ML20128N105
| ML20128N105 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palo Verde  |
| Issue date: | 06/17/1982 |
| From: | Mast D BECHTEL GROUP, INC. |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20079P594 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-83-161, FOIA-83-A-9 NUDOCS 8506030174 | |
| Download: ML20128N105 (17) | |
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3sg UNITED STATES OF AMERI'CA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION y
' In the matter'of:
Interview of D. J. Mast-
-Docket No.
i s
Location:
Pages:
I -I7 1
Date:
June 17, 1982 i
8506030174 831110
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PDR FOIA BERNABE83-A-9 PDR l-TAYLOE ASSOCIATES Court Reportm 16211 St.ect. N.'N, Suite 1004
% a hirgon. D C. 20006 (202) :93-3950
1 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 2
3 4
5 6
7 Interview of D.
J. Mast 8
9 10 June 17, 1982 Palo Verde Nuclear Station 11 12 13 i
14 Investigators:
E.
J.
Power 15 O.
C.
Shackleton 16 17 l
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 l
25 l
L..
2
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1 1
P R
O C
E E
D I
N G
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- Esd-dh 2-INVESTIGATOR:
-- J.
Mast, last name M-a-s-t.
3 Mr. Mast is an electrician employed by Bechtel Power Corpora-4 tion Unit 1 of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.
5 Present for this interview from the Nuclear 6
Regulatory Commission is E.
J.
Power and myself, O.
C.
7 Shackleton, investigators for Region V of the Nuclear Regula-8 tory Commission.
9 Mr. Mast, do we have your permission to tape i
10 record this interview?
11 MR. MAST:
Yes.
12 13 14 7 (A) 15 l
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 l
24 25 h
6 1
.I 2
7 (A) s 3
{
.4 5
INVESTIGATOR:
Our next area of interest, Dan,-
6" relates to the improper-splicing of quality control, the 4
7
. quality class safet? related cables.
Have you ever known 8
~of any. situation or been asked to splice quality class cables.
~9 Like in the trade.
I don ' t mean at a -termination.
10 -
MR. MAST:
No.
t
~ 11 -
INVESTIGATOR:
Or there's been damage done to a g_
. 12 cable.
y 13 3 MR. MAST:
Splicing it without a card, or --?
14 INVESTIGATOR:
Yes, without a card, without QC, I
~ 15 without an engineer ~--
16 MR. MAST:
No, I've never been asked to do that.
17 LI don't know of anybody that's ever-done that.
18 INVESTIGATOR:
We have an allegation.that there
- 19 was some damage done by welding.
20 '
.MR.
MAST:
Oh.
!~
- 21 INVESTIGATOR:
Slag came down, -- casing of the 22 o
cable and rather.than de-terminate it, pull the cable, the 23 heat shrink' tube was, (inaudible) installed in covering up 24.
the damaged area and cables were pulled over the top so you 25' couldn't see it.
.Do you know any circumstance like that?
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1 MR. MAST:
No.
I 2
INVESTIGATOR:
Another area of allegation concerning 3
the, is a1 violation of cable de-termination procedures.
Where 4-
-you' fellows, a craft, de-terminated a cable that was bought ofd 5
~ by_QC and then lat.er,
- Startup,
'or someone else, comes along 6
~andide-terminates without following proper procedure, the 7
documentation-and so on, and you guys later find that when 8
you're doing work that somebody had done an~ improper termina-9-
tion or maybe not even reconnected it again.
'10 Have you ever had any situations like that?
11 MR. MAST:
I heard a lot about it, and I had run 12 -
into a couple of them in particular, I believe it was-13
. switches'and such.
I'm not certain if they had gone through 14 all the paperwork, butLI remember terminating one and later 15
- on seeing it de-terminated going through the right 16 pape rwork.
17 INVESTIGATOR:
For my own information, Dan, does
~
18 -
that relate to class Q work?
19 MR.. MAST:
That particular one was black cable; 20 it was in class Q.
21 INVESTIGATOR:
It was in class Q.
22 Is'that -- did that happen relatively recently, or 23 is'it some time in the past?
24 MR. MAST:
Oh, that probably was first of th'e year; 25 January, February.
.g-
~
1 INVESTIGATOR:
Is it still'a discussion among thel j
2:
journeymen it beinga problem? ' You said~you heard it from 3
others'.
~4-MR.--MAST:
No.
