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NRC: San Onofre workers fear retaliation

March 2nd, 2010, 4:37 pm · 9 Comments · posted by

Fear of management retaliation is so widespread among employees at the San Onofre nuclear plant that some are reluctant to report safety concerns, even though plant workers as a whole made nearly 10 times more safety complaints than the mid-range for the industry in 2009.

Management at the plant, owned by Southern California Edison, has created a “chilling effect” among a minority of workers, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a letter to plant management Tuesday, although those employees are widespread among many worker groups.

The letter, which followed an “exit meeting” between San Onofre management and NRC, says managers must develop an action plan within 30 days to address the problems.

“NRC is taking action, issuing what is called a ‘chilling effect letter’ to the licensee,” said NRC spokeswoman Lara Uselding. “We’ve had concerns for some time that there was a growing perception by employees that if they were to raise concerns, they would have retaliation.

“NRC isn’t happy about what it’s been seeing and wanted to take action.”

San Onofre’s senior vice president and chief nuclear officer, Ross Ridenoure, said most of the roughly 3,000 employees at the plant have no trouble reporting safety concerns.

“It’s important to put the findings in context,” he said. “The vast majority feel very comfortable raising safety concerns using the available avenues.”

Ridenoure and Uselding said those employees who feared retaliation could find some way to report their safety concerns, even, Uselding said, if that meant going around the supervisor and directly to the NRC.

For that reason, she said, the agency believes it is safe for San Onofre to restart its unit 2 reactor, which could happen with in the next week. The reactor has been down for maintenance.

Uselding said the plant is being operated safely, and that there is no threat of physical harm to employees or the public.

The NRC letter comes the same day as the release of an inspectors’ report that details the spike in safety complaints, although a summary of the report was leaked to a San Clemente environmental group last month.

It is the latest in a series of revelations about deep-seated distrust between some employees and management at the plant, along with extensive allegations of safety problems.

Two employees now on medical leave, who previously worked in an on-site shop making casks to house spent nuclear fuel rods, complained to the U.S. Department of Labor in November that their reputations were attacked and their responsibilities cut by management after they complained of an employee who knowingly violated welding procedures.

“It’s highly unusual for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to issue a letter telling a utility that it has found an management responsible for creating an atmosphere of retaliation and intimidation at a plant,” said David J. Marshall, the attorney for the two men, Mike Mason and Richard Busnardo.

NRC inspectors also have visited the plant repeatedly since 2007. That was when the first of a string of problems were reported, including an improperly soldered joint, a faulty diesel generator and a loose battery connection that made some safety systems inoperable for four years.

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 9 Comments

  • anonymous says:
    March 2, 2010 at 6:33 pm

    A while back, I filed what is known as a “Nuclear Safety Concern” at SONGS. Within 15 minutes of filing it, my upper division supervisor, called me on the phone to come down to his office and speak to him.

    Without directly saying so, his dialogue to me was crafted in such a way, as to let me know that that report should never have happened, and should never happen again.

    By the time I got home on that day, a long time Edison employee who knew me for well over a decade, called me to inform me that “you have ruined your chances to work here! They (Edison) will NEVER hire you on permanently, EVER!

    He was right. As I filed for permanent jobs with Edison at SONGS, a few years later, jobs that were entry level, while I had decades of experience, Edison Human Resources, informed me, on one job request, that I was not qualified, so they never let me go to the oral interview. A job well beneath my status, a job where those people, in that classification, serve those in my position.

    The other job, also entry level, I was actually interviewed by people who knew my background, but wasn’t hired. It was for a job where people are entry level to me, and whose classification I have trained.

    I have worked temporary at SONGS for almost two decades, for the outages, now for outside contractors. My pay rate is usually over $40/hour….And they say I’m not qualified for beginner level, entry level full time positions.

    Edison, during the decades of my part time employment at SONGS, has never hired outsiders, full time, for my job classification. Consequently the only way for me to gain a foothold at SONGS, is to be willing to accept entry level employment.

    Unfortunately, during this last Unit 2 outage, the NRC did not choose to speak to me, but did, with several of my co-workers.

    • Contractor says:
      March 2, 2010 at 9:19 pm

      Annonymous, it sounds like you’re over-qualified for the low-level jobs, and SONGS doesn’t hire externally for your level of experience.
      If you’re still working there as a contractor after twenty years, it sounds like your contribution is appreciated and valued.
      And if SONGS is like most places, you’re probably getting paid higher than employees.
      Take the money and run!

  • Getting Old says:
    March 2, 2010 at 9:12 pm

    How many times is the Register going to run this same story?
    Management at SONGS reiterates to the employees almost every day that any concerns about nuclear safety can be reported to their supervisor, upper management, to the SONGS nuclear safety concerns commitee, or directly to the NRC, without fear of retribution. Any form of retribution whatsoever is grounds for immediate termination.
    Because of a couple of malcontents, some are using this to get back at management for imagined slights.
    The two individuals from casks rightfully notified management of a welder’s neglect of procedures. However, they demanded that he be fired, and management chose to discipline him instead. These two have locked horns with management ever since.
    The Register should stop fueling this issue. It inappropriately undermines the public’s confidence in SONGS.

  • Marcus says:
    March 2, 2010 at 9:38 pm

    Welcome to human nature 101, not much changes from the childhood playground where it all begins. These same games are played in most business environments, not that it serves as justification of the behavior. You will find these two faced cowards who back the company line in private, and then turn around and play innocent when confronted with the truth. Stay on the side of truth at all times, as eventually these two faced management types will get caught in their own web of deceit while trying to brown nose those above them.

  • SONGS employee says:
    March 2, 2010 at 11:41 pm

    In my dept, we were told that a supervisor had to review our notifications. The supervisors told us they wanted this done as a peer check. I don’t know about other departments at SONGS but in mine, there is definitely retaliation for raising concerns. No one will report anything because of this. You may not believe this but it’s true but it is. Not all of us are disgruntled but that doesn’t mean that we’re going to report something when we know, from seeing it done in the past, that by reporting something, we’re going to be retaliated against.

    Believe me if you want. I really don’t care. I’m not disgruntled and like my job. I get along with my supervisors and peers and don’t have an axe to grind. I would like to see some changes though.

    • buzzkill says:
      March 3, 2010 at 9:34 am

      It sounds like you work with “Smithers” and “Mr. Burns”. – Doh!! Maybe you can Flip video your findings /concerns to Bill O’ Reilly. He would have a field day with this story! Best of luck with your “changes”. :)

  • ReilleyFam says:
    March 3, 2010 at 12:16 pm

    Smart people shut their mouth, take their pay and accept that the ONLY place you have a say, can make change or are in control is in your own home. So, shut up, do your work, take your pay & go home OR go home PERMANENTLY with no pay = your choice.

  • Jones Man Group says:
    March 4, 2010 at 4:06 pm

    What really is sad, is upper mgmnt trying to suppress potentially alarming info from lower level folk who see the day to day operations.

    Then kaboom, a disaster happens, and everyone is left shrugging their shoulders and pointing fingers.
    Good comparison with the playground, above in a previous comment.

  • pompompete says:
    March 4, 2010 at 8:39 pm

    I wonder if the “smart people” glow in the dark there?….lmfao

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