rior. Investigators talked to two
- said could result that he was fired an reprisal f or testi- reprisals. . other nien who worked in the area' he nuclear coreif mony he gave before the NRC. was One of Dillmgham's charges was who said they knew nothing of the imade the allega- ordered reinstated w;tn back pay by that rejected acgregate material incident Witt's supervisor at the Statement signed a Department of Labor admmistra. was mixed with the concrete that time is dead.
[ tive law judge. was poured to form the base for the Please see Comanche Pe'ak
!t takehisc harges The inspector. Charles Atchison, nuc! car reactor. on Page 22 i
l retuchr.; the shavms ran .. cri.ico t".r Mh the metal reinforce- didn't nave th wattert*yn;ut Dd!
, washed nr.ude the reactor whirn ments Ihlimgham claims to hne incham back to worx. fut esen tii can jam 'he fuel cells tands could knowlege of walts heiraweakened did. I wouldn't' !ct him Mackmail leven fuse to the control rods." Ddl. by improperly drilled hnlec us." he said.
iingham said in his statement. Danny Grisso. who supposedly Vega said Dithncham loft his job i If the metal particles fused to the witnessed such holes bemg drilled, because the numberof employeesis (removed rods. it is possible that they cooperated in the company s Aug-could prevent the rods from being ust investigation. In an mterview being reduced as work at the plant l
- replaced properlyandcouldcausea Th ursday. h e sa id he is sa tisfied itow slows dow n' , however, questions that proper paperwork was done Dilhngham l meltdown.
Vega - who hesaidsaid, he would need andproperauthorizationwasgiven. thetimingof hislayoff Hesaid tJilff, a imore infermation before. discuss. Vega denied Dillingham'saccusa. in August when he returnec to (
ling the allegation - dismissed Dill. tion that Vega warned him not to work after meeting with Brown &
ingham's claims that any of the al- contact the press with his charges. Root officials in Houston, he had I leged violations pose a safety He said Dillingham called hitn in been stripped of his work crew. :
problem. December and asked if he could After being assigned to work in 1 AnotherallegationbyDillingham helpgethisjobback.HesaidDilling- one area of the shop for several involved the alleged practice of ham threatened to make tha weeks..he called Vega and then i drilhng holes through steel-rein-. charges public if he was not put . W.M. Rice. group vice president of forced concrete retaining walls at .back to work. 'i .7. ' + th'eBrown & Root P6wer Division, the plant. Special . authorization ..'.V.ega, who said his job.js'.cca- Dillbighapa said.Hesaidhe waalaid unust be given before holep are ;chtfled qnly with".ssftty, said he off the nest woYk dify. .
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'; FRIDAY f .. day that procedura ' ham's charges. Brown & Root is un- about things hke that," Veg-violations at the plant could cost der contract to build the plant for - He's not a structuralengmee mnhons of dollars to repair and. If Tnas Utilities. not knowledgeable in engint not corrected, could mean the po- A second mvestigat:on. conduct- technology or in concrete "
s; tential for 3 nuclear disaster ed by Texas UtihtiesGenerating Co . Dillmgham's most signi.
- - The allegations were made by a one of three sister companies that cha rges mvolved two alleged.
- .rmer foreman who charged that form Texas Utilities, substanttated viciations that he said could
( .ficials wcre conducting a "covor- tuo of the charges.
$* In a meltdown of the nuclearc
, up" to hide safety hazards that he !!.0 4 e v e r. Antonio Vega, not cctrccted. He made the a and other= brought to their atten TUC CO'squahty assurance superva- tions in a sworn statement s 1te sor. said the violations do not pose a Dee 18.
