ML20059L909

Acks Receipt of 931014 Petition Requesting Suspension of Operation of Plant Pending Criminal Investigation.Request That NRC Immediately Require Licensee to State Whether Util Knew of Cracks in Shroud Since 1984 Under Review

ML20059L909
Person / Time
Site:	Brunswick
Issue date:	11/15/1993
From:	Murley T Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Shackelford R AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
Shared Package
ML20059L910	List: ML20059L909 ML20059L911
References
2.206, NUDOCS 9311180001
Download: ML20059L909 (5)

Text

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20556-0001

% 8 November 15, 1993 Docket Nos. 50-324 and 50-325 (10 CFR 2.206)

Mr. Ron Shackelford I Coastal Alliance for a Safe Environment Post Office Box 3433 i Wilmington, North Carolina 28406 '

Dear Mr. Shackelford:

This letter is to acknowledge receipt of your Petition dated October 14, 1993,  ;

requesting that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) suspend operation of <

Carolina Power & Light Company's (CP&L's) Brunswick Steam Electric Plant,  !

Units 1 and 2 (Brunswick), pending criminal investigation. In your Petition l you request that (1) the NRC staff enter into a confidentiality agreement with 1 the National Whistleblower Center to facilitate the release of additional i information; (2) the NRC immediately require the licensee to state whether it i has, in fact, known about cracks in the reactor shroud since at least 1984; and (3) the Commission's Office of Investigations determine whether CP&L (the licensee) engaged in criminal wrongdoing since 1984 when the licensee initially failed to report the existence of cracks in the reactor shroud. 1 l

As the basis for your requests, you state in the Petition that (1) the l l licensee falsely asserted to the NRC and to the public that cracks in the  !

l reactor shroud were recently discovered, but, in fact, the licensee discovered the cracks nine years earlier and the licensee's management instructed the engineers who detected the cracks to prepare paperwork that would ensure that no report would be made to the NRC; (2) this uawillingness to report significant safety problems to the NRC demonstrates that the licensee does not have the character or integrity to operate a nuclear facility; and (3) that the licensee is willing to take unreasonable risks with the public health and safety.

The core shroud of Unit 2 was visually inspected during its 1991 outage. A recent re-review of enhanced video-taped inspections revealed three small l cracks that are structurally insignificant. Unit 1 is shut down for refueling. The licensee has committed to repair significant cracks on Unit 1, under 10 CFR 50.59, before restart. The plan for repairs has been discussed  !

with the NRC, and the licensee's approach appears appropriate and in i accordance with Semon III of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers l Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. In addition, as is our practice concerning safety issues, the NRC will review the final repair of the core shroud for Unit 1 and issue a safety evaluation at that time, ensuring that the licensee ,

has demonstrated compliance with NRC regulations for safe operation. For '

these reasons, your Petition to suspend the operation of the Brunswick plant pending criminal investigation is denied. ,

i l

i 0311100001 021115 ' NRC HLE CENTM COPY l

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ADDCK 05000324 PDR Q,}I g

B Mr. Ron Shackelford Your request that the NRC immediately require the licensee to state whether it knew of cracks in the Unit I shroud since 1984 is currently under review for any actien that the NRC may deem appropriate.  !

Your Petition has been referred to me pursuart to 10 CFR 2.206 of the Commission's regulations. As provided by Section 2.206, action will be taken on your Petition within a reasonable time. I have enclosed for your information a copy of the notice that is being filed with the Office of the Federal Register for publication. ,

L Sincerely, l

=' ,

Thomas E. Murley, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation t

Enclosure:

1 Notice '

cc w/ enclosure:

See next page l

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J Mr. R. Shackelford Brunswick Steam Electric Plant i Units 1 and 2 l

) cc: l i  !

j Mr. Mark S. Calvert Karen E. Long i

Associate General Counsel Assistant Attorney General Post i j Carolina Power & Light Company State of North Carolina l 1 Post Office Box 1551 Post Office Box 629 j Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 1 I j Mr. Kelly Holden, Chairman Mr. Robert P. Gruber j

