ML20153C582
| ML20153C582 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | South Texas  |
| Issue date: | 07/31/1987 |
| From: | Harold Denton NRC OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS (GPA) |
| To: | Cooksey F AUSTIN, TX |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20153C231 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-88-107 NUDOCS 8805060256 | |
| Download: ML20153C582 (5) | |
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OSP JUL S 11987 W$
IP SLITP The Honor,able Frank C. Cooksey Mayor City of Austin P.O. Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767
Dear Mayor Cooksey:
The Conrnission is in receipt of your June 30, 1987 letter inquiring about the Government Accountability Project's (GAP) request for an independent task force to review allegations and Citizens Concerned About Nuclear Power's (CCANP) motion to reopen the record regarding the South Texas Nuclear Project.
In a July 15, 1987 letter, the Comission infomed GAP that the agency could detemine more appropriately whether the appointment of an independent task force is warranted, after careful review of the allegations in detail.
(See attachment.) Thus, the Comission encouraged GAP to provide the allegations to the agency.
GAP repeatedly has refused to provide the allegations to the agency and has yet to do so. Once GAP complies with this request, the agency will be in a position to make the appropriate determination regarding allegations management.
Further delay by GAP in turning over the information will only result in further delay in the agency looking into the matters to which GAP has alluded in its comunications with the NRC and others.
The Comission recently denied CCANP's motion to reopen and referred it to the NRC staff for consideration under 10 CFR i 2.206.
Thank you for your concern regarding these matters.
Sincerely, Harold R. Denton Director Office of Governmental and Public Affairs
Attachment:
NRC Letter to GAP, July 15, 1987 Fo1A-88-Iog Gll'$
8805060256 000420 OG-Oh PDR
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wt.SHINGTON, D C. 20555 t
gv f July 15, 1987 or e.c c or 1 t 87 JG.17 A9 52 SECRETARY Billie P. Garde, Esq.
hw Director, Midwest Office Richard E.:Condit, Esq.
Staff Attorney Government Accountability Project 1555 Connecticut Avenue,'N.W., Suite 200 SERVED JUL 1 7 1987 Washington, D.C.
20036
Dear Ms. Garde and Mr. Condit:
This letter responds to your May 29, 1987 petition under 10 CFR 2.206 for the establishment of an investigative unit independent of NRC Region IV and the Executive Director for Operations (EDO), to review allegations concerning the South Texas nuclear power plant.
You s >ecifically state in your petition that "[1]t would be inappropriate to have :the EDOS or anyone connected with Region IV decide the merits of this petition since they are the individuals we are seeking relief from." GAP 2.206 Petition at 15. A 2.206 petition is addressed to the Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation or the Director of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
10CFR2.206(a). These directors report to the EDO who by virtue of his position is involved in the 2.206 deliberative process. Taking into consideration the plain languace of your request, the Comission decided to treat the document that you characterize as a 2.206 petition as a request for Comission consideration. The Comission notes, however, that the detennination of the most appropriate means of evaluating alleoations is essentially within the Comission's discretion and is not within the scope of actions contemplated by 10 C.F.R. 2.206.
The agency can best determine whether the allegations should be handled by Region IV personnel or by an independent task force only after detailed review of the nature of the allegations. The Comission encourages GAP to provide the allegations to the agency promptly pursuant to the May 20, 1987 subpoena issued to Ms. Garde. Additional delay in turning over the infonnation to the acency will only result in further delay in looking into matters which you cfaim are relevant to public health and safety.
Af ter the egency has reviewed the substance of the allegations, it will be in a better position to detennine whether Region IV is the appropriate entity to review the allegations or whether the appointinent of an indepenGnt task force is necessary.
The Comission assures GAP that the agency will handle the investigation of the allegations properly, both with regard to technical review and confidentiality.
Sincerel
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y samuel J. Dilk nq,
/ Secretarr of the Ccanission I
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\\ttorney 7y PHILIP J. GAACIAf or werkers at South Texas nut, lear plant assails NRC WASHIN3 TON (UP1)
An attorney representing whistle. blowers at the 3euth Texas Project said Thursday the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is 1
note interested breaking her 4,:
group "once and for 411"
- than, n,, {
investigating alleged safety defects at the' nuclear plant.
y,, F i Billie Garde of the Government Accountability Project said she has b *t;I
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i caen told that,NRO Executive Director Victor. Stello has pledged to break 7 her. group...,
- What 3AP and 91111e Garde once and f! understand that be says privately is he's goteg t Capitol Hill news conf erent:e. ! or all,"
Garde said of Etello at a f *.- )t I
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- 3 that's' b een *' report;ed ",to, nw (f ro
' 'i. 3, hat he's;said{stja number;of 4 meeting.,"
w Garde ad S ullo was una,va(ded.ci,..
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3, spoke.-an, di sputed. Garde's cl ai m.l abl e f or' comment.: But$ Fr Ink!!ngree,',, a3 e.g[e,(,d' p
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B1111 e Gar'de'. the ay',1,s.t!Mt.2. hat, we'ra.tr.yt og-t.c> do A s4 t
allegations about saf ety problems at the South Texast{a to get from/.
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nucl ear powe,r' pl ant, "
he'said.
,4 the NRC issued a subpoena.to Garde ordening'her 4,(aj s )
In May, aereithan three dozen workers at STP who have;made allegations 3
work?and wrongdoing,at-the' nuclear.; facility near Bay' Cit s
f faulty; Garde refused. to ' comply,' citing, confidentiality and f ears that$ #t4.
