ML20141M391
| ML20141M391 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Seabrook  |
| Issue date: | 06/14/1990 |
| From: | Comley S WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES (WE THE PEOPLE |
| To: | David Williams NRC OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL (OIG) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20141J614 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-91-351 NUDOCS 9208130116 | |
| Download: ML20141M391 (15) | |
Text
m M e The People, Jnc.
-- of the United States V.,,t C ' ctrwh> t Her '
June 14, 1990 Mr. David W1111ame Office of the 3nspector us.ritr.sl Nucl ear Requ! story Coan t ret.1 ;n 3
Washington DC 20555
Dear Hr. Williams,
During our reeting March e, 19 90 wi th Mr. Leo Norton and Mr. Robert Watkins of your staff, via agreed that we would prepare and provide your cf' ice with a chronclogy of quality assurance problems portainilig to the welding at Seabrook Station.
Enclosed you will find th.nt report which has been prepared by Ernest Hadley,.itt e r ne y for We The people, Inc.
It shows that the 20% ref er. ion cato for welds found by Mr.
Joseph Wampler during his i t19 3 Leve.1 III lospections was part of an on-going problem witn welds and related materials.
These probless date f m i bl0 to thn presset and include high veld rejection rat s alats' led qua;ity assurance documents, Onspection lapses -
nqualif..ed weldurs and inspectors and the h use of counterfeit substands.rd partu in the construction of this p l a 'i t.
The observations of an ind al tr.de;d nuclear Plant expert noted at the end of thir; chrencloiy l '.1 d n r.
" apparent lack of ebjectivity" of NRC inspect rt at Suabrook Station.
We believe that both the history of veld safety problems and the NRC's t r eatraent of tamm warrant a serious investigation.
We suggest that such an inn stigation should also include t
gathering information from t ie Employees Lsgal Project (their contact person would be Mr.
Ronny Cushing, telephone 603-926-6718), a non-profit remtarch organization which has confidentially toterviewad anny formier Seabrook Station workere over the last 4 ye a: c.
fain (iffue: Das:n un. icy, M A ci49. tsr4; vay tv.w
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Sinen the NRC has chosen
- ,n licease Seabrook, which is now at 60% capacity, without therrnighly investigation thess satuty concerns.
Hopefully by working together we w111 de able to stop a.Chernobyl 1natead of reacting to one.
The Russian people-and our own--people at Threw Hile Island will testify that once.you have experiunced a-nuclear disaster, hindsight administration is not acceptable.
Sincerely, tAL.)
Nf 5)ephen B. Conley Executive Directo
- ect-Amp. Peter Xostanyer, Chakrasn of the Rouoe Energy Comm.
on Oversight and Invoutigation House Interior:and Innular Affairs Chairman Horrie Udall.
Mr. Ben Hayes, Director of ther NRC's Office of Investigation Sen. Edward Mennedy Sen. John Kerry Congressaan Edward Hsrkey Congressaan Nicholas Hpureules
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of the United Sla.es --
w p (. m otot // rc SEABROOK STATI D CHRON01.C0Y OF EVENTS The following chronology, compiled by W The People, Inc., docunents the history of major problems encountired during the construction phase of Seabrook Station in Seabrook, Nes Hanpshire throughout the decade of 1980.
Backup documentation is a.stlable upon requent.
1980
- Lotter from PSNH Site Hanager t: 014C Eesident Construction Han:tger:
"The quality of pipe welding..is ;nuse for ser:,ous concern.
The rejection rate for radiographed 4 f ety elass welds perf ormed by PulInan-Higgins was 30% as of 6/10/80.
T:o rejection rate for weld repairs was 50%...From $/1/80 to 6/10/30 the rejcetion rate for both new welds and rept:rs was 60%...The above examp'.es show an unacceptable situation wherein the quality of welding is poor and seems to be worsening." 1 1311
- Semo welds in the main steam feed restraints were never QC inspected; two Pullman-Higgins welds (4001.ind 4002) perf ortwd in 1981 were stpil cracknd and unrepaired when the w:rk was ccmpleted (2 301-09-004)
- YAEC Site Audit: " Deficiencies tdantified...weaknenses in the QA program.
Weld monitoring was....t repetitive deficiency..." 3 1212
- YAEC Site Audit: " Twenty deficiencies were identified; two primary areas cf concern (are) material J.dentification and weli monitoring.
P-H :nanagement less than effectiv.a in taking corrective action.
- A Step Work Order was issued by P-H in part because of 1 / 1989 Employees leg.tl Projtet (EL?) Beport, Exhibit 0, Testimony for the State of Vermont Department a t' public Service, 12/86, VII, Pullman-Higgins Problems, Exhibit.s, at p 2.
Employees Legal Project, Box 633, Hampton, New Hampshire 03042 2 / 1989 ELP Report, Appendia !!
Statenents of Concerned Individuals, 301-B9-004.
J/ 198 9 ELP Report, Exhibit 0, at p.
2.
[
4 / IA. at p. 3.
st.i.n otue um :n, naio. vA o3939,oco 94sm:v
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40 (intert Si;, I'Is m.iuth, $1 % 02}61. (308) 'J4b 9)(El
%non.d % lilJ ;,14 4 i ~ h. N.W.
Wadunpon t u. tu!.1:0:16 X#ll i
(illio n 4 & 6..i l'ie,n.mt %,
q"ong ned N H 033ni, tG O '4 sa.a ll.n beta \\ Aire. Oute v. hennt tymk. %Il 04(L41. (20D v <* i! I -
l
U ungva'ifted welding procedures.
