ML20245K842

Advises That Inquiry 85-11 Closed Due to Lack of Specific Info on Alleged Impropriety Re Insps at Facility

ML20245K842
Person / Time
Site:	Waterford, 05000000
Issue date:	04/11/1985
From:	Connelly S NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTOR & AUDITOR (OIA)
To:	Garde B GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT
Shared Package
ML20245J949	List: IR 05000445/1975005 ML20245J946 ML20245J952 ML20245J960 ML20245J974 ML20245K073 ML20245K109 ML20245K113 ML20245K131 ML20245K141 ML20245K153 ML20245K166 ML20245K176 ML20245K182 ML20245K195 ML20245K201 ML20245K207 ML20245K212 ML20245K218 ML20245K224 ML20245K308 ML20245K323 ML20245K328 ML20245K355 ML20245K421 ML20245K445 ML20245K474 ML20245K477 ML20245K487 ML20245K508 ML20245K512 ML20245K525 ML20245K785 ML20245K803 ML20245K807 ML20245K814 ML20245K833 ML20245K842 ML20245K848 ML20245K855 ML20245K869 ML20245K873 ML20245K890 ML20245K897 ML20245K902 TXX-1264, Responds to NRC Re Violations Noted in Insp Repts 50-445/75-05 & 50-446/75-05.Corrective Actions:Reactor Cavity Areas Containing Most Damage Removed as Part of Safeguards Bldg Excavation
References
FOIA-87-535 NUDOCS 8905050189
Download: ML20245K842 (3)

Text

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l April 11,.1985 l.

l t Ms. Billie Pirner Garde Government Accountability Project

.1901 Que Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20009

Dear Ms. Garde:

In your statement of April 11., 1984, on behalf of the " Citizens Clinic for Accountable Government," you made allegations of impropriety concerning inspections by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission at the Waterford 3 Power Reactor Facility. In my January 30, 1985, letter to you, I requested specific infonnation in support of the alleged improprieties.

Subsequent to my January letter, my staff informed me that neither you nor Ms. Lynne Bernabei would agree to an Office of Inspector and Auditor interview

j. concerning alleged NRC impropriety at Waterford 3. You said the reason for your unwillingness to provide further information in support of the .

allegativ1s is the possibility such information could identify your i

/' confidential sources. Unfortunately, we are unable to effectively proceed with our inquiry without your assistance. I hope you will reconsider your position and encourage your sources to talk with our investigators.

In the meantime, we are closing our inquiry because of the lack of specific information. If you decide at a later date to provide specific information in support of your allegations, we will be pleased to reopen our inquiry.

Sincerely, bec: Commission (5)

Sharon R. Connelly, Director Office of Inspector and Auditor Distribution:

Reading Copy sent to Paul Check 10/16/85 1

1 Ltr/ Garde / Tony -//

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

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GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY ) I PROJECT, ) {

)

Plaintiff, )

) Civil Action No. 84-2557 I

v. )

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR ) {

REGULATORY, COMMISSION, ) i

) 1 Defendant. )

)

I i

DECLARATION OF HOLLIS BOWERS j l

I, Hollis Bowers, state as follows:

1. I am the Acting Assistant Director for Investigations, Office of Inspector and Auditor (OIA),

United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). I am the i supervisor of investigations in OIA. OIA conducts investigations and audits of internal NRC operations. OIA had received and is currently reviewing allegations concerning the Waterford Task Force. The allegations will be reviewed to determine whether there has been any violation of NRC regulations or Federal statutes.

2. The purpose of this declaration is to provide a detailed description of and the justification for the I withholding of portions of one document identified by the Office of Huclaar Reactor Regulation (NRR) . The statements

. made in this declaration are based on my personal knowledge  !

or upon informs.tior available tc me and relied on by me in e ** "

a &y,gocy;g,

the. ordinary course of my duties. ,

The one document dealt with in this declaration is listed in the Vaughn Index, which is Attachment 1 hereto.

EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED

3. Exemotion 5. Portions of document 272 in the Vaughn.Index (Attachment 1) contain stat,mnts that are predecisional in nature and would harm OIA'.s decisionmaking process, thus these portions are exempt from release under Exemption 5.

While the Waterford Task Force was conducting an inspection of the Waterford Unit 3 allegations, an individual alleged that the Waterford Task Force did not properly conduct its inspection. The allegations were.

forwarded to OIA for review and investigation as appropriate. OIA is currently reviewing the handling of the Waterford Task Force inspection to ascertain whether there was any wrongdoing.

Release of the information contained in Document n 272 would reveal the focus of any investigation undertaken

p rtVEAL.ifnXes14setor. o;nnions-and. r+ commendations bef ore' Aj. jd any nal decision on pursuing an investigation has been ma d e. . The damages to the predecisional process if the information is released are twofold. First, I believe that release cf the predecisional information wculd stifle the cpen and frank e:: change of views between OIA investigators 2

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