'S INVESTIGATOR:
Because_you're starting to go into 6'
a-startup phase ~now.-
7 MR. MAST:
Well when they started issuing, going
'8
.into different tagging procedures and-such, they were --
~
9
'well, people > ere a heck of a lot more cautious, and-when
- 10 :
you get to a Q' class cable, you treat it like gospel.
You
'll know, because you mess up one of them, and that's just, you
- 12
- know,_all. sorts of. paperwork --
ri::
13.
INVESTIGATOR:
(Simultaneous discussion.. )
14 MR. MAST:
But as far as I know,l[ haven ' t seen, -
15 you know, something that can be-terminated'that_I knew, you 16 know, that'someone ' done -it under the sly or something.
17 :
INVESTIGATOR:
Dan,.I don't know whether, within 18.
-the. time frame of your last employment you may -have any
~
19 knowledge of_this next. area, but it relates to the improper 20 insulation, the high voltage termination.
And what I'm 21 talking;about here is they have a, well, we've learned -- they 22
.had.a problem withLsome of the material they were using to 23~
~
called Scotch Fill.
close_up a_ termination; wrap it up, 24 -
-The rubber pad -- as I understand, Scotch Fill is soms type-25-of a.maleable compound that they use to --
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~ 1 MR.: MAST:'I'm not
--.I'm not really familiar with
-y
~2' "it.'
.3.
INVESTIGATOR: Are you using 130~C now?~
? ~
4:
MR.? MAST:
Tape?'
5-
'INVES.TIGATOR :
Tape.
-6
- MR., MAST
Yes.
~
2 7!
INVESTIGATOR:' Okay, but you havent gotten 18
'directly; involved 'in 'it?-
9
- MR. MAST:
I haven't done it;'I haven'.t done any.
'10 ft' aping in so long,-I.can't remember.
They changed the
- 11
- procedure ; on that -(inaudible).. They. were using ~ (inaudible),.
~
- 121 1_gelieve,:and'then they went back toJS:otch.
But they
- 13' f..
!sent'outea? paper to chan'ge'--
' 14 '
(Simultaneou's discussion.)~
_151 INVESTIGATOR:
Okay,.. Dan.
The next interesting 16 ~.
t,
-point'that was given to:us is concerning terminations like' l
~ L 17 '
when you fellows run a field cable up and terminate to an L 18 '
electric motor,.and.the peck'er-head on the motor's got;a one-j
'18
-bolt lug.: And'I. guess. typically on the larger cables?you've
. m;,
~ 20 ~
- gotLa two-bolt lug.
. Bear with my ignorance, because~I may
~
l 21 :
not : have it correct ---
e22 MR. MAST:.All right.
3 23.
I haven't made up that many-motors,'so --
. 24 INVESTIGATOR:
Have you ever worked where you have
- 25...
LaLtwo-bolt lug..or ~ the field cable, or the one--bolt lug on n-u T-
~ ~ " '
O 10 1.
.what you'had to connect it.to?
2 MR. MAST:
No, I don't believe I have.
I've made-s 3
up very few motors,' and most of them were small motors with
[ fractional horsepower and such.
You probably refer to the 4
5 biggerLmotors.
- 6
. INVESTIGATOR:
Yes.
Primarily-bigger motors.
7 The next issue'is QC inspectors.
The QC inspectors 8
=that are' assigned by Bechtel to the electrical-inspections of 9
- doing it,; inspections of the work that.you fellows do, by 10 '
.your observations andLexperience do you feel that they are
-11
. properly'doing their job and seem~to be knowledgeable and 12 qualified to do what they are doing?
13 MR.Et1AST:
Yes.
The ones that I've had come watch.
'14 me ILthink do their' job just fine.
' 15 '
INVESTIGATOR:
Have you ever observed or even
~16 heard'of stories among the' plant where QC inspectors;have been 17 overridden by' construction?
By this'I mean intimidated,
-18" where a guy might want to hang'a red tag and a foreman comes 19
.along and tells them,.Get that damn thing off of there, it's 20 all right, you don't know what you're doing?
21-
'MR. MASTi Construction intimidating QC?
22 INVESTIGATOR:
Yes.
'M MR. MAST:
No, I don't know that either.
241
-INVESTIGATOR:
Do you feel, then, Dan, that from 25 :
gwhat you observed jin your plant.QC operates freely?
J
.q
-11
-l~
MR. MAST: I believe so, yes.