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- workers woul d f ace run.i shmenti. The NRC, filed suit in U.'S.lDistrict Court (n, Washington 3 0 enforcthrough'theJustice I.
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- Garde, w
eeet a Friday'courticeac1'ine foraccoepani ed by; Rep. L Patri ll a Schroeder 4115 said GAP not reveal the idantitief ef' the 6orkers andexplaining ~why the group should 4.
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is set foe Oc t. '22 " GAP 's a i d Z ' '
its 1nf oreation. A hearing i
a-i Garde said.the NRC'knows tho' identities of I
GAP represents.at' South.Towas because thty already had em17 of. the 56 1n' divid i
concerns to,the., agency.7.% g
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has' asked.f od.th'e Spoo,intment' of a. special task
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- f **#*',d,.E, l Garde #
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s process she,said;,that 'has tbeeWf allowed regularly in,every*. region,'since 1980." '
force, a'
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- 1n-to *pl ay' thi s case," Mr.MGte11o has. chang e6 ;th e.rul esl(and[ h'a s)
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Garde'said.
. decided
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Stallo has said he wants to review',,, (
,t decision on establigning's task f orCo. the 411egations before making a v[,,
in all,' Garde said.~.k,
.There,are about 650 allegations Ingram reiterated't8e NRC's~ position that allegations are, "Once we know what thei we will be able to proceed and' figure out,' shat to do with them."'
,,y
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Houstont.ighting4;'Powert00...*themajor'pa'rtner sought GAP's inf ormation.
at STP,ialso.has j
Schroeder,.a leading cong desional i.
Post Of fice and.l ' Y,1.tegice Com;si ttee, rights and chairm Civi ervice of the $
M., -'
"outrageous."i
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said the.NRC'.s action was.
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. WWhen you' ve' goo Si4wdistle ~ blowers).that.'is 'a ver y serio 7.5 i.,
t61mg,"
Schroeder said.$ "We,*. as tampayer,s, 'ought to be totally a
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- oute aged at that. type of, syst em.....
Joan Claybrook,( prest, dent of Public Citt aen,' whichIt 'is power:
lp GAP, said NRC',s actions %ere
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rejected by the pubite generally.""a use 'of, governeent. power that I think is } g i
{*y e Sh,Ia tremendous threat to all. public interest groups. "fi "It's g
g-J' "enormous protections*,'under#
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said GAP.would make'vse of' A
eirst, Amendmentf rights,of,*assepationgand,at torney-client pet vileg the I!l
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vowed the caseiwillfbe; pursued;*"allithe way to the Supres
- e. Shei *
's necessary."
-p(4 e Court 14,,
. Garde said *ta 11tigation'would not hold up plant operations,
k "At this acint, theINRC in. acting, to!ccerate as,4f these allegations do not exist,"and has stated. that.it is going.
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She,rsaid whether or';not plant operations should be held up
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Garde said.,i i
decision that, frankly, only the NRC can make.O
- is a 9ut "rubber-stamped Sout(Texas.in the,first, place andthe said'any 3
pecblems."
dn't find these,g and hopes to generate electricity by earlySTP recently,rece,ived NRC operation s next yea *.
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uccdny he "would need to suo" allegationn by workcen at the South mco Projuct bef ore deciding to f orm a task f orce on allegud saf ety af ectu at the nuclear plant.
Victor Stwilo Jr., executive director of the NRC, confirmed a eport that he would be willing to cr cate a special task forcu if scCocary. But Stello reiterated that no such decision had been made.
"I would need to see the allegations before deciding on whether or ot a ta'sk f orce is needed,"
Stello said through a spokesman.
Allegations' of wrongdoing have been made by whistle blowers 4
cprotwnted by the Government Accountability Project, a non profit j
ublic interest group that works Ni th whi stle blowers.
hO Project is fighting an NRC subpoena that seeks the identity of the j
..uth Texas workers.
1 Th3 Project's. attorney, Billie Gards, teco*to 600 allegations of saf ety and related caf ects atclaims to bo withholding the facility icar Bay Ci ty.
Garde has refused to comply with subponna, arguing the comminsit-auld Isak the identities to the utilities and contractors and exp.
ho whistle blowers to punishment by their employers.
i Sho also says there is evidence the commission is unwilling to nvootagate safety concerns at STP.
Tho NRC filed suit in Washington to enf orce the subpoena but Garde goin refused to comply, r ivil eg es.
citing attorney-client and rela'ted 1cgal Tho Project has until Friday to show why it should nut rele.de thu 1
. meo and Tom Carpenter, a lawyer for the Project in Washington, said ho. group will respond in U.S., District Court in Washington.
"We're arguing that complying with rocch the attorney-client privilege," the subpoena would t'orce us tu Carpentar nald. The project will 100 cegue that enforcement of the subpoena "would have a chilling ffcct" on workers' ability to consult with attorneyn or groups on scuoc regarding safety, Carpenter added.
Tho Project has called abporna.
a news conference Thursday La discuar thu Houston Lichting & Power Co. received a license this summer to
.:cet up the first of 1
agin generating electricity early nenttwo nuclear reactors at South Texas and hopub tc year.
Tho NRC is required by law to assuss any threat to the safety of a
'.uclocr power plant.
Garde earlier this year ast,ed Stal l o to appoint a task force nd:pCndent of his immediate staff and personnel
. 'rCJ Gc ts i n Tepas.
r esponsiblu f or nuclear Sho based that requent in part l.tcilce saf uty allegations at on claims the commausion ignored the troub' led Comancho Puak nuclear 1cnt near Glen Rose, southwest of Fort Worth.
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