Nuclear Safeguards Problems (Generic Letter 80-49)

GL80049 

                               UNITED STATES 
                       NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 
                          WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 

                               June 3, 1980 

50-133 

Pacific Gas & Electric Company
ATTN:  Mr. John C. Marais
       Vice President & General Counsel
77 Beale Street
San Francisco, CA 94106 

Dear Mr. Marais: 

The purpose of this letter is to request your participation in a study of 
people-related problems in nuclear safeguards. The concerns, expressed by 
the Kemeny Commission and others, about the effects of human error on 
nuclear safety programs have prompted similar concerns about the possible 
effects of human error on nuclear safeguard programs. Recent incidents 
involving security forces at certain licensed facilities have intensified 
these concerns. 

In an attempt to determine the extent of this problem and to develop 
possible solutions, Mr. Robert F. Burnett, Director of the Division of 
Safeguards, NMSS has directed his staff to conduct a study of people-related 
security problems in the licenses nuclear industry. A portion of this study 
involves collection of data on licensee security forces and practices. It is 
in this area that you can assist us by allowing NRC representatives to visit 
your Humboldt Bay facility and interview your security management personnel. 
You will be contacted by the NRC to schedule a convenient time and date for 
this interview. Confidentiality of the information you provide will be 
maintained during all phases of the study. The information presented in the 
study will not be attributable to any particular facility or security 
organization. 

We hope that the results of this study will be useful to your security 
management as well as to the NRC in meeting our regulatory responsibilities.

Your assistance in this study is deeply appreciated. 

                                        Sincerely, 
     

                                        Thomas A. Ippoito, Chief 
                                        Operating Reactors Branch #2 
                                        Division of Licensing 

cc: See next page
.

Mr. Philip A. Crane, Jr.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company     - 2 -                       June 3, 1980 

cc: 

Mr. James Hanchett
Public Information Officer
Region V - IE
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
1990 N. California Boulevard
Walnut Creek, California 94596 

Humboldt County Library
636 F Street
Eureka, California 95501 

Michael R. Sherwood, Esq.
Sierra Club
Legal Defense Fund, Inc.
311 California Street, Suite 311
San Francisco, California 94104 

Linda J. Brown, Esquire
Donohew, Jones, Brown & Clifford
100 Van Ness Avenue, 19th Floor
San Francisco, California 94102 

Dr. Perry Aminoto
Department of Conservation
Division of Mines & Geology
1416 9th Street, Room 1341
Sacramento, California 95814 

Friends of the Earth
ATTN: Andrew Baldwin
124 Spear Street
San Francisco, California 94105

Bruce Norton, Esq.
3216 N. Third Street, Suite 202
Phoenix, Arizona 85012