ML20196D974

Discusses Issues Surrounding Facility.State of MD Has No Formal Standing in Review Process.Nrc Should Identify Specific Restart Criteria

ML20196D974
Person / Time
Site:	Peach Bottom
Issue date:	02/12/1988
From:	Schaefer W MARYLAND, STATE OF
To:	Zech L NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20151D025	List: ML20151D022 ML20196D974
References
G-04, G-4, NUDOCS 8802250098
Download: ML20196D974 (3)

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STATE OF MARYLAND Nk C#F;CE OF THE GOUERNOR {bt-IN KiPU REFER To G-04 we, mg y wro.c Orta

^?W APOL5 W 4 swx .m c aa February 12, 1988 mwrnpenINi$I vowe. o wr., m 1304 U5 46T escepy Mr. Lando W. Zech, Jr., Chairhan

• Mgggyp,fy Nuclear Regulatory Commission x u ms 1717 H Street, N.W. Sca e, m. m Washington, D.C. 20555  !

Dear Chairman Zech:

As you know, members of your 5taff briefed me and members of the Maryland Congressienal Delegation last week on the issues surrounding the Peach Bottom Nuclear power plant; I an, quite frankly, more concerned now about t.he ,

situation at Peach Bottom than I wa3 before the brie'ing.

I am sure you agree with me that we have an obligation to pro,tefA_.tne publ_ic saf ety. More than any ot93 rorm 5T~~ '

energy, nuclear power requires absolute public confidence. The consequences of a mistake are too great.

Although we maintain a carefu) revioW of the power plants in and around the state, Maryland has no farw l standint!

= in the review process. Ultimate responsibility for the safe operations of Peach Bottom, as with any nuclear '

power plant, rests with the NRC.

What troubled me most was nct what I heard but what was missing from the briefing. I had hoped to hear yonr plans for ensuring that the long-standing problems at Peach Bottom would be corrected prjor to reotart. What I heard instead were vague categories, not a specific plan of action.

Determining what restart criteria to ui.e in judging whether or hot Feach Bottom can resume operations is Icritiqal and was not adequately addressed N tegories like "acceptable maintenance backlog" or "effective quality assurance program" cannot substitute for specific criteria. How will you know if a quality assurance program is effective? What is an acceptable maintenanca backlog? These are questions, like so many others, that must be answered now. How can I, as Governor, tell the people of Maryland that we are on the right track at Peach Bottom if we can't even define the problem, if we don't have a good yardstick by which to measure Peach BottAJ:stform c? -

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4 Mr. Landu W. Zech, Jr., Chairran February 12, 1988 Page Two What is most disappointing is the lack of direction in correcting the personnel prob _lems that are at the root of

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all Peach acttom's dTf flhultie].s. There is a room . arya s.lve

attitude problem that runs from tne c5Mtro at Peach Bettom76~ the bWrd rcom .at Philadelphia Electric. If there was any doubt as tb just how pervasive this attitude problem is, those doubts were dispelled with the release 7f the recent letter from Zach Pste of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) to the PECO board of directors.

Much of the information in this letter leads me to believe that the plant should have been closed sooner.

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But if the NRC was not aware that the personnel prdhTemc~through'out' PFCO had ddtbridretWd~t'o the point whDWc35tfriGed~o~p o raticg of,the_ plant _was_1Therally a threat-to the~henIth~a~nd safety of the public, how will. ~

you know when thic attitude problem has been cot M d? ,

I'am shocked ~Ey t:ib actl~ons and statements of Fhe highest officers of the corporation as documented in Mr. Pate's letter. It has been suggested that rehabilitation of the licensed operators is not possible. Frankly, I believe that changing the attitudes of operators will be easier than changing the attitudes of some corpora _te officers.

You must determine how to correct the'Et'Eftude problem, and verify that the corrections are effective. Simple tssursacos are not enough.

The NRC should identify specific restart criteria, make

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tnem publicly available, give interested parties such as the State of Maryland the opportunity to comment on them, and finalize them prior to proceeding any further with its review of Peach Bottom. As a start towards identifying specific criteria PECO should be required to improve its scores in the NRC's SyEtematic Lasessment 6f Efcensee Performance. The improvements shouTd be quantiflid.

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fhe NRC's inspection program should also be used to avaluate improvements in performance. Inspections condtFcted iiince trie shutdown have continued to identify numerous violations of NRC rules. The NRC should require PECO to meet 4 definitive.,inspSction goals, such as completing a spE6ffT6 period priorTo restart (for example 6 months) without being cited for a violation.

9 O Mr. Lando W. Zech, Jr., Chairman February 12, 1988 Page Three Some of the most useful information for assessing PECO's performance has come from independent sources such as INPO. It is essential that such independent reviews continue to be performed. The role of these parties should be formalized as part of the review process. A1.1 subsequent PECO plans should be reviewed by and revised to the satisfaction of INPO before they are submitted to the NRC.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the recent INPO letter in identifying the unabated continuation of a problem which we had been led to believe was at least in the process of being corrected. I am fully aware that it is unprecedented for this information to have been made public, but it is clearly crucial that it was. I am writing Zach Pate directly to urge that all INPO reports on Peach Bottom during the shutdown and for one year beyond the restart also be made public. I urge yo_u to join me in this request.

Finally, I was very glad to hear Dr. Murley affirm that the NRC will involve the State of Maryland in its review as extensively as possible. This commitmont is essential to me. I assure you that we are keenly interested in participating in this process, and will cooperate with you and your staff in every way possible.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Sincerdly,

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Governor cc: Maryland Congressional Delegation )

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