ML20197B891

Partial Response to FOIA Request for Documents Re Investigation of Safety Concerns Raised by Jj Mcweeney. Forwards Documents Listed in App B.Info Partially Withheld (Ref FOIA Exemption 6)

ML20197B891
Person / Time
Site:	Harris
Issue date:	10/24/1986
From:	Grimsley D NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION (ADM)
To:	Payne M EDELSTEIN & PAYNE
References
FOIA-86-735 NUDOCS 8610310018
Download: ML20197B891 (2)

Text

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION CC soia (to ist huwetaisi i

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RESPONSE TO FREEDOM OF

( .,j/ INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) REQUEST

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PART ljRECOROS S/ EASED OR NOT LOCATED (See eneceed coness No agence records subrect to the request have been located.

No adetonal agency records subect to the request have been located.

Agency records subpect to the request that are identifed m Appendis are already awedable for pubi'c irspection and copymg m the NRC Pubic Document Room.

1717 H Street. N.W., Washington, DC.

Agency recorda subpoet to the roovest that a's identified m Appenes are bemg made avadable for pubic inspecten and copyeg m the NRC Pubhc Document Room,1717 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC, in a folder under the FOIA number and requester name.

The nonproonetary verson of the proposaits) that ycv agreed to accept in a te8ephone conversaten with a member af my staff a now bemg made avadable for pubhc escection and coymg at the NRC Pubhc Document Room,1717 H Street N W., Washington, DC, ir* a fo6 der under tne FOIA number and requester name.

Enclosed a mformaton on how you may obtam access to and the charges for copyeg records placed in the NRC Pubic Document Room,1717 H Street. N W.. Washegton. DC.

Agency records subrect to the request are enclosed. Any apphcaDie charge for copes of the recoros orthndeo and payrnent procedures are noied m tne comments secten.

Records subsect to the request have been referred to another Federal agencytosi for revew and dvect response to you.

In view of NRC's rescense to the request, no further scoon is being taken on appeal letter dated PART ll.A-INFORMATION WITHHELD FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE Certam mformaton m the requested records is bemg withheid from public deciosure pursuant to the FOIA enemptions desenbod in and for the reasons s:sied m Part li. sec-tons 8. C, and D. Any re4 eased portons of the documents for whch only part of the record a being withheid are bemg made avadable for pubic espection and cooveg m the NRC Pubhc Document Room,1717 H Street, N.W., Washmgton, DC, in a folder under the FolA number and requester name.

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8610310018 861024 PDR FOIA PAYNE86-735 PDR A

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FREEDIM CF INFO;MATl!N ACT RESPONSE FOtA NUMBEAIS' [h DATE /C9h[b PART ll.8- APPLICABLE FOI A EXEMPTIONS i .

. Records subsect to the request that are described in the enclosed Apoendices Enerr'pt.ons and for the reasons set fortn DeiOw pursuarnt to L U S C. 552.bt and 10 CFR 9 Siar of NRC Regulat onsare being withheld m f 1. The withneid eformaten is property cessifea pursuant to tiecutive Orcer 12356 IEXEMPTION 11 l 2 Tee utarseio informaton re'ates so'ety to tne internas cersor r'ei ruses ano proceaures of N AC iDEYPT:ON 21 i 3 The withheid mformation a soecif.caisy enempted from pubbe esciosure by stature mecatec (EXEMPTION 31 Secten 141145 of the Atomic Energy Act which prohituts the esclosure of Restritted Data or Formerfy Restncted Data (42 U.S.C. 21E12165L Secten 147 of the Atomac Energy Act which probituts the esclosure of Unclassified Safeguares information (42 U S.C. 2167L 4 The withneid mformation is a trade secret or commercial or financial mformaten that e being withheld for the reasontsi edcated (EXEMPTION di The eformation is cons.oered to be confidential busmess (propretarvi information.

Tee mformaten e conseered to ee propr.etary mformation pursuant to 10 CFR 2.790idH11.

The mformaten was suomitted and received m conficence from a foreign source pursuant to 10 CFR 2.790idH2L

5. The withheid informaten consists of eteragency or mtraagency records that are not avadable through discovery curmg lit gavon. Osclosure of preoec s would tend to mhsbit the open and franli enchange of ideas essential to the celteratrve process. Wnere records are withheld e their enterety, the facts are in intenwoned anerect anguitywithmto thetne predecisenal eformaten.

precocasional There process of aiso are(EXEMPTION the agency. no reasonably 51segregab6e factual portens because the re+ ease of the facts would permit an

6. The withhend eformacon e enempted from pubiec d sclosure because its d.sclosure would result in a c6earty unwarranted evasen of personal pnvecy. (EX

7. The withheid mformaten conssts of evesogatory recoros comp 3ed for law enforcement purposes and a bemg withheid for the reasontsi indicated. (EXEM i

I Disclosure would eterfere with en eritorcu proceedes because et could reveel the scope. directen, and focus of enforcement effor posseiy allow them to take acten to sheid potemel wrongdoeng or a velation of NRC tecuirements from evestigators. (EXEMPTION 7(AH 0.sciosure would constitute an unwarranted mvasion of personal pnvecy (EXEMPTION 7(CH k

The information consists of names of meviduais and other mformaten the dectosure of which would reveal identsoes of con PART ll.C-DENYING OFFICIALS j

Pursuant to 10 CFR 9 9 and/or 915 of the U S. Nucleer Regulatory Commenen regulations. it has been deteemmed that the eformation wnhhe6d e esemp i end that rts producten or esclosure e contrary to the public mterest. The persons responsible for the cenial are those offciats identified below as denying officiais a i Deveson of Rules and Recoros. Offee of Acmmetrotson, for any cenials that may be appeased to the Execueve Director for Operetsons stoot DENYING OFFICIAL TITLE / OFFICE . , RECORDS DENIED APPELLATE OFFIClaL S OyM MWy@hh

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l PART la D- APPEAL RIGHTS The denial by each Jenying official ident.fied in Part II.C may be appealed to the Appellate Official identified in that section. Any such appeal must b wnting and must be made within 30 days of receipt of this resoonse. Appeats must be addressed as appropriate to the Executive Director for Operations or to the Secretary that of the from rt is an " Appeal Commession, U.S.Decision."

an inrtial FOIA Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and should clearty state on the envelope and in the let l =mc Fonen ene iP n al l is as. U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FOIA RESPONSE CONTINUATION

Re: F0IA-86-720 i

F01A-86-735 APPENDIX B DATE DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION

1. 08/21/86 Letter from B. Uryc to J. McWeeney regarding Case RII-86-A-0218 -

Termination for Reporting Safety Concerns (3 pages) 4 i

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• UNITED STATES p NUCLEAR REGULATORY commission

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Mr. John J. McWeeney 402 Harlon Drive Apartment A-2 Cary, NC 27511

SUBJECT:

RII-86-A-0218 - TERMINATION FOR REPORTING SAFETY CONC This refers to your letter dated August 14, 1986, which provided additional information relative to your concerns.

I have revised corrrnents . the Statement of Concerns to include those additional A copy of the revision is enclosed for your information, however, as before, if the enclosure does not accurately reflect your concerns, please contact me collect at (404) 331-4193.

Your cooperation and assistance in this matter is appreciated.

Sincerely, ,

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Bruno Uryc Regional Allegation Toordinator Enforcement and Investigation Coordination Staff

Enclosure:

Statement of Concerns (Revision 1) l Certified Mail-No. P 142 897 489 mm a EXHIBIT A -

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Statement of Concerns (Revision 1) AUG 21 1986 RII-86-A-218 2860218001: Termination of employment was due to raising concerns relative to engineering calculations performed on electrical cable tray supports.

2860218002: Some supports installed may not be adequate for their intended purpose. __. -

2860218003: There is a generic problem with supports at the plant. Work Package EN 26627T-A4, support 627T, generic. detail G on drawing 2168-G-251 S01 is an example of the commen problem.

2860218004:

There is a tension member below a platform beam and there is a requirement for a maximum clearance of i inch accentricity, in reality, the member is 71 inches off center. This can be located in Work Plan EN 2367-A-3, cable tray support no. 67 on elevation 236 ,

2860218005:

There is a brace on a cable tray support which has an angle changed with no original calculations and when this was questioned the reply was that the calculation would be redundant.

This information can be found in Work Plan EN 26242, support 242 on elevation 262.

2860218006:

The Civil Engineering Section at the Harris Plant was encouraged and coerced to use simple statements such as

" acceptable by engineering judgement" or " considered adequate by engineering judgement" to substantiate justification of inspection report deficiencies on numerous occasions. Some of the deficiencies were of such simple nature that minimal research justify and no additional calculations were necessary to approval. On the other hand, many of the deficien-cies were of a complexity requiring additional investigation and revised calculations to determine the approval or i

disapproval of the existing condition, and this required work was not performed due to coercive pressures by supervisors to

' approve by engineering judgement. The proper use of l engineering judgement was actually rejected for a distorted l version which produced deficiency approvals more abundantly.

The unreasonable compulsion of supervision to produce a high level of inspection deficiency approvals caused a lower level of plant safety.

2860218007:

On two occasions, by two separate supervisors, instructions were received to stop reading material on the " required i

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2 AUG 21 1986 reading list" in order to produce work said to be "more important."

on the last The required reading was never accomplished and two days before termination of employment, (alleger) having beenwas harassed read. and cajoled to initial the list as Alleger was not allowed to finish the last day of employment and was escorted off the site by two supervisors.

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, EDELSTEIN AND PAYNE ATTON4EYS ATLAW RALDGH, NORTH CAROUNA tein ase 14ee O

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Don Grinsley Director, Division of '

Rules and Regulations FREEDOM OF INFO ACT REQUEST' MNBB 4210 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fora .p d,8

. Washington, D.C. 20555 fd /O-/pg Re: Investigation of safety concerns raised by John J.

McWeeney at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant

Dear Mr. Grimsley:

On behalf of Mr. McWeeney, and pursuant to the Freedom on Information Act, 5 USC 5552, et seq., I request any and all documents in the possession of the Nuclear Regulatory 1

Commission concerning the investigation of safety concerns raised by Mr. McWeeney at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. The specific concerns are indicated in a~ letter and attachment 21, 1986.

from Mr. Bruno Uryc to Mr. McNeeney dated August That letter and attachment is included with this letter as Exhibit A.

This request for information includes, but is not limited to, work papers, interview notes witnesses' statements, depositions, memos, correspon,dence to and from Carolina Power and Light, correspondence within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, correspondence to and from any outside consultants, drawings, blueprints, reports, audio or video recordings, computer printouts, or any other document prepared, obtained, or generated in the course of this investigation.

This request is made as part of the preparation for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge concerning Mr.

McNeeney's allegation that he was discharged from his employment at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant because of the safety concerns that he raised. That hearing is set for the very near future. Therefore, I would appreciate any I and all efforts to this request.

that you might make to expedite the response If you are unable to respond to this request at the resent time because the investigation remains open and is 8ngoing, please notify me of that fact as soon as possible.

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Don Grimsely October 8, 1986 Page 2 Also, please provide investigation will be me with a probable date on which your completed expect a response to this reques,t.and a date on which I can My firm will, of course, pay any and all reasonable copying costs in conjunction with this request. Please include a statement with the documents and payment will be promptly made. Alternatively, if you are not able to send the documents until you receive payment, please contact my office to notify me of the cost of the documents and a check will be immediately forwarded to your agency.

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

S , rely, M. Travis Payne MTP/bn enclosure cc: John J. McWeeney Bruno Uryc, Region II l

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