ML20136B403
| ML20136B403 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/20/1990 |
| From: | Claxton G NRC OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS (OI) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20136A614 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-96-475 NUDOCS 9703100265 | |
| Download: ML20136B403 (2) | |
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PEPORT OF INTERVIEW WITH EUGENE P. (PETE) TOLBERT TOLBERT was interviewed at his place of business on July 2,1990, by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Investigators Gary H. Claxton and Craig T. Tate.
Also present was Kamal NAIOU from NRC's Vendor Inspection Branch. TOLBERT is vice president of Spectronics Incorporated,1201 Montlimar Avenue, Mobil telephone Qd Alaba TOLBERT resides at TOLBERT said he is the co-owner of Spectronics along with Mo EA L, Pre)sident. TOLBERT said he and EARL bought the business from Dow Electronics in 1988 and have been in the same location since that time.
TOLBERT said he has been in the business of electronics sales for approximately 20 years. Upon being advised of the investigators' official identities and purpose of the interview, TOLBERT provided the following information.
TOLBERT said he received a telephone call from Gary THOMPSON on May 24, 1990, who identified himself as an employee of Carolina Power and Light (CP&L).
TOLBERT stated he had never done business with THOMPSON, CP&L or Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant (SHNP) in the past. He said THOMPSON did not identify SHNP as a nuclear plant during their conversation. He said THOMPSON wanted to know if Spectronics could supply three different models of Potter and Brumfield, Inc. (P&B), electrical motor-driven relays for a total of 30 relays. TOLBERT said he checked with the manufacturer and learned there was a long production delay. He said he then called Stokley Enterprises, Inc., in Norfolk, Virginia, who had been able to supply relays in the past. TOLBERT identified Bill STOKLEY as the owner of Stokley Enterprises who said he would be able to supply the relays within a week. TOLBERT said he called THOMPSON and asked him if traceability was required and THOMPSON said traceability was not required with .
this order. TOLBERT said he has previously sold relays to Nuthenn International j for use in the nuclear industry and is aware of the special handling required for traceability. TOLBERT said THOMPSON ordered the relays and had ST0KLEY ship them directly to SHNP due to the urgent need as stated by THOMPSON.
TOLBERT said he never saw the relays and his first indication of a problem was when he received a telephone call from CP&L employee Dave OLDHAM.
INVEST! GATOR'S NOTE: OLDHAM is not employed by CP&L; he is the regional sales manager for P&B.
He said OLDHAM read him a list of discrepancies which indicated the relays were used or surplus rather than new. TOLBERT said one of the problems cited by OLDHAM was the absence of a date code on the relays. TOLBERT said he asked ST0KLEY about the date code and was told it probably came off when the relay was cleaned up. TOLBERT was asked why STOKLEY would have to clean a new relay and he replied he did not understand how it could have happened. TOLBERT said he did not know what was going on and was confused at the time. He said he had never used STOKLEY products before and neither had he ever sold used or surplus goods.
TOLBERT initially stated that he was unfamiliar with the tenn " conversion" in regards to relays and did not know what the interviewers tere referring to when they asked him about the term. TOLBERT was confrccted with the purchase order from him to Stokley which involved the conversior, of several of the [
relays in question. TOLBERT then said certain relays carry different model {
numbers even though they are mechanically identical. TOLBERT claimed he did p)j i
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not know what was involved in a conversion and had never discussed conversions with the manufacturer. TOLBERT said if a customer requests a relay which he does not have in stock, he (TOLBERT) will call ST0KLEY to find out if there is an interchangeable model. TOLBERT said if he has the interchangeable relay, he will ship it to ST0KLEY who converts it to the desired model and returns it to TOLBERT who ships the product to the purchaser. TOLBERT said he did not realize ST0KLEY was converting relays until approximately one year ago. At that time, TOLBERT said he asked STOKLEY about the conversions because he was
- concerned that he had received a relay in a different box than those used by P&B. He said ST0KLEY explained the conversion process and assured him the s
relays were. definitely new. TOLBERT specifically denied that he had ever ordered new manufacturer's name plates or asked STOKLEY to change the name plates on his behalf.
TOLBERT said he occasionally orders relays from STOKLEY and he considers them
- new because they arrive in sealed boxes and their appearance is new looking, s TOLBERT said although the boxes from Stokley are different from those used at P&B, he still believes the relays are new because they arrive sealed. TOLBERT said he had no problem with the fact that the packaging from Stokley was different from P&B and he added that the Stokley boxes were actually a better cuality. TOLBERT later stated he inspected all of the relays received from
- Stokley because they are rarely sealed.
INVESTIGATOR'S NOTE: Earlier in the interview TOLBERT said the Stokley boxes are always sealed.
TOLBERT said he was told by ST0KLEY that he inspects everything going out of his (STOKLEY's) building. TOLBERT said he had no technical training and he takes ST0KLEY's word that the relays have been tested.
INVESTIGATOR'S NOTE: It would not be logical or necessary for a distrib- !
utor to test relays if in fact they were new. The only reason TOLBERT would be reassured by the esting would be if he knew the relays were used or surplus.
TOLBERT was again asked if he believed the relays purchased from Stokley were new. TOLBERT made an unqualified statement that everything he buys from Stokley is new.
INVESTIGATOR'S NOTE: Continuing the interview at this point became unproductive since TOLBERT was making contradictory, and sometimes obviously false statements. At this time the interview was discontinued in favor of obtaining sales and purchase records from TOLBERT.
This Report of Interview was prepared on July 9,1990.
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Gary 11. Claxt'on, Investigatdt Office of Investigations 2
Field Office, Region II Reviewed by: z,4// m Date:{f fg/ n Case No. 2-90-014 2