ML20077H610

Forwards Dallas Morning News 830807 Article Re trouble- Plagued Facility.Util Workers & Former Workers Lost Faith in NRC Ability/Willingness to Inspect/Investigate Const Problems

ML20077H610
Person / Time
Site:	Comanche Peak
Issue date:	08/08/1983
From:	Ellis J Citizens Association for Sound Energy
To:	Bloch P, Jordan W, Mccollom K Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
References
NUDOCS 8308110130
Download: ML20077H610 (5)

Text

.

C A S E (CITIZENS ASSN. FOR SOUND ENERGY)

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l August 8, 1983 ew;:hgg gi g BRm:

Administrative Judge Peter B. Bloch Dr. Kenneth A. McCollom. Dean U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Division of Engineering, Architecture 4350 East / West Highway. 4th Floor at.d Technology J Bethesda, Maryland 20014 Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074 Dr. Walter H. Jordan 881 W. Outer Drive l Oak Ridge Tennessee 37830 Gentlemen:

I

SUBJECT:

In the Matter of Application of Texas Utilities Generating Company, et al . for An Operating License for Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station Units #1 and #2 (CPSES)

Docket Nos. 50-445 and 50-446 Credibility of NRC Region IV The following and attached newspaper article details many of the reasons CASE and workers and former workers at Comanche Peak has little faith in the NRC Region IV's ability and/or willingness to adequately inspect or investigate construction problems at Comanche Peak.

R,e pectfully submitted, cc: Service List i CASE President

[ h h D nita DALLAS MORNING NEWS Sunday Aug. 7,1983 FRONT PAGE -

Texas XRC office beset by criticism Agency officials, n uclearpower foes have faulted Arlington stafl's work 95o3 By Jim I anders nationwide, weamstoa Bareen el ne hs Two months later. NRC officials WASl11NGTON -When Rep. Ed- in Arlington gave draft reports of ward klarkey. DMass-. learned in the investigation to company attor-l December 1981 of allegations of de. neys, compromising the NRC inves-i ficiencies in components of nu- tigation.hfarkey said during a June

, clearpowerplant pumps sold by a hearing.

Vermont company.' he asked the The NRC office ofinvestigations Nuclear Regulatory Commission to and audits reviewed Region IV's investigate. handling of the Ilayward Tyler The NRC then ordered its Re. Pump Co case and cited the Arling-gion IV office, based in Arlington, ton office last year for a lack of .

tolookintothe problem oneof the common sense" and for behavior responsibihties of the Texas office in which "there was less than the

[ is to inspect the work of thousands Pr0Per arm'slength distance be-i l of manufact:trers and designers of Iween the office and the company.

l nuclear power-plant components Please sce ARI.INGToN on Page 24 A.

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24 A ct rpalla,jaarotanyrics sunday. August 7.19:3 i

Arlington XRC office

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hontlaued from Page IA. *

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-sw Tfdse findings reflect other critiffsms leveled by senior NRC , C-~;it C - [h " **" k ,.g.

• y.Q :gg ~g M%;;. Q officpls as well as nuclear. power , , , , , , ~ h.

i oppgtnts against the Art!ngton o[-

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hich has faced severalinter- .__ <

face.=w$vestigations cat i, during the last '"

3gG'%7 five ears. ]

{ A { review of public and internal y.

• NRCifocuments shows tr.at the Re- _

gion3V office has missed serious -

t-a,.

vlotglons of NRC regulations in c ; _L W-M

. b,-sN seven)t clear owerof its examinations manufacturers and . of pu- ,

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• Wh g y

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I reacters under construction in its .- ,a 14 silta jurisdiction.

1. hn Collins. the NRC adminis.

gg.ny .g AQ C

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7',\y ,..J,8g ~s,g trator whodirectsthe Arlingtonof- a j fice.;said that his staff has pro-tected the public's safety suffi- ...

