ML20084N198

Expresses Concern Re Design Defects Which Caused Piping Explosion in Safety Valve Sys & Injured Eleven Individuals & Licensing of Facility Unit 4

ML20084N198
Person / Time
Site:	Turkey Point, 05000000
Issue date:	04/11/1973
From:	Hobbs J AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:	Ray D US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
Shared Package
ML20084N179	List: ML20084N182 ML20084N198 ML20084N212 ML20084N219 ML20084N247 ML20084N251 ML20084N422
References
NUDOCS 8306020625
Download: ML20084N198 (7)

Text

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2507 COUNTRY CLUB PRADO. CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA p W4QQ.6TR E55,PMME GW 3.65, OH K).

April 11, 1973 Li:cy Loc P.ay, Chairman I.tomic Energy Corr.ission of United States of JJr. erica Germantoun, Maryland

Dear Sir:

Eleven men were injured by the preventable accident in the Florida Power and Light ;;uclear Unit I4 umber Three lato

.in 1971 The Six Structural 1:ccign Ecfocts which caused the t

piping explosion in the 12," Safety" Valve System have not f

'bcen corrected.

The " repairs" are less reliable than the original.

Ignorance of bacic engineering; Law Suit betwcon the Power Co. and the I;esigners and the refusal to even listen to help frcre. sources of Scientific f acts seem to be reasons for two black outs affecting millions in South East Florida.

i Tod.ay,the announcement of the licensing of the second I;uclear Unit #4 forces me on Lohalf of Eafety to call the situation to your attention and ash that all licences Lc suspended until Safety is acaured.

Copics of ny offers to help are attached.

Cooperation can Secure Safety in record time.

y simple solutior.s vorhed in tl.e 1.ars of 1914-1941 and I.tomic Lefenses.

Please advise when action nay 1.c e:cpected.

R k d N' Date_g//9/2.1.

Time

// '0 Yours truly, 8306020625 730604 PDR ADOCK 05000250 S

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'J. C. HOBBS 2507 COUNTRY CLUG PRADO, CORAt. G ADLCS, FLORIDA

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rebruary 14, 1972 1

.;r. Clark Cook f,< d b '-

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4600 Flager St.

Iliarai, Florida Lear Clark:

I had hoped for a report from you on Georges condition and e

advice concerning a non businent, visit to the hospital.

Turkey Point news in very upnetting.

The " corrective" measure is worse in an inportant respect than the original anc fully confirms ray impression that the detail denignern do not understand the problera.

The report received, Iridicateu that thicker metal is being used.

' 'h a t is a fatal t'1 stake which 99 of every hundred would normally raahe under the conditions.

[1914 to 1972] -- Proofs are available.

The whole design of the Saf ty V.tlvo Syntera incorporaten unnecessarv hazards to life and unuarranteC conto vhich can

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Le quickly and quictly explained and Le rn.in a t e d.

'.urnhe" does not guarantce safety, and bent renults.

Eill you arranje for a conference with anybody having authority to r..ake l

corrections?

'1ours truly,

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P.S. I remain obligated to I..y cobatry and itn people.

!4y services are free.

The Icon pui,licity the 1 i:tter.

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February 8, 1972 i

Mr. George Kinsman V.P. FP&L i

Dear Georget i

I have read your letter carefully and discovered no hope in it for recovering the losses to FP&L to date or near future.

The political atsmophere is such that you can ill afford such losses.'

b our turnkcy policy is good only as far as it provides the best services to'the public. -- Customers, citizens and b

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Nation.

It did not provent the explosion which an hour later i

could have killed innocent workmen.

Delay and correction expense must ultmately be paid for by your Stockholders.

Customers are i

not to blame..

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My sixty years in Public Services witncsced numerous l

simular circumstances where independant contractural turnhov responsibility was inadequate.

1:Tfl~cToperation of all con'ccrned succeeded to the point of'absoluto safety, earlier completion, increascc efficiency and greatly decreased costs.

