ML20153C582

Ack Receipt of Inquiring About Gap Request for Independent Task Force to Review Allegations & Citizens Concerned About Nuclear Power Motion to Reopen Plant

ML20153C582
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	07/31/1987
From:	Harold Denton NRC OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS (GPA)
To:	Cooksey F AUSTIN, TX
Shared Package
ML20153C231	List: ML20153C227 ML20153C255 ML20153C300 ML20153C318 ML20153C331 ML20153C348 ML20153C374 ML20153C393 ML20153C416 ML20153C460 ML20153C531 ML20153C547 ML20153C573 ML20153C582 ML20153C602 ML20195G452
References
FOIA-88-107 NUDOCS 8805060256
Download: ML20153C582 (5)

Text

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i[  % UNITED ITATES DISTRIBUTION Y

,[ c NUCLE AR REGULATORY COMMISSION W ASHING TO N, D. C. 20555 g E t / EM

%, / OSP JUL S 11987 W$ IP SLITP The Honor,able Frank C. Cooksey '

l Mayor l City of Austin  !

P.O. Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767

Dear Mayor Cooksey:

The Conrnission is in receipt of your June 30, 1987 letter inquiring about the Government Accountability Project's (GAP) request for an independent task I force to review allegations and Citizens Concerned About Nuclear Power's (CCANP) motion to reopen the record regarding the South Texas Nuclear Project.

In a July 15, 1987 letter, the Comission infomed GAP that the agency could detemine more appropriately whether the appointment of an independent task force is warranted, after careful review of the allegations in detail. (See attachment.) Thus, the Comission encouraged GAP to provide the allegations to the agency. GAP repeatedly has refused to provide the allegations to the agency and has yet to do so. Once GAP complies with this request, the agency will be in a position to make the appropriate determination regarding allegations management. Further delay by GAP in turning over the information will only result in further delay in the agency looking into the matters to which GAP has alluded in its comunications with the NRC and others.

The Comission recently denied CCANP's motion to reopen and referred it to

, the NRC staff for consideration under 10 CFR i 2.206.

Thank you for your concern regarding these matters.

Sincerely, Harold R. Denton l Director l Office of Governmental and Public Affairs

Attachment:

NRC Letter to GAP, July 15, 1987 -

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l wt.SHINGTON, D C. 20555 gv f July 15, 1987 or e.c c or 1 t SECRETARY 87 JG.17 A9 52

. 1 Billie P. Garde, Esq. hw Director, Midwest Office i Richard E.:Condit, Esq.

l Staff Attorney Government Accountability Project '

1555 Connecticut Avenue,'N.W., Suite 200 SERVED JUL 1 7 1987 Washington, D.C. 20036

Dear Ms. Garde and Mr. Condit:

This letter responds to your May 29, 1987 petition under 10 CFR 2.206 for the establishment of an investigative unit independent of NRC Region IV and the Executive Director for Operations (EDO), to review allegations concerning the South Texas nuclear power plant.

1 You s >ecifically state in your petition that "[1]t would be inappropriate to

• have :the EDOS or anyone connected with Region IV decide the merits of this petition since they are the individuals we are seeking relief from." GAP 2.206 Petition at 15. A 2.206 petition is addressed to the Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation or the Director of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. 10CFR2.206(a). These directors report to the EDO who by virtue of his position is involved in the 2.206 deliberative process. Taking into consideration the plain languace of your request, the Comission decided to treat the document that you characterize as a 2.206 petition as a request for Comission consideration. The Comission notes, however, that the detennination of the most appropriate means of evaluating alleoations is essentially within the Comission's discretion and is not within the scope of actions contemplated by 10 C.F.R. 2.206.

The agency can best determine whether the allegations should be handled by Region IV personnel or by an independent task force only after detailed review of the nature of the allegations. The Comission encourages GAP to provide the allegations to the agency promptly pursuant to the May 20, 1987 subpoena issued to Ms. Garde. Additional delay in turning over the infonnation to the acency will only result in further delay in looking into matters which you l

cfaim are relevant to public health and safety. Af ter the egency has reviewed l

the substance of the allegations, it will be in a better position to detennine whether Region IV is the appropriate entity to review the allegations or whether the appointinent of an indepenGnt task force is necessary. The Comission assures GAP that the agency will handle the investigation of the allegations properly, both with regard to technical review and confidentiality.