- A concerned individual told sn. NRC in 1984 that in 1982 he has seee Dravo co. piping with faulty sho, weld's in turbine building 1, in the radioactive pipe tunnel and in r?u: tor coolant pipe in the main steam feed area.
P-H QC told him Drav) welds were not their concern.
Dravo Co.wasreportedbytheNRCin1H6tohavesuppgaedecunterfeit, possibly defective, piping to Seatrook Station.
1983
- YAEC Audit "The lack cf timely tasponse to open items, the new 1~ ems t
revealed-during this audit i nicate a need for P-H to display y proper sense of urgency relative to identified program deficiencies."
- Counterfeit unistrut bolts installed throughout the plant in 1982 and 1983 were partially replaced in li;e 1993 because the bolts were of the wrong material and were not s t r o r; enough.
However, the only bolts replaced were those which were easily accessible.
The reporting individual was a member of the to m changing the bolts.
There is apparently no record of which bo! ~.s were replaced and which wgre not.
The bol ts hold up electrical rsect.1ys, cabl es, conduits, ete
- Twent y people in a 30 person cacuelding crew were fired f or f alsif ying test c.idweld splices.
The cheatir? viol at ed several QA requirements.
.The NRC did not issue a violation to the utility, or require the utility to investigate the cause of the p: )blem.9 An NRC report " identifies the 1 :k of requisita QA coverage on certain s a f ety-rel a t ed sys t ems. " 10 J ADLS PAQ0V14Q James Padovano, a Pullaan diggina quality control inspector, conducted between 2,399 and
.',408 non-dest ructive examination at 5/ IJ. at p.
5.
6 / 1989 ELP Report, Appendix H, 112-04-012; Appandix E, Exhibit B; " Counterfeit and Sutsttadard Hriterials in 09 Nuclear Power Plants, _ parts T and II, and Seabrook Station Involvement," We The People, 199E.
7 / 1989 ELP Report, Exhibit 3 at p.
- . 3.
8 / 1963 ELP xeport, Exhibit 3,
149-39-002.
9/ 1989 ELP Report, Appendix H, 195-09-001.
10 / USNHC Systematic Assestnent of Licensee Performance, Aunuet, 1983.
l Seabrook Station butween Jtly 1982~nnd March
-)B3.
He was indicted by a red!ral graad 3ery in June 1985 for ft1179
- r.ste-tion reports on Welt r in the p1pirg system for which he had
- rf ormed no inspections, ie entersd a plea agreement with the US attorney, pled guilt y to t u counts of falsifying documents (each count carries a maximum sen:ence of five years, with a pess.ible fine not to exceed $250,000), t.ni was sentenced te six months incarceration and three yea:s probation.12
-- The NRC allowed pullmar.-iiggins to hire and supervise a company which performed the reinsr e :tions of padovano's 1,000 of the welds were nev er actually reinspected.yb s p p a.r en t l y wor
-- An NRC investigator to;d We The People during an interview at the Department of Justice that :he NRC has inspected lees than 10% of Padovano's work.
The NRC 6 is told that during the Padovano investigation, records hac :een buraed.14
-- Padovano told a member e! We The People that he felt he was encouraged to falsify weld :eports and that ethers were doing the same.
-- According to a concerned individaal who was 00 weld inspector in 1983, Padovano had worked at three nuclear plants previously; at two he had f alsified weld inepe:tions, using the same x-ray on many welds.
A Seabrook Station imployee who had worked with Padovane st a plant in OtWego had ca.ght Padovano falsifying inspections there.
Oswego management did not tell the NRC and gave Padovano a good recommendation to Seet:ook.
P-H did not check Padovano's background.
One of his itllow inspectors at Seabrook checked on Padovano's LP exams, found :ad welds and informed the NRC.
The company gave Padovano a ccti reco mandation and he went back to work at another nuclear power plant. 1 11 /
FSNH Letters to NRC Recaci 1, 6/3/t3, 7/5/83, 8/4/83, 8/16/83, 9/9/B3, 10/12/83, 12/2/83, 12/01'83.
12 /
palted Qtalys p.! Amenlc.e L,
.JAmea Egdnyfog, Docket No. 85-000016-01-L ID. NH, Sept. 30, 1985).
13 /
3ee Note 10.
14 /
During interview of 8tetten B.
Comley at Department of Justice.
Washington DC on 1/15/97.
15 /
1989 ELP Report, Append:t H, 108-86-007.
The NRC roncluded that ?: 3cvano's was an isolated case of doeurent falsification.
Hm sver a veld inspector on the ;ob a.
the rame time as Padovano said Ina; he thought Padovano was onl;' 1 ot 100 people who had f als2 fisc weld irspectians.
He said Padovano was a scapegoat.
Another weld taspector provided documentat2 on of a weld inspecti on f al si f ie s t1<:.1, and a turther instance of a forged signature was reported by t e NRC itself (NCR 7433 which, by i
the NRC discovered c aring a spot review.16 ),
- chance,
-- Updates to the NRC f rem tne utility regarding the status of reinspections of Padovan:'s *4 eld falsifications reveal inconsistencies.
For exampte, the categories into which welds were placed varied throughout tai utility's reports.
It is never clear in the PSNH reports to the FAC how many safety-related welds fell 2nto each eategory, therefx4 it is unknown how many un-reinspected welds l abell ed "inaccess i bl + ' and "a ccept-as-is" were safety related welds.17
-- The NRC report said "sbar.
one third" of the 2399 Padovano welds were, safety related, but a tept. of Justice press release stated that "More than half of thne welds were classified as saf ety
- related, i.e., they were ca critical systere within the plant."lB 4213EH NANPIRE Joseph D. Wanpler was hiced by Pullman Higgins in August, 1983.
