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March 30, 1987 Ms. Jennifer E. Puntenney Director Safe Energy Coalition of Michigan P.O. Box 331 Monroe, MI 48161
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Dear Ms. Puntenney:
1 This will acknowledge receipt of your letter dated February 15, 1987 and enclosures regarding the Femi SAFETEAM. Apparently it was delayed in the i
mail, as it was not received in the region until March 9.
Your letter essentially takes issue with the adequacy of the Fermi SAFETEAM and of the scope of NRC's review of certain of the SAFETEAM files. One of the enclosures to your letter, the Government Accountability Project (GAP) preliminary investigation on SAFETEAM, contains, among other things, a list I
of 28 allegations it received from present and former plant workers.
Your letter also states that you will be filing a joint petition pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 with the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the next few weeks addressing your concerns and the action NRC should be taking.
We are in the process of reviewing your letter. However, you should be aware that specific factual information is required for processing a 2.206 petition.
The GAP investigation report referred to additional information i
concerning the allegations. Whether or not you desire to pursue this matter 4
under the 10 CFR 2.206 process you should provide all infomation obtained by GAP related to safety issues so that they may be appropriately evaluated.
Sincerely, R/I'A.1 cit M by T, i. : h,17 A. Bert Davis Acting Regional Administrator cc: Monroe County Board of Commissioners R) Illy N R,W' A III RIII OGC RI RIII 2
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April 6, 1987 Ms. Billie Garde Director of the Midwest Office Y O Government Accountability Project 3424 N. Marcos Lane Appleton, Wisconsin 54911
Dear Ms. Gardo:
In response to your letter of March 27, 1987, please be advised that Houston Lighting & Power Corupany is very skeptical that any further dialogue with GAP would be constructive. Although we are ready to utilize our SAFETEAM organization to perform investigations of any concerns related to nuclear safety or quality at the South Texas Project, we believe that protracted discussion with your organization is wasting valuable time that could be better spent investigating such matters.
Your obvious low regard for SAFETEAM, which is consistent with the manner in which GAP has criticized other nuclear projects, prompts us to again urge that you ininediately share your concerns with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Your letter suggests that you have sought " guidance" from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission but "have not received a response".
That statement is puzzling.
In fact, you have received a response from Mr. Stello by letter of February 18, 1987 (available in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission public document room) in which you were assured of the availability of Nuclear Regulatory Commission resources to resolve issues your clients miet yaise. That letter concluded that failing to bring forth information pro 6.iy "wouM not be in the best interests of assuring the prompt resolution of legitimate safety concerns".
Your letter states that Houston Lighting & Power and its contractors have been made aware of serious safety concerns through internal processes.
The innuendo is that nothing has been done. To the best of our knowledge, every such matter brought to our attention or those of our principal contractors has been investigated and resolved or is the subject of a pending investigation.
If you have information to the contrary, please tell us.
The statement in your letter concerning information obtained during discovery for the Goldstein case and and the conclusions which you have drawn from that information are presumptuous at best.
Contrary to your statement, a comparison of the interview transcript and the investigation report reveals that each of the issues raised during the interview were understood, investigated, and conclusions drawn based upon the facts.
In any event, as you well know, the Goldstein case has been adjourned.
When it resumes later this year, the defendant will present its case and a conclusion will be reached based upon all the evidence.
B-53
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. Hmrston Lighting & Power Company Ms. Billie' Garde-L April ~6,:1987 L
Page 2 I. reiterate our su'ggestion that you try our SAFETEAM system as modified to meet.your concerns with respect to any matter of potential safety consequences.
In the meantime, however, we are taking steps to request appropriate government officials to obtain from you or your organization information which could potentially affect the safety of the South Texas Project.- If such information exists and is furnished to us, we will spare no effort in pursuing its resolution.
In closing, let me add at the risk of being immodest that the South l
1 Texas Nuclear Project is managed by experienced professionals of the highest integrity. Our. concern for public safety is of paramount.importance. Any suggestion by your organization to the contrary is not supported by.the record.
Our concern-for protecting the public and the plant is demonstrated by:our dogged determination to unearth weaknesses wherever they can be found and dealing with them.. SAFETEAM is but one of many techniques that.we utilize.in that effort. While our SAFETEAM program is not perfect, I believe it.to be among the very best in the country.
Very truly yours, QM.8 J. H. Goldberg Group Vice-President, Nuclear JHG/JEG/sd cc: Chairman L. W. Zech Commissioners K. M. Carr T. M. Roberts J. K. Asselstine F. M. Bernthal Exec. Dir..
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R. D. Martin Dir. I & E J. M. Taylor Owners T.=V. Shockley A.
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/w/rc7 K,. /y gg The Light MmPany Housion Lighting & Power no. Box 1700 Houston Texas 7700i (7:3)228 92ii April 6, 1987 C
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Bay ity, Texas 77414
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To tha Editor:
Recently you ran a half-page ad paid for by the Government Accountability Project (GAP) concerning their activities at the South Texas Project (STP).
