UCS files official allegation with NRC re: years-long dysfunction with Davis-Besse EDGs

On Mon., Dec. 14, 2015, David Lochbaum, director, Nuclear Safety Program, at Union of Concerned Scientists, filed an official allegation with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding the apparently years-long dysfunction of FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company's emergency diesel generators at the Davis-Besse atomic reactor in Oak Harbor, OH. See the allegation email Lochbaum sent NRC, posted here.

Update on December 23, 2015 by admin

On Dec. 22, 2015, Lochbaum wrote several NRC staff members whom he met with by phone that morning, re: his allegation concerning years-long dysfunction involving Davis-Besse's emergency diesel generators. See Lochbaum's email to NRC, posted here.

NRC's Jim Heller responded the next day (Dec. 23, 2015) to Lochbaum via email:

Dave

A phone call, to ensure a common understanding of the facts, is always a good first step when determining if an issue is an allegation. 

As we agreed during the call and as you documented below, I will not process this concern within the NRC allegation program until after you have had an opportunity to evaluate the information discussed during the call. 

Thanks for the summary. 

Jim

Update on January 4, 2016 by admin

On Jan. 4, 2016, Lochbaum, in an email to NRC staff, re-affirmed his formal allegation, originally submitted on Dec. 14, 2015. See his email posted here.

Lochbaum concluded his email:

I formally allege that FirstEnergy knowingly, deliberately, and willfully operated Davis-Besse in "a degraded or nonconforming condition" (quoting Admin Letter 98-10 about an inadequate technical specification value) by failing to submit a license amendment request in a timely fashion.