He was the company's cnly 5:.09 Level III trJpector at the time.
He oversaw non-destructive vor:. nation inspections perf ormed by P-H, and inspected weld x-ray pt-hages dating back to 1981, though most were from early 1983.
He Nund a re]ection rate of 20% and considered 5% to be high.
i:he company give him less than a month to inspect 970 packages of bl e:; ogged weld x-rays; there were numerous paperwork errors, lack of ! :nion and porosity re:ects, and illegasic film.
-- Wampler was terminated by P-H on January 3. 1984.
-- Wampler filed a Dept. of I, abor suit stating he was terminated in retaliation for exposing safety problems.
In a March 1984 agreement with the utility, W3mpler withdrew his complaint and agreed not to rep;rt safety violations in exchange for a money payment. 19
~
16 /
1989 ELP Report, Appendic' B; NRC Combined Report 50-443/04-12 and 84-05, pp. 60-61.
17 / 1989 ELP Report, Appendix D at p.
5.
13 / NRC Inspection Report 50-<t43/85-25 at p.
6 Press Release of Sept.
20, 1985, Department of Justics. District of New Hampshire.
19 / U.S.
Department of Labor. In the natter of Joseph D. Wampler vs.
pullman-Higoins Co.,
Case No. 98-l:RA-13 (Harch 30, 1984).
-1984 A welder used a graphite pencil in a weld in the equipmknt vault to hide the welds porosity:
a OC inspector s:eepted the weld. 20
- An INFO evaluation stated cent r : 1 of pise ir.stallation and welding procecces need impr vement.
I,gr:vement is needed in training craftsnen andQCinspectors.gI
- A woman in the document sect 2(n of,R-!! destroyed many documents the week bef ore UE6C took over f or l'- 1.
- UE6C changed procedures on Fob.
20, 1984, to lower weldin ThisreportingindivsdJalwasaweldinspector.2ginspecticn criteria.
- The company began using cheaper piping as money got tight. 24
- Faulty welds were performed ir. the pipe tunnel; not inspected.
A QC inspector pai ordered not to inspect welds 100suspectwegdsw
- Ebasco Schedule Review:
"A bec clog of PeH documentatio' packages to support 18 safety related BIP$ hes accumulated.
A back1c, of 1,;68 P-H radiographic film packages was re :ently discovered by YAEC QA." '6
- P-H records Management Program: The review Shoved documents with dates and signatures missing, NRC nund e ts trans pesed, ISO revision conflicting data entries on related inspections..." gumbers
- missing, 7
- Non-conformance report NCR-73-tq1687 R/A identifies falsified QC sigantures on a vuld process shte:.
It appears Pullman Higgins was using we':lers to QC their own welds pt t :r to this 8/95 NCR. 28 2C / 1989 21 i 1999 ELP Report, Appendix C at pp. 15, 20.
22 / ELP Report, Appendix H, 311 86-003.
23 /
.td., 110-87-002.
24 /
.I.d., 112-84-003.
25 /
.IJ.,
112-84-006, 007.
26 /.193) ELP Repert, Exhibit C at p.
16, 27 / Id.
2B / Id., 090-06-002.
,r.
4
- An NRC report stated "the site was experiencing difficulty in the ultrasonic examination of 6-in: 1 dinmeter stainless steel welds.
A;so, the valve sider of the 6-inch pt;ing welds were not being examined.
It was not clear tc the inspector q.)to what typs of examination the licensee plans for these welds.
- UEuC again lowered weld inspection criteria.33 1986
- A non-conformance report was :P.inged tc make the prcblem appear to ba with Unit 2.
31
- An ir.dividual witnessed a wel h welding stainless steel althouoh he was not qualified to do so; the 4^; der then etched another welder's initial into the completed weld.
A QC ir.spector signed off on rejected welds without inspection, based en who the welder was. 32
- Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Company provide? Authotized Nuclear Inspector (ANI) insrection servi:..as to seabruak Statien.
In May, 1985, unable to provide a qualified ins 7ector, Lumbermons hired an inspection trainee, and sent Seabrook Statti:n a letter of instruction stating this individual could perform only limited inspections under the supervision of a qualified ANI.
In March tais individual failed every section of the test to qualify as an ANI.
In %i:riI 1980 this Undividual was found in possession of marijuana while driling a ccmpany car and was fired.
- An investigator for Lumbermens tcund that the qualified ANI had preformed independent inspectieaa of pipe welds, in violation of the American Society of Mechanical Ergineers Code and of the letter of inttruction from Lumbermens to Jii.nbrook Station.
Lumbermens investigator recommended a full investigatica, but tambermens dropped the matter because an investigation would mi/e intettered with Seabrook station's process of compiling data certifi:ation reports.
The ANI inspector's work is suspect and there appear:t to have been a deliberate coverup of the fact these inspections were r, erf ormed by an unqualified inspector. 33 The Attitude in most NRC docurrea stion available is one of unwillingness to believe anything could be wrv a at Sea. brook.
- An individual wrote an NCR on a violation of weld inspection precedures: the NCR was cancele-! my hs.s QA supervisor.
This was one of 20 or 30 violations of weld provdures this person encountered.
3' 29 /'USNRC !nspection Report 5] 4 4 3/ 05-15 at p.
8.
30 / See note 22.
31 / 1989 ELP Report. Appendix r.
119-86-001.
32 /
Id., 077-86-12, 13, 16.
33 / We The Peopl e Letter tov.
S.
rapartment of Justice. 1/11/88.
3 <; / 1969 ELP Report. Appendix 34-86-001.