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ciently and that other regional U . gp, t offices have had similar difficut- ""

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ties'in getting to the bottom of N

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. \i problems at nuclear. power plants.

• ] certainly feel comfortable ,W r 7 j

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N Q'4N wittr the inspectors we have " Col- 7 1 p

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lins;said. *ll we had more re-sources, we cou!J do more work. c-}{- [3,,J. .

go . _gi

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,ep  ! ,

Butiwe are hrndicapped in the 4,

. nunkerof people we have." f ,[r}. .a T * (' s..y y4 n

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Agency officials in Washington ' 5 8 y *i , E*A, *. }g .A, ,M... ,

admit to a number of problems at ;~ - ' Q i,4r ;,,,;,,3 d " d g .-

the $rlington office,but they insist r r.g $ , . -l,  ; t 4. Q that;the office never has lost con.  %* .; g.g j. ' W Q}, p% .

' trol of its mandate to protect the - ,";g _ *;].*/' M" 4 (I , . . , f.- ; . - -

.,jm.C*N pubiac health and safety.

• 1f I felt that for one moment,! N g' j.

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j would have no choice but to go in d

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therb and have a gross overhaul,"

f *^ g.  ;., -' t.f 6 said. Victor Stello, the NRC deputy ecutive director for regional op- Aerial view shows the troub!c plagued South Texas Nuclear Project 19 addition to the !!ayward . volved bonuses between $6.800 and , y.4 - 9 rn aq - ' s Tyler Pump case, three other prol' 511.000. N*

ects~1nvolving the Arlington office E

. -+AND00M _

serve nsexamplesin a dabste sbout the )dequacy of Reglon IV Inspec. he debate about the compe-  %

tion)andinvestigations.They are: tence of the Arlington of-siThe Comanche Peak plant,80 " uost ,a fice has two extremes. Its stiqs sorthwest of Dallas.For more mon vshement critics accuse the

• C4 h than a year. an NRC !! censing cifice of being protective of uttil- **

panel has cuestioned the reliability wvo ties and too las in finding prob. %o of an Arlirgton offlee investigatton g,,,' ,,e% g, that found no evidence to support charges that plant quality <ontrol ogt has a reputation as the worst uwi 'e regional office in the country

• Inspectors were intimidated into said Billie Carde of the Govern-e

' " [ w.

not reporting probicms. ment Accountability Pro}ect. a In an effort to ensure that the Washington-based public interest Qga A

Y( U"'

intissidation questica was investi- group that works whh whistle- .%

gated thoroughly, the Atomic blowers to ur. cover wrongdoing at Safe $ and 1.tcensing Board de- b '

nuclear ower plants."The NRC is manced the identitles of the people queshoned by Arling on investigo plagued by a breakdown in the Hawas bi.

tors so the board could question quality as.s.urance of its own inves-them. When the effort bogged II*

58 atasma '

l ' A' At the other extreme of the de. ' I

• dowh in an internal NRC legal dis- bate is the Arlington office itself '

I puteg the board asked the Texas at- directed by Collins since Nov. 22' I torney generals office to investi- 1981. Although Colhns admits to gate the intimidation <pestion' l nreiblems he taree tv hiamn Nw , t . m. . . .. ,

e

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s e ne im Three StateIsland nu- Ineedquarters and Co'agress for $ot

[ c -plant mident providing Arlington with more re-

• "j A'g),

, 7 is the NRC's responsibility to and manufacturers.has been weak -

, bring to the public's attention . because of ambiguitiesconcerning l

! new' law requiring manufacturers problems these ntilities are hav- the NRC's legal authority over the i to re' pert any significant defects in ing? No Collins said."We're here firmsand alack of money and man- '

plant equipment. Because of lia . to assure the public's health and power. At the time of the Three ited Staffing. the Arlington office safety, to see if the finished plant bhle Island ac:ldent, the program -

4' ,,, h I with law hfore the Three Mile Island deserves a final license. What irri- had 24 inspectors.Today it has 26.

