94-31776. Arizona Public Service Company, et al.; Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3; Receipt of Petition for Director's Decision Under 10 CFR 2.206  

  • [Federal Register Volume 59, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 27, 1994)]
    [Unknown Section]
    [Page 0]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 94-31776]
    
    
    [[Page Unknown]]
    
    [Federal Register: December 27, 1994]
    
    
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    NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
    [Docket Nos. STN 50-528, STN 50-529, and STN 50-530]
    
     
    
    Arizona Public Service Company, et al.; Palo Verde Nuclear 
    Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3; Receipt of Petition for 
    Director's Decision Under 10 CFR 2.206
    
        Notice is hereby given that by petition dated November 14, 1994, 
    Florida Energy Consultants, Inc. (FEC) and Linda E. Mitchell 
    (petitioners), in a petition signed by Mr. Thomas J. Saporito, Jr., 
    request that they be granted (1) an administrative public hearing 
    before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Atomic Safety and 
    Licensing Board (Board) and (2) leave to intervene in such a hearing. 
    The petitioners also request that the NRC (3) issue a confirmatory 
    order requiring the Arizona Public Service Company, et al. (licensee) 
    to immediately bring all three units at the Palo Verde Nuclear 
    Generating Station to 0 percent power until such time as the licensee 
    can demonstrate corrective actions obviating any inference of a hostile 
    work environment and (4) issue a demand for information (DFI) to the 
    licensee seeking an explanation as to why the NRC can have confidence 
    that the licensee will ensure that an environment exists free of 
    harassment, intimidation, and discrimination, both in general 
    throughout its organization and in particular with respect to certain 
    named individuals. In addition, with respect to these individuals, the 
    NRC interprets the petition as also requesting that the NRC require the 
    licensee to provide (5) a description of these individuals' current 
    employment duties and responsibilities, (6) an explanation as to why 
    the NRC can have confidence that these individuals will comply with NRC 
    requirements, (7) information as to why the Commission should not take 
    action to prohibit these individuals from being involved in NRC-
    licensed activities, (8) information as to why the NRC should have 
    reasonable assurance that these individuals will abide by NRC 
    regulations that protect individuals who engage in protected 
    activities, and (9) any other information the licensee believes to be 
    relevant to the Commission's decision in this matter.
        The petitioners assert as a basis for their requests that the 
    licensee has been the subject of numerous complaints filed under the 
    Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 and adjudicated by the Department of 
    Labor under the employee protection provisions found in 29 CFR part 24. 
    In addition, the petitioners assert that a hostile work environment is 
    pervasive and encompasses all three units at Palo Verde, as well as 
    being condoned and fostered by license management to dissuade employees 
    at Palo Verde from identifying safety concerns internally or directly 
    to NRC representatives. The petitioners also assert that they are 
    subject to physical harm and the loss of personal property should Palo 
    Verde experience a nuclear accident as a direct or indirect result of 
    the hostile work environment at this facility.
        The petitioners' current requests are similar to those in a 
    petition dated May 12, 1993, as supplemented on May 28, 1993, in which 
    Mr. Saporito requested that the NRC institute a proceeding pursuant to 
    10 CFR 2.202 to modify, suspend, or revoke the Palo Verde Nuclear 
    Generating Station operating licenses; initiate actions to immediately 
    shut down the three nuclear reactors at Palo Verde; take escalated 
    enforcement action against the licensee and/or licensee management 
    personnel; and take immediate actions to cause an exhaustive survey of 
    licensee employees at Palo Verde to ascertain the scope and breadth of 
    any chilling effect that may exist at the nuclear station and to 
    discover if licensee management actions, if any, were effective in 
    limiting any chilling effect at the nuclear station. In addition, the 
    bases for the petitioners' current requests are similar to those in Mr. 
    Saporito's request of May 12, 1993. Mr. Saporito asserted as bases for 
    his prior requests, in part, that the licensee had violated 10 CFR 
    50.7, ``Employee Protection''; alleged that the licensee had a 
    reputation for leading the nation in whistleblower complaints; pointed 
    to the Department of Labor discrimination cases involving licensee 
    employees, Linda Mitchell and Sarah Thomas, and the resulting issuance 
    by the NRC of a notice of violation and proposed imposition of civil 
    penalties on September 20, 1992; and asserted continuing discrimination 
    by the licensee against the petitioner in denying him employment at the 
    Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. Since the requests of May 12, 
    1993, and November 14, 1994, are similar, the staff is addressing the 
    current petition together with the petition of May 12, 1993, as 
    supplemented, for purposes of preparing a director's decision. The 
    petition has been referred to the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 
    pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206. As provided by Section 2.206, appropriate 
    action will be taken with regard to the specific issues raised by the 
    petition in a reasonable time.
        Copies of the petition are available for inspection at the 
    Commission's Public Document Room at 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 
    20555 and local public document room at the Phoenix Public Library, 12 
    East McDowell Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85004.
    
        Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 20th day of December 1994.
    
        For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
    William T. Russell,
    Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
    [FR Doc. 94-31776 Filed 12-23-94; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
12/27/1994
Department:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Entry Type:
Uncategorized Document
Document Number:
94-31776
Pages:
0-0 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Federal Register: December 27, 1994, Docket Nos. STN 50-528, STN 50-529, and STN 50-530