- An individual who worked for ce:eral El e:t ric was concerned with vendor practices. The source inspectcr 1 :r GE pa ssed products on inspection before they had ever been pouroc X-rays f or ecmpleted welds were
.tncorree:: all parts of the welc4 could nat be seen.
Upper tie plates which pick up the rods were testej with a sample program: 5 x-rays for a batch of 100.
If the x-rays reteiled cracks in the tie plates. OE would ccat;nue x raying the pl ates ur.ti l they hsd 5 good x-rays.
x-rays to prove the batch was occ.1, GE would ship them out. yping the 5
- An individual saw a Mass. Gas official Esisify certifications for materials supplied to UE6C. 36 1987
- The ANI signed of f illegible c::umentation and signed of f on work whgeh never looked at.
This concerned individual was a weld inspector.
was
- There are indicationo that un snaarshi bacte6$4 io vauminu vucrosion (HIC or microbiological 1y induced corrosion) in pi'.ing and other equipment.
MIC is a recently-discovered saf ety ha: trd at nuclear power plants, and current treatment methods don't work.
The corrosion can be a particular problem when the bacteria sets in improperly welded areas of pipe. 38 OOUMTERFTIT MATEB2L5 AT llEMJ4901 STATION 1911
- During an NRC-ordered inspecti n in August 1985, pSNM discovered 369
" suspect" piping fixtures built into Seabrook Station, but said those
. fixtures met safety requirements.
However a chemical analysis by an independent-laboratory in October 1983 revealed some flanges in the service water system were def ecti"e.
ihe NRC had told utilities to test bolts because counterfelt bolts have been installed in the plants.
They can shear of f or melt under Lornas; stress.
However, PSNH was only requi red to teJt ten safety and ten non-sufety bolts found in the warnhouse.
This was two years after plant construction was completed: no bolts in the actual plant itself vere tested.
- The NRC announced that tens cf ' housands of counterf eit, possibly defective. materials had been tui: t into half of US nuclear power plants.
.The agency called off all f u r t h~e r investigations after an industry-sponsored computer study convines:. the NRC to lower safety standards 35 /
Id.,
100-66-001, 002
- 003,
'34.
36 / J.d. 111-86-007 37 /
Id.,
110-87-005.
.38 / 1969 ELP Report, Appendires ; & F.
rather than ~ require nuclear utili ties to find and rep; ace mat erials which did not meet the safety requirem.ats.
Counterfeit' materials include circuit breakers, valves, piping materials, pumps and fasteners.
Conpanies which-supplied mate rial s to Seabrook Station f all into two categoriest those whose labels W re illegally affixed to used or below-grada parts; and those known to l ive manuf actured or distributed cheaper, weaker. or 1ess accurate materials 1
falsely labelled as meeting saf ety recuirements.
Those companies teclude General Electric, Westinghouse.
-Underwriters Laboratoried, Dr.svo ?iping Co., Pullman Power Co., Planned
- Haint enance Syst ems, West Jers e y Manuf act urlig Co., and Piping Supplies,
-Inc.
39 1989
- During a public hearing. held-Septen6er 6,1989 to discuss the NRC Region I inspection team report. leabrook operators were sited as reacting in an unacceptable way to equipnent failure that brought about an abrupt-halt to low power - t es ting June 22, 1989.
Beyond.the criticism of Seabrookistaff reaction to prcper shut down procedures, Mr.
Eselcroth, Mr.- Dudley and-Hr.
Hartin of the NRC, gave little indicat;on that - either-their agency or the licensee regarded f alsification of a maintenance. inspection sign-off on an unrepaired valve as a serious matter,Eeven though the valve in question, No. 3011, led to the actual emergency. shut down. There is no evidence at present to show that the person Vho falsified-this report das ever reprimanded. 4C
- -Quality Technology Company, an Independent company of nuclear plant experts, examined seabrook stat:nn dccumentation and information from plant workers.
QTC found that UT:1 reports dealing with various safety conc +rns=show an " apparent lack of ob]ectivity" by NRC in these matters.
The attitude in most = TiRC docunentation available {s one of unwillingness' ti believe anything could be wrong at Seabrook. '
-39./
Counterfeit and Substandard Materials in US Nuclear Power Plants,
- Parts I and II, and Seabrook Station Involvement," Ee The People, 1988.
40 /
September 6, 1989 Public l: earing at University of New Hampshire to
- Discuss the-Results of NRc Reptcr. I on seabrook-Unit I at Durham, New
- Hampshi r e pp'.
107-;17-41 /
1989.ELp report: Qualit y 7tichnology Company's Investigation. NRC 4
Lack of Professionalism
(
i r
.-m-m-
s
+
~
- The-NFC dad-not do everything Pastible, in a professional manner, to invert Qate concerns.42 QTC has (.iscovered,a continuing tillure by the NRC. o a dd r es s g oa l i t y pr obl e ms t r. g u,ch.
s "NEC actions in the area of dec.iment falsification do not appear to address the full spectrum of the DA breakdown that occurred.
These
" isolated incidents" as the NR0 chlls them make up a programmatic problem.
The NRC cannot or wi
not see problems at Seabrook Station as other than " isolated incidents.
" k4 42 / Id.,
at p.
19.
43 / :d., at p.
40, 44 / 24., at p.
41.
InsideNRC M
n=== -
m=-m as....
.u, 13 stnt N.a c.%,e ss. tm An saelms,. port on tt.. U.S. Nuclhar bguJatory Couuru.. on NO SIGN 1F1 CANT EVENTS EARN 5 PCE TOP RATTNG FOR OPERATIONS NRC awarded Pcrtland Ceteraj Elec:r.c Cr, (POE) a tcp Category I sing in the area of plant operations in th igency's latest S A1.P rtue + )f performa.m a: Trojan. Megtec Y Adminktruor John Martin u!d the abence cf any signi$ cast ope uient! even.s dskg the 15 menth review good wu a pnmary rewn for 04 high radng.
