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..i' SAFE ENERGY COALITION OF MICHIGAN l
P.o. ser H1 n:rnat, x2csrau saist l
l February 13, 1987 Dr. Burt Davis Acting Director, Region III U.S. Buclear Regulatory Commis'sion 799 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137
Dear Mr. Davis:
Enclosted you will find a copy of the preliminary investigation of the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant located in Monroe County, Richigan.
This investigation into worker alleg&tions about the safety of Persi 2 was conducted b the Government Accountability Project during 1986.
GAF announced the r findings at a Press Conference on January 14, 2 957 in De troit, Michigan.
You will find additions 1 information included in this packet frct this conference.
The GAP investigation of the Fermi facility revealed enough in-formation to raise very serious questions about the quality ~ of con-struction of Fermi 2, the ability and willingness of Detroit Edison's management to comply with federal zwgulations, and the total failure of the internal employee allegation program, SAFETEAN.
With over
$hree dozen Fermi workers providing information, the GAF investigators concluded that the Fermi 2 facility is not a safe project that De-troit Edison officials would like to have the public believe.
As you are well aware, information gathered about Fermi 2 is of the same calliber that led to comprehensive investigations at other nuclear plants (Zimmer and Midland).
Those investigations re-vealed more complex problems which required najor rework.
The pro-blems proved so serious the utilities abandoned their nuclear pro-jactsThe Femi 2 project has not been spared these problems that plague the nuclear industry.
Si ficant modifications and rework of many systems were necessitate due to Edison's own mistakes.
In-odequate attention to design control has led to excessive delays and huge cost overruns.
Lack of nuclear experience, underestinction of the budget, poor quality control, equipment failures, design de-riciencies, skin shortages, lapshw security measures, serious manap-cent weaknesses, and failurw to complete surveillance programs pre-erly have plaqued this nuclear boondoegle.
Furthermore, the pro-less continue at Persi 2.
In the past,$2 Colt has filed two separate petitiDhs with the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding safety issues at Fermi 2,
- ne in January 1985 and another in February,1986.
In the Januu y.
1985 petition we asked -the NRc to withhbid fuel loading and licensing, pendin6A full-imeti--t on into problems at:the plant.
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ttir blems included the adequacy of the computer systems for retrieving data on critical areas of the plant, a design defective radwaste management facility, lack of recorded and documented design changes, inherent weaknessess and deficiencies of the General Elaetric Mark I reac tor.
The NBC responded by stating there were no longer problems or that we did not havn enough basis for our safety allegations.
So, in February 1986, we filed another petition asking the NRC to in-stitute proceedings regarding the ineffective and inevapetently managed and operated licensee program at Fermi 2.
We asked the NRC to hold hearings to investigate safet to revoke Edison's operating license.y and management problems and These requests were both denied.
Since these petitions were filed, forty-seven workers from the Fermi 2 plant have been interviewed regarding safety concerns of this facility.
The atmosphere of pmssure and harassinent on the workforce that occurred at Fermi 2. did not permit the detection or correction of the root cause or generic implications of the safety concerns of these workers.
Those concerns are documented in Detroit Edison's SAFETEAN files.
Your agency has refused to fully investigate and review the safety implications of the allegations contained in the SAFETEAM files.
Without an honest and independent investigative effort, it will be impossible to determine how serious the poblems are at the Fermi 2 nuclear plant.
' he Safe Energy Coalition cf F.ichigan, based on the GM inves-tigation,knows within those SAFETEAM files lies the information to identify serious quality control and quality assurance problems and te lead the NEC to the root cause which wodd shed light on the severity of hardware and design deficiencies at the plant.
We believe the NRC has' not done the job it was mandated to carry out.
To refuse to take control of all the SAFETEAM files and conduct inspections and investigation..s into the issues raised by workers, is a very destructive, illegal, ar.d dangerous course for a government The refore, the Safe Energy Coalition of Michigan I
agency)to be on.
(SECOM and the Sisters, Servants, of the Immaculate Heart of Eary (IMM) will be filing a joint ptition 2.206 in the next few weeks cddressing our concerns and th actions the NRC should be taking.
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We will be waiting your respor.se.
j Sincerely,fb Jenn for E. Puntenney Director. Safe Energy Coalition of Richigan 33414 Oakland Apt. #3 Farmington, kichigan 48024 Telephones (313) 477-2214 (h)
(3130 764-0478 (w) ces Representative John Dingell Governor James Blanchard Monroe County Board of Commissioners O ncan or m carwa a a n a n a
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fV /f f namorow. o. c. nosu EDO PRINCIFAL CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL FROM DUE: 07/07/07 EDO CONTROL: 002961 DOC DTs 05/28/87 CEN. CARL LEVIN FINAL REPLY:
TO:
OCA FOR SIONATURE OF M*
OREEN wm SECY NO: 87-724 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DESC:
ROUTINO:
ENOLOSES L ETTER FROM JENNIFER E.
Pl)NTENNEY.
MURI.EY CAFE ENERGY CDALITION OF MIChiGC. RE FEEMI II Muc c, A
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Aet; D TO: RIII CONTACT: DAVIS SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
MARK ENVELOPE ATTN: KAY DEKUIPER b
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