ML16320A025

Seabrook: Reply to Stephen Comley'S Emails Dated September 30 and October 2016

ML16320A025
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	11/14/2016
From:	Bower F L Reactor Projects Branch 3
To:	Comley S B We The People
Shared Package
ML16281A545	List: ML16281A548 ML16281A554 ML16320A025
References
Download: ML16320A025 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I 2100 RENAISSANCE BLVD. KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 19406-2713 November 14, 2016 Stephen B. Comley, Sr., Founder - We The People A National Whistleblower Organization PO Box 646 Rowley, MA 01969

Dear Mr. Comley:

I am responding to your phone conversations and emails to Richard Barkley of my staff on September 30 and October 26, 2016 (ML16281A545). In those communications, you reiterated several concerns that you have shared with this office over the last three years and a new question regarding the adequacy of welding at the new reactors under construction in Georgia and South Carolina in the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Region II. The referenced documents may be obtained online in the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) public documents collection at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html

. Using the ADAMS Accession Number (ML#), you may begin a search for these documents by selecting "ADAMS Public Documents" and then select "Begin Web-based ADAMS Search." For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to

pdr.resource@nrc.gov

. Your first concern involved alleged counterfeit and substandard parts used at Seabrook during construction. In a related concern, you also asked who was in charge of the NRC inspection program for parts vendors during the 1987 - 1990 timeframe. These concerns were adequately addressed in previous letters on February 12, 2014 (ML14043A360), and October 21, 2014 (ML16021A327). Absent new information, we plan no further action in this matter.

Secondly, you expressed concern that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has not responded to the issues that you have raised to the NRC over the last three years. As noted in a November 19, 2015 (ML16021A299) letter to you, we shared your concerns with the OIG.

However, the OIG in an independent unit of the NRC and we cannot direct them to take any action in this matter. Again, we suggest you contact their office at their toll free hotline number (1-800-233-3497) regarding their handling of your concerns. We note that you have directly asked the agency's senior leadership and your local town council in Rowley, Massachusetts for an NRC hearing on your issues. We acknowledg e your recent statement regarding your expressed willingness to release the name of your informants when you get such a hearing. It is up to senior NRC leadership and the Rowley town council whether they choose to respond to you directly.

Your third concern dealt with providing potassium iodide to nursing home patients and sheltering them in-place in the remote event of a radiological release from Seabrook Station.

This issue was adequately addressed in a February 12, 2014 letter (ML14043A360) to you. We note that you also requested the NRC Chairm an's opinion on this matter. As noted in our November 19, 2015 letter (ML16021A299), we shared those concerns with his office, but it is up to the Chairman and his staff whether they choose to respond to you directly.

Your fourth concern reiterated your previous assertion that New Hampshire and Massachusetts first responders do not believe an evacuation off the Seabrook and Hampton beaches is possible on a summer weekend. We adequately addressed your concern in my November 19, 2015 (ML16021A299), and March 3, 2016, (ML16067A014) letters to you. Thus, plan no further action in this matter.

Lastly, you indicated that you have heard of suspect welding at the two new reactor stations under construction in Georgia and South Carolina; however, you provided no specifics regarding this concern. The NRC has inspected the quality of welding activities at both of these sites as well as at the prefabricated modular assembly facility in Louisiana, and has taken regulatory actions to address any deficient welding practices identified prior to these facilities entering service. An example of the NRC enforcement actions in this matter can be found on the NRC website under Popular Documents/Enforcement Actions (see EA-13-196 regarding Chicago Bridge and Iron, Lake Charles, LA). Any further questions on this issue should be

addressed to the NRC's Region II office at phone number (404) 997-4000.

I trust this is fully responsive to your concerns.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Fred. L. Bower, III, Chief, Reactor Projects Branch 3 Division of Reactor Projects

ML16320A025 SUNSI Review Non-Sensitive Sensitive Publicly Available Non-Publicly Available OFFICE RI/DRP RI/DRP NAME RBarkley FBower DATE 11/10/16 11/14/16