ML20212C479

Summarizes 971002 Meeting W/Util & Plant Mgt to Discuss Increased Number of Allegations Received from Plant Personnel Re Chilled Work Environ,Or Fear Among Employees of Retribution for Raising Safety Concerns.W/Attendees List

ML20212C479
Person / Time
Site:	Zion  File:ZionSolutions icon.png
Issue date:	10/20/1997
From:	Beach A NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Manning R COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.
References
EA-97-363, NUDOCS 9710290248
Download: ML20212C479 (7)

Text

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UNITED STATES --

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NUCl. EAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION Hi

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801 WARRENVILLE ROAD '

g USLE. ILUNOIS 60532-4351 October 20, 1997 l

EA g7-363 -

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Mr. R. J. Manning L

Executive Vice President Generation Commonwealth Edison Company Executive Towers West lil 1400 Opus Place-

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Downers Grove,IL 60515

SUBJECT:

SAFETY CONSClOUS WORK ENVIRONMENT AT THE ZION STATION

Dear Mr. Manning:

On October 2,1997, the NRC staff met with Commonwealth Edison and Zion Station management to discuss the increased number of allegations received from Zion Station

_ personnel regarding a " chilled" work environment, or the fear among employees of retribution for raising safety concems.- This meeting was open to public observation. The enclosure to this letter contains a list of meeting attendees. During this meeting, your staff described the activities and results of an independent review team your staff established to investigate the safety culture at Zion Station. It was our understanding that your staff concluded that presently the working environment at Zion Station is conducive to workers bringing up safety concems without fear of retribution and that there had been no actual cases of rataliation for raising safety concems.

However, previous actions that were taken to improve operating personnel petformance had

- resulted in some plant personnel perce'ving that a " chilled" environment did exist. Your staff stated that this situation was not tolerable and described corrective actions to ensure a safety conscious work environment.

ihe comerstone of safe nuclear plant operations is the existence of an environment in which workers feel free to raise safety concems without retribution. The NRC has an inherent interest in ensuring that such a safety conscious work environment exists among all its licensees.

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- Therefore, to assist us in better understanding the results of your investigation and the current Work environment at Zion Station, we request that your evaluation of this matter be submitted to the NRC within 30 days of the date of this letter. This evaluation should include the final investigation report from your independent review team, your perspectives on the results, i

i including your characterization of_ the degree to which a " chilled" environment exists and contributing causes, and your corrective actions, including expected complation dates. We also.

request that you provide a description of how you intend to measure the effectiveness of your corrective actions to ensure a safety conscious work environment exists before starting up a unit at Zion Station.

9710290248 971020 PDR ADOCK 05000295 P

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R. Manning 2-Your response to this request should be sent to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

_ ATTN: Dor.ument Control Desk, Washington, D.C. 20555, with a copy to the Regional Administrator, R_ogion lil, and a copy to the NRC Resident inspector at Zion Station, in :

_ accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," Part 2, Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter, its endosure, and your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR). Because your response will be placed in the POR, to the extent possib;e, it should not include any personal privacy, propnetary, or safeguards information so that it can be placed in the PDR without redaction. If personal privacy or proprietary information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please provide a bracketed copy of your response that identifies the information that should be protected and a redacted copy of your msponse that _ deletes such information. If you request withholding of such material, you must j

specifically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have withheld and provide in detail the bases for your claim of withholding (e.g., explain why the disclosure of information will

- create an unwarranted invasion of privacy or provide the information required by 10 CFR 2.790(b) to support a request for withholding confidential commercial or financial information.)

5

- We will continue to address each individual allegation regarding a " chilled" work environment in accordance with the NRC allegation review process and will evaluate the effectiveness of your overall corrective actions as they are implemented. After reviewing your response, it is our intent to condtet another meeting with you to discuss your progress in ensuring a safety conscious

. work environment before startup of Zion Station. We will gladly discuss any questions you have concoming this matter or our requested submittal.

Sincerely, ul

/A. Bill Beach Regional Administrator Docket Nos.: 50-295; 50-304

- License Nos.: DPR-39; DRP-48

Enclosure:

List of 10/02/97 Meeting Attendees See Attached Distribution

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R. Manning <

!L Your response to this request should be sent to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, L

ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, D.C. 20555, with a copy to the Regional i

Administrator, Region lil, and a copy to the NRC Resident inspector at Zion Station, in

- accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," Part 2, Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response will be placed in the NRC l

Public Document Room (PDR). Because your response will be placed in the PDR, to the extent i

possible, it should not include any personal privacy, propnetary, or safeguards information so that F

it can be placed in the PDR without redaction. If personal privacy or proprietary information is j

necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please provide a bracketed copy of your j

response that Identifies the information that should be protected and a redacted copy of your response that deletes such information, if you request withholding of such material, you must specifically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have withheld and provide in detail the bases for your claim of withholding (e.g., explain why the disclosure of information will

. create an unwarranted invasion of privacy or provide the information required by 10 CFR 2.790(b) to support a request for withholding confidential commercial or financial information.)

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We will continue to address each individual allegation regarding a " chilled" work environment in j

accordance with the NRC allegation review process and will evaluate the effectiveness of your overall corrective actions as they are implemented. After reviewing your responso, it is our intent j

to conduct another meeting with you to discuss your pregress in ensuring a safety conscious i

work environment before startup of Zion Station. We will gladly discuss any questions you have concoming this matter or our requested submittal.

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Sinarely, 1

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i A. Bill Beach Regional Administrator l'

Docket Nos.: 50 295; 50-304 Ucense Nos.: DPR-39; DRP-48 i

Enclosure:

List of 10/02/97 Meeting Attendees See Attached Distribution l

l DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\ ZION \\ZIO10207.DRP SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES.

