ML20196C655

Requests Commission Attendance at 881116 Hearing on Senate Resolution 218 in Harrisburg,Pa

ML20196C655
Person / Time
Site:	Peach Bottom
Issue date:	10/26/1988
From:	Bell C PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF
To:	Zech L NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20196C652	List: ML20196C647 ML20196C655
References
NUDOCS 8812080049
Download: ML20196C655 (5)

Text

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'.'a'"fe'JLT.'i""' [c1t:1fc of hlc1t115tjlumti:t October 26, 1988 Lando Zech, Chaiman U. S. fluclear Regulatory Comission Washington, D. C. 20555

Dear Mr. Zech:

On November 16, 1988, the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee will hold a hearine, on the subject of Senate Resolution 218, a copy of which is attached. The hearing will begin at 10:00 A.M. in Room 8E - East Wing of the Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120.

The Comittee is concerned as to whether the facts warrant an Investigation, whether the State has any jurisdiction in this matter, whether there is a need for any statutory changes to protect the public, whether the investigatory efforts by the Governor's Administration and PVC Comissioner Joseph Rhodes would protect the public without the need for an additional Senate inquiry, and such additional allied matters as may be brought before the Comittee.

Cue to your knowledge concerning the restart of Peach Bottom and the concerns stated above, I hereby request your attendance at the November 16th hearing.

Any, questions and the scheduling of timt fm' your testimony should be directed to :iusan H. Shanaman, Esq. at 717-787-9234.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Very si,ncerely yours, lh .

CLARENCE D. BELL SENATOR COB:bb

' ENCLOSURE k ans /

• C .4 oe As M12090049 001113 PDR COMMS NRCC CORRESPONDEi4CE PDC i

Print r's No.

2430

' THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF FENNSYLVANIA SENATE RESOLUTION Session of NO. 218 19ss

)  ;

INTRODUCED BY LINCOLN, HESS AND JONES, U TOBER 6, 1988 REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, nrinRcn R, TORR A RESOLUTION 1 Calling upon the Senate of Pennsylvaaia to a. point a bipartisan 2 commistee, invested with subpoena powers, to hold hearings on 3 the actions of the Philadelphia Electric Company in regards 4 to the restart of the Peach Bottom Nucleat Generating 5 Facility.

6 WHEREAS, The health and security of its citizens is the 1 g imary government responsibility of the Commonwealth; and 8 WHEREAS, The saf e opter 'on of the Peach Bottom Nuclear

• 9 Generating racility is of great public importance to the 10 citizens of Pennsylvanias and 11 WHEREAS, Or. March 31, 1987, the Nuclear Regulatory Cc: mission 12 (NRC) issued a "Shutdown" order for Peach Bottom because of 13 several serious allegations concerning the performance of the 14 company and its Peach Bottom 'e : tor control room operators and 15 their supervisors: and ,

16 WHEREAS, On January 11, 1988, the President of the Institute ,

'7 of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), the industry internal 18 watchdog crganization, issued a letter to the Board of Directors 19 of the Philadelphia Electric Company (PECC) in which he stated 4

~~

. I 1 that "The grossly unprofessional behaviour by a wide range of*

2 shift personnel, involving all shifts, and condoned by the shift.'

3 superintendents reflects a major breakdown in the management of 4 a nuclear facility. It is an embarrassment to the irdustry and 5 to the nation." He went on to conclude that "the problems at 6 Peach Bottom are the direct result of the low scandards and lack 7 of accountability accepted by corporate, and, in fact, fostered 8 on the plant by a lethargic and defensive corporate 9 organizations" and 10 WHEREAS, Representatives of the Commonwealth have, since 11 November of 1987, attempted to get the Nuclear Regulatory 12 Commission to hold a public hearing on the restart of Peach 13 Bottca without success and 14 WHEREAS, Representatives of the Commonwealth, on June 16, 15 1988, filed a formal objection to the Peach Bottom Restart Plan 16 proposed by PECO, pointing out several serious deficitacies; and 17 WHEREAS, PECO has confirmed to Coa.missioner Joseph Rhodes, 18 Jr., of the Public Utility Ccmmission, that senior officials at 19 the NRC and tcp managGment at PECO have held a series of 20 "secret" meetings to arrange an expeditious restart schedule for 21 Peach Bottem without primary regard ror the public safety; and 22 WHEREAS, PECO's confirmation to Commissioner Rhodes has ,

23 revealed that representatives of the Commonwealth were excluded .,

24 from these "secret" meetings, denying the citizens of 25 Pennsylvania proper representation at meetings whi 11y 26 affect their health and security and a WHTREAS, The need for changes in the corporate culture of  ;

27 28 PECO vis-a-vis Peach Bottom was at the core of the INPO 29 criticisms, and it has been alleged that the new management of 30 PECO has continued to wage a campaicn to get Paach Bottom gb

1 restarted without regard for the public safety and beyond the

• 2 light of a public proceeding; therefore be it 3 RESOLVED, That the President pro tempore of the Senate 4 appoint a bipartisan committee of ten members, five from the 5 majority and five from the minority, to study and investigate 6 the management and operations of the Philadelphia Electric 7 Company relating to the Peach Bottom Nuclear Generating Facility 8 and the efforts to restart the Peach Sottom Nuclear Generating {

9 Facility; and be it further l

10 Rr"7LVED, That the committee may hold hearings, take 11 tes any and make its investigations at such places as it deems  !

l 12 ne: ,ary in this Commonwealth. It may issue subpoenas under the 13 hand and seal of its chairman commanding any person to appear ,

14 before the committee and to answer questions touching matters 15 properly being inquired iato by the committee and to produce 16 such books, papers, records and documents as the committee deems 17 necessary. The subpoenas may be served upon any person and shall l

is have the same effect as subpoenas issued out of the courts of .

19 this Commonwealth. Any person who willfully neglects or refuses [

t 20 to testify before the committee or to produce any books, papers, l 21 records or documehts shall be subject to the penalties provided i

22 by tne laws of this Commeawealth in such case. Each member of i i

23 the committee shall have power to adminiater oaths and

(

affirmations to witnesses appearing before the committee: and be I (

C.2425 it further 26 RESOLVED, That the committee may hold hearings, take  ?

27 testimony and make its investigations at such places as it deems 28 necessary in this Commonwealth. Each member of the committee 29 shall have power to administer oaths and affirmations to 30 witnesses appearing before the committees and be it further

e 1 RESOLVED, That the committee report back as soon as possible 2

regarding its study and investigation and any recommendations **

3 relating to the Philadelphia 21ectric Company. .

O L

P 9

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I26L82RZ/1988002628 --

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