Board of Commissioners Executive Director

~j Post Office Box 249 Public Staff - NCUC i

Southport, North Carolina 28422 Post Office Box 29520  ;

i Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0520 j Resident Inspector l U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mr. H. W. Habermeyer, Jr. ,

j Star Route 1, PO Box 208 Vice President J j Southport, North Carolina 28461 Nuclear Services Department i j Carolina Power & Light Company i

! Regional Administrator, Region II Post Office Box 1551 - Mail OHS 7 i j U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Raleigh, North Carolina 27602  ;

! 101 Marietta St., N.W., Ste. 2900 i Atlanta, Georgia 30323  !

i l i Mr. Dayne H. Brown, Director '

1 Division of Radiation Protection N. C. Department of Environmental,

' i Commerce and Natural Resources '

Post Office Box 27687 '

Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-7687 i

i Mr. J. M. Brown

' Plant Manager - Unit 1 Carolina Power & Light Company Brunswick Steam Electric Plant j Post Office Box 10429 Southport, North Carolina 28461 i

Public Service Commission

! State of South Carolina

Post Office Drawer 11649

Columbia, South Carolina 29211 Mr. C. C. Warren Plant Manager - Unit 2 Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Post Office Box 10429 Southport, North Carolina 28461 Mr. R. A. Anderson, Vice President

Carolina Power & Light Company

. Brunswick Steam Electric Plant i

Post Office Box 10429 Southport, North Carolina 28461 j P

DISTRIBUTION:

• Docket1 File-(ts/ incoming)

HRC/ Local PDRs ED0 #0009417 T. Murley/F. Miraglia L. Callan S. Varga G. Lainas S. Bajwa P. Anderson P. Milano B. Mozafari OPA OCA NRR Mail Room (EDO #0009417) 12/G/18 PP'.I-l R/F J. Goldberg, OGC E. Merschoff, RII cc: Brunswick Service List 4

November 15, 1993  !

i Mr. Ron Shackelford

• Your request that the NRC immediately require the licensee to state whether it i knew of cracks in the Unit I shroud since 1984 is currently under review for i any action that the NRC may deem appropriate.

l I

Your Petition has been referred to me pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 of the J l Commission's regulations. As provided by Section 2.206, action will be taken on your Petition within a reasonable time. I have enclosed for your  !

information a copy of the notice that is being filed with the Office of the  !

Federal Register for publication. i Sincerely, l

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY: }

1 l

4 Thomas E. Murley, Director i Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

Notice cc w/ enclosure: l See next page '

DISTRIBUTION:

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FINAL REPLY:

MICHAEL D. KOHN, ATTORNEY FOR NATIONAL

WHISTLEBLOWER CENTER & CHARLES WEBB ,

RON SHACKELFORD, COASTAL ALLIANCE FOR A SAFE -

ENVIRONMENT 1 TO: at

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FOR SIGNATURE OF: ** GRN ** CRC NO: ,

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DESC: ROUTING: '

2 2.206 PETITION TO SUSPEND THE OPERATION OF THE TAYLOR --

BRUNSWICK NUCLEAR POWER STATION PENDING CRIMINAL SNIEZEK INVESTIGATION THOMPSON  %

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DATE: 10/14/93 KNUBEL .

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'J CIFICE OF THE SECRETARY DOCKETING AND SERVICE BRANS CONTROL TICKET V \

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- FACILITY: NUMBER:

1 DOCUMENT TYPE: ADJUDICATORY l DOCUMENT TITLE: PETITION TO SUSPEND OPERATION PENDDeG CRIKINAL INVESTIGATION '

I AUTHOR: MICHAFL KOHN AFFILIATION: EOEN, EOHN & COLAPDfTO, P.C. l REPRESENTING: NATIONAL WHISTLEBIDWER CENTER, ET AL. I RECEIPIENT: COMMISSION l

SUBJECT:

2.206 PETITION DOCUMENT DATE: 10/14/93 DOMET DATE: / /

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REFERENCE:

ACTION OFFICE: EDO ACTION: AFPROPRIATE ACTION DUE: / /

1 COMMISSION ACTION EXPIRATION DATE: / / l l

i DISTRIBUTION: CHM, CMRS, CHILK, OGC, CAA, OCA, OPA, 6 AND RECORDS l NOTES:

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