ML20132B661

Discusses Concerns Re QA Breakdown at Facility.Interviews W/Witnesses Revealed Possibility of Impropriety & Violation of NRC Rules & Regulations by Onsite Inspector.Investigation Can Be Completed When Anonymity Is Guaranteed

ML20132B661
Person / Time
Site:	Catawba, 05000000
Issue date:	10/06/1983
From:	Garde B GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT
To:	Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
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References
FOIA-84-722 NUDOCS 8311080044
Download: ML20132B661 (2)

Text

l 1 cs a s GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTADILITY PROJECT Institute for Policy Studies 1901 Que Street. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009 U.S. NRC (202) 234-938

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October 6, 19 89 OCT I I AH 11: I3 J

. WEE 11 INVE511GATID'G kl Chairman Nunzio Palladino HEADQUARTERS

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission .g/ k Washington, D.C. 20555 -

Dear Chairman Palladino:

On September 14, 1983 the Government Accountability Project filed a request pursuant to 10 C.F.R. 2.206 regarding a quality assurance breakdown at the Catawba Nuclear Power Station being built by Duke Power Company in South Carolina.

Among the issues of concern raised in our letter was the problem of nuclear workers on the Catawba site who have been subjected to specific and general harassment and intimidation for attempting to do their jobs -- whether related to quality control / quality assurance or a regular craft. I summarized in an affidavit the type of information that we were receiving from past and present nuclear workers (attachment 26 to the petition) .

We expect that the ruling on the .206 petition will take some time, although we hope that the delay i)s not lengthy. However, we have a dilemma which requires your 1mmediate attention and request that you address this issue se'parately.

In the course of our investigation we have talked to a number of witnesses who wish to make their concerns known to the NRC. As you know, GAP prepares affidavits from workers in these situations and submits them to the NRC regional of fice for inspection and investigation. That normal course of action is not available in this case for the following reasons:

(1) There is an ongoing Office of Inspector and Auditor (OIA) investigation into the impropriety and possible violation of NRC rules and regulations by the on-site inspector, the person who would normally conduct the inspectioniin conjunction with other regional inspectors, if necessary. This investigation results from serious misconduct, including disclosure of identity and release of draft reports, which is not yet explained.

(2) The workers and former workers have no trust in the NRC officials known to them to conduct an adequate or impartial investigation. Justified or not, the common feeling is that Duke controls the NRC and that their claims would not be adequately investigated to the embarrasment of Duke Power Company.

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. A Chairman Palladino October 6, 1983 (3) Workers deeply fear the corporate and peer harassment which would occur if their identity as a source of information was ever discovered or disclosed within the community.

The workers have agreed to provide information to NRC officials which GAP officials will personally vouch for. Obviously , the sphere of those NRC inspectors is small, and in Region II it is non-existent.

We therefore respectfully request that you appoint either an Office of Investigation (OI) investigator to conduct or supervise the investigation of these allegations, or schedule a meeting between EDO and GAP to discuss the methodology by which the investigation into the Catawba plant can be conducted in a manner by which we protecti,on

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can assure our witnesses that they will receive both and anonymity and an adequate inspection into their concerns.

We look forward to your response in the near future.

Very truly yours, b Ltk bh Billie Pirner Garde BPG/ea Director, Citizens' Clinic L D O