Tne fort man. Arvill Dillin.: ham safety hazard. Hesald he did not take hlsch
. Contmued frnm Pa:;c 13 reruenn; A report on the investtration %id washed ir.
tests on the concrete failed to <how can jam 't any impurities. even fuse t Dillingham said the concrete w as tncham sat
? never tested. Witt could not be If the me
$ reached for comment Thursdav. '
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One of Dtilingham's allegations could preve that was never investigated in. replaced pr volved the construction of under. meltdow n, water lamps in the pool surround. Vega -
,i ingthereactor.Dilhnghamcharged more info
that he was prevented from clean- ing the alle ing drill shavings from the lamp. ingham's e 1
' t posts by his superintendent.Thesu. leged viol
, .I pe rviso r, Dtilingt.arn said, was in too problem.
much of a hurry. Another
, Dillingham said the. shavings, involved 4 - which remain inside the hollow drilhng ho
'( limpposts,could 6ecome dklodged. forced con
( by underwater currents when the the plant.
ryctor head _ is being removed for , must be
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MNG, JANUARY 7,f983 l ' ,k -
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omanche. Peak charges guah- to the Nuclear Regulatory Commis. was fired three separate times trom He said the improperly poured ntial sion because he does not trust the ' construction jobs at two different basecould shift under the wetghtof econ. federalagency toconductan tmpar. nuclear plants after testifying at the 700wton reactor. causing the pipe tial mvestigation. regulatory hearings about faulty that supphes cooling water to the
.' kin g Opponents of nuclear energy welds at Comanche Peak, which is reactor to break.
said have questioned the comrnission's underconstruction near G!en Rose Larry Witt a former Brown &
Hes impartiality in hearmes before the Juanita Elhs.pr'sidentof the Citi- Root front-end loader operator, told tring federal Atomic Safety and Licens- zens.bsociation for Soun.! Enerev. < ompany investigators last August ing Appeal Board. said at least a do/en nuclear plant that he was ordered to use the re.
.c a n t Last month, a former wCJing in employees backed out o( te3tif>.n: jected a ggregate material bya supe-ifety spector at the plant v.ho charged before the NRC heralise they fea red rior. Inustigators talked to two esalt that he w as t ired in re;,nsal tor testi- reprisals .
other rnen w ho worked in the area 3re it mony he gave betore the NRC. was One of D1!!:ngham's charges wa:. who said they knew nothing of the lea- ordered rein 3tated w in back pay by that rejected 4 '~regate material incident Witti supervisor at the g r.ed a Department of lalier acumistra- was mned with the corcrete that time is dead.
tive law judge was poured to norm the bac for the I' lease see Comanche Peak rges The inspector. Char!< 5 Atc h: son. nuclear re etor on Page 22 Ite thavics ean c . . .c 01. 4h 'nt metM rc4nforr o dion t na. S . ut Mn*
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d.' t he reactor, w hs n rnents I).1ngham claim 3 fo hau incha . oa: k N ern f. ' es en : !
t fuel cells unds cou!d snow r..:e of wal!< beir.c wea ken < d did I aou;dn't ;rt him Nckms
[ t he control rods," It;; by imi.repcriy drule i hnie- udf he sa id in his statement. Danny Griisu who supposed!v Ve;;a said Dit!incham !c5f his job 1 particles fused to the witnessed such hoies home drihed, because the num ber of empioye-s n s itis possible that they cooperated in the company 3 Aug-nt the rods from being ust investigation In an interview beingdow slows reduced
- n. as work at the plan
- l iperlyand could cause a Thursday, he said he is sattsfled 1.ow le said, that propcr paperwork uas done Dilhngham, however, questions
'ho said he would need and properauthorizationwasgiven the timing of hislayoff He said t#]t ation before.dtscuss. Vega denied Dtlhngham's accusa, in August. when he returnec to ;
ation - dismissed Dill. tion that Vega warned him not to work after meeting with brown 34 s that any of the al. contact the press with his charges. Root officials m Houston, he had I tions pose a safety He said Ddungham called hitn in been stripped of his work crew. :
December and asked if he could Aner being assigned to work in llegation byDilhngham help get hisjob back. He said Dillin g- one area cf the shop for several e alleged practice of ham threatened to make the weeks. he called Vega and then i es through steelrein- c. barges pubbe if he was not put W.M. R' ice, group vlee president of e retmyng walls at . beck to work. E 'Z' the Brown & Root Pbwer Division.
Special authorization ' Veg2, who said htg job $ con- Ddliaghagn said. Hesaid be wastaid a before hotet are ;chyaed only with, suety, said he eft the nest wa'rk dfy. .'
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