ML20155J726

Partially Withheld Results of Joint Ofc of Investigations/ NRR Interview W/Jj Blessing Re RR Booher 841115 Interview (Ref 10CFR2.790(a)).Rept of 800410 Interview,Summary of Leak Rate Data & 841214 Statement Encl

ML20155J726
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	01/04/1985
From:	Capra R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Russell W Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML20151L202	List: ML20151L198 ML20155J582 ML20155J591 ML20155J599 ML20155J625 ML20155J636 ML20155J641 ML20155J649 ML20155J653 ML20155J677 ML20155J684 ML20155J692 ML20155J704 ML20155J710 ML20155J713 ML20155J726 ML20155J745 ML20155J753 ML20155J770 ML20155J778 ML20155J792 ML20155J808 ML20155J825 ML20155J835
References
NUDOCS 8605270180
Download: ML20155J726 (5)

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[ f Docket Files 55-07159 ,

Docket Files 55-06120 j D JAN 0 41985 TMurley, RI i RMartin, RIV l RCapra l LWiens s MEMORANDU!iFOR: William T. Russell, Deputy Director WRussell -

Division of Human Factors Safety NRR HThompson FROM: Robert A. Capra Technical Assistant -

Division of Systems Integration, NRR

SUBJECT:

SLM1ARY OF JOINT OI/NRR INTERVIEW WITH JOHN J. 8LESSING The purpose of this memorandum is to document the results of the joint OI/NRR interview with Mr. John J. Blessing. The purpose of the interview with Mr. Blessing was to either confirm or refute statements made by Mr. Raymond R. Booher during his November 15, 1984 interview with OI/NRR. The interviews of both individuals dealt with the subjects of Reactor Coolant System (RCS) leak rate surveillance testing irregularities at THI-2 during the period September 30, 1978 through the date of the accident, March 28, 1979 and a I breach of security incident that took place at THI-2 on July 13, 1979. l During that time frame, Mr. Bocher and Mr. 31essing were Control Room '

Operators (CR0s) at TMI-2 assigned to the same shift.

The interview with Mr. Blessing was held in the Office of Investigations Field Office, Region I. The interview was conducted by Mr. Keith

' Christopher, Director, Office of Investigations, Region I and me. Just prior to commencement of the interview, Mr. Christopher was infomed by Mr. Bart Gephart of the law firm Killian and Gephart, that while he had represented Mr. Blessing in previous interviews and investigations by the NRC and the Department of Justice, he no longer represented Mr. Blessing and would not be present at the time of the interview. At the outset of the interview, Mr. Blessing was questioned concerning his desire to have legal counsel present during the interview. Mr. Blessing confirmed that he had dismissed the law finn of Killian and Gephart as his counsel on the previous afternoon and stated that he wished to proceed with the interview without the benefit of legal counsel. A complete sumary of his interview is provided below. s Mr. Blessing was advised that the primary purpose of the interview was to ascertain if he was aware of any information that would indicate the level of involvement of Mr. Raymond R. Booher in the falsification of leak rate surveillance rate test data at TMI-2 prior to the accident on March 28, 1979.

Mr. Blessing was not placed under oath for this interview.

NOTE: This memorandum and enclosures discuss infonnation which is the subject of an ongoing OI investigation. This memorandum and enclosures may not be disseminated outside the NRC without coorlination with NRR and the permission of the EDO or the Director.

01. Internal access and distribution should be on a "need to know" oasis. ,

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Hr. Blessing is currently employed as an Engineering Specialist with United , ' I Energy Service in Reading, Pennsylvanta. He stated that was previously employed with Met-Ed from October 1976 until he terminated his employment in ,

May 1981. -He was a Control Room Operator (CRO) at TMI-2 from November 1978 -

urtti May 1981; however, Mr. Blessing did not receive his Reactor Operator's license until April 1980. Consequently, during the period under investi- l gation, Mr. Blessing was assigned dutfes as a CR0 trainee. While he was in a trainee status, he was assigned to Shift 'E

• Shift "E" consisted.of the followfng indfyiduals:

SHIFT E Shift Supervisor: Bernte Smith Shift Forenan: Ken Hoyt CRO: Raymond Sooher CRO:' Harold Hartman CR0 Trainee: John Blessing

- Mr. Blessing was shown a copy of the " Report of Interview" of his April 10

' 1980 intervtew with IE and CIA. Mr. Blessing confirmed that the infonution contained in the report was true and correct to the best of his knowledge (SeeEnclosure1).

Mr. Blessing stated that leat rate surveillance tests were routinely done on -

each shift. On many occasions, tests had to be run several times before results meeting the acceptance criterf a of the Technical Specifications could be obtained. Tests that did not meet the acceptance criterfa were thrown away.