The udlity, however, wu given a low Ca.pty 3 radng la the area of maintenance /surveith.nce.
Martin said the SA1.7 board "considettd :he p utr,bg. whodalbg, ud oversight of rna-intenancehutvcillance work nuvides to bc wuk, and the qudity of exdated procedures and work in-structbris to he in need of lenprovsment." Sara e irnprovement was rued at the end of the pericd, but, Manin said,"th!s area citarly wmants ebte f sture a: ruby by PGE maugement."
According to Nudconics Week, Trojan, a :.178 MW, Wc.itmsbot.se PWR, tad a gross capacity fac-tor in 1989 of 56.61%.Drough April 1990, it unit's cap 6:ity factor we.s 61.8M.
In cc arc 4 of ra:aological centrob, the 5 A:.P teport netal cat mal collectm 4ose hu boca lacreu.
3 Ing smce 1937, with the 1989 total at C petsat tern.ne repa:t zaid thu the deveJopment of a q-
" healthy ALARA program waJ hindered by pl.tttwide probletr.: wie tat.T.cient outage coordir4 don, U
in:ocaistsnt job scope svahuion,:od ins 7 echo planning."
h The report noted that KiE has talen s:cyilo "cr. hance itWrojan mengenent tearn and to treplc.
'g ment broad xept improvemenu through the im:lsar divbico improvuncat ple."The report m.Ld, howsver, that many of the changes have yet :c :ceat ud Hvural key ast.agt N pcsitions were vseet. being temporaruy 611ed,or wert b tx tition u the SAI.P pewd crP ed therelcre, the Q d 2
resuks of PGE's eforu are ott!,v recen:.ly te.;bling to be obstrwd.
e-h2 w NRC INVEST 10AT10N PROBES ALLEGATIONS OF FAUl.TY SEABROOK WEl. DING Ma A two month NRC laves *igsion aimed u mohirg qucalices etwt the intepity of certah 5cabnxi pl;e walds and related quality ur.cra.we ma*a is comlag tc a elote, wM a report espected u be thf. p $
tod by the md of tbc month.
Mf 1.ee Spettard, the NRC santor muater hgelMe lavestl_rulon, doc 11ned to ducuss detalb of th_e T
report. Spetutd uld the group wu charte3d_"to do e sa.qjhe fact rad:;ctdent evajustion"of pig, p
welclns and noMestructive examinni n_a;pMte.gyt.Geg.,,
g 2
NRC taunched the ladecendent team hv retipthe ahoge mortAhthe eartralssica antherlud_,
full. power opercion of abe coctrovental ptan,t,;tNRC.12 MsgbD&ggbgjbe commission's Margi vote okaying full power opercion, NRC ud cm,,gyuloca! sa5ers and c.suutttnu have been gorittg, M
over ye.ars ofinspection scorts, twiioznehs. d o'.hcr recor1; to deternbe if welda for stcy rt!ated pipmg at Seabrook reces restlatory rsqdrcey t: and if a pjer trail, sunor@g the conckston, exisu.
,' Quesuon about the in:egrity of the welds..or at least :ht intagfity of the quality usurance ;rograd g
for the welda-came to night sia years age dahg a Department of!. abor gdevance boating involvitg a d
former Seabrook contract wett.r. Tha wodct, f oseph Wamp'ar, wu employe
=
I a piping contrsetof for Seabrook.from August :983 to Ja%atr 1984. He was fired as the grounds that be
./ n -
f mu ut>coopmtivo end canned @-w t w: L a
/
,I,n his brief tengre at Scattook,Wareplery aufrned to exambe hedreds of tackloned weld C.
pie raphs. Or those he reviewed, Wunster tibsted about 2DE, either tsca i
j not be re.ad because it had not been shot pro
\\ that d2d not meet cod 6. Warnpler alleged LT tm of the reasons he ws: 6:ed wts tecogn he rdected too_
many of the weld _rsdiographs.
\\
Not until eartiu this year did NRC make a ggerted erfoughygttists Wameter's hformatfoe.
Q '[_Wampjer's af,Jegadons, which were surfaculttnd Seaberck activ A
/ \\\\ @adened equiry.
At arH, NRC sector _omeials said the 20 Meet rate tiled by Wesepter was " sot unusual" tn 3
the mdasey.ne agency surrers,citinz "igy mfunion ovemsyxt mmie of Mt. wimolu't
\\\\-
fjacuen" at Pullman _ Hfulns have since pullef back from 0.41 sta:ctner.t. but ste holding to the posi.
& 8 +c Dr re ::t r:2. ts del a of vem M tr4 rele*ar:: n tssesqcseran ptet safety e
~hE s ;or.$sts:e an .e inttpty of t.'c Trn..nc 2e wc14 nl Druin.n appesn to tx; toe 4 targely c,
c Nr.gs a "1M tteck ef the ras;cp; he ::w:te4 ty arkc4 Ator-k El:::N Co. ed a r.:. cent $'RC rtview of 103 weld rtd.oraphs.
Regending to gnsuens N n Sen. Edwud Ketaedy (D.Mus.), NRC saic the :cmpt.ny, " deemed it g
pmdent to do e.n inde;endent 100% reslew" oi1% nan.Rggir s triegaph v.erk. Ir the begarting, &c D0fc review w as "an ongo;r.;. infermaj p ecess. NRC nid, ht iri 1984 Yelte formajired me tevie w ty ed:pung a writtsn pro:tdr.rt "which cen a.ned yvisions to trvitw all cle:y.related vendor and si:4 generate 4 radiognphs."