tales me is when the NRC has to "The vendorinspection pro-

• identify a problem to a utility it gram has been weak and has been acch eat, said Karl Seyfrit, an NRC should catch byitsdf." underfended? said Wetor Giun-official who directed the Arlington Betwun these two extremes are sky, one d the four NRC caml>

effick et the time. J congressional critics and NRC offi- stoners. *It doesn't seem to have

} g [*8 , **',

g, cialsin Washington who find fault the toughness other NRC programs both with the performance of the have had.

tion be rep 6rtinglaw at enOhio Arlington staff - which includes Gilinsky said he would ask the nuclear-power plant, and NRC 26 people invoind in the vendor. commission during its current headquarterslater sold that knowl. &#spection program sad 29 nuclear- budget debate to move the program edad of the violation "could have plant inspectors - and with the from RegionIV toWashington.

helped prevent er lesened the es. NRC's commitment of resources to James Gagliardo, director of the i verity of theBreelilleIvand acci. the office. reactor-inspection efforts in Re-deg. la 19e0,after the let NRC in- glon IV, believes that more money The Babcock & Wilcox ?o., the vestigation at South caos, Collins is needed if the pubile wants In-saanufacturer of 'the Ohn and Thr4e Male laind muw wu was sent to Arlington to becoise proved"INa inspections.

got three people to inspect Seyfrireassistant.

fined 5 00.000 la 1980 for aut re- "K8tl clearly needed help," the activities of about 3.000 people porting deficiencies that sci.trib. Siello esid. et sech alte," Gagliardo said. "I sted,to the Three lille Islanc sccl- la 1931, when the NRC regional can't be espected toldentify all the

, dent, oifices were given more authority, problems there. Once we've identi-

! aThe South Texas Huclear Colline was named administrator tied it, we've gotten the lleensee ! .

' ProNet near Boy City.Between 1977

! of the office and Seyfrit became the (the utilliy) to fix it. That may be

• and he79, the Arlington office con- severelycars tater.Butif thelndut l ducted !! Inconclusive investiga- deputy administrator-

• After the Arlington office wee try and Congress went us to iden-tioni into allegations of break. criticised by two congreselonel lify them before then,they have to

• dowits in the project 4 qualityes, j-sarance program - end of. panele - the laterior subcommit. give us more than three inspectore ;

me on oversight andinvestigatione per plant." + ,

i

• intignidadon directed against ette and the energy subcommittee on ConfANClit pBAE -

j quellty<ontrolinspectors, r and conservation - for sta n Aprillt.1982, Charles'At I 4 l i A'ter an ptilavestigation,NRC . pandling of the llayward Tyler i

shison,equahty<ontrolla ,

? g headquarterssent la a specialseem Pt*P casse the NitC erseted e sepa - spector at Comanche peak, .

l .that uncovered entensive prob.

Iem( Houston IJghting & puwer, reteafficeofinvestigationsthatre. wee fired by Brown & Root Co-,the

, whiqh is among the four owners of porte directly to the commiseloners general contractor for Comanche 4

' rather than to the regional ed* peak,et the urging of aTexas tJtill.

the giant and managesits construe. ministratore. ties supervisor who criticited At -

tion was fined $100.000 and threat- '

6 I ene with suspension of its con. "They do, and have had, prob. chison for reporting Welding delt.

1

' struktion permit. less they can work on,"Stello said ciencies and for faulting training '

l

' of me Arhnston det *The ac* programs outside of his is. mediate 34 the Hayward Tyler Papp Hons N taken banni bun be- ares of responsibility.

i

' case; Collins end Seyfrit-who was cause things han hun going Labor Secretary Ray Donovan -

ther( Collins' deputy - acknowl- smoothly down there. It's our ruled in June that Atchison was

