ML20135C638

Discusses Receipt of Licensee Final Response to NRC NOV & Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty in Amount of $100,000,

ML20135C638
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone
Issue date:	12/04/1996
From:	Lieberman J NRC OFFICE OF ENFORCEMENT (OE)
To:	Kenyon B NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY CO.
References
EA-96-059, EA-96-59, NUDOCS 9612090022
Download: ML20135C638 (2)

Text

_ . . . _ - . --. - - - -

p f% \ UNITED STATES j

f g NUCLEAR RE2ULATORY CUMMISSION i WASHINGTON, D.C. SegeH001

,' e\*****/ December 4,1996 l EA 96-059 Mr. Bruce D. Kenyon i

President and Chief Executive Officer Northeast Nuclear Energy Company (NNECO) i Post Office Box 128

! Waterford, Connecticut 06385-0128 j

SUBJECT:

RECEIPT OF NNECO'S FINAL RESPONSE TO THE NRC'S NOTICE OF VIOLATION l AND IMPOSITION OF CIVIL PENALTY

Dear Mr. Kenyon:

On June 4, 1996, the NRC issued you a Notice of Violation and Proposed 2

Imposition of Civil Penalty. This will acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 25, 1996 and your check for $100,000 in payment for the civil penalty. This penalty was based on a decision by a D0L Administrative Law i' Judge who found that discrimination occurred against an individual.

Subsequently, a DOL Administrative Review Board issued an order dismissing the l DOL complaint based on your company reaching a settlement with the individual.

i In your response, you continue to maintain that your treatment of the

individual did not violate NRC requirements. We note, however, that in the past, there have been other instances in which the NRC has taken enforcement action, including civil penalties, for discrimination that occurred against Northeast Ut11 ties employees involved with your Millstone facility. In addition, the September 1996 report of the Millstone Independent Review Group (NIRG) found, among other issues, that an unhealthy work environment--which i did not tolerate dissentin5 views, and did not welcome or promote a l l questioning attitude--has existed at Millstone for at least several years.

i In consideration of this overall view of your environment for raising safety

' concerns, we will continue to examine closely the corrective actions you described in your response to this violation. We will also be monitoring j closely the actions being taken or planned in response to the NRC Order dated i

i October 24, 1996, which requires a comprehensive plan'for reviewing and disposittaaing safety issues raised by your employees and ensuring that employees who raise safety concerns can do sc without fear of retaliation, and requires, in addition, that you retain an 1: a pendent third-party to oversee

'your employee concerns program.

L 060126 ' 0 9612090022 961204 PDR ADOCK 05000245 0 PDR

f Northeast Nuclear , Energy Company In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790, a copy of this letter will be placed in the Comeission Public Document Room.

Sincerely, M b ames Lieberman, Director

, Office of Enforcement Docket Nos. 50-245; 50-336; 50-423 cc: H. Miller, RI W. Travers -

I

)

t l

l

.