utility rests case in suit on 3 mile island mishap
David bygjan
1983 this is a digital version of an article from The Times Print Archive, before it starts online in 1996.
To keep these articles as they appear initially, the Times will not change, edit, or update them.
There are occasional copywriting errors or other problems during the digitization process.
Please send a report of such issues to archid_feedback @ nytimes. com.
Testimony from utilities, which owns the Three mile Island nuclear power plant, ended yesterday in a lawsuit against the plant\'s builder over 1979 accidents.
In more than two months, the seventh and last witness to testify for ordinary utilities was Richard J.
Marzec is a nuclear engineer and an expert in the training of nuclear reactor operators. Mr.
Marzec told the federal district judge who was hearing the case in Manhattan that the operator of the Three mile Island received \"inadequate and misleading\" training from the manufacturer Babcock & Wilcox.
General Utility sued Babcock & Wilcox for $4 billion, accusing the company of negligence in training plant operators and failing to issue appropriate safety instructions.
The defense of Babcock stated that the utility had all the information it needed to operate the plant safely, but did not use that knowledge.
One of the two reactors in the plant overheated after the safety valve stuck and opened for more than two hours, causing serious damage to the cooling water after it was discharged from the core.
The operators at the advertising plant testified that they did not know that the valve was open because they were trained to say that the water level in the vessel of the regulator shows the amount of water in the system, the container shows that the level of water is rising.
AdvertisementIt later found that the water discharged from the reactor core was ejected from the safety valve at the top of the regulator.
In yesterday\'s testimony
Marzec claimed that the operators had received \"negative training\" because he said they mistakenly believed that the regulator gave an accurate indication of the reactor water level.
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Robert B review of utility witnessesFiske Jr.
A spokesman for Babcock & Wilcox revealed that one year before the accident in March 1979, other operators at the plant near Pa Harrisburg had also had an accident.
, After noting that the water leaking through the valve is filling the drain tank, the safety valve fault is correctly diagnosed within four minutes. Mr.
Fiske pointed out that the operators on duty on March 1979 knew that the same tank was full. He asked Mr.
Marzec why the plant operator did not turn off the flow of the faulty safety valve.
\"I did not take this into account,\" said the gentleman.
Marzec said, but he stressed that the main concern of operators is to shut down the high-pressure water injection system because it is the way they are trained in coping.
Judge Richard Owen, who presided over the trial, asked.
If he is an operator, Marzec says, why he may not be more flexible and follows his \"common sense\" in dealing with accidents \".
\"I\'m not sure if my common sense will exceed my training,\" said Mr. Marzec said.
Babcock & Wilcox began his defense on Thursday morning and the trial continued.
A version of this article was printed on page B00013 of the National edition on January 11, 1983, with the title: utilities are suitable for rest in accidents on the 3 mile island.
1983 this is a digital version of an article from The Times Print Archive, before it starts online in 1996.
To keep these articles as they appear initially, the Times will not change, edit, or update them.
There are occasional copywriting errors or other problems during the digitization process.
Please send a report of such issues to archid_feedback @ nytimes. com.
Testimony from utilities, which owns the Three mile Island nuclear power plant, ended yesterday in a lawsuit against the plant\'s builder over 1979 accidents.
In more than two months, the seventh and last witness to testify for ordinary utilities was Richard J.
Marzec is a nuclear engineer and an expert in the training of nuclear reactor operators. Mr.
Marzec told the federal district judge who was hearing the case in Manhattan that the operator of the Three mile Island received \"inadequate and misleading\" training from the manufacturer Babcock & Wilcox.
General Utility sued Babcock & Wilcox for $4 billion, accusing the company of negligence in training plant operators and failing to issue appropriate safety instructions.
The defense of Babcock stated that the utility had all the information it needed to operate the plant safely, but did not use that knowledge.
One of the two reactors in the plant overheated after the safety valve stuck and opened for more than two hours, causing serious damage to the cooling water after it was discharged from the core.
The operators at the advertising plant testified that they did not know that the valve was open because they were trained to say that the water level in the vessel of the regulator shows the amount of water in the system, the container shows that the level of water is rising.
AdvertisementIt later found that the water discharged from the reactor core was ejected from the safety valve at the top of the regulator.
In yesterday\'s testimony
Marzec claimed that the operators had received \"negative training\" because he said they mistakenly believed that the regulator gave an accurate indication of the reactor water level.
Please click on the box to verify that you are not a robot.
The email address is invalid. Please re-enter.
You must select the newsletter you want to subscribe.
View all New York Times newsletters. Cross-
Robert B review of utility witnessesFiske Jr.
A spokesman for Babcock & Wilcox revealed that one year before the accident in March 1979, other operators at the plant near Pa Harrisburg had also had an accident.
, After noting that the water leaking through the valve is filling the drain tank, the safety valve fault is correctly diagnosed within four minutes. Mr.
Fiske pointed out that the operators on duty on March 1979 knew that the same tank was full. He asked Mr.
Marzec why the plant operator did not turn off the flow of the faulty safety valve.
\"I did not take this into account,\" said the gentleman.
Marzec said, but he stressed that the main concern of operators is to shut down the high-pressure water injection system because it is the way they are trained in coping.
Judge Richard Owen, who presided over the trial, asked.
If he is an operator, Marzec says, why he may not be more flexible and follows his \"common sense\" in dealing with accidents \".
\"I\'m not sure if my common sense will exceed my training,\" said Mr. Marzec said.
Babcock & Wilcox began his defense on Thursday morning and the trial continued.
A version of this article was printed on page B00013 of the National edition on January 11, 1983, with the title: utilities are suitable for rest in accidents on the 3 mile island.
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