\\
There a; pears, however. so be $0me disspey!! hgf een the.ULtfLace fJid NRC over w hether Be_
1983 wrmen omeedvess 4:1. cot: rolled t*eg Ewelf radkrnh reesw.
i New Henpshirt Yekte spokesman Ron Sr4r geliInside N.R.C. thu proc:4 arts for the 100%
review "had ajwsys been de ume." Contrary e W.C's undemand.ng, the ISH wri::en pro:cdure ap.
pl ed to another Yankee rtview prog ara-,.ot be 1:0% review, Acccrding to $hcr,in 1984, Yartkee adoptod a pt:gnm whereby Bey duplisted a variety of non-dests:tive examinations thu had already been cc n.:tetrJ. Those beladed radisgrapty,!! quid penetrant, and msgnede puticle eumina:Jons, done on a nunt er of rudom!f selected s:Ms. That effort aimed to ch :k me adequa:y of Yarle4 con:racron'nonte crive enminst!ca opers' ans, but did not cortsutute J
a 10% reusw.
The informa]ity of the proceu early on, ed the cancomitut la:k of recort.s en $e effort. treublu angnssiens] cf.c:s who argue mat n: lying on JEta informal [g.uly doctacnted revkw indicates noncomphance wid NRC's qusjity assuruct cer.t.hese entes ubowledy that there is no
\\
Edence of specIBc defective welds, but they a.idicte is quesacrahle btau 6SRC certi6cadon that te weling wu done in atcord with NRC regdaQ _
Spokuman Sher noted that the Yaakes 100 % review wu sci a replat.:ry requirement. R.acer, it wu a r.ep beyond wh : NRC ttgululons ca] Ira tv and thertiere. rm behold.m to NRC docu:nenta-uca reqcitements "It's r.ot a requirement..but its tt s typ: of cocservcivs spprtub st'v4 always taken at Sc1 brock," Shr.t stid.
Asksd to further cxgre the apparent comrdhth o in Yukee aM NRC unders:andler of da ro!4
[
the 1914 writ:en preeedures played Iri the 100% revie w. Sher sak it would be int.p3roprtate" to responiis addiuonal inquiries thu "paralle!" ce liC larestiFED0iven this is prt of the
[ratuory nytew, the a propriata ferwn for as to anti <ct these (q3stms)!s N10, $her said.~
TEsiadoc4 that the corepany telaevu it has "litihulrut4 to NFC $at the waMs and wld reccrds rnett NRC ud code reqdnments." He ss.id he w as a stre Ir.aida N.R.C. sta talking to Seabrtok's cdbu ar.d contAnded that ce Subrxk's "dediced 1ppanents si!! ptobaMy satt be satisf!cd with whit we do at Seabrock." But he added, "we wat lo ssnes the tercal public"that the safe operado cf the plut is forsmon in the compey's triti in u April 24 triterview with tbo NRC ttview grmp, hpier a M the radicpaphs he redeved betwcon August 1983 and January 1914 "had toca ap;rowd and sitWig aromd airca carly 1982" sad tau Yankee Atornic's on revicw "wu tutting up alnest 19% to 2D% reject ra:s over and above what I wu beinging to them."
Accctcing to Wampict, pflor to N;,vember 22,19 i), he sad YanJ:ed Atomk's rsdlographic redewert intent:11y ;med queulemte radiopuphs badt ned.trth.
Yankee Atomie quallry anurance engineer Dki L. liar, wodd call Wun.ler and sak hi:n to review rsMgnpa 6tm packages that he,Jdian, thought wn jluenionabis. The Daciales hd been soproved by Pdimu&tsiru befors Jdan teviewed et.m!
\\
If Wamplet agtsed with Julian's anterpretsticeDr. a weM or wold package wu rejecitble, Wamp would had cmy me pachst back to Pullman.Hig;in and have oc weld re.radhgraphed. If a repair wu warrui 4. a weld repali order would be gsac.w.
~
But, according to
- ampler, she enura procedure we accomplished without propustion of Ysekee Atomic def.clency reports Cr other paperweek est s M be maintained u a quafty ncord.
At a November 22,1983 metting. It wu agreed tu Yukee Atarak's rejecnce of a weld or wtid pa:bac would thereafter be documented on a;l ndbgtsphic packages contairting rejectable indications.
Warrpler said, it is unclear as this time whe$ct the informal nal.m of the review and apptnat gsp in the pper Util
'would b< a violsuon of NRC regulatistu, but mou m Dxgreu cycing the issue stv concerted.
-Dne Airoso, WasMagtort
_L______-- -------- - ~ ~'-- ~ ~ ~ ~
^
CONNEl.LY FILES FCIA FOR RECORC S OF CIA thvESTIGATIONS OF HERSELF
$haron Connelly, former OJXZr al b 304 dutdf 0".4 Of$te of hpmor & Avaitof (O!A), t.u l
fle4 & ttgtst weder ec frte0cm et Inl:f'lauan ACI(Cr W.*GC rC4(JCs deting with,amorg 00tr tnmgs, O!A invetugsuons of $haron CoMiy.
Conne!)y wu a centru! dgarc in tr.: :p n:)'s controw.rs4 and tr.idess invesugatlon of Roger For.
tea, deputy cruiar of ce ag:ncy's off cr of Inse:Ugat.cns,In 388,Conr:11y arranged to purthue surrepduously mace ape ruerdngs cf eighene conv:rcat;cns tetw aan Fortuna and an udnuclear u.