He confirmed that it was his belief that leak rate tests were discarded in order to preclude the NRC from seeing leak rate tests that did not meet the acceptance criterf a. He was asked if this policy originated as a result of the October 18, 1978 incident during which an NRC inspector found several unacceptable results lying in the control room and asked why they had net entered the Action Statement of the Technical Specifications.

Mr. Blessing stated that he did not have (f rsthand knowledge of the incident since he did not start as a CR0 trainee untti November 1978; however, he s believes thrown away.

that was the reason why unacceptable leak rate tests continued to be He stated that it was more difficult to get acceptable leak rate test results as the date of the accident approached. He believed this was due to problems with the computer program not properly accounting for the higher identified leakage to the pressurizer Reactor relief valves. Coolant Drain Tank (RCDT) caused by the leaking He believed there was a problem with the computer program since they were able to get satisfactory leak rate test results with hand calculations. He did not know why the leak rate test records that were retained did not contain these hand calculations. He thought they may have been thrown ~~ out once a satisfactory computer-generated leak rate test was obtained.

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W G W O f William T. Russell JAN 4 1985 He was asked about his interpretation of the Tcchnical Specification associ . '

atedwith.ReactorCoolantSystem(RCS) leakage. Mr. Blessing stated that he 1 believed they had 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> from the last good leak rate test until another I leak rate test was required. He stated he did not think that the Technical -

Specifications required them to enter the Action Statement whenever they received a bad leak rate test result. Mr. Blessing could not recall ever being directed to enter the Action Statement by his supervisors due to unidentified leakage exceeding 1 gpm.

Mr. Blessing was asked to describe how leak rate tests were perfomed on shift. He stated it was a simple matter of inserting the correct call letters into the computer. He said it was the responsibility of the individual who started the test to ensure the other members of the shift were advised a leak rate test was in progress. Mr. Blessing stated, however, that the comunications on his shift were particularly bad. He stated his shift did not work well together. There was very little downward connunications from their Shift Foreman and Shift Supervisor. He said while he was very good friends with Mr. Hartman, including socializing and car-pooling together, neither of them got along with Mr. Socher. He stated Mr. Booher did not get along with most of the other CR0s. He said Mr. Bocher was the type of individual who would "ask a lot of stupid questions" to CR0 trainees who were trying to get system checkouts from him. Consequently, people avoided Mr. Booher and would go to someone like Mr. Hartman. He stated because of his poor working relationship with Mr. Bocher, he performer most evolutions under Mr. Hartman's direction. .

When asked about hydrogen additions to the MUT during leak rate tests, Mr. Blessing stated that he routinely added hydrogen in order to help get acceptable leak rate test results. He stated that this was a common practice, although he did not personally witness other operators except Mr. Hartman perfoming these additions. He did not personally believe that hydrogen additions worked; however, he was told it would help. He stated that he could not recall ever having a discussion with Mr. Booher regarding the addition of hydrogen to the make-up tank in order to manipulate leak rate test results. He stated thet he had also never personally witnessed Mr. Booher make such an addition; however, he stated based upon the fact it

' was comon knowledge among operators, that he could not imagine that Mr. Bocher did not know these actions were going on.

Mr. Blessing combination of Mr.was thenMr.

Bocher, shown Hartman sumary and Mr.listing Blessing of(See leakEnclosure rate tests 2 . involving)al i

It was pointed out that several of the tests involved unrecorded water additions during times leak rate tests were in p gress. In some cases it appeared that this water may have been " jogged" 1.e., small amounts of water l

! addedslowlyoverthetestperiod). Mr. Blessing stated that he never l intentionally added water to the make-up tank in an effort to manipulate leak rate testsv Therefore, he could not confirm that Mr. Bocher had used this method as an attempt to alter leak rates. He stated that due to the poor

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corr::unications on their shift, it was possible that water could be added and &

the individual running the test was not aware of the addition. He could

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neither recall ever having a discussion with Mr. Sooher mgarding adding l water to alter leak rate test results nor recall having witnessed Mr. Bocher._

make such an addition. He stated that as the date of the accident approached, they needed to add large amounts of water each shift due to the increased leakage from the pressurizer relief valves. He stated it was quite possible that unrecorded water additions could have been made at that time.

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Originalsigned by Robert A. Capra, Technical Assistant Division of Systems Integration

, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosures:

1. Report of Interview of J. Blessing on 4/10/80

2. Sumary of Leak Rate Data

3. Sworn Statement of J. Blessing dated 12/14/84 cc: K. Christopher O

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