The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 6

6A THE TENNESSEAH WtdrwuUy NOVEMBER 25. 1987 Dean blasts NRC probe of N-czar TVA chair questions fairness of agency report on White's remarks 'Suspect' cables said Sequoyah restart snag JV? I ft; CHATTANOOGA (AP)-TVA's chairman took the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to task yesterday for what he called an incomplete and questionable investigation involving TVA nuclear chief Steven White. Charles H. Dean Jr. made the comments after three former top NRC officials said White did not mislead federal regulators in a March 1986 letter about construction at TVA's Watts Bar Nuclear Plant The NRC investigated whether White made a false statement when he said there was "no pervasive breakdown" in quality control at the plant near Spring City.

The NRCs findings recently were turned over to the U.S. Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution, but have not been released to TVA WHITE DEAN viewed during the investigation. The three were involved in overseeing TVA's efforts to restart its idled nuclear program. "It just underlines that the NRC investigative office didn't do a thorough job," Dean said. "This obviously makes the investigation incomplete, brings into question the fairness of it and motivation behind it," he said.

White said he was pleased that the officials supported his position. "It's the correct position, and most importantly, it's been the correct posi Dean said none of the three ex-NRC officials, whom he described as "key players in the thing," was inter- Thanksgiving Day lems existed at Watts Bar. But it concluded that overall, things were generally under control," he said. John A. Olshinski, who was deputy regional administrator in Atlanta for the NRC, said the regulatory agency's request that TVA comment on the Watts Bar plant was bound to create a controversy.

"The subject that TVA had been asked to address was highly politicized; no matter how TVA had answered its answer would have caused a significant debate within the NRC and among TVA's critics at the time," he said. Darrell Eisenhut, who was deputy director of the NRC division of nuclear reactor regulation and signed two NRC letters on the issue, said White's statement "was not capable of misleading a reasonable agency expert." NRC spokesman Ken Clark declined to comment on the affidavits. to date tyy TVA, the NRC staff must consider all the silicone rubber-insulated aibles at Sequoyah to be suspect," ames Keppler, the commission's sjltecial projects director, said in a letter to TVA. TVA has resisted urgings to replace the caries and sought to convince commission experts at yesterday's meetir jg that the Sequoyah cables stood Up to the most rigorous testing ever djone in the industry. "Wf have established a greater degree tif confidence in the cables than you slfould have in any other cables," said Kent Brown, a TVA engineer who gave tfie presentation.

But; B.D. Daw and Angelo Marinos, comradssion staff members, said they had lust confidence in the way TVA tested the cables. "You are asking us to make an important licensing decision based on theoretical material," Liaw said at oneipoint. Liaw entered several confrontations with Fox and Brown over TVA's testing methods and the conclusions it drew. "JWe are dealing with a bunch of cortflicting information some quantitative and some qualitative," Liaw said.

Fox replied: "In my opinion there is a lot of extraneous information on the table that is off the subject" HYPNOSIS CENTER Serving Nashville Since 1969 Weight Smoking Confidence Stress Sexual Problems Procrastination Fears Aniiety Depression Stage Fright Goal Achieving 50 DISCOUNTS 3722 N. NATCHEZ o. 333-0901 November it, a.m. p.m. Friday Saturday November 27 28 8 a.m.

10 p.m. Our Regular Store Hours Are: 9 a.m. 9 p.m. Every Day including Sundays OLD TIME POTTERY 1-24, Exit 78, Murfreesboro Next to Outlets Ltd. Mall KEVIN ELMS Gannett News Service WASHINGTON TVA of icials told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission yesterday that insulated cables critical to the operation of the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant are sound.

But NRC nuclear experts, at a tense and sometimes angry meeting at the commission's offices in Bethesda, raised questions about the way TVA tested the cables. TVA is seeking to restart the Sequoyah plant, one of five TVA reactors that are shut down for safety rea-sons, but must first convince the com-' mission that the cables will not break down during an accident. "What I offer to you today is a set of cables that will perform their intended service function," said Charles Fox, TVA's deputy manager of nuclear power. The commission's staff could order TVA to replace the cables or it could agree with TVA's testing and allow the cables to remain. The cables are considered by TVA and the commission to be a primary obstacle to restarting Sequoyah.

The commission's acting special projects chief, Louis Ebnetter, said after the meeting he was unsure what his staff would decide about the cables. "We will have to sit down and discuss it," he said. "As you can see, there is some disagreement" The commission told TVA Nov. 1 3 that it had serious concerns about the quality of the cables at the plant and has urged the agency to replace them. "Based on information developed tion from the beginning," he said.

In affidavits obtained by TVA attorneys, the officials said there was pressure from former NRC member James Asselstine and congressional staff members on the Watts Bar issue. They described internal NRC disputes over how White's letter could be interpreted. "I was one of a number of people who considered the March 1986 letter to be a reasonable response to a difficult question," said Richard H. Vollmer, who was deputy director of the NRCs nuclear reactor regulation. "It acknowledged that many prob- Loans nn toS500.00C Residential Commercial We can customize a loan for your individual needs Two Saturn parkway contracts awarded Revolving Credit Lines Available We 3uy Mortgages TVA has been testing the cables by sending electricity through them at var ious levels.

The meeting was open to the public, but TVA's Fox was not eaoer for The state has awarded two contracts totaling nearly $28 million for construction of the 4.4-mile parkway to connect the General Motors Satum plant with Interstate 65 in Maury County. The state Department of Transportation announced yesterday that Glade Construction Co. of Mount Ju liet has been awarded both contracts, which include construction of an interchange at 1-65. The parkway will be a controlled access highway extending from 1-65 to U.S. 31 just south of Spring Hill.

The project is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 1,1989. FOR INFORMATION CALL: Charles Mullins Bidg. 200. Sle.

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