ML20080T508
| ML20080T508 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palo Verde  |
| Issue date: | 07/17/1983 |
| From: | Udall M HOUSE OF REP., INTERIOR & INSULAR AFFAIRS |
| To: | Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20079G392 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-83-450 NUDOCS 8310240217 | |
| Download: ML20080T508 (4) | |
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8' The Honorable Nunzio Palladino Chaltman United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission f'/J(.
Washington, D.
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20S55
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Ms. Jill Morrison of the Palo Verde Intervention Fund has recent.'y sent to me the attached letter e>: pressing concerns with re gard to the manner in which NRC Region V anc the NRC Office of Investigations Scve handled allegations of violations of the comission's regulations at the Palo Verde Nuclear Gencrating Station (PVNGS).
In addition, Ms. Morrison states that the.NRC has not complied with its obligations under the Freedom of T.nformation Act.
Similar issues are addressed in a July 14, 1983 letter to the Commission from Ms. I.ynne f.c r a a b e i, counsel for an electrician and a startup engineer who were formerly employed at PVNGS.
f Too of ten public confidence in the NRC has been eroded by delayed or seemingly. incomplete NRC investigations.
I am 4
concerned that the inouiry into these allegations fits that pattern.
I would appreciate a prompt response to the issues rained by Ms. Morrison in her July 3, 1983 letter to roe and by Ms. Ber-nabei in her July 14 letter to the Commission.
Than): you for your assistance.
.g Sincerely,
_.. ia o<5 i.-3,:.,.
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MORRI.".
K.
UDALL 95 m o
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6413 Soutti 26m Siteel, Phoenix Arizono 850d0 July 3, 1983 g
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chairman Morris K.
(Idall Comsittee on Interior and Insular Affairs
'm of Representatives se nn, D.C.
Dear Chal.
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cur purpose in writing is to inforet you about the NRC inspection /investication into all the s:erious mishandling of the Palo verce Nuclear Generating t ation (PV tne fo11 cuing pointo about egations raised by workers at NGS).
inspection fails to noet the investigation In support, we dake (1) investigation precedures s even the ninimura standards ofthe HRC Region V (2) Region v $ as inspect:ien and identity ot whistleblowers and :n so:
failed to protect t
the NRC cannot do anything to protect ne instances is telling workers the disregarded the their identityy (3) the MRC has Region V he.s violated Ccwnission policies relaws and policies of the on Acts (4) about inspection findings to utility pers garding proper co nunication NRO Office of Inviests.gations (OI) onnel: and (5) investigation. attorney's lnquiries conce rning the progress andhas 1.s11e conduct of the In view of this deconduct we are regaasting yo octabl%hing a public heari a to determine why Rur assistante in createt Office of Inventigations (O!)
egion V saa the newly incestigation og.Aar is docunented in thet do their jobs e.n:1 e. further cannot feel a hearing is not appropriato et his time we winspection reports.
If you vrlte a letter to the Conttissioners requesti ould ask that you Region V and CI by the Co::uaiscic=crs themselvang an adequate review of s or another agency.
The ?alo Verde Int.creention i'ur.d was t'esigned to for bringin9 to the attent:.on of ths e.sy arise in the cor.r.truction of P.tOS.::RC probloa.x serve as the nochants:s which have arisen or t
anesed that certain key electrical systr ruin :*. arch of 1982 we we a
rom PVNOS, he of t*,e plant :.cere amoroperly in:italled, r.eeded for the safe shutdom improper equip:nent that loternal inspect 2cn ms.:
We subnitted his alle94tions in thequality assurance reports. sere falsified.
as osed and form of an af fidavit :o the Atomic S.4fety and 1icensing Baard GCLS) and the HRC statt in.*$ay.
