ML20247Q253

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Advises That Ofc of Investigations Opened Investigation Re Tdi & Commissioners Have Been Apprised of Investigation
ML20247Q253
Person / Time
Site: Shoreham File:Long Island Lighting Company icon.png
Issue date: 03/12/1984
From: Hayes B
NRC OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS (OI)
To: Cunningham G
NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE LEGAL DIRECTOR (OELD)
Shared Package
ML20247Q206 List:
References
FOIA-89-192 NUDOCS 8908070088
Download: ML20247Q253 (2)
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UNITED STATES 8 c. ~{ NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

E W ASHINGT ON. D. C. 2065$

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Guy H. Cunningham, III E E 3d Er ive Lfgal Di. rector

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g, 4 FROM: Ben Hayes, rec or !G -

Office of Investigations g l

SUBJECT:

SHOREHAM-TRANSAMERICA~ DELAVAL EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATOR l i (EDG) CONTENTIONS ADVANCED BY SUFFOLK COUNTY  !

As discussed during Investigator Gilbert's telephone conversation with Edwin J. Reis of your staff on March 6,1984, this memorandum is. submitted in response to your memorendum to me, dated February 28, 1984, regarding the captioned subject.

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The Office of Investigations (01) has opened an investigation concerning Transamerica Delaval Incorporated and the Commissioners hate been apprised of -l this investigation being initiated. However, due to limited resources and other priority commitments, actual field work iias not commenced and a realis-tic estimated completion date cannot be ascertained at this juncture.

In accordance with 01 policy, we are unable to reveal the particulars of the serious allegations, however, they appear to be generic rather than site Li specific. If safety significant information is developed which impacts on Shoreham or any other facility. 01 will make appropriate notifications to cognizant NRC staff members.

cc: R. A. Fortuna, 01: HQ .

E. C. Gilbert, 01:HE N O. C. Shackleton, Jr., 01:RV Edwin J. Reis, ELD rf -

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34 T HE w mWAl.1, bTRET JOU,R.NAL

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i Xue_earindustry Fades hw Snag ~ -

Eirked 84 h Y' #~

f&Ba'ckup Di6sel Engines -

mf Mnetesipp! Power & Ught Co.'s Grand vestigate. Recent audits by the agency cata- ,

        1. "*"' * " 8 " #""* Gull nuclear facihty. k;cd E* "nonennformances" and three vio-e e ed p ts, ug7 cost r ,hu
  • In addition.the NRC says,laulty cy!!nder lations of regulations and procedures at De-  ;

laval manufacturing facHWes. Trans- 1 regulations and dec!!ning public confidence, heads, cylinder blocks, connecting rods and amedca Says W andts dsclosed pWems has another worry-a desel engine. Other defects have turned up in Delaval die, l De engine is made by Transamerica De. sets, both at nuclear plants and in sorne pas- .in paper work, oot in hangme l'. sell But laval Inc., s unit of San Francisco based suger and c'argo vessels that use the engine JRC officials say that such a large number Transamerica Corp. Thirteen U.S. utlhties for propulsbnJ"There really is quite a bit of of dehciencies may be an indication of why have purchased 57 of them to help supply poor operatmg historywith this piece of there have been problems with the engine, d , r1 ics n backup power for nuclear plants in emer. equipment," Mr. Denton says. ,

4 Bu there have t iso many problems Affected utthtles have engaged 120 diesel ing parts." says Frank Jones, deputy county '

engineers and :onsultants in a funous. H executtri of Suffolk County, N.Y., where 3 with the engme that the Nuclear Regulatory milhon effort to restore the NRC's conn. Shoreham is located. The county govern-Co'rumssion staff says it will withhold plant- )

ment opposes opemng the plant and has operatmg beenses until the engine's rehabil, dence. The group is preparmg individual re.

ity is proved. That could snean costly delays ports on 16."stgnih. cant kncwn problems." hired its own consultants to stud) the Dela-va! engine.

m gettmg some 18 reacto s into commercial and it is conducting design ud cuality re.

operation. VIN 0! about 166 of the engine's 217 basic Uleo has already ordered other diesets.

Transamerica. for Jts part. defends the . parts. ',When we re through, we feel we'll be but they won't be ready for operation until-diesel as sound and rehable. Most of the dif, able to defend the rehabihty of these en , the middle of next year.The utility, which is hculties are minor,it says, and repairs or gmes to anyone, says James McGaughy. Ln such debcate imancial shape that u can't vice president of Mtssisstppi Power & Ught replacement pans have been developed to 'and chairman of the engine-owners' gmup. wait that long, wants NRC permisLon to be-gm plant testmg immediately at power lev-fax all of the defects. ,

Nudear plant equlpment is subject to f re- At Transamenca Delaval, Chnt Mat. els so low, the company says, backup diescis quent regulatory scrutiny. It is unusual, thews, vice president and general manager w mit be needed.

however, for the NRC to take action against of the division' t rnakes the engine, says. Misalssippl Power & Ugfit, a ut:lt of New one system that threatens so many licenses. "Be consider an) croblem with any of these Orleanichased Middle South U11hties Inc.

especially a system that isn't part of the re. areas to be behind us." He adds, "That's already has a low power heense for Grand actor itself. "We view this as a very serious what the owners' gmup is proving." Gut!. But the Delaval deselis a major block problem for the industry," says Harold Den. to its quest for a full-power license Also fac-ton, director of nuclear reactor regulation . Transamenca says H may be swd ing potentihl licensing problems are Texas for the NRC. by some utihtles, includmg long Island Utihties Co/s Comanche Peak plant d Ughtmg. According to the staff of the New Dde Power Co/s Catawba facility w!ti h York Pubhc Service Commission, the d e-Among the problems cited by the NRC: hope to load fuel in nearly fmished plants

-Broken and cracked crankshafts that sel s defects added $539.3 mi!! ion in unneces- this year, disabled three engmes at Long Island ught- sary costs to W W Won pdce tag of Cleveland Electne Illuminating Co.. Con-ing Q?s Shoreham plant last August Ulevs still unopened Shoreham plant. Ulco

-Cracks in piston skirts that have devel .says only that it is studying the situation. A sumers Power Co. Gulf States Utilities Co.,

oped at several plants because steel wasn't Transamerica spokesman says the company Southern Co. and Carohr.a Power & Ught properly heat treated during manufacture' has evaluated the potential e!!ect of d esel. Co. also own Delavals. but aren 1 expected

-D'aing fuel hnes that started fues at related htigation and concluded that it has to finish plants where they would be used Southern Cahfornia Edtson 6.'s San Onotre adequate legal defenses and insurance to until 1985 or later. As a result, these utilities No, I plan! (now closed indefinitely to re. mitigate any habHity.

am t M m k msh aMecW imless View its abihty to withstand an carthquake) Meanwh!!e, the NRC 15 continuing toin- rn m

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