February 24, 2005

EA-01-083

EA-01-091

Mr. Lew Myers

Chief Operating Officer

FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company

Perry Nuclear Power Plant

P. O. Box 97, A290

10 Center Road

Perry, OH 44081

SUBJECT: NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND PROPOSED IMPOSITION OF CIVIL PENALTY -

$55,000 [OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS REPORT NO. 3-2000-025 AND

REPORT NO. 3-2000-025S]

Dear Mr. Myers:

This refers to the investigation conducted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Office of Investigations (OI) into alleged employment discrimination, during March 2000, by the

Williams Power Corporation (Williams Power), a contractor at the FirstEnergy Nuclear

Operating Company’s (FENOC) Perry and Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plants. A summary of

OI Report No. 3-2000-025, concerning apparent violations of 10 CFR 50.7, “Employee

Protection,” was provided to FENOC on May 4, 2001. A predecisional enforcement conference

(PEC) was held on September 26, 2001, with FENOC and Williams Power at the NRC

Region III office in Lisle, Illinois. Enforcement action by the NRC staff was postponed until the

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) completed further review of the matter. 

Based on OI Report No. 3-2000-025, information presented by representatives of FENOC and

Williams Power at the PEC, and upon information provided to the NRC following the PEC, the

NRC staff has concluded that a violation of 10 CFR 50.7 occurred at Perry (EA-01-083). 

Additional information was provided by the complainant in an undated letter (postmarked

November 24, 2001); in letters dated January 16 and February 28, 2002, from FENOC; in

letters from Williams Power dated October 17, October 19, and November 13, 2001; and in an

October 12, 2001, letter from the former Site Superintendent for Williams Power at the Perry

Nuclear Power Plant (Perry). Three painters employed by Williams Power engaged in activities

protected by 10 CFR 50.7 as described in the attached Notice of Violation and Proposed

Imposition of Civil Penalty. Immediately afterwards, the Site Superintendent for Williams Power

threatened the painters with termination if they did not volunteer for a layoff. As a result, two

painters were laid off and the third was forced to resign. The protected activities were a

contributing factor to the threats to the three painters, the layoffs, and the constructive

discharge (forced resignation), employment actions adverse to the compensation, terms,

conditions and privileges of the painters’ employment. Therefore, the 
L. Myers -2-

actions of the Site Superintendent caused FENOC and Williams Power to be in violation of

10 CFR 50.7. In assessing this violation, the NRC considered the Site Superintendent’s

position in the overall organization of Williams Power. Accordingly, this violation is categorized

in accordance with the “General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement

Actions,” NUREG-1600 (Enforcement Policy) at Severity Level III (EA-01-083). 

In accordance with the Enforcement Policy, the base civil penalty amount for a Severity Level III

violation on March 9, 2000, was $55,000. Because Perry was the subject of an escalated

enforcement action in EA-99-012 (a Severity Level III violation of 10 CFR 50.7 which resulted in

a civil penalty), within the two years preceding the current violation, the NRC considered the

civil penalty adjustment factors for Identification and Corrective Action. The violation was

identified by the NRC staff. Although the Perry Ombudsman was aware that the painters were

laid off following their meeting with the Ombudsman, and the Ombudsman notified the then

FENOC Vice President for Perry, FENOC did not follow-up with Williams Power to determine

the circumstances of the lay-off. Therefore, credit is not warranted for the civil penalty

adjustment factor for Identification. Credit is warranted for the Corrective Action civil penalty

adjustment factor. Corrective actions included, but were not limited to: (1) conducting a site

survey of the safety conscious work environment (SCWE); (2) conducting stand-downs to

discuss SCWE and chain-of-command; (3) revising bid specifications and contracts to include

added references to 10 CFR 50.7 and SCWE; (4) conducting continual training for supervisors

to include SCWE; and (5) establishing an Oversight and Process Improvement Department to

provide oversight of employee concerns program. Additionally, Williams Power established a

written policy statement that it would not tolerate employment discrimination. In addition,

FENOC canceled its contract with Williams Power for work at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Plant

(Davis-Besse) during the Spring and Summer 2001, pending resolution of this issue.

Therefore, to emphasize the need for prompt identification of violations, the importance of a

workforce that is free of employment discrimination, and in recognition of your previous

escalated enforcement action, I have been authorized, after consultation with the Director,

Office of Enforcement, to issue the enclosed Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of

Civil Penalty (Notice) in the base amount of $55,000 for the Severity Level III violation at Perry.

Two related matters require disposition. First, one painter who was laid off on March 9, 2000,

by Williams Power at Perry was subsequently denied employment as a painter with Williams

Power on March 17, 2000, at FENOC’s Davis-Besse. Investigation by OI developed

information indicating that the Production Manager for Williams Power at Davis-Besse may

have discriminated against the painter because of the painter’s earlier protected activities at

Perry. At the PEC on September 26, 2001, however, representatives of FENOC and Williams

Power presented information indicating that the local union had not referred the painter to

Williams Power for employment at Davis-Besse. Information presented by Williams Power also

indicated that the individual whom Williams Power had designated to be the Production

Manager at Davis-Besse did not report to that facility as of March 17, 2000, and, therefore,

would not have been able to discriminate 
L. Myers -3-

against the painter. Therefore, this issue of potential employment discrimination at DavisBesse on March 17, 2000, is closed without further action (EA-01-091).

Second, the issues concerning the Williams Power General Foreman’s instruction to the

painters to violate a painting procedure were identified to FENOC by the painters and the

information was entered into the Perry corrective action system as Condition Report No. 00-

752. No enforcement action is being taken for this matter since it was identified to the licensee,

the information was entered into the corrective action system, and the matter was investigated

by FENOC which led to employment action against the General Foreman. Other issues the

painters brought to the attention of FENOC concerned industrial safety. A FENOC investigation

of the issues led to disciplinary action against the General Foreman by Williams Power.

You are required to respond to this letter and should follow the instructions in the enclosed

Notice when preparing your response. The NRC will use your response, in part, to determine

whether further enforcement action is necessary to ensure compliance with regulatory

requirements.

If you disagree with this enforcement sanction, you may request alternative dispute

resolution (ADR) with the NRC. Alternative dispute resolution is a general term

encompassing various techniques for resolving conflict outside of court using a neutral

third party. The technique that the NRC has decided to employ during a pilot program

which is now in effect is mediation. Additional information concerning the NRC's pilot

program is described in the enclosed brochure (NUREG/BR-0317) and can be obtained at 

http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/regulatory/enforcement/adr.html. The Institute on Conflict

Resolution (ICR) at Cornell University has agreed to facilitate the NRC’s program as an

intake neutral. Please contact the ICR at (607) 255-1124 within 10 days of the date of this

letter if you are interested in pursing resolution of this issue through ADR. 

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, its

enclosures , and your response will be made available electronically for public inspection in the

NRC Public Document Room or from the NRC’s document system (ADAMS), accessible from

the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To the extent possible, your 

response should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so

that it can be made available to the public without redaction. If personal privacy or proprietary

information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please provide a bracketed

copy of your response that identifies the information that should be protected and a redacted

copy of your response that deletes such information. If you request withholding of such

material, you must specifically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have

withheld and provide in detail the bases for your claim of withholding (e.g., explain why the

disclosure of information will create an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or provide the

information required by 10 CFR 2.390(b) to support a request for withholding confidential

commercial or financial information). If safeguards information is necessary to provide an

acceptable response, please provide the level of protection described in 10 CFR 73.21.
L. Myers -4-

Questions concerning this matter should be addressed to Kenneth Riemer, Chief, Plant Support

Branch, who can be reached at (630) 829-9757.

Sincerely,

 /RA/

James L. Caldwell

Regional Administrator

Dockets No. 50-346; 50-440

Licenses No. NPF-3; NPF-58

Enclosures:

1. Notice of Violation and Proposed

 Imposition of Civil Penalty

2. NUREG/BR-0317

cc w/encl:

The Honorable Dennis Kucinich

G. Leidich, President - FENOC

L. Myers, Chief Nuclear Operating Officer - FENOC

R. Anderson, Vice President - Nuclear, Perry

M. Bezilla, Vice President-Nuclear, Davis-Besse

J. Hagan, Senior Vice President Engineering and Services, FENOC

F. von Ahn, Plant Manager, Nuclear Power Plant Department

W. O’Malley, Manager, Maintenance Department

J. Lausberg, Manager, Regulatory Compliance

J. Messina, Director, Performance Improvement

T. Lentz, Director, Nuclear Engineering Department

M. O’Reilly, Attorney, First Energy

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio

Ohio State Liaison Officer

R. Owen, Ohio Department of Health

Plant Manager, Davis-Besse

Manager - Regulatory Compliance, Davis-Besse

President, Board of County Commissioners

 of Lucas County

C. Koebel, President, Ottawa County Board of Commissioners

D. Lochbaum, Union Of Concerned Scientists

J. Riccio, Greenpeace

P. Gunter, N.I.R.S.
L. Myers -5-

DISTRIBUTION: 

ADAMS (PARS) D. Starkey, OE

SECY N. Hilton, OE

OCA C. Weil, RIII

L. Reyes, EDO K. Riemer, RIII

E. Merschoff, DEDR Resident Inspector - Perry

F. Congel, OE Resident Inspector - Davis-Besse

J. Caldwell, RIII R. Paul, RIII:OI

G. Grant, RIII S. Kryk, RIII:OI

L. Chandler, OGC J. Strasma, RIII:PA

J. Moore, OGC R. Lickus, RIII

J. Dyer, NRR J. Lynch, RIII

S. Gagner, OPA OEWEB

H. Bell, OIG OEMAIL

G. Caputo, OI OAC3

J. Piccone, OSTP AJM

C. Pederson, RIII DFT

R. Caniano, RIII SPS1

M. Satorius, RIII RidsNrrDipmIipb

S. Reynolds, RIII CST1

D. Holody, Enforcement Coordinator, RI CAA1

C. Evans, Enforcement Coordinator, RII DRPIII

K. O’Brien, Enforcement Coordinator, RIII DRSIII

G. Sanborn, Enforcement Coordinator, RIV PLB1

R. Franovich, Enforcement Coordinator, NRR JRK1

G. Longo, OGC
1

 D. Starkey, OE, provided HQ concurrence by e-mail on February 22, 2005.

L. Myers -6-

DOCUMENT NAME: E:\Filenet\ML050560009.wpd

To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy w/o att/encl "E" = Copy w/att/encl "N" = No copy

OFFICE RIII E D:OE1 E RIII E RIII E RIII N RIII N

NAME O’Brien for Weil Starkey for Congel Caniano for Pederson Satorius O’Brien Caldwell

DATE 02/22/05 02/22/05 02/23/05 02/23/05 02/24/05 02/24/05

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
NOTICE OF VIOLATION

AND

PROPOSED IMPOSITION OF CIVIL PENALTY

FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Docket No. 50-440

Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1 License No. NPF-58

EA-01-083

During an NRC investigation completed on February 26, 2001, a violation of NRC requirements

was identified. In accordance with the "General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC

Enforcement Actions," NUREG-1600, the NRC proposes to impose a civil penalty pursuant to

Section 234 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (Act), 42 U.S.C. 2282, and

10 CFR 2.205. The particular violation and associated civil penalty are set forth below:

10 CFR 50.7 prohibits, in part, discrimination by a Commission licensee or a licensee

contractor against an employee for engaging in certain protected activities. 

Discrimination includes discharge and other actions that relate to compensation, terms,

conditions or privileges of employment. The protected activities are established in

Section 211 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, as amended, and in general are

related to the administration or enforcement of a requirement imposed under the Atomic

Energy Act or the Energy Reorganization Act. Protected activities include providing

information to a licensee or an employer about alleged violations of the Atomic Energy

Act or Energy Reorganization Act.

Contrary to the above, and in violation of 10 CFR 50.7, in March 2000, the Site

Superintendent for Williams Power Corporation (Williams Power), a contractor at the

Perry Nuclear Power Plant (Perry), discriminated against painters employed by Williams

Power for having engaged in protected activities. Specifically, three painters employed

by Williams Power contacted a licensee maintenance supervisor on March 8, 2000, to

discuss concerns about violation of licensee painting procedures by Williams Power. 

Condition Report No. 00-752 was prepared on March 9, 2000, based on the information

the painters provided to the maintenance supervisor on March 8, 2000. On March 9,

2000, the three painters met with the Perry Ombudsman to discuss their concerns, 

including instructions of a Williams Power General Foreman that the painters were not

to follow licensee procedures in preparing surfaces before applying paint in the Fuel

Handling Building. Immediately following their meeting with the Perry Ombudsman, the

painters were told by the Site Superintendent for Williams Power at Perry that they could

volunteer for lay off or be terminated. As a result, two painters were subsequently laid

off on March 9, 2000, and the third painter resigned his employment with Williams

Power on March 10, 2000. The painters’ discussion with the FENOC Maintenance

Supervisor and their meeting with the Ombudsman were protected activities which

contributed to the threat by the Williams Power Site Superintendent, to the subsequent

layoff of two painters, and to the resignation of the third painter. 

This is a Severity Level III violation (Supplement VII).

Civil Penalty - $55,000 (EA-01-083)

Pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 2.201, FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company

(Licensee) is hereby required to submit a written statement or explanation to the Director, Office

of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, within 30 days of the date of this Notice 
Notice of Violation and Proposed -2- 

Imposition of Civil Penalty

of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty (Notice). This reply should be clearly

marked as a "Reply to a Notice of Violation; EA-01-083" and should include for each alleged

violation: (1) admission or denial of the alleged violation, (2) the reasons for the violation if

admitted, and if denied, the reasons why, (3) the corrective steps that have been taken and the

results achieved, (4) the corrective steps that will be taken to avoid further violations, and

(5) the date when full compliance will be achieved. Your response may reference or include

previous docketed correspondence, if the correspondence adequately addresses the required

response. If an adequate reply is not received within the time specified in this Notice, an order

or a Demand for Information may be issued as why the license should not be modified,

suspended, or revoked or why such other action as may be proper should not be taken. 

Consideration may be given to extending the response time for good cause shown. 

Within the same time as provided for the response required above under 10 CFR 2.201, the

Licensee may pay the civil penalty proposed above, in accordance with NUREG/BR-0254 and

by submitting to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a

statement indicating when and by what method payment was made, or may protest imposition

of the civil penalty in whole or in part, by a written answer addressed to the Director, Office of

Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Should the Licensee fail to answer within

30 days of the date of this Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalty, an order

imposing the civil penalty will be issued. Should the Licensee elect to file an answer in

accordance with 10 CFR 2.205 protesting the civil penalty, in whole or in part, such answer

should be clearly marked as an "Answer to a Notice of Violation" and may: (1) deny the

violation listed in this Notice, in whole or in part, (2) demonstrate extenuating circumstances,

(3) show error in this Notice, or (4) show other reasons why the penalty should not be imposed. 

In addition to protesting the civil penalty in whole or in part, such answer may request remission

or mitigation of the penalty. In requesting mitigation of the proposed penalty the factors

addressed in Section VI.C.2 of the Enforcement Policy should be addressed. Any written

answer in accordance with 10 CFR 2.205 should be set forth separately from the statement or

explanation in reply pursuant to 10 CFR 2.201, but may incorporate parts of the 10 CFR 2.201

reply by specific reference (e.g., citing page and paragraph numbers) to avoid repetition. The

attention of the Licensee is directed to the other provisions of 10 CFR 2.205, regarding the

procedure for imposing a civil penalty. 

Upon failure to pay any civil penalty due which subsequently has been determined in

accordance with the applicable provisions of 10 CFR 2.205, this matter may be referred to the

Attorney General, and the penalty, unless compromised, remitted, or mitigated, may be

collected by civil action pursuant to Section 234c of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 2282c.

The response noted above (Reply to Notice of Violation, statement as to payment of civil

penalty, and Answer to a Notice of Violation) should be addressed to: Frank Congel, Director,

Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, One White Flint North, 11555

Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-2738, with a copy to the Regional Administrator and 
Notice of Violation and Proposed -3- 

Imposition of Civil Penalty

Enforcement Officer, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region III, 2443 Warrenville Road,

Suite 210, Lisle, IL 60532-4352, and a copy to the NRC Resident Inspector at the Perry Nuclear

Power Plant.

Because your response will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC

Public Document Room or from the NRC’s document system (ADAMS), to the extent possible,

it should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can

be made available to the public without redaction. ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web

site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. If personal privacy or proprietary information

is necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please provide a bracketed copy of your

response that identifies the information that should be protected and a redacted copy of your

response that deletes such information. If you request withholding of such material, you must

specifically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have withheld and provide in

detail the bases for your claim of withholding (e.g., explain why the disclosure of information will

create an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or provide the information required by

10 CFR 2.390(b) to support a request for withholding confidential commercial or financial

information). If safeguards information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, please

provide the level of protection described in 10 CFR 73.21.

In accordance with 10 CFR 19.11, you may be required to post this Notice within two working

days. 

Dated this 24th day of February 2005