• 4 l odge that they gave draft reports of smallest office, and the number of fired improperly. Atchison now '

an ongoing NRClavestigation toat- resources they can call on are works as an inspector for a Dallas I

' tornbys for the farm, which had ~

beetl accused of manufacturing de- I",,than outer regional olfaces firm that sells jet parts. '

, han The potential significance of the

• ; factive nuclear-powerplant equip-l sment. . tello conceded that the of- finding goet well beyond Atcht-j fice's handling of investiga . son's case. The Dallas-based Citi.

o But Collins said the reports tions regarding ' Hayward sens Association for Safe Energy l1 weg turned over in the hope that

[

i ;j thecompanywouldtakecareof the Pump and Comanche Peak had di- has charged that Texas Utilities mintshed its

• reputation and credi. condoned a pattern of discrimina-y problem.

• y IAst year. Arlington was the bility," but he said the Arlington tion and intimidation against qual-Ij only one of the five NRC regional . team *is a collection of very good. ity<ontrolinspectors at Comanche

< y officesin the countryin which net. compe'ent people, whose basic and -a peak charge tothat coverthoup flaws utshty in the plant strongly ther of the top two offtw!s re. only concern. ls the health and

} dentes.

I r{* ceived a pay bonus for work pet. safetyof thepeblic."'

NRC officials say the Arhngton Undecided on the propriety nf

!  ;; formance.NRC oincials would not

. gj comment on why Colhas ann Sey.' vendorinspection program, which Atchison's dismissal, Region IV j ,

, frit were left off the list, which in. (4 tert nuclear-power designers stood by a preliminary finding that t.

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ice beset bycriticism i .

3 Tc t-" - **2 ; 2p~ by noting that the budget ci!!ce .

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,,. had tried to abolish the program. ,

p.... ..

%4 . . . s- w. ., . Ai . Today,with thousands of compa . :

( M.h MTW 7 nies to monitor, the vendor-inspec. . , i n . .W '

7 j. . , 4@:

' D "*"*g:=WCCC,hT;l tion program has 22 inspectors and '

h f,

J t%acJ. w

@] lar fourto thesupervisors.Could the iN- ~- ~'Q.,t- "' '- M --' Q*NC1Y .. coolingvalve failureg

-C.,J W C E @% .d now? .

. M E - SgM ' ~ ~ %. -c C  ;* *For the most part not yet,"said *.

~~

" , ,*". p%N *, Stello of the Wr.shington office. "It willbe some time before we can get NMI- " ' *

. 4. M,Q #- q,, @' ge, that in place."

IIAYWARD TYLER PUnfP CO.

3,, y,,,- y' ,hQ. ..

hen he provided attor.

neys for Hayward

- ,.. Pump a draft report of 4 ' 'b>. ' l his office's lavestigation, Region !V 1.[ S- M ad'm inistrator Collins says, he

^ ^g -

]p,

" " . . ,' line.

broke no NRC regulation or guide-

. p.5 4% g "Our immediate concern is e r

d

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safety concern," Collins said in ex.

plaining why he handed over the

' y g'Y M ' h p tQsd

, @h -Q"* R , d. ,,-iy report."The vendor has a responsi-

4. bility to correct any problems." He I'g.' ' J' V,1 . :711 N lt, ' W f%se-;d s 1i D 1. U . - d said:"There .

l' (at the was time)noon spect'ic the releasepolicy of draft i

k<3%.**Y,'b<.gW$i " h p.bJ 1 4:!?& W.". E

'y' and final reports."

"The copy I gave them was the

]f7I'

$<.? same one they already had,"Seyfrit

,)' --

J ".: .M M said.

it g g- . But the NRC office of im estiga-49 tions and au(.its, which looked into.

$? 7 . . J.C. *2

_. [e -* the release 4,f the draft reports.

!auted Collins and Seyfrit for bad i '" } d,j * ',> 5 ;t% ~

I  ? judgment in their hand!!ng of the investigation.

