ML20059D779

Forwards Investigation Synopsis Re Alleged Attempt to Inhibit Employee from Bringing Safety Concerns to Nrc. Investigation Completed in Apr 1990

ML20059D779
Person / Time
Site:	Comanche Peak
Issue date:	08/28/1990
From:	Collins S NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:	William Cahill TEXAS UTILITIES ELECTRIC CO. (TU ELECTRIC)
References
NUDOCS 9009070179
Download: ML20059D779 (6)

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E Letter to TU Elect',ic -4 bec' w/e riclosure: i R.-D.~ Martin' J. Lieberman. OE '

G.-F. Sanborn R. Wise D. Driskill ,

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{ NUCLEAR REOULATORY COMMISSION b i ,8 REGloN IV S', # $11 RYAN PLAZA DRIVE, SUITE 1000- l

,8 ARLINGTON, TEXA' 76011 ALE 281990 l Dockets: 50-445 50-446 i i

TV Electric ATTN: W. J. Cahill, Jr., Executive Vice President, Nuclear Skyway Tower i 400 North Olive Street, L.B. 81 Dallas, Texas 75201 Gentlemen:

SUBJECT:

INVESTIGATION SYN 0PSIS (CASE NO. 4-89-008) i In April 1989 NRC's Office of Investigations (01) began an investigation to l determine whether Brown & Root, Inc., officials had met with a former employee in an attempt to inhibit that former. employee from bringing safety concerns I about Texas Utilities' Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station to the NRC. This-investigation was completed in April 1990, and, as the enclosed-investigation j synopsis indicates, did not substantiate this suspicion. NRC considers this.

1 matter closed.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," a copy of:  !

this letter and its enclosure will be placed in the NRC's Public Document-

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.i Sincerely, i l

irector Division of Reactor Projects-

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/ enclosure:

Crown & Root, Inc. i' P.O. Box 1001

l. Glen Rose, Texas 76043 1

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. Letter to TV Electric . TV Electric

.- ATTH: - Roger D. Walker, Manager, Nuclear Licens4 p  ;

Skyway Tower 400. North Olive Street, L.B. 81 Dallas, Texas 75201 .

Juanita Ellis President - CASE 1426 South Polk Street -

Dallas, Texas 75224 GDS Associates Inc.

Suite 720 1850 Parkway. Place i Marietta, Georgia .30067-0237 Billie Pirner Garde,.Esq.

Robinson, Robinson, et. al.

103, East College _ Avenue >

Appleton, Wisconsin 54911 TV Electric i

Bethesda Licensing _

- 3 Metro Center, Suite 610 Bethesda, Maryland '20814 Heron, Burchette, Ruckert, & Rothwell l ATTH

William A. Burchette, Esq.

Counsel for Tex-La Electric Cooperative of Texas

~1025 Thomas Jefferson St., it.W.

Washington, D.C. 20007 E. F. Ottney P.O. Box 1777 Glen Rose, Texas 76043 Newman & Holtzinger, P.C.

. ATTil: Jack R. tiewman, Esq.

1615 L.' Street, N.H.

Suite 1000 l ~ Washington,.D.C. 20036-Texas Department of Labor E Standards

! -ATTH: ,G. R. Bynog, Program Manager /-

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-Chief-Inspector Boiler Division '

P.0.: Box'12157, Capitol Station Austin, Texas -78711 >

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l.etter to TV Electric - -3L

. Honorable George Crump County Judge Glen Rose, Texas 76043 Texas Radiation Control Program Director 1100 llest 49th Street Austin, Texas 78756 1

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SYNOPSIS In April 1989,. the Nuclear Re Office of Investigations (01)gulatory initiate an investigation Comissionto(NRC) detemine requested if a that the fomer Brown & Root (B&R) employee at Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station .

(CPSES) had meetings and/or telephone conversations with the president of B&R in approximately April 1986 and whether or not the B&R purpose of these meetings or conversations was to inhibit the fomer employee from bringing forth safety concerns regarding CPSES to the NRC.

In January 1987, as part of a. Department of Labor (DOL) settlement agreement, the fomer employee agreed to.not voluntarily appear as a witness.or a party to proceedings before the Atomic Safety Licensing Board (ASLB). Shortly after an agreement between the Citizens Association for Sound Energy (CASE) and .

Texas Utilities (TV)' became public in 1988, the fomer employee was interviewed by newspaper reporters and claimeu he had been coerced into.

signing his settlement agreement with B&R in January 1987. He stated that a condition of the settlement agreement was that he was prohibited from providing testimony to the NRC or the ASLB. As a result, he claimed, he had r

-additional safety concerns about CPSES that he had never provided to the proper regulatory authorities.

01 investigation determined that the employee did in fact meet with and. hold:

telephone conversations with the president of B&R, The employee himself initiated contact with B&R's president, who agreed to meet with him. Although it was determined that an offer was made to the fomer employee by the president of B&R, no documentation or information was developed to indicate l

that this was other than a simple offer made to settle an ongoing DOL case.

-The evidence developed during the course of this investigation did not substantiate the allegation of wrongdoing on the part of the president of B&R l- regarding his meetings with the fomer employee of B&R at CPSES.

L Case No. 4-89-008 1 T

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