Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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accredited utility training programs as part of the normal plant
evaluation process, and reaccreditation is required every four
years.
Question: You have shown the Committee graphs that indicate overall
industry performance appears to be improving and you have also
discussed the long-term 1990 goals. Yet 1985 appeared to be one
of the worst years yet for nuclear power with the Davis-Besse and
Rancho Seco events and with the problems at TVA. How can you say
that significant improvements have been made in light of the
above problems? What did INPO do to prevent the above problems?
Answer: An important aspect of the TVA situation that is often overlooked
is the following: TVA management took the action to shut down
the Brown's Ferry plant and later the Sequoyah plant. TVA
managers were certainly mindful of interactions with the NRC and
input from INPO, but it was TVA management that took that
initiative; and management action to shut down the plants is a
far better situation for TVA, and for the industry, than
continuing to operate until a serious event occurs. So in that
sense, the management action at TVA was healthy.
In the case of Rancho Seco and Davis Besse, both the NRC and INPO
had recognized developing potential problems, and from my own
personal knowledge I can report that both organizations were
working with the senior management of both utilities to bring
about improvements in the way the plants were operated. In
retrospect, we weren't early enough and perhaps we weren't
aggressive enough.
In early Fall of 1985, INPO did take action to request that the
Rancho Seco plant remain shut down until certain corrective
actions were taken, and improvements or upgrades of certain
operational activities were put in place before the plant started
up some five weeks later.
We have strengthened our evaluation program as a result of
lessons learned at TVA, Rancho Seco, and Davis-Besse, and will do
everything we can to assist utilities and the government in
heading off those kinds of problems in the future. Just as you
do, we regret the situation faced by all three utilities
involved.
Nevertheless, as indicated in my testimony, the overall industry
record has been one of improving performance during recent years.
Question: INPO's mission is to promote the highest levels of safety and
reliability -- to promote excellence -- in the operation of
nuclear electric generating plants. How well qualified is the
INPO staff to set and enforce standards of excellence?
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