ML20080T473

Requests Assistance in Disclosing Worker Allegations Re Problems at Facility.Various Allegations by Workers Re Const,Qa & QC Problems Existing at Plant Discussed

ML20080T473
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	12/07/1982
From:	Morrison J PALO VERDE INTERVENTION FUND
To:	Garde B GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT
Shared Package
ML20079G392	List: ML20080T473 ML20080T496 ML20080T502 ML20080T508 ML20080T526 ML20080T552 ML20080T582
References
FOIA-83-450 NUDOCS 8310240199
Download: ML20080T473 (3)

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~Palo Verde Intervention Fund '*%g.

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6413 South 26th Street. Phoenix Arizono 85040 l I (602) 468-04+3- 839-6965 e

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December 7, 1982 .

Ms. Billie Garde Citizens Clinic for Accountable Government Government Accountability Project .

Institute for Policy Studies 1901 Que Street, N.W.

Washingtoa, D.C. 20009

Dear Ms. Garde:

The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station is currently under construction sited less than 50 miles from the population center of Phoenix, Arizonat In May.of 1976 the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comrission ,.

granted a permit to Arizona Public Service Company and a consortium of Southwestern electric utilities (Arizona Nuclear Power Project)'to construct a three unit naclear power complex. As orginally planned, nearly 40 percent of the power from the Palo Verde Plant was proposed to leave Arizona for southern California, Texas and New Mexico; today -

nearly 60 percent of that power will be exported with about- 30 percent going to California utilities.

Lee Hourihan met the timeliness and legal criteria for intervening i in the licensing proceedings and the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board granted Hourihan's motion for leave to intervene and installed her as a ,

fully party to the proceedings on December 2, 1980.

E E In January, 1981, the Board allowed Ms. Hourihan to intervene on g five issues arising from the original set of twenty eight contentions.

g At this time, the Palo Verde Intervention Fund was also formed to assist

, @ the Intervenor with research, funding and public education. The Palo

• Verde Intervention Fund is a project of Southwest Research and 0M N

woA Information Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

N u.td O Q In March 1982, the Board granted the utility's motion for summary

$N mmo judgment against all but one contention, that the utility owners had failedtodemonstratethattheywouldhaveanassuredsupplyoffaterto meet the cooling needs for the Palo Verde Plant. Hearings on the water issue were scheduled to begin in late April. By an act of "dvine intervention" (no pun intended) The Palo Verde Intervention Fund was 9/ - 5 2 t ' 5 2 9. J 3 0 l h.

'/e able to retain Lynne Bernabel of the Harmon & Weiss law firm for repre's'entation during the licensing hearings. Hearings on the water issue continued through early summer and a decision on the license has not been announced.

As a result of- the publicity surrounding the water issue, the Intervention began to receive calls from workers who were previously or are currently employed at the Palo Verde Plant. These concerned workers have notified us of various construction, quality assurance and quality control problems that exist at the plant. ,

To date, one worker has stated his concerns publicly. They deal with the falsification of coolant pipe tests and were to be investigated -

by NRC onsite inspectors at Palo Verde. The worker also reported that

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he had filed a complaint with the NRC a year ago but had never recieved a response. -

Another worker contacted us several times and an affidavit was filed detailing his allegations and the specific probime areas at the plant. He alleges that certain key electrical systems needed for the safe shutdown of the plant were improperly installed, improper equipment was used and that internal inspections and quality assurance reports about those systems were falsified.

The worker's affidavit was submitted to the Licensing Board along with a motion for a new contention relating to the problems and a protective order to keep the identity of the worker secret. The worker .

wishes to keep his identity secret because he received a death threat shortly after meeting with us and also fears retribution and blackballing within the industry and by unions.

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As a result, the Licensing Board ordered an NRC investigation of these allegations. The investigation has been underway since June under the direction of Mr. Owen Shackelton, Region V. Mr. Shackelton reported that each of the problem areas identified by the worker have been found to be valid as well as a few other items. Mr. Shackelton told us he expects a final report to be submitted by the end of November.

In relation to the same allegations involving improper electrical work, we received a call from an individual in a senior management level position with Bechtel. He refused to reveal his identity or meet with us becauce of his position and stated he was resigning in two weeks and did not want to put his future employemnt in jeopardy by revealing his identity. He af firmed the allegations of the other worker and described the exact location of other electrical systems that are inadequate or have been installed incorrectly. He also told us that quality control and quality assurance personnel are instructed to pass and certify these problem areas and that anyone who attempts to bring these problems to light and rectify the situation is specifically instructed "not to make waves." We gave him the phone number of regional investigators and asked that he also call them to make a record of these problems.

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. Each of the workers we have talked to and met with _ are experienced craf tsmen or engineers concerned about quality _ workmanship. Tbey have all stated that they have quit their jobs due to extreme frustration because their efforts to produce quality work were thwarted by ,

inadequate equipment _they were instructed to install, the fact that ,

there was work completed _that was not meeting design specifications, j records were being falsified, and when they notified their supervisors i of ' these problems they were ignored and ultimately approved by quality control and quality assurance personnel.

In a situation, such as we have described, where po'or workmanship is tolerated and in:some cases encouraged by the falsification of records and the approval of quality control and quality assurance personnel, we feel it is imperative to have these areas investigated and the truth revealed. In an attempt to pursue this goal we are seeking the professional assi stance of The Citizens Clinic for Accountable Government and The Government Accountability Project.

There are various other allegations by workers that have not been investigated and a serious question as to whether the previous allegations have been investigated throughly. For this reason we are requesting the expertise of CCAG and GAP in joining with us to disclose worker allegations and the cover-ups associated with them.

Very truly yours, Jill R. Morrison ec. Administrater, NRC Region V.

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