GAP, with offices in Washin'gton D. C. and Wiscunsin, describes itself as a "public interest" organization which is " pro-safety." We thought your readers might be interested in knowing the real f acts about GAP's activities at STP.
i After we read articles last January in the Austin-American Statesman and other papers concerning charges by GAP's representatives that they had knowledge of harassment and intimidation and safety problems at STP, we immediately centacted Ms. Billie Garde, GAP's representative.
We encouraged her to come forward with information to us or to the NRC and assured her that the anonymity of anyone providing information would be protected.
In order to encourage GAP to use SAFETEAM so that we could get on top of any safety concerns as soon as possible, we even offered to have a third party do a totally independent check on SAFETEAM's investigation of matters brought to our attention by GAP or persons represented by GAP. And we offered over a period of almost two months to make other procedural changes demanded by GAP in order to get them to bring us any single item of safety concern on a trial basis. GAP would not budge. We also continued to urge GAP to go to tee NRC if they would not bring the information to us. To our knowledge, they have not done so.
Finally, on March 18 I wrote to GAP stating that we could no longer be a party to their games and that:
j "We will urge federal and state officials to seek from you and your organization every scrap of information which could potentially relate to the safety of the South Texas Project.
If any such information exists and is made availble to us, we will pursue it to its resolution.
We can then leave to the citizens of Texas the judgment as to which of us truly represents the public interest."
Copies of this letter were sent to all NRC Commissioners and key enforcement officials. GAP's latest response refuses to provide us any information.
n Hotutsn Lighting & Power Company The Editor April 6, 1987 l
I am enclosing copies of my correspondence with GAP and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and I encourage the~ editor to print all or any part of that correspondence which we are confident will demonstrate that we are sincere and i,
straight forward in our objective to have safety concerns investigated by ourselves or by.the NRC.
We are ready to immediately investigate any concerns about STP that GAP 1
brings to our attention.
l The employees 'at STP are doing a super job as Unit I nears completion.
We are proud of their accomplishments, but I can assure your readers that our pride will never get in the way of "iob number one" -- building a safe nuclear plant.
Sincerely, J. H. Goldberg Group Vice-President, Nuclear JEG/JHG/sd
i ma MAY 15 1987 Daily
,,e EWS News Digest e t, e. J air 1 u
Utility gets 2nd slap from government over training lapses In thelatestletter, chief Bert De-here was also a difference be-By TINA LAM vis saW some Edison reactor oper-tween Edlaos and the NRC in cal-ensw same alorsmay not haveattended allthe culating the eteesroom bours in-required lectures to get their 11-volved kt regentification. When neNuclearRegulatory CommW has sent a letter to Detroit Edison ett-eenses renewed in 1904 and 1985, i Edisondid therecalculationsusing and there was no documentation
' the NRC fornuda, the utility's op-808 problems with its training program for nuclear reactor operators for the thatsomeoperatorshad completed erstars were stE properly quali-W re4esting on the reactor God, he said.
seceod time since the plant began oper-sting.
semedatar.
Edison is est sure whether oper-I 1tese operators have since been stars attended some required lec-The letter followed audits that showed there was no documentation regualified, but the audits by both tures, because those were not docu-the utility and the NRC indicate mented, be said.
that three Fermi II nuclear plant oper-there may have been problems Veccblone sam there are 5011-ctors completed crucial retesting on with the training program at the ceased operaters at Fermi. Mara-the reactor simulator, including mov-tkne theplant started.
bito saW each med take an exami-ing rods in and out of the reactor to con-
"We're focusing on the 1964-85 nation to get as operating license trol the plant's nuclear chain reaction.
thne frame, where there were
' and that license maud be renewed On April 3, the chief of the NRC's Re-asme dencleocles," said NRC every two years,with extensive re-
- glon III notified Edison officials to take spokesman Russ Marabito."We're testing and retralming done by the
- C.eps to ensure that its reactor opera-stilllooking at those from a regula-utility. The NRC monitors the re-tors tre up to date on their training.
tory dandpoint."
qualification programs of utilities Since fuel was loaded at Fermi in
.ne NRC will decide whether to make sure operators are up to March 1985, the plant has been plagued there were violations of regula-date.
by operator errors. In July 1985, an op-tisms for which Edison could be he FermlIIpiant has been shut er; tor who didn't follow instructions flued, he saW.
down for nearlya month while Edi-properly pulled control rods in the By next week. Edison must sub-son ecmpletes repairs to small wrong sequence, causing the plant to at evWence that all its licensed tir.es that were leatring slightly re-start up too quickly, operators have completed new dioactive steam.Those repairs are ne plant was shut down after that tralaing that substituted for the old expecte( to be completed this for eight months.
tralming program, he said. For week, and Edison hopes to restart he " confirmatory action letter" now, "we are satianed that all op-tie reactor this week, Vecchione sent to Edison last month is considered erators have met the training re-saW.
an unn=ual regulatory step, and puts querements,"3farabito saW.