Sincerel

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y ct PL u a samuel J. Dilk nq, / Secretarr of the Ccanission I

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\ttorney 7y PHILIP J. GAACIAf or werkers at South Texas nut, lear plant assails NRC "3,i

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An attorney representing whistle. blowers at the 1 3euth note interested Texas Project breaking saidher Thursday the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is 4,:  ;

group "once and for 411" than, n ,, {

investigating alleged safety defects at the' nuclear plant. ' ' y, , F i Billie Garde of the Government Accountability Project said she has b *t;I

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i Executive Director Victor. Stello has pledged to break. 7 caengroup.

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• 3AP and 91111e Garde once and f! understand that be says privately is he's gotegI t -

Capitol Hill news conf erent:e. ! or all," Garde said of Etello at a f * .- )t

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- 3 meeting.,"that's' b een *' report;ed ",to, nw (f ro ..

w l Garde ad - ' 'i . 3, hat he's;said{stja number;of 4 S ullo was una,va(ded.ci,. . 3,

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spoke.-an, di sputed. Garde's cl ai m.l abl e f or' comment.: But$ Fr e.g[e,(,d' Ink!!ngree,',,

NRC p a3 ,

' w" All we ,c an ,s B1111 e Gar'de'. the ay',1,s .t!Mt.2. hat, we'ra.tr.yt og-t.c> do A s4 i3 h .C 4 * - -

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about saf ety problems at thetoSouth get from/ .

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nucl ear powe,r' pl ant allegations

, " he'said.

In May, 4 ,(aj s )

the NRC issued a subpoena.to Garde ordening'her aereithan three dozen workers at STP who have;made allegations s

3 work?and wrongdoing,at-the' nuclear.; facility near Bay' City. Y*

• f faulty; f'

workers Garde woulrefused.

d f ace run.i to ' comply,'

shmenti. The NRC, citing, confidentiality and f ears that$. ' * #t4 . ,

I.

filed suit in U.'S.lDistrict Court (n , Washington 3 0 enforcthrough'theJustice Garde, t w I 4115 eeet a Friday'courticeac1'ine foraccoepani ed by; Rep. said L Patri GAPll a Schroeder

• not reveal the idantitief ef' the 6orkers andexplaining ~why the group should 4 #. {

is set foe Oc t . '22 " GAP 's a i d Z ' ' .

its 1nf oreation. A hearing i a-  ;

i Garde said.the NRC'knows tho' identities of I GAP represents.at' concerns to,the., agency.7.% g

• South .Towas because thty already had em17 pressed of. the 56 1n' i divid

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Garde # ,

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s process has' asked .f od.th'e Spoo,intment' of a . special task force, ,

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she,said;,that

• 1n- Q: 'has r ). tbeeWf }&' allowed regularly in ,every*. '

region,'since 1980t ." '

to *pl ay'tough," thi s case," Mr.MGte11o has. chang e6 ;th e .rul esl(and[

Garde'said. h'a s)

. decided

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j Stallo has said he wants to review' , , , ( ,t .. _',

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decision on establigning's task f orCo. the 411egations before making a in all,' Garde said.~.k , ,

.There,are about 650 allegations "

Ingram allegations are, reiterated't8e NRC's~ position that , ,

with them."' . we will be able to proceed and'"Once figureweout know what thei ,,y

,'" shat to do ' ~ '

Houstont.ighting4;'Powert00...*themajor'pa'rtner sought GAP's inf ormation. , at STP,ialso.has j Schroeder,.a leading cong desional .