' To receive a copy of this document, Indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure "E" =

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- Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copv

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NAME DHills:nh TVegel HClayton RCapra uc.

GGrant AB8ch DATE 10/ /97 10/ /97 10/ /97 10/ao/97 10/ /97 10/30/97-

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0FFICIAL RECORD COPY i

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R. Manning 2-Your response to this request should be sent to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, D.C. 20555, with a copy to the Regional Administrr'or, Region 111, and a copy to the NRC Resident inspector at Zion Station. In accordance with Section 2.790 of the NRC's " Rules of Practice," Part 2, Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Because your response will be placed in the PDR, to the extent possible, it should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be placed in the PDR without redaction. If personal privacy or proprietary information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please orovide a bracketed copy of your response that identifies the information that should be protected and a redacted copy of your response that deletes Fuch information, if you requesi withholding of such material, you must specifically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have withheld and provide in detail the bases for your claim of withholding (e.g., explain why the disclosure of information will create an unwarranted invasion of privacy or provide the information required by 10 CFR 2.790(b) to support a request for withholding confidential commercial or financial information.)

We will continue to address each individual allegation regarding a ' chilled" work environment in accordance with the NRC allegation review process and will evaluate the effectiveness of your overall corrective actions as they are implemented. It is our intent to conduct another meeting with you to discuss your progress in ensuring a safety conscious work environment before startt.p of Zion Station. We will gladly discuss any questions you have conceming this matter or our requested submittal.

Sincerely, Original signed by A. Bill Beach A. Bill Beach Regional Administrator Docket Nos.: 50-295; 50-304 License Nos.: DPR-39; DRP-48

Enclosure:

List of 10/02/97 Meeting Attendees See Attached Distribution DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\ ZION \\10077.DRP 1.

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R.- Manning -

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- cc w/ encl:

J. Brons, Site Vice President M. Wallace, Senior Vice President, Corporate Services H. G. Stanley, Vice President PWR Operations Liaison Officer, NOC-BOD D. A. Sager, Vice President, Generation Support D. Farrar. Nuclear Regulatory Services Manager

l. Johnson, Licensing Operations Manager Document Control Desk-Licensing R. Starkey, Plant General Manager R. Godley, Regulatory Assurance Supervisor Richard Hubbard Nathan Schloss, Economist Office of the Attemey General Mayor, City of Zion State Liaison Officer State Liaison Officer, Wisconsin Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission

7 R. Manning -

4 Distribution:

Chairman Jackson Commissioner D;cus -

Commis*!;ner Diaz Commissioner McGaffigan PUBLIC IE-01 SECY CA L. Callan, EDO G. Tracy, OEDO A. Thadani, Acting DEDE J. Lieberman, OE M. Satorius, OE L. Gerke, OCA T. Kress, ACRS L. Chandler, OGC J. Goldberg, OGC S. Collins, NRR R. Zimmerman, NRR F. Miraglia, NRR J. Roe, NRR R. Capra, NRR C. Shiraki, NRR A. Chafee, NRR E. Baker, NRR J, Gilliland, OPA H. Bell, OlG G. Caputo, Ol R. Paul, OI: Rill D. Ross, AEOD

. Enforcement Coordinators Rl, Ril and RIV Allegation Coordinator, Rill OE:ES OE:EA(2)

RAO: Rill SLO: Rill PAO: Rill OC/LFDCB Rl!!:DRP Rill:DRP:TSS Rl!!:DRS (2)

C. Ariano, RI'l:DRMA SRI Zion Docket File Rlll:PRR DOCDESK (E-Mail)

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Enclosure List of Attendees NRC/ Commonwealth Edison Meeting October 2,1997

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A Beach, Regional Administrator, Reg % lli G. Grant, Director, Division of Reactor Projects (DRP) -

R. _ Capra, Director, Project Directorate ill-2, Omco of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

G. Tracy, Senior Regional Coordmator, Omoe of the Executive Director for Operations M. Satorius, Deputy Director, Offme of Enforcement A. Vogel, Act.ng Chief, DRP Branch 2 M. - Leach, Chief, Operator Licensing Branch M. Ring, Chief. Engineering Branch -

M. Phillips, Chief, Materials inspection Branch 2 R. Lickus, Chief, State and Govemment Affairs R. Paul, Director, Offee of Investigations E. Cobey, Acting Senior Resident inspector.

C. Shiraki, Project Manager, NRR L. Rossbach, Project Manager, NRR

-E. Baker, Agency Allegation Advisor, NRR D. Hills, Project Engineer, DRP Branch 2

- J. Ulie, investigator, Office of Investigations S. Orth, Senior Radiation Specialist

_J. - Guzman, Reactor Inspector i

R. Kirspel, Senior Special Agent, Offee of Investigations 1

Commonwealth Edison H. Stanley, Vice President PWR Operations, Comed i

J. Brons, Acting Site Vice President, Zion l.

R. Starkey, Plant General Manager, Zion d

L Waldinger, Nuclear Oversight Manager, Comed T. O' Conner, Operations Manager, Zion -

M. Shimmel, Maintenance Manager, Zion L. Holden, Nuclear Licensing Administrator, Comed J. Trevier, Public Affairs Director, Comed l

C. Winters, Operations, Zion F. Jones, Zion NRC Liason, Comed j.

D. Evans, Liason, Comed

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J. Gutierrez, Rep., Comed D.' Jenkins, Attomey, Comed i

D. Farrar, Regulatory Affairs, Comed D, Muiton, Nuclear Oversight, Comed i

D.- Smith, Nuclear Communications, Comed 4-I 4

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