'2 IINVESTIGATOR:
That they are really quality control ?
e s3~
.M R. MAST:
I believe so.
'4' INVESTIGATOR:'
Independent frem construction.-
i;
-- 5
'Most of.the men ---I'd be interested to n
s-6-
know~how you feel -- you feel you have-appropriate time to
~
-7
.do your work? -
'8 MR. MAST:
More than ample time to do it.-
-9:
-INVESTIGATOR:
So you feel there's no; reason.why.
(10 you guys shouldn't be able to do a quality class job.
~11 MR. MAST:
Right.
I've really never run into
. 12 anything where;I didn't have enough' time..They giv.e you
~
~
[
13 time limits-sometimes, and if you don't get it done, they 14:
just make'a'new time limit.
So.you've got your own speed 15-anyway,nso --
16' INVESTIGATOR:
So you feel that you guys are J17 '
.ablefto'do quality work?
'18 -
MR. MAST:
I can speak for.myself, yes.
'19' INVESTIGATOR:
Do you work'in pairs, Dan,.or do A
20 r'
'you work' singly?
21-MR. MAST:
On and off probably 50 percent of the f
^
': 22 '
time.
It varies.
,UT INVESTIGATOR:
llow long have yo'u been in the
-24 craft, Dan?.
-25 MR. MAST: Well, since my apprenticeship, i
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3 ;- ~
-12
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approximately seven'and a half years.
I was close:to the age.
2 INVESTIGATOR:
What's the apprenticeship for an 3
electrician?
.i --
.4 MR. MAST:
.Four years.
5 INVESTIGATOR:
Have you done any high potting since
~
-6 lyou'vezbeen out here?
7 MR. MAST:
Yes.
8
' INVESTIGATOR:
One of the allegations we have is 9i that in some : cases that excessive high potting 'on the same
- 10
-cable, have.you ever observed or heard'of this?
11 JiR. MAST:
No.
I helped with two high pots, we 12 -
did - (inaudible).
p 13 INVESTIGATOR:
Well, the information we-have is 14
-that the excessive high potting isn't being done by the 15 craft, but it's being done by some'of the Bechtel engineers 16 who didn't seem to know how to do it or it was done by 17' Startup who came along and did high pot testing ^after.
- 18 MR. MAST:
Is that right!
19
-INVESTIGATOR:
Construction had already done it.
20 Have you ever heard anything like that?
21' MR. MAST:
-I never~ heard anything like that.
22 INVESTIGATOR:
Do you have any ins ~tallations where 23 you are working with conduit where you've used O rings for integrity where the conduit comes into a box, connecting box?-
25 MR. MAST:
Are you referring to a fitting'like a
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.4
[
13 sa
'l Myers,-sort of a brand name,'Myers ---
2 INVESTIGATOR:
It might be, I wouldn't know.
3 What I'mLtalking about, and the way it's described to me, it's 4
'like where you have a. conduit and you've got a slip ring on
~
5 it with-thread,.and.you've got thread on.the top of the box.
~
~6.
And then you've got an.O ring that acts as a washer that 7
comp'resses to give it watertight integrity to pull the 8
conduit down-tight.
9 -
MR.l MAST:
Okay.
I think I know what you're-10
' talking about.
(Inaudible) connector, a connector?'
11~
i INVESTIGATOR:
You'd know the terminology.
12' MR. MAST:
I'm assuming that's what you're talking-p.
13 about.
14 -
INVESTIGATOR:
Have you done any installation of 15 those?
Now, the area I'm talking about is in the contro'l i
16 building down at 100 foot elevation.
Have you worked in 17-that area?
18 MR.. MAST:
Very little in that~ area.
19 INVESTIGATOR:
The allegation we have is that for 20 one period of' time Bechtel didn't have the o rings available 21 -
for about six' months.
And the electricians were told to go 22~
ahead and do the installations even though they-didn't have.
23
- the O rings.
Did you ever hear anything about that?
~
24 '
MR. MAST:
No.
25
. INVESTIGATOR:
And you've never participated in-ll-m
e-
- 14 s--
/
1' any installation.like that?.
2:
MR. MAST:
No.
3:
. INVESTIGATOR:
The next subject, Dan, is a 4
situation where you guys have to make a new penetration,
- 5 maybe going from the, wrap-around building in the containment
'6 or something'where you've got to run a new line, new cable 7
-or something, and they've-accidentally drilled into conduit.
8
-Have you'ever heard of any such thing?