Uvist, Connelly paid 56.COC la cash fct 2: tapes, wnh se truey c;ning from a slush fund Set up by termer Execudve Director for Operador s 3DO) Victor 3 tello (INRC,26 Feb.,1),
$cvsrslinvestigsdons have food tht!.hsllo tad Conna' y cir Matat.:,d the advice of be agee:y's J
general counselin setWig up me sjush fun: and buying tre upes, and their action apinst Fortuna has rtpcatedly beca cham:terhrA as ved:t.ve.
In her FOIA request, Coselly uts for ;opics of any tad all agtocy ree.cids ud informuion,irdud.
sr.g. but not limled to, or:ginal s,nd coac e trite copies, notes, let:t.rs, incrooruca, drafts, minutes, d: anes, logs, calendars, tapes, trsrueripts. I.m'naries, insettcw reporia, b7C commiulon brican gs, congressional briefngs EDO and other :ruings of NRC olSeisJs, procedt:res,lastru;tions, Bles, photographs, agreemanu, had* riuen n*s, stud.ics, dJu sheets, notebookJ, books, telephone rres.
Sa ges, voice re:ordings, videu recctdir gs, ;ompuur primsts, ud any cGet data compilauens, intervn ud/or Ena) rtporu, status,eporu, and r) tnd rJ1 cder reccida rekvant to nad/or genetut4 in conec.
bon wid" $c topics she cites, Connelly wants all records on O!A's in:utry and investigadon of Fcnuna and the NRCInspe:
Let Genera!'s (10)lavesdgauon of the way O!n handled the Portuna tavealgsdon. She also wants my records pertaaning to the NRC General ConscPs invehement la the taquitica related to Femaa.
In adiuon, ate hu uked for recoris en O!A.10, ud Genera! Cosnae' involverung k NRC's in-vedgaden of RegiorilV security spe.::a2 ?ames Kelly, NRC ini:urd an levestigadoe of Kelly in 1987, a mor,A aft:r he rude negadve statenens about NRC's E=cudor duty policy to Coegress.
Earlier $1s yeu, et NRC 10 laech:4 Ns 0+m invest gden leto whether sealci agency oftsla!s--
including Connelly-st:llated agalast Kelly for Als congiusiott tudmony (INMC,12 Feb.,14),
y Couelly uked that fees usochted witt rupondit:g tr: her FCIA request be waived "since I am an agency employee and cis tsquest u bemg nede u a res!t of agency actions involvhg me "$he of-fated to review an item! zed index of tne do:umesu mtnsd up in coen:cice wie her re:;uest 't avoid agency copying cosu" of documena de ins ace want, HRC COBRECTS COURT RECOAD IN F MTUNA CASE, CONCEDES OIA AFFlDAVlTS' FALSE
[funct Of5:e ofInspector & Auditor (OfA) lied la affdmiu th NRC leg >J of5cials told a feder:J ceun c the end oflait month $at staffers of ce agency's row de the NRC invstuga:or who was suspered alcr rtfulng a to it.tuviewed by (01A),
Frederick Herr and Muk Renet, teth et putics to fomer OfA direem Sharon Coens11y, have been removed from their posaucas by NRC Ins;<uct deneral DSdd Wilha:3, whole ofEce Itplaced 01A in inte 1989. Resnet rema!ns on detail tc LF4 ag tacy's sacwity divisicn, a:si Herr la still oc administrative
! cave, 3
Fortuna. deputy director of NRC's Of6 (bvesdeatin (QO. wu accused by OIA of conspiriar_
1(,
\\
with utinuelear activisu to "tceple At am,"
' (
To pursue their case, OIA and then eac::nve din:ctor for opera: ions Vica Stello entered kto a secret "consa! ting" ccmtsct with an hformtt, Douglu R 11 son, asd purchased sutreputiously made ape recordings of Fortuna's telephone cor.vnutions. Almouth the conrset wu cued Sepumber 1 1980, Rc*ner and Coasslly hod interviewed he latermet in August.
NRC thaucaed to f,re Fortuna but enh! Jp turundn,3 hirn in Fetcary 1989 aftar he rafwd to submit to a court reported interview withcut esal counsel presenL He had been innstviewed informally by OIA in November 1988, at which umc te vas sold that he was not es subject of an investiguien, p But when the 01 deuty director broam nanji ntttittney in tats Febyggn 1989, seekint to 5 prohibit NRC from conducung an on the record mterview te from ut,irm antadvqggjob artjon trair.st L
MIEHen and Resner swore tnat OlAhvesdgaden of ortuna begu in October Novefnts:r 1988, j
not in August b
ne secrts coruulung contract with the it hen int and tre slush fund set up by Ste formant had not been publicly revealed when tiert and Reiner sign:4 their affdavits, which said:
"Plaindff Fortuns wu interviewe4 on & Elf aos mese' by mytelf rd defendtnt Retur infanr4h.
s tr en., r.,ra; c o: ew ' ovenmv e.19n t s.n a rt rt p u.sa; ws pccai :sopvana
~.Q %
mb: n.: ex 7 A. $dsept a traesuptan au ef;r, sun maned ),* O! A it.: O!A e cenclude G, w mai at':2et v.ame* om: te ne.:tsv.r) ScWie LN c Jesun M O!A p:uned to ut pil.nufl ronuna P -Q 5 at cis ses:4. tnt tr.arvic* s xld fo:vs on cc eraver Ter.ns ;wrf rmed his off:ial ci.tes. CIA c:n.
[ *]
th. e4 23: Fen r.: w u rea e 's Ae:t' of the muu UMn."