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Post Of ficeCivi and.l-?k','?W* ' Y,1.tegice Com;si ttee,action rights and $ chairm "outrageous."i ervice of the -

• said7.5 the.NRC'.s

was. M. , -'

ve' goo Si4wdistle ~ blowers) .that.'is a' 'ver

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t61mg,"

. WWhen Schroeder you' said.$

"We,*. as tampayer,s, 'ought to be totally fl j *

• oute aged at that . type of , syst em. .. . . a

lp GAP, Joan said NRC',sClaybrook,( actions %ere prest, dent of Public Citt aen,' whichIt 'is power: ,,n*

i rejected by the pubite generally.""a use 'of, governeent. power that I think{*y '" '

is } g "It's g-e Sh,Ia tremendous said GAP.would make'vse of' threat to all . public interest A groups. g "fi J'

"enormous protections*,'under# the 5 / I. ' )

eirst, Amendmentf rights ,of ,*assepationgand,at torney-client vowed the caseiwillfbe; necessary." pursued;*"allithe way to the Supres e. Shei *pet vileg I!l

.. -p(4 e Court 14,, ;, 's

.kGarde"At thissaid acint, *ta theINRC 11tigation'would in. acting, not hold up plant operations.,, * )

to!ccerate as,4f {

? these allegations do not exist ,"and has Garde stated. said. that,i.it is going.

She,rsaid whether or';not plant operations should be held up i

decision 3 9ut that, frankly, only the NRC can make.O ,

• is a "rubber-stamped Sout(Texas .in the ,first, place andthe said'any pecblems."

dn't find these,g and hopes to generate electricity by earlySTP

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recently,rece,ived operation s '

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. ei o UP!"SIAll* Wiru (IEXAS) i .Irl:" IPM-197-W71UO6-16713VUV1 LCx00 NC official suoko reviuw of all eg.it s onn O L South Tenan Project WA':HINUTUN (UPI) _ A Nuclear Rcqui ntor y Commi %ic.,n officlul s ai d.

uccdny he "would need to suo" allegationn by workcen at the South mco Projuct af ectu at the nuclear plant.

bef ore deciding to f orm a task f orce on allegud saf ety Victor Stwilo Jr., executive director of the NRC, confirmed a eport that he would be willing to cr cate a special task forcu if scCocary. But Stello reiterated that no such decision had been made.

ot a"Ita'sk would needisto f orce see the allegations before deciding on whether or needed," Stello said through a spokesman.

Allegations' of wrongdoing have been made by whistle blowers 4

cprotwnted ublic interest by the Government Accountability Project, a non profit group that works Ni th whi stle blowers. j hO j

..uth Texas workers. an NRC subpoena that seeks the identity of the Project is fighting ,

1 Th3 Project's. attorney, Billie Gards, I teco*to 600 allegations of saf ety and related caf ects atclaims to bothe withholding facility icar Bay Ci ty.

Garde has refused to comply with subponna, auld Isak .

arguing the comminsit-the identities to the utilities and contractors and exp. <

ho whistle blowers to punishment by their employers. i Sho also safety nvootagate says there concernsis evidence at STP. the commission is unwilling to goin Thorefused NRC filed suit in Washington to enf orce the subpoena but Garde to comply, r ivil eg es. .

citing attorney-client and rela'ted 1cgal ,

Tho Project has until Friday to show why it should nut rele.de thu

• 1

. meo and Tom Carpenter, a lawyer for the Project in Washington, said ho. "We're group will arguingrespond that in U.S. , District complying with Court in Washington.

rocch the attorney-client privilege," the Carpentar subpoena nald. wouldThet'orce us tuwill project 100 ffcct" cegue that enforcement of the subpoena "would have a chilling l scuoc regarding on workers' safety, ability to consult Carpenter added. with attorneyn or groups on ,

Tho Project has called abporna. .

a news conference Thursday La discuar thu Houston Lichting & Power Co.

.:cet up the first of received a license this summer to 1 agin generating electricity early nenttwo nuclear

• year. reactors at South Texas and hopub tc

.uclocr Tho NRC powerisplant. required by law to assuss any threat to the safety of a Garde earlier this year ast,ed Stal l o to appoint a task force

nd:pCndent of his immediate staff and personnel r esponsiblu f or nuclear

. 'rCJ Gc ts i n Tepas.

Sho based that requent in part l .tcilce saf uty allegations at on claims the commausion ignored 1cnt near Glen Rose, southwest theoftroub' Fort led Worth. Comancho Puak nuclear power r

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icil Id: IPM-164-871007-095060487 l

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