Full cooperation of Q concerned got benefits for &

The Manufacturers, Enginecra and Roscarchers cach and 1

all are handicapped for lack of complete on the-job operating conditions and experience.

Dechtel and all its exports and

-Ecsearch friendo cannot be expected t'o know as much c5 the Utility operators should know, having close association with equipment and other Utilitics from coast to coast.

After going into Chemical Industries I was welcomed by the Utility groups in their tech'nical consions and wcs able to contributo a considerable numbar of major new components which I pionecrer:.

I sold power to the Cleveland Electric Illinunating Co. My dew.-lopments helped grios angappto gavy.anufacturers of power li the re equipmen'. istilitics, 1 aus t

On land and sea, roseue responsibility extends to every one in position to help. Am extremely busy but never too busy.

Sincerely yours, i

j J.C. Ilobbs JCll/lt

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2507 COUNTRY CLUB PRADO, CORAL G ABLES, FLORIDA 60 WOOD STREET. PAINESVILLE, OHIO i

February 1, 1972 f.

~Mr. George Kinsman V.P. FP&L 4

h Reactions to my offer to help are not understood.

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Dear George:

All my contributions are Gi_fts, to protect my fellow citizens of the The picture and story of the forunate Turkey Point pipe Nation.

failure indicates serious trouble.

f Conventional engineering had failed years ago, quick

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diag #nosis paid of f beyond belief in the T_oL ecret Atomic Projects _.

S Months of time and thirty million dollars cash on piping alone were saved by the New Plan for Oak Ridge, made on my first day.

Sixty days later another $30 million was saved by valve inventions.

I Piping-and Valves are involved at Turkey Point.

t Experience and Scientific know-how is offered covering l

thirty years. pioneering, in Electric Power Design, Construction l

and Operation,-with steam pressures to 2,500 pai and 1,000 Fah.

i Steampurity 99,999,990%, reliability 100%.

Atomic Design covered over-all features of Oak Ridge and'dctails on each critical feature.

i Eight hundred miles' of Piping, 57,000 valves of sixty different l

types and sizes for each specific function to insure at least a year l

of performance in sealed cells.

All inventions have been perfog,

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and are used in succeeding plants.

Ps C a*.w Major Navy and Industrial Operations performed likewise.

,If a thousandJof~myjinventions were taken out of service, Atomic Indust. ries

. Production would cease, Electric Power, black out, I would falter, and Navy and National Security would be crippled.

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Five years post grad campus studies, and rare Top from Carnegie, five years on Achievement degrees in Applied Sciences the faculty and 32 years on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees made up of leaders in Industry, Presidents of U.S. Steel, Bethelham Steel, General Mott,rs, V.P. head of Scientific Labs of A.T.& T., Sec. of Treas. Mellon and others, helped me.

I have been an acti've member of a dozen Scientific Societics, A.S.M.E. 1912, Fellow 1941, Power Committee 5 years.

fields, ?:cch.,

I am a Licensed Professional 1:ngincor in five I wan, Advisor on Advanced Sci.entific Elec., Chem., Civil, Structural.I have never spent one cent for Design for Navy for 8 years.

and V.P.

of leading Corpor-publicity, not even for cards when G.M.

I recommend simple, safe piping design _

ations. _Results alone count.

Details on request.

and greatly improvec va.i.ves, at less cost.

I will be available to help secure safety.

I' Sincerely, p,

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-1..:.e forunate ntart up piping enplenic:. at Yurkey Point in

- l.71 injurce' eleven :3ut killed 1.one: it occurreC. pricr to the utart-of a no'.< conetructicn day.

2..' sinular piping onplonicn in a Ccorgia pc.ccr plant hillcC t:.ree.

3. J. net'..er a::plonion occurred in Carolina.

4. La '.urhey Point acciclont occurroc with a stem pressure cf c:aly 1,i.";0 roundo por aquaru inch.

' 1.c piping had just previcusly tented e.Z. uith cold unter at 1,500 p.c.i. fifty percent a

< greater tnan the enplosion prennure of only 1,900 p.n.i.

