ML20134H327

Rept of 900615 Interview W/Aj Roberts

ML20134H327
Person / Time
Issue date:	09/06/1990
From:	Claxton G NRC OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS (OI)
To:
Shared Package
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References
FOIA-96-475 NUDOCS 9702110245
Download: ML20134H327 (4)

Text

in REPORT OF INTERVIEW WITH ARTHUR J. ROBERTS ROBERTS was interviewed at his office on June 15, 1990, by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Investigator Gary H. Claxton. At the time of the interview, ROBERTS was employed by Carolina Power and Light Company (CP&L) at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant (SHNP), New Hill, North Carolina. ROBERTS identified his position as a senior specialist, mechanical. He said his job entails the review of any new or plant change item to ensure conformance with technical and quality assurance requirements.. ROBERTS added that he will be employed at the Turkey Point Nuclear Plant after July 5,1990, and can be contacted at (305) 246-6692. Upon being advised of the investigator's official identity and purpose of the interview, ROBERTS provided the following information.

ROBERTS was told by SHNP's Engineering Department that a quantity of electrical, motor-driven relays were to be replaced in the diesel sequencer circuits at SHNP and he was asked to locate a vendor where the relays could be purchased.

Because the SHNP outage was a relatively short one, the relays had to be obtained within a few days according to ROBERTS. ROBERTS said he notified other employees within his department of the urgent request so that a vendor could be located as quickly as possible.

ROBERTS said his first contact was with the manufacturer of the needed relays, Potter and Brumfield, Inc. (P&B), Mt. Vernon, Illinois. ROBERTS said he was told by an unknown sales representative that the delivery time on the relays would be from 12-15 weeks due to production backlogs. He said the sales representative provided him with the telephone numbers of three P&B distributors who possibly would have the relays in stock. ROBERTS called the three numbers, one of which was Spectronics, Incorporated, in Mobile, Alabama.

ROBERTS said he was told that Spectronics did not have the relays in stock but nonetheless could have the requested items delivered within one week, ROBERTS indicated he was immediately suspicious because he did not see how the relays could be delivered so quickly, since they were not in stock. He said he told the Spectronics salesperson that he would get back with him later. He then called the other two distributors and learned it would be 12-15 weeks before the relays could be delivered.

ROBERTS said he learned from one of his co-employees that a third employee who was helping locate the relays had also contacted Spectronics. ROBERTS learned that the third employee, Gary THOMPSON, CP&L Purchasing Department, had gone ahead and ordered the relays. ROBERTS recalls telling his supervisor, Larry COLLINS, that the relays would probably be fraudulent in some way. ROBERTS stated he contacted an unrecalled employee in the SHNP receiving warehouse and told them to hold the relays for his inspection when they arrived.

ROBERTS said the relays arrived at SHNP on May 30, and he was contacted as he had requested. He said he and COLLINS went to the warehouse and spot-checked the relays. He said he immediately suspected the relays were refurbished since some of them still had wet paint. He described the wet paint as glyptol which is used on the end of retaining nuts. He said the glyptol is applied on top of the studs which hold the relay together. He explained that if the glyptol is disturbed, it serves as an indicator to the manufacturer that an (f)

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unauthorized person has opened the relay. ROBERTS said the paint on the

, suspect relays was still tacky and that indicated to him that someone had 9 probably refurbished them and replaced the dab of glyptol. He identified the i manufacturer's nameplate as the next obvious characteristic. He compared a

nameplate on the relay from Spectronics with one from P&B. He noted the

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printing on the Spectronics tag was printed onto the surface of the metal with ink as opposed to the authentic tag which had the letters stamped into the ne tal . ROBERTS and COLLINS looked at each of the relays and made a list of additional characteristics which did not match a known authentic relay which previously had been purchased. ROBERTS said they advised personnel in the receiving warehouse not to enter the relays into stock until a decision could be made as to what should be done. ROBERTS stated the information made its way to CP&L Project Manager R. B. RICHEY, and eventually to the NRC resident inspector.

ROBERTS said he and COLLINS returned to the receiving warehouse where they conducted a coil resistance test on the relays. He said they did not maintain

a log of the results but that three of the tested units were not within j required specifications. ROBERTS stated this basic test confinned that there j was a problem with the relays which he turned over to the NRC for evaluation.

This Report of Interview was prepared on June 22, 1990.

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Gary H. ClaxtenV Tnvestigbtor Office of Investigations Field Office, Region II Reviewed by:

Date:

Ne-I / 4/l/4D i/'

Case No. 2-90-014 2 l

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