Will TVA admit to any of its transgressions?
“It’s not over until it’s not over – again and again.”
December 9, 2009
Phillip L. DePorter, a patriotic American who served our country in the military and afterwards with the Tennessee Valley Authority until his forced retirement, has been shaken in his belief, in his heart and soul, and in his faith in America.
There are not too many like DePorter who are willing to stand for what is right and to stand for his own rights too. His case should be a disappointment to all caring Americans.
DePorter was a Unit Operator in both coal-fired and nuclear plants and was happy in his work until TVA procedures changed which called for some tightening of “clearance” requirements. He took responsible charge for their enforcement especially because they mostly were about safety and the safe operation of the huge electricity producing plants.
Reports of violations of the new rules were avoided, ignored or worse, turned back on DePorter. That is when he discovered the “TVA culture” as he put it to me over a year ago. That is when he learned that regardless of written TVA procedure it was more important to reach full bonus status with reckless regard for human safety both in and around TVA’s generator plants.
As he became more aware of what was going on he requested a transfer to the Bull Run coal-fired plant from his nuclear plant job hoping a change in the work atmosphere would be better. Unfortunately, TVA’s cultural grapevine pursued him and the same uncomfortable working conditions began anew.
As his frustrations grew, he tried following TVA procedure and to report to his supervisors unsafe and hazardous events. Records were lost, conversations were denied as TVA circled the wagons and placed DePorter outside, considered him the enemy. As the pressures arose, he received a death threat in his office area which precipitated great fear to his family and to himself. And for that culminating reason, he felt he must retire early.
DePorter’s story since then has gone through convoluted contortions, lying, and just plain disregard for the facts. Finally, he decided to take his case once again to TVA’s CEO Tom Kilgore and to the court of public opinion.
In a letter to Kilgore dated December 7, 2009, quoting the CEO from the Chattanooga Times Free Press:
“The Good Book says whoever covers their sins won’t prosper, but somebody who confesses them can get rid of them,” he said. “We’re trying to change the behavior of our employees so that, when they have concerns, they speak up and we need to get those concerns elevated so that we can properly address those concerns.” http://www.timesfreepress.org/news/2009/nov/11/kilgore-calls-tva-ash-spill-cleanup-work-good-mile/?mobile
It should be obvious DePorter’s circumstance never received the level Kilgore aspires to in his above quote. DePorter did everything he could do to “speak up” about serious issues in TVA’s operations from a sincere desire for safety. DePorter has told of many instances where the negligence of a supervisor should have caused an immediate dismissal. That never happened; many were actually promoted. If Kilgore didn’t know what was happening he should have. He may have been part of the longstanding cover up of reportable events that were falsified or ignored.
Other former and present TVA employees have contacted me about circumstances similar to DePorter’s and how supervisors refused to take appropriate action.
Says DePorter, offering “a challenge to others with similar experiences to come forward and publicly tell their stories. I value my privacy, and I am sure the others who have trod this road before also valued theirs, but they were courageous enough to stand up and make their experiences known.”
It seems to me that Kilgore, a federal employee who tries to bridge the gap between church and state, is treading on dangerous ground not only for that reason but also for the hypocrisy in still denying he is culpable in any way for the Kingston disaster. The other message Kilgore seems to be conveying is that there is no need for absolution or for a confessional coming from his lips.
I will be reporting more of DePorter’s story in future columns and how his plight may play in the larger issue of TVA’s incompetences. A thorough and independent investigation (not by the TVA OIG or any of TVA’s internal organization) is warranted and Congress should take the lead in it. Congress has the authority to launch an investigation on several different fronts.
But will the Congress act?
Ernest Norsworthy
emnorsworthy@earthlink.net
http://norsworthyopinion.com