De NRC had paannad to boet a hits writing agreements between regu-State audits in March and April meeting Monday at 7 p.m. at the 4
lators and the utility about what steps showed the old defleteneles, the op.
plant with the putdic to discuss the willbe taken, eratorsdose trainingwasin ques, status of the plant, but the NRC De letter was the third Edison bas time have been shown to be proper-public affairs offlee said this morn-received in the past three years. The ly trained,he sam.
ing that meeting-has been "de-first came after the faulty rod pull in Edisco apak* aman Dan Vec.
ferred." No one was available for July 1985, and restricted the plant to op-cidone said the utility views the C"'"'nant on why It has been post-er: ting at no more than 5 percent pow-trainit.g deGeleocles as "imaccep.
- poned, er until the NRC determined it could table," but " minor lapses." Edison TheutDityhasasked the NRC for operatecorrectly and safely, discovered them itself and dis, permismian to move to the 75 per-The second letter was issued last Au-closed them to the NRClast month, cent power level, the last step it gust aner five of eight senior reactor be saki.
must complete before making a j
operators failed the simulator portion As a result of our own audit, we 100-bour run at se percent power et an NRC requalification examination.
have taken corrective action," he and declaring the plant commer-he operators were required to said.Some of the deficiencies may ciallyoperating.
take the examination again and all have been in paperwork, in that j
At that point, possibly in early I
passed.
sosne retraining was not document-June, the Fermi II rate increase ed,he said._
would begin to be added to ratepay-For esample, operators were re.
ers' bills.
quired to complete 20 different ma-i nipulations on the simulator. For three operators, four of those were not documented, but they may have been done and simply not written down, he said.
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eulematicallylateWadmanday, ia M 2 Was restarted Sunday Edsen eswoman Cynthj m > enacking-t.d.ues.N h
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we g aat's saf y a own Some~ef he souges a measure strain and At the time. the plant was heereattachedtoothers.
operettag at about 17 percent of power.
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NNC controlof SAFETEAMsought As a prdude to a possible The utihty's SAFTTEAM pro. Governman Lv W w y Pro-lawsuit, amb-awiant are ject was a vah=dary pregram ject, SECOM aanght out warters
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the started by the stikty is assa to who voteed eaaearns throash n=nnaaman to take gather possible safety enacerns SAFETEAM and based en es-of -
Ph Ca aw areen workers as they left their r==mians with the workers found which detail saftey concerns eenployumentat thepient.
that "none believed that voiced by workers at lite uhhty's Edison said it began the SAFETEAM adequately an-Eart:o Fermi 2 maclear power to assare thaf aB desacod their tiens er had l
@ mas.
their com-plant.
at wouM he enntesman e
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'The NRC's *==H=dar rdusal the program was a ruse to merdy The groups' petition the es enforce its sum regulations d'ea'* esmeerns before they could 30tC to take make raises 9d=tmanal bandth and safe. reach theNRC.
peditie h esacaras-gunstises about Fermi 2," saW Aa NItc swiew deand the pro-regiare proper procesuhg et ad Jahnstaa,==mistant erector grasa was a good aanr9 but met aus eenceras; and require that aB f
W Safe Coalition of a was Sawed at.Farmi because utilty workers are in.
i Mictagan wtuck the petition these running it were not shinad fermed of the limita una the along with the Sisters, Servants of investigators.
NRC SAFETEAM program, wtach stiD the Immacniste Heart of Mary. reviews of a na og of the is angoing.
i "The 2,e00 safety aDegations czo-tions found none of safety "If the NRC doies not proceed en tained in Detroit Edison's and the NRC says lit the actions in die * -
SAFE 1EAM files must be
'm-the SAFE 1EAM assue tion, then M and (the Ss-vestigated and made public," she eM ters) wiD file an appeal in federal i
said.
Anded by the Wachtaatanbased ceert,"Ms.Johnston said.
y, Monroe OMer 781,ill tour Parents Without Pat ' era w Boys la Monroe, at 6 p.m.
Those who plan to attend the guided tour are asked to meet at the front entrance of the newly opened facility..
A general meeting willbe heldat 8 p.m.
af the Johnson-l'hinney
,22 W. Second St.
ti of the t
.A dtaasalon timewi ow.
Further information is available by calling 606 tS01 or 586 2300.
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Daily The paw 5/12/87 O Ub NewsDigsst Mm A
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ss M$nroe CountyC6mmission Proceedings g %-- g A
W PAIO NOTW
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14, Speaal to ths read gasveral items in-erunt Pb4 steam Note:
Excerpts from Minutes
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