,  !)][2t['k p4 ' d;..k[ gg t k.'

i q

"Notwithstanding whether or UPIfde phare not we have specific regulations or

! e Project near Day City. -

guidance addressing this point, I common sense should have dic-tated against this dectston,"the au-Ci GIO 1)OF .lcES : 'F diiiesm wroie.

IfJL M POM ACTOR IN Tile UNITED STATES "Throughout this investig'ation . .

and inspection, there was less than Z the proper arm'slength distance *' -

"O l umm Q " e between the NRC and the vendor and his attorneys,"the report said.

+ s "I' hat's their fitrding," Collins ao a ma s, ""58 said.

• Making the vendor aware of

• C- R8 the problems was important,too "

CONN 8 8 8 a The NRC chose not to take any mee 1 a wk mo 7hf,e N J ggg& disciplinary aClion against the Ar- ,

' -wo m

a g as o j eg oc , ,, langton officials. New guidelines were issued instructing all re.

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ag y"^

w 7 -m- 1 Y { gional offices not investigations andtoinspection release re- draft se ga  ; } REctoNat omCas: ' I ports to the companies involved.

se j t. King of Prussia.Po visprania 'j NRC headquarters took over the i,

&& La j flayward Pump investigation and

"' D '*. .;

(Q y 2. Attama.Georpal' '.#lfJ"#",t,'

aavised aii co=raaies *iin iiar-ward Tyler Pump compcnents to 4 aa 9*"

3 d' 5 wainuscreek Cahsarma test them for potential problems ,i s : -

j disclosed in the investigation. The I CoessatRCtAL NUCLEAR pump manufacture; was not penal- l l b PowtR ReaCTons: ized.

e Lkensedtooperate i .

g Puentoaco "Afr. Collins should have a sign A underConairuchen g, , , , . on h6s desk that,t ough,, to sg jhe_ j .

a buck stops there,"Stello of the NRC 3

said of the Hayward Pamp case. I s ne oauss umuns NewsJan arunson "The bad mark the agency has to take for it is damaging with the equipment, analyses there was no evidence of discrimi- fects in the,supphed forofthe and training reac- pubhc's credibihty.The reputation the agency, which is very, very nation.

. "It's a Department of Labor re- tot by its manufacturer, Babcock & important,has clearly suffered."

I sponsibthty," Collins said in ex- Wilcox Co.

The NRC has denied responsibil- SOUTilTEX AS NUCl. EAR PROJECT plaining why his office did not pur. he first allegations about sue the matter."I'm satisfied with ity for the scenderit. It levied a

$155 000 fine against Cencral Unli. intiniidation of quahty<on-the quahty of ourinvestigation." trol inspectors at the South

. panel of the Atomic Safety and ties for failing to comply with NRC 1.icensing Board, which has been regulations and fined Babcock & Texas Nuclear Pvrject reached the Wilcox $100,000 for "fatture to re. NRC in February 1977, The Arling-meeting since December 1981 to hear evidence on whether Texas port information on potential ton office conducted 111nvestiga.

Utilities should get an operating 11 safety problems that could have tions - all inconclusive - as the cense for the plant, was not satts- helped prevent or reduce the sever

• complaints cr.intinued. In 1978, the fled with the Arungton office's ity"of the klarch 28,1979, accident. Arlington staff held a meeting with The law, which became fully ef- the management of Ilouston Light ;

finding in Atchison's firing.

