Manager Lied About Safety at Nuclear Plant in Ohio, Federal Court Rules

A federal court today convicted David Geisen of concealing information and making false statements regarding the safety measures taken at the Davis-Besse nuclear power facility in 2001. Geisen was at the time the manager of Design Basis Engineering at the plant in Oak Harbor, Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie. The Davis-Besse plant is owned and operated by the FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC).

The US Department of Justice announced the conviction. Acting Assistant Attorney Ronald J. Tenpas of the DOJ's Environment and Natural Resources Division said in the DOJ press release, "The safe operation of nuclear power plants depends on the integrity of engineers in positions like the one that David Geisen held. The effectiveness of the NRC's regulation and oversight depends on honest and forthright information. This conviction shows that when those in authority choose to conceal or falsify, there will be consequences."

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission had issued a bulletin in which the NRC warned that cracking problems were being reported in control rod guide nozzles. The bulletin required that all plants inspect and report on the nozzles and their condition and potential for cracking. The nozzles were connected to the main reactor vessel, and if the nozzles cracked, breaks could result in the reactor vessel. A break in the vessel could cause coolant water to escape and thus lead to a serious accident.

Geisen had been in charge of complying with the requirements of the bulletin, and as such his approval and signature was included on the five letters that FENOC sent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission outlining the inspection process and results of those inspections. The DOJ has proved that these letters contained knowingly false information on Geisen's part. Geisen also gave oral reports to the NRC that every nozzle at Besse-Davis had been properly inspected, which was not the case.

Due to the false information, the NRC approved Besse-Davis for continued operation until a scheduled temporary shutdown for refueling in 2002. At the time of the shutdown, workers found a large cavity in the reactor vessel that was the result of corrosive materials leaking through a cracked nozzle.

Video shown at the trial proved boric acid deposits blocked the camera set up to check on the nozzles. The acid deposits are a sign that there was indeed a leak. Geisen had provided the NRC with statements attesting that boric acid control procedures had been done, and furthermore, Geisen provided photographs to the NRC that included incorrect captions that lied about the nozzle conditions at the time. All in all, Geisen was found to have provided false information on reports dating back to 1996 and 1998.

A co-defendant in the case, Rodney Cook, was acquitted at the trial, and another co-defendant will be tried at a later date.

Source: US Department of Justice