[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-5972]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 15, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-528, 50-529, 50-530]

 

Arizona Public Service Co. (Palo Verde Nuclear Generating 
Station); Receipt of Petition for Director's Decision

    Notice is hereby given that by Petition dated February 1, 1994, 
Thomas J. Saporito, Jr., (Petitioner) has requested that the NRC: (1) 
Institute a show cause proceeding pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202 to modify, 
suspend or revoke the licensee's operating licenses for Palo Verde 
Nuclear Generating Station (Palo Verde); (2) initiate ``appropriate 
actions'' to cause the licensee to recognize the Buckeye, Arizona 
Regional Office of the National Whistleblower Center as an agency to 
which licensee employees may raise safety concerns about operations at 
Palo Verde without fear of retaliation by the licensee; (3) initiate 
``appropriate actions'' to cause the licensee to encourage employees at 
Palo Verde to contact the Buckeye, Arizona Regional Office of the 
National Whistleblower Center to identify safety concerns about 
operations at the facility as part of its procedural requirements to 
ensure a working environment which is free of hostility and promotes 
the raising of safety concerns by employees without fear of 
retaliation; and (4) initiate ``appropriate actions'' to cause the 
licensee to encourage employees at Palo Verde to contact the NRC to 
identify safety concerns about operations at the facility as part of 
its procedural requirements to ensure a working environment which is 
free of hostility and promotes the raising of safety concerns by 
employees without fear of retaliation.
    As grounds for this request, Mr. Saporito asserts that: (1) The NRC 
has identified Palo Verde as the second highest source of whistleblower 
complaints in the nation, with 72 of the 621 harassment and 
intimidation allegations received by the NRC between October 1988 and 
April 1993 received fro Palo Verde employees; (2) the licensee's 
``spokesman'' for Palo Verde, Mark Fallon, made public comments to the 
West Valley View newspaper which increase the ``chilling effect'' at 
the facility by discouraging employees from raising safety concerns to 
the Buckeye, Arizona Regional Office of the National Whistleblower 
Center; and (3) Mr. Fallon's comments to the West Valley View newspaper 
increased the existing ``chilling effect'' at Palo Verde by clearly 
discouraging employees from raising safety concerns to the NRC.
    The request is being treated pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 of the 
Commission's regulations. The request has been referred to the Director 
of Enforcement.
    A copy of the Petition is available for inspection at the 
Commission's Public Document Room at 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC 
20555.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 8th day of March 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James Lieberman,
Director, Office of Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 94-5972 Filed 3-14-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M