ML20079H680

Informs of Release of Info Highly Relevant to Miami Valley Power Project 831214 2.206 Petition for Reconsideration of ASLB Ruling Re Idvp.Review of 831215 Transcript Requested Prior to Decision

ML20079H680
Person / Time
Site:	05000000, Zimmer
Issue date:	12/16/1983
From:	Devine T, Garde B GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT, MIAMI VALLEY POWER PROJECT
To:	Asselstine J, Gilinsky V, Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20079H682	List: ML20079H680 ML20079H690
References
NUDOCS 8401230589
Download: ML20079H680 (3)

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, JVPNMENT ACCOUNTAWLITYNECT

.ms:::v:o for Peticy Studits-

~ (202)234 9382 i C01 Quo Strc,at. N.W.. Washington. D.C. 20009

,- REF: EDO-13888 ACTION - DeYoung December 16, 1983 Cys: GCunningha Rehm Honorable Nunrio J. Fallad!.no s. Chjirman Keppler Honorable Victor Gilinsky, Commissioner .

Denton Honorable James K. AsselstinO,"Co=missioner Honorable Thomas M. Roberts, Commissioner Honorable Frederick M. Bernthal, Co=missioner

Dear Co=missioners:

This leti er is to alert the Cor=fissilon -to' the imminent release of infor=ation highly relevant to the December 14, 1983 petition of the Miami Valley Power Project (MVFP) under 10 CFR 2.206. That petition requeses, inter alia, that the Co= mission reserve judgment on the proposed " Course of- Action" for the Zi=mer nuclear plant until developing a record on the fitness of the Bechtel Corporation for its proposed duties in the plan. Ad yesterday's Commission briefing on the Cours e of Action, Mr. Keppler did not discuss any of the substance in MV??'s disclosures, either with respect to the q'uality-assurance estimate or with resoect to the allegations implications about of the cost 3echtel's trach record in the Diablo Canyon Independent Design Verification Program (IDV?). Diablo Canyon is relevant to 24-mer, bett.eA.Secht.el has assigned the project manager from the former to manage engineering and licensing at the latter. .The Cocmis sion de-ferred final. judgment on the Course of Action until the close of business today in order to obtain staff review of MVP?'s petition before it became moot.

The most significant staff review of the merits of MV??'s Diablo Canyon allegations occurred yesterday in Room  ?-114 of the NRC's Phillips 3uilding in Bethesda, Maryland. A representative of the Government Accountability Project, Ms. Billie Garde, attended the meeting, at which a team of NRC inspectors queried Bechtel and Paci-fic Gas and Electric executives about MVP?'s allegations and others.

MVPP firmly believes that any good-f aith review ofthe its petition transcript re-quires the Commission to read and take into account of tha: meeting.

Tnere is no dispute that the issue is relevant. Indeed, on Dacember 8 Mr. Charles Dick, the Diablo Canyon Project manager, was one of three. key executives that 3echtel publicly introduced to demonstrate.the quality and integrity of the Zimmer team. Bechtel

-explained, "Af ter an extensive revie.w and investigation of Bechtel's work at Diablo, the Nuclear Regulatory Cettnission last month.gave F EE approval to go ahead with fuel loading which is now underway."

That reassurance no longer is tenable. At yesterday's Bethesda reeting, ?.egion III NRC insoector Isa Yin stated that the Jiablo Canyon design program effectively did not even exist, except as a

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.2-based paperwork review La which he had no confidenca whatsoever,Mr. Yin upon.his personal inspection at :the plant. control and ' construction ,'

recent inspection into training, documentall fiveall people whose ,trainin^g he audited to Bechtel procedures, procedures revealed that he had eith,er never received any training at or received training up to two years s it e . her plants. afterHethey a. so- began l

to procedures .they brought with them from otcontrol program that he co.uld reported that there was no document find. d In the design verification area every level of review Nor he was audite for particular small-bore piping Mr. Yin calculations reported 'that had of the a problem.

calculations this isolated to paperwork.

he reviewed for 20 specific piping components, all loadhad applied varying at erro

-- including force applied in the wrong direction, noMr. Yin's findings all, or the load applied in the wrong place.any . notion that the "

soundly rej ect .

given any assurance to the design verification program. '

Even more disturbing, however, was Bechtel's '

institutionalized braten position hing their serious mistakec were all excused by the "eventual of taking " calculated risks" on the assumption luxury"ly would meet he that Mr. Yin stated that such practices "cannot be tolerated" and that "never"_before had.seen such a sic.uation.

It is not yet known how high the organizational As a result, cancer MV??inis.the But.MVPP IDV? extends into -the 3echtel- chain of ce==and. lity in is even more concerned thatand on an even larger scale -- verification of qu to Zi=mer, the entire plant, instead of the design only.

Yesterday Mr. Keppler's message was that relevant By late informat this Diablo Canyon will be evaluated as it becomes available.

i may be avail-ibly af able.

ternoon the transcript of yesterday's lBethesda reliability. meet making a serious error about 3echtel's organitationadecision without th ,

The data, stakes are too high to =ake thatin order to avoid a few days Sincer ely , ,

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YThomas Devine rr.o d b A W W.0 Counsel for MV??

D Cw>3 b AW .

Billie Direc:cr, Garde GA? Citicens Clinic

Enclosure 3 ... m 1

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December 14, 1983 Letter frem Thomas Devine (MVPP) to the NRC recuesting relie" under 10 CFR.2.206 to defer decision on CG&E's course of action to verify cuality of~ construct' ion. .(The five exhibits attached to the letter are not included herein. The exhibits are suprnarized in the letter and are available to the Licensing Board and parties upon request to Division of Licensing, NRR).

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