ML20154J503

Discusses Recent Set of Fines Imposed on Util & Certain Personnel at Facility Due to Util Poor Record of Running Plant in Recent Yrs & Alleged Misconduct

ML20154J503
Person / Time
Site:	Peach Bottom
Issue date:	09/13/1988
From:	Rhodes J PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF
To:	Zech L NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20154J491	List: ML20154J488 ML20154J503 ML20154J529 ML20154J596
References
NUDOCS 8809230045
Download: ML20154J503 (2)

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PtteNSTLVANIA PUGLtC VTILITY COMMISS80?e COMMOnewtALTM OP pthbeSTLvaasta pe ast RI S S U R O, PE N ,e S T LVa te la 1

August 16,1988 i

l l Chairman Lando W. Zech, Jr.

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington D.C. 20555 Dear Chairman Zecht i As a Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission,I have a statutory responsibility for the public health and safety in regards to tho operation of electric generating stations operating withir. the Commonwealth. Sly specific concerns about the future operation of the Peach Dottom Nuclear facility in York ,

County run deep.

Recently the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced a set of fines it is imposing on the Philadelphic Electric Company (the utility that manages Peach i Bottom) and on certain personnel at Peach Bottom because of the company's poor

! record of running the plant in recent years and because of alleged misconduct on 1

the part of these individual PECO employees. While the fining of individual operators is unprecedented and the $1.25 million company fine is the largest such fine imposed to date, the very announcement of these fines at this time raises serious questions about the relationship between the NRC and PECO.

The most serious question to me is the relationship between the announcement of these fines and the restart schedule for Peach Bottom. One could draw the conclusion i that by announcing these fines, the NRC has cleared the way for PECO to receive ,

expedited approval of its Peach Bottom restart plan. The fact that the NRC chose  !

to fine these reactor operators but not to suspend their licenses underscores this l possible scenario.  !

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The issue of the level and nature of communications between the NRC and PECO concerning these fines, therefore, is of vital importance. The public and  !

this Commission has a right to know what transpired between key PECO and NRC personnel on this subject. The fact that you. Str. Corbin $1cNeill(Senior Vice President. i Nuclear Operations for PECO), Str. Dickinson Smith (Vice President, Peach Bottom) and Str. James Watkins, the newest member of the PECO Board of Directors, are all former admirals in the nuclear navy, further amplifies this concern. ,

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Page Two Chairman Lando W. Zech, Jr.

August 16,1988 The Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) requested public disclosure

+. Its letter of January 11,1988 to the special oversight committee of the PECO Doard of Directors because of the seriousness of the situation it had observed at j Peach I3ottom over recent years. This is not a time for regulatory oversight in secret.

l Therefore,I request that you make public the dates and toples of discussion of all meetings and phone calls since November 25,1987 between senior PECO executives l

and NRC senior management surrounding both the issue of restart and the imposition l of the recently announced fines. In particular, I request that you disclose any such i

communication on either or both subjects between or among yourself and Messrs.

j Paquette, Smith. McNeill, and Watkins.

The proposed disclosures will go a long way toward restoring public confidence j in the NRC's oversight role vis-a-vis Peach Bottom and PECO. Now is not the time to cloud the decision-making process with bureaucratic red tape and stonewalling.

You are dealing with the worst management problem in the history of your agency and I believe a forthright disclosure of these communications will contribute to the public's acceptance of your future role in this matter.

l 1 respectfully await your reply.

l l

t i Sincerely, Joseph Rhodes, Jr.

Commissioner 1

cc: Joseph F. Paquette L______.