A::tr.hrg in NRC't coriceDon of se rnord, sht.tc e the cwt May D by Schator John Cct.
Os y 1et"se mspe:er generC (Wuhuns) hn diatr*inte trit. in con:nst *i.h smemmu msde in the Herr
]%%'
ec Rester alh.tviu, the OfA inWsugston of pl'urt, f:niah was innute: n A.gast 1988 and tha!
2 Q E no.nfernauon developed after CIA's November.t. M l3 inu v.cw cf Mr. Fonana :td to his becoming a V 64b
'sumect'of et OIAinvuugst.cn.
E*%5 "R :Aer. 6e inspector ger.cral has concladed ; hat Mr Fcnca wu a ' subject' frem cc outset of t4.M O!A's :nvesugsuon."
~
& w%g m
Although a House subetrmmistee asked NRC < hat nfortsstics Warr and Resner obtained after w
q e. k a
the November 1988 interview of Fonuna that leJ u his !ctomlag de ubject of u kwestagadon, neither
- Q the forener CIA staffers nor the ecmmission ever ansa ertd.
No A 7 p>g raathr.netelus. Cordu told the coun NRC does nettel eve.he court thould do asything about the
'by*
"The statements n!!ejed to_ be error.cous by th6r rpector general concem ta:kgreurd factua! in-Z L 'E %J 7Frinauen."Cordes wrote. "ud are not matend tiie'it[a(qumera made to the coh by my pany ah C V @{
not a the coun's decision.
~~'Fiii:e. *e do not oggest sa, the court shcu:d uti r.ny a: don based en this carrw.ed informa.
3 h q ig--w teor.:'
'The federal coun dismitsc4 Fortuna's complaint Ms;r 15,1989. mam:sining that h NRC inves-Eh t! gator had "sde@.ste adtninistrttive remedy to ridttu s.1y pssibic ad rerse pertocee! se'Jon" 0.rouptf 4.:':-
r ths agency's snevan;c procedarn.
W EF Chrstine Xcht, u NRC MiniMJ:ntive 12w bd3e v.ho wu assigt.ed u decids Fmur.a's case, found dp W that O! A did not follow he owti procedurt: la iu pcndt t.t Fwtur.a and raidied h removal of a let:st g$@[f (f reprimud from Fort.na's perscane! SJe Cocpmicstl ud indepoc'ast nviews have dse cleared Fortu.'is of uy wrongdoing in the case ed cor.eladd tha: the dugu spisst him wers :rumped up.
--J q w
JiRC's inspector general vu supected to niece his ce laverJgdve repm on W xar.dd to cettsin hgg g
ecogrenice.d commiuses early thla mk.
p g ;:.
g
,F_onana's lep1 coe ul. Julie Greenspo, an;d 1st mrr's and Reiner's a!!eged!r fdse stautnent gR were impcrtant to the cue. "h is alpf hant becatue it sr.rw thu they (Ferr and Ar*ner) wars vtturg
,. - M y x
y nything. It it wur?t irnponut. why did they befM was a coverus, and a cowt4 in h v.s. Dis-tn Roan. "--
cundew.Wu*st V4 NM 6S 0F 6-2.0D0 TOW L_ y,500.
FRENCH REQULATORS PRESS TO REVIEW NEXT ' ADVANCED' REACTOR TYPE Freneh nuclear rtgdators are "Impdent" to ste t s tt. titleg the uft ty fe.untes of Fnr.ce's next, "advanod" rextar type, but so far their hands are eg:y, aplat.Ty chict Mictd 1.awric lammiod last week.1.averic, dJn: tor of the Service Cen:r:1 de $urne at tutatlatbu Nocteun GSCSIN), seJd IMt if a new mneer design is to be ready to bc buih by in: es: at this deca 4c in Fruce, fis d!dogue bet' we.en opentor, cot.r:ru: tor, and ngulaton mus: be comi:tud by 1995. As the.t, he aid, meat.s that the draft advanced. rear:or design pmjecu "have to stan 4.trivirg" on ble catk this year.
In a meeting wht joumallsu, Laveris e:tpruard a tex 1 of envy vis+.vis the U.$. NRC "I otstrve that our Ainertec colleagues are already at work" e.urrir.ng ecced.twier pro}4u in the U.S..
Liveric said. "We are not ! have been ernphuttleg to Electiche de Pace the urgency of bagtt.rdng this disjegus, he said, so cat "wt eu agree (on a rextc dr.stp) by 1995."
Lavene calculues mat date by assuming that Traxe's IXdest PWR wd1 havs : life of about 30 yeen, even if the rno:t rr.:ent ones rnay last 40 yeus. $ltcc Fentnheita.1 wtni oc line la 1977, the Ant replacement reac:ct wl!! be steded no later than 1997, ha ::stintalas.
Lavene sajd N now reactor type "rnust incorpet:s a:1 ;be prognos" suda oyst paJa yean, but may be ciuite dJficrent from today's rexten, the 1.dOO.Khiacs & PWRJ aow polmd tocatst satWe, The most important change, from ! avede's viewpoint. vedd tc to raaka them simple "almple tcchnically, aimpler to operate."They may net necessarily be str41e, noegh. Laveria aald he is is favcf of wider margins in the new reutors; for example, he said, seccaduy circulu cculd te desped to be able to contain a steam generasot tube isak ar.d prevent relcau.4 of rad 406:uve spam to 1b4 unospnwe. Such circuits "certamly would be mort massive and more exper.t.ve"the crent modsla.he aa.id,"but we would gam a lot on the safety side."
,C 1.averic and $C$lN section darector Pierre.Frartck Che*n sa.d that the French Ostmar. workJng
.