ML20154J488

Responds to 880816 & 0913 Ltrs Re NRC Recent Decision to Impose Civil Penalties on Util & Util Employees & Manner in Which Commission Exercised Regulatory Oversight Responsibility for Facility

ML20154J488
Person / Time
Site:	Peach Bottom
Issue date:	09/16/1988
From:	Zech L NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
To:	Rhodes J PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF
Shared Package
ML20154J491	List: ML20154J488 ML20154J503 ML20154J529 ML20154J596
References
NUDOCS 8809230040
Download: ML20154J488 (1)

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September 16, 1988 l

l The Honorable Joseph Rhodes, Jr., Comissioner Pennsylvania Public Utility Comission Comonwealth of Pennsylvania Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105

Dear Comissioner Rhodes:

I am responding to your letters of August 16 and September 13, 1988, in which you questioned the basis for the Comission's recent decision to impose civil penalties on the Philadelphia Electric Company (PEco) and some of its employees and the manner in which the Comission has exercised its regulatory oversight responsibility for the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station. In light of the volume and detail of information which you have requested, I am sure you can appreciate that it is taking the NRC staff some time to assemble this material.

As you recognize in your letter, the civil penalty imposed on Philadelphia Electric was the largest ever for a utility licensee. Also, as you have noted, for the first time the Comission took the step of fining individual licensed reactor operators, which is another indication of the seriousness with which this Comission views its regulatory responsibilities.

I can assure that the Cownission has neither "cleared the way" for the restart of the Peach Bottom facility through the NRC's action of imposing civil penalties, nor have we conducted our oversight of the restart effort in secret. , On the contrary, the NRC is expending cunsiderable effort to ensure that the public's health and safety will be adequately protected prior to any decision by the Comission on the restart of the Peach Bottom units.

We expect to complete development of the information which you have requested in your letters and Freedom of Information Request in the very near tenn.

Sincerely, Lando W Zec N.

Jr.

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