The panel of administrative law fective in 1978, requires directors ing & Power to adviso the utshty '

and officers of firms involved in that it had a morale problem at the judges,whichisindependent of all NRC bodies otnu tian the commis. the nuclear industry to report to plant, A near year Bay City.

later, U1 Rep.. Henry

• l stoners, demanded the ldentitles of the NRC and their customers any 10 Brown & Root and Texas Utsli- defects triat could create a substan- Conzalez, DSan Antonio, com I tial health and safety hazard plained to the Justice Dspartment ties employees questioned by Re-

• glon IV about Atchison's dismissal Responsibihty at the NRC for en- about the NRC's handling of an in- , .

so that.the board could question suring comphance with the law vestigation into accusations of them. The NRC refused to provide was given to the Arlington office. forged documents related to the the names,and the matter has gone " Prior to the accident, the onlY South Texas plant. Gonzalef letter },

to the NRC commission for review.

thing we had done at all was to triggered an FBI probe, which '

kleanwhile, the licensing board check the vendors to see if theY found evidence of forged docu-has continued its challenge of the had some kind of procedure for re- ments at the plant but did not find :

Arlington othee. On July 6, the porting problems," said Seyfrit the evidenceof aconspiracytodefraud '

board ordered Donovan's decision former Arhngton director.!dont the NRC. l on the Atchison dismissalincorpo, think we were looking at it to any After the FDI reported that ,

rated into the Comanche Peak great extent before the accident." there seemed to be widespread record. It then askad the Texas at. Babcock & Wdcox designed problems at the plant, NRC head-torney goneral'g offica to interview Three khte Island along the same quarters decided to launch a spe i the Individuals questioned by Re- hnes as the Davis Besse reactor in cial review of the South Texas i glon IV about intimidation of plant Oak liarbor, Ohio. In November project, involving about a dozen in ,

inspectors. 1977, a water <ooling-valve fatture vestigators.The NRC probe led to a After the interviews, Asststant in a Babcock & Wdcox reactor $100.000 fine against ilouston Light-

.. tty. Gen. David Prcister told the triggered an incident at Davis. Ing & Power for a massive break ,

board thalbe had tincovered no ev- Besse that was identical to the be- down in quahty assurance by the '

IJence to present. Preister asked ginning of the '! tree Ltile Island architect, engineer and general for employee records to pursue the accident 16 months later. Plant oP contractor for the project, Brown &

Intimidattun gucstion further but erators averted a serious accident Root Co., and a pattern of intimida. #

was dented permission by NRC by overr: Jing the equipment and tior directed agamst quahty<on.

headquarters. shutting down the reactor; trolinspectors.

The NRC office of investigations At Three khle Island, the plant Completion of the project. was in Washington is conducting a sep eperators did not recognize that delayed by two years, and th6 esti-arate review, the results of which the water <oohng valve had failed mated cost cf finishing it has i are expected by September. to close, releasing so much coolant jumped from $2.7 billion to $15 bil-Stello and Colhns conceded that from the reactor that the fuel core lion.

the hcensing board's skepticism was exposed and overheated. "I asked for that special investi-about the original Atchison investi- Two engineers at Babcock & gatton,"said Se)frit, director of the gation harmed the Arlington of- Wilcox, after studying what hap Arlington off'ce at tha time."Iwas '

face's reputation. pened at Davis Desse, had warned concerned as well about the persis-

" Clearly the issue involved the their supervisor late in 1977 that a tence of the problems, and it didn't

• adequacy of the investigation," similar valve failure could lead to a seem to be getting any better."

S'ello said "I ain't going to sit here serious accident - as later hap- Seyfrit said the major reason and tell you that has all gone well." pened at Three khle Island. Bab. NRC headquarters,was able to un-TtlREE bilt.EISLAND cock & Wdcox did not act on the tangle the problems when Arhng-information, however, according ton could not was because of its I

owner of the crippled reac- to the NRC's 1980 enforcement or. greater resources.

G eneral Puhlte Utilities, the tor at Three thie htand, der against the company. "When you have one or two in- ! ,

has filed a $4 billion lawsuit The NRC's stwial Inquiry into spectors looking at a broad area,1 j

against the NRC, charging that the Three khle Island underscored the they simply are not able to look as agency "had reason to know and financial protelems that the ven- deeply as a large number of inspec-actually knew that there were de, dor 4nspection program was having tors,"Seyfrit said.

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