5. Failure was not caused by prennura '.;ut therr.nl strcan not rcccgnited by F.P. C L. or 1y their connultant contractor.

'they only au..itteci " deficient" desicin.

It van actu Illy a defective cancarona Ceninn, cenaincu uith a 6ancoroun procecduro.

G. 'ii.e " repair" baned on wrong diagnonin incorporaten t-he e

nan.e featurac which caused the firnt dinanter.

7. It chould not

,o put into operation -even if niore cafoful tcat proceeduren uro cuccacnful.

Pipin<1 should he ignorant and icol proof.

E...cne of ti:e nuhject "!;nfoty" Valve Pi. int;" in needed!

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..on ra..oved it cannot onplodc!

'e... nigale Safety Syntol.- conta nothing for pipin<f: nonc in needed, Lut a healthy ranpoct for the unchaneca':10 cnpancicn 1sta cf nature ic a :..ust.

10. ';::.c : enefit of nixty yearn of nuccennful niajor picncer parfarnance, uiti. precsurac and torporaturca t'.? ice no high, in of fc3:ed for cincere connideration.

11. Copics of offern and rajecticrin t:ithout reasonn are uttached.

1". litq;.jections for necuring i;nfc:ty and Pui-lic Jicnefits are accduc..

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June 15, 1972 l

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Mr.

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C. Hobbs 2507 Country Club Prado Coral' Gables, Florida

Dear Mr. Hobbs :

Thank you for your letter and the information you delivered to the office Tuesday evening.

I read with interest your thoughts on Turkey Point and I want you to know that we appreciate your offer to be of assistance.

I have taken the liberty of forwarding your letter

--to the folks directly concerned with these matters, and I am sure they will be in touch with you 'if we can utilize your services.

With best wishes.

i Sincerely your's,

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2507 COUNTRY CLUS PRADO. CORAL GABLES FLORIDA f-

&3 WOOD STRCET, PAINESVILLE. OHIO f

f June 13, 1972 f'

Mr. - Marshall IicDonnald, Chief 1:xecutive Officer 4

Florida Power & Light Coripany

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iarai, Florida

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Dear Sir:

I Ever since the fortunate pipe failure at 'iurkcy Point on Dec. 2,1971 which killed no onc but injured too raany; I have endeavored to rc.ake re.y sixty years of successful pioneer i

know-how in the Electric Power, Atomic and related ficids,

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availabic on a gratis basis.

Copics of previous letters

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provide-additional facts.

t 1o others concerned have recognised the causes and rectified the design.

P.eported repairs are not the right annuers.

The delay of seven months has already cost millions.

It need not continue.

Oak nidge, the first successful Top Eccret Atomic Plant had a similar history.

" Pure" Scientistfluorked years, gave up as impossible and urged termination.

Projects were transferred cr to the Army 1:ngineers in 1942 without any proven process.

The

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'I.rmy determined in August 1943 to secure someone with a success record in the several related ficids.

Ccpt. 9, I hcgan alone tl

'in barc office guarded by Aroy.

I. css than four hours later I i

took n.y process design to the Chief Lngineer.

Uc accepted irmediately and stated "The original looks foolish." Inventions were furnished as needed.

'2urkey Point probleus are siuilar.

Safe, I:conouical, Successful Ecsign is needed.

P.ll the Safety Valve piping can and should he clirainated.

Prcscurcs of 2,500 psi anc' tetrcratures of 1,000deg.fah have been trouble free for 35 years in the pioneer plant I designed, builted and operated beginning in 193C.

urkey Point piping failed at 1,G00 pui and less than 550 deg. f r.'c..

Service is gratis.

1; oral obligation forces my rescue ef forts ahead of other national c~.cvelopments.

I ara ray brothere hecper.

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7. quick, quict-first person inspection of Utatus quo with one of your staff and a fo'. hourn to write the prescription is all that is rcquired to start the short correction proceedures.

An early response will Lc apprecintof.

t your service, p

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Phone - Mo. 1-0426

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