8' MR. MAST:
(Inaudible).
10' INVESTIGATOR:
Yes, when they're drilling, taking 11 their core, (inaudible) you know, penetration, they hit
' 12 conduit.
?!
- 13 MR. MAST:
I've never run into that or heard 14' about.it.
15 INVESTIGATOR:
Talking about that, have you ever 16 heard of an electrician by the name of Jerry Stewart?
Or 17 Jim Williams?
18 '
MR.- MAST:
Jerry Stewart sounds familiar; I'm not 18 certa,in if I know him, though.
20 INVESTIGATOR:
There's a couple guys we are trying og to find who are'no longer here.
Once they leave here, it 22 gets a~little bit difficult.
(Inaudible).
They were possibly 23 involved in some of these things that we're asking you about, 24 and we'd like to talk with them.
95' MR. MAST:
That may well have been before I came.out.
~
I L-A
15 3.;
Q,. [-
11 INVESTIGATOR:
It:could well have been.
-1 2
Last[ question off of this list; nothing relates 3__
specifically to electrical-installation,.but it's one that 4
- we're concerned-~about-Lbecause of the implication it has on-
~
5 the'planti And,that's the use of drugs on the site. I'm 6
talking-about controlled' drugs; marijuana, hashish, cocaine,
~7
.all.ithe various. amphetamines like black beauties and so on.
8
'And we're'not naive; we've.been around the world a little bit.
9L We know we've got.it, but we wonder how. bad it-is.
We're 10 1 getting allegations of different -- different people'.
And ill;
.you're'onsthe young side, and it's usually the younger-side-12:
- that' knows~ more about it.
What is your observation?
U
_ 13 MR. MAST:' I've smelled-pot out there.
I,can't-114:
LsayjI haven't.
15i
' INVESTIGATOR:
Is. thereLany particular area of 16
.the plant where you felt it's been in use more than Jany 17 others?~ Do'they have some favorite place as a hideout where 18
- they can sitoand smoke?
19-
~
MR. MAST:
No, I. haven't smelled any in quite'a
'M
- while, but when I did it was, I-believe it was up in about
.21-the third floor of auxiliary or control.
22 -
INVESTIGATOR:
Underneath the control room?
23 MR. HAST:
Well, in the auxiliary -
in that area 24.
-between thataand control.
25l heard any discussions
. INVESTIGATOR:
Have
.u m_.
g p
+.
'16 3 +1 - ',
^
1
- -amongst; people about the drug traffic on site?
I
(.2.
MR. MAST:
Well, I know what's out here; I don't 3-particularly get into it.
I do some -- I have, and I don't 4
.particularly care to do it out on the job.
5 INVESTIGATOR:
Well.it's something that just=doesn' b 6
.have its place here, just like booze, you know.
We don't want 7"
. people drinking.here,'either.
. hether it's marijuana or W
. hether it's'. alcoh'ol, it has the same effect on a workman.
8 w
29-
-He's not going to be sharp, and if he's (inaudible).
Sa'fety
.10 for himself and others, but what he's -doing he-can't do a very 11-good : job if he doesn't have control of all his f aculties.
12 Gene, do you have any other_ questions?
L.
13
. INVESTIGATOR: No.
14 INVESTIGATOR:
Dan, we appreciate your cooperation 15 and --
16 INVESTIGATOR:
Is there anything that you would 17 like to talk to us -- oh, any. concerns, anything?
1EI MR. MAST:
I would like to make a statement as 19 far as, what I've seen as far as the quality of work.
I think
'20' most of it is exceptionally good as far as the electrical end 21 of'it, as far as mechanically sound, I think -- as a matter of
' 22 -
fact, I think some of it is just way overkill, you know.
- 23 ' j
. INVESTIGATOR:
Well, of course you know a lot of p
' 24 l
this redundancy is~for safety purposes..
[25 ; !
MR. MAST:
Yes, I understand that.
But I can't say l
6
W
~
~
- f..
17
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1 it.'s'not a good in'stallation, from wh'at I've-seen.
2-INVESTIGATOR:
Good.
.3 Anything else you'd'like to say, Dan, before we
-) 4 termin' ate the' interview?
5-MR.' MAST; I believe that's all I need to say.
INVESTIGATOR:
Okay, this wi11 be'a -- close, then, 6
'7;
--the interview on Mr._ Mast.
.And the time is now approximately
,8 2:24 p.m.-
.9
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