At the time s
e we submitted the affidavit we were assured by the NRC staff and the AsLa that the worker's identity unuld be kept would be conducted by Region V. confidential and that a through investigation To date, a full
. investigative report has not been claims by Region.V that comphated nor issued, despita repeated coutplet. ton of the report would be in August of 1'.18 7, then U.iprember of 1982, Noveraber 1982 and finally the last date given was the Spring of 1983.
we would add given as to why the long delay in issuing this report.that no explanation has been Region V investityators interviewed the electrician and another Bechtel QA manager who made similar charges in June of not go to the site to 1982.
However, they did these interviews.
exaunine their allegations until two months after In Septzneber of 1982, before the issuance of any NRC reports, the Arizona Public service company ( APs) announced in it's newsletter that i t-these allegations. haa received a ** clean bill of health" from the NRC on Mr. Cunderson was floien back to the site in October of interview, at this time, the investigators told him that all the 1932 for an exit probicms he had described had been fixed prior t.o the NRC inspection or the specifications for the JoD had been changed so the deficiencies w no longer violation of the specifications.
ere Mr. Gunderson then detailed other problems he knew of at tbc plant t. hat he had no*, included in his initial affidavit, None of these problems or deficiencies that he pointed our had been detected or repaired.
The electrician, Mr. Robert Cunderson, revealed his identity publicly in February.
He critized the conduct of the NRC investigation and subsequently be'..t, ves he was blackballed from the nuclear industry.
support of this claim he In nuclear industry for six months following thestar.od ha var unable to find a job within the in Nover:her he found employment release of his affidavit, at a fessil fuel plant in colorado, s
In February, the Government Aegountability Project (GAP) inquired about the status of the investigation and how the utility knew of the outco:ne of tae investigation. The of investigator, Mr. Owen Shackelton, refused to discuss the matter and hung up the telephonn, on behalf of tir.
Rchnet Gunderson and a new wnrkor Xc. Wally Poyce, GAP wrote a letter to Mr. Shackelton'r. superior about the manner in which investigations were being conducted, they received no respon>:0 to this letter for three months. Iast =onth at OAP't. 1:iquiry about the letter they were told it had been misplacad for three months and that O! was turning the matter over to the Of fice cf Inspectors and Avditors (OIA).
subitted a Freedo:. of Infortuation Act In addition, GAP in **. arch to receive all docoments concerning the invuot2 gation of.atr. Gundr=.rson's and the Dechtel QA manager's allegations, w* have yet YOI;. request.
to receive any documents through this The CI recort has yet in be isiued, although a special inspect 2on report was fcund in the Public Document Roon dateri April 22, 1993.
This report suMtantiates W. Genderson's alleq.** anni of falsified records and indicates there are hardware: and docunentation problers et the plant that demonstrate 'tiulity assurance oroM em.
he following items were i
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l deterxtined to be substantiated or require follow-up work (1) workers
.'being asked by supervisoras to falsify QA records; (2) docu:sents not I
found.on trair41ng of QC inspectors; (3) innproper splicing of class IE
. safety related cablest (4) use of other than specified insulation on high voltage terpinationsi (5).use of one-bolt lugs instead of specified two-bolt lugn On safety motors; (G) the building of a mason wall around the bactery roora instead of a concrete wall as comruitted to in the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR); and (7) improper installation of Q class cables in cabinets in the auxiliary building.
An initial review of the NRC inspection report reveals that it is little more than a paperwork invos:tigation.
'They conclude that 2:any of the facts are tria, but determine they have "no technical merit" or ere of "no safety significance".
Yet in making this deter.aination they are accepting the technical justification of the APS or Bechtel wven though the construc ion work is not in compliance with their own speci"ications or those of the. FSAR.
- Je will be submitting our cornatents and a full i
review of the report wi thzn the next week.
overall, this investigation mirrors many of the other inadequate inve=ttgations that have been conducted by e.he NRC.
We are requesting you assistance an detecting and correcting the misconduer with the varinus agencies involved.tn this investigation.
Thank you for your concern.
Very truly yours, s
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.' Jill R. Morrison i
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