GB no. 3, winter 1990/91


WHAT WAS THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT "ŻARNOWIEC" BUILT FROM?

On the 11th of December 1989, an emplyee of BIOMEZ S.A (en enterprise for innovations and calculations, which has its seat in Gdańsk) Aleksander Rogulski, accompanied by Mr. Fromholc, a clerk in the same enterprise, produced a declaration, which says in brief that between 13th and 31th May 1986 Mr. Rogulski was employed at the building of the Żarnowiec nuclear power plant as an operator of an installation producing concrete mass, Stetter type. Concrete mass produced there was then used for erecting the main building of the power station. The coordinator of the works was Mr. Marcin Baron.

One day Mr. Rogulski realized the receipt stating which concrete mass was made, was different much from the one previously worked out for a nuclear power station. His attention was arrested by the fact that while the mass produced in the container was changed 7 times - for the first six times it was clear it was made from a special, corrected receipt handed to Mr. Rogulski by coordinator Baron, and only on the 7 time was the mixture prepared from the original receipt .

After having mixed the mass six times a lab assistant was sent for and took samples from the mass mixed for the seventh time (which was dense). From Mr. Rogulski's point of view, clear concrete mass had such a consistence that if it had a sