15 Safe Energy Groups Petition NRC to Appoint

Independent Experts at Davis-Besse

WASHINGTON, DC (April 24, 2002) ---- Fifteen Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and national organizations today formally petitioned the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to order FirstEnergy to bring in an independent team of outside consultants to verify safety levels at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant. Precedent for this action occurred on August 14, 1996 when the NRC ordered the owner of the Millstone nuclear plant in Connecticut to bring in such a team after very similar safety problems were discovered.

The charter for an independent team of experts and the justification for its activities are detailed in the enclosed “PETITION PURSUANT TO 10 CFR 2.206 REGARDING SAFETY AT DAVIS-BESSE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.”

The independent team will not verify the propriety of the proposed patch to the damaged reactor vessel head. Instead, the team will focus on other equipment at the plant that may also have been damaged by the long-time leak of borated water. The team will also examine how FirstEnergy handled safety problems occurring at Davis-Besse in recent years to verify that there are no other overlooked warning signs. The team will prepare a written report on its efforts and present its findings to the NRC in a public meeting held near the plant.

The petition was submitted to the NRC in accordance with federal regulations that allow the public to request enforcement action. In this case, the enforcement action would be an order requiring FirstEnergy to bring the independent team.

The following organizations have signed on to this petition:

Safe Energy Communication Council (OH), Christine Patronik-Holder, (440) 708-1755

Ohio Citizen Action (OH), Shari Weir, Consumer Issues Director, (216) 861-5200

Citizen Power (PA), David Hughes, Executive Director, (412) 421-6072

Citizens Protecting Ohio (OH), Harvey Wasserman, (614) 231-0507

Citizens' Resistance at Fermi Two (MI), Keith Gunter

Coalition for a Nuclear Free Great Lakes (MI), Michael J. Keegan

Don't Waste Michigan (MI), Alice Hirt

Earth Day Coalition (OH), Chris Trepal, Executive Director, (216) 281-6468

Environmental Health Watch (OH), Stuart Greenberg, Executive Director, (216) 961-4646

Greenpeace (USA), Jim Riccio, (202) 319-2487

Nuclear Information and Resource Service (USA), Paul Gunter, (202) 328-0002

Ohio Environmental Council (OH), Kurt Waltzer, (614) 487-7506

Portsmouth/Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security (OH), Vina Colley, (614) 259-4688

Toledo Coalition for Safe Energy (OH), Terry Lodge, (419) 255-7552

Union of Concerned Scientists (USA), David Lochbaum, (202) 223-6133