ML20216C570
| ML20216C570 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Millstone  |
| Issue date: | 02/18/1998 |
| From: | Burton N AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| To: | Shirley Ann Jackson, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20216C527 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9803160080 | |
| Download: ML20216C570 (2) | |
Text
from. ;, HAljCY BURTON.ESO.
PHONE No. : 938 3952 Feb.18 1998 7:59AM P01 l$'
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NANCY BURTON ATTORNEY AT LAW 147 C9 TOSS MIGHWAY REDDING RIDGE,00NNEOTICUT Oe874 TNT.RPHONE #9039 9984MS nx
,n uu February 18, 1998 Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commsission 1 White Flint North Building 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville MD 20853 Ras Millstone
Dear Dr. Jackson:
I attended your press conference and "public informational meeting" in Waterford, Connecticut on February 2, 1998 as well as a "public informational meeting" conducted by members of your staff in Waterford on January 27, 1998.
Statements made at such sessions by Williams Travers, director of the special projects office of the NRC, and John beck, president of Little Harbor Consultants, bear close scrutiny at this critical time when your agency is giving
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consideration to re-start of Millstone 3.
On January 27, 1998 Mr. Beck, a supposedly neutral third-party overseer, made a remarkable statement. In discussing the safety standards applicable to Millstone, he applied the term "world-class performance" to a nuclear power generator which complies with all applicable safety standards. He said, " Meeting an ideal expectation in our view is world-class performance."
He then went on to say: "There are a lot of operating plants that operate safely that are not considered to be world-class operators, but they're certainly responsible and safe-operating plants. We would expect the Millstone reactors to restart the reactors when they meet an acceptable level of performance that's c m arable to those other plants around this country given the same level of regulatory scrutiny and not necessarily to have to be world class." (Emphasis added.)
What Mr. Beck was saying was that his outfit would countenance a start-up of nuclear power plants plagued by safety deficiencies and retaliation against whistleblowing employees without having to be satisfled that the plants meet all applicable safety standards.
You were asked during the February 2, 1998 "public informational meeting" to explain why the Millstone plants should be exempted from compliance with all pertinent safety standards. You would not ans er the question, but you deferred to Mr. Travers. Mr. Travers then took the microphone and denied 9803160080 900304 PDR ADOCK 05000245 H
1 Frcen; :,tFN0Y BURTON.ESQ.
PHOtE No. : 938 3952 Feb.18 1998 8:00AM P02 Dr Shirley Ann Jackson February 18, 1998 Page Two that Mr. Beck had made such a statemen' Vr. Travers' denial at this very public forum was false and deceptive.
Mr. Travers and his team suppressed discourse on critical l
safety issues at the January 27, 1998 meeting. Intelligent, conscientious and well-informed speakers were intimidated by i
Mr. Travers and his staff from addressing the critical safety j
issues. I have previously written to you of such conduct on February 2, 1998 and I have to date received no reply. (Copy of February 2, 1998 letter attached.)
The public trust is being very directly abused. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission cannot command public confidence when its I
own officials utter false and deceptive statements and suppress public discourse of critical safety issues.
You must be aware that the term "whistleblower" entered the legislative lexicon in Connecticut because of illegal retaliation against nuclear workers disturbed by safety deficiencies by Northeast Utilities. It is shocking to contemplate that the same i
utility was seriously admonished by the U.S. Department of Labor j
for imposing illegal gag provisions in settlement agreements with whistleblowers six months after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
~
l Second Circuit ruled ca== arable saa provisions 111emal.
See Connecticut Light & Power C M any dba Northeast Utilities v.
l U.S. Department of Labor and John DelCore (decided May 31, 1996 i
l Millstone in Waterford,p)(case arising out of employment at during your.chairmanshi Connecticut). Retaliation has been a continuing issue during the two years that the plants have been shut down.
1 I am sure that you are aware that the Millstone plants are l
situated in Connecticut's premier tourist region. Millions of people flock to the Mystic Seaport, the Mystic Aquarium, the beaches along the sound, the Harkness cultural center, not to mention the l
popular gambling casinos operated by Native Americans nearby. They i
are very important to the region's economy and to the economy of the state. The tourists no less than the year-round residents look to you to maintain the highest standards of safety so that they and their children will not be imperiled.
i The public will not have confidence in the NRC if Millstone stays on the fast track to restart. The citizens and visitors to Connecticut are entitled to world-class safety protection. They will not tolerate a lesser standard.
I appreciate and look forward to your response.
cc: Sen. Christopher Dodd Sincerely, Sen. Joseph Lieberman r
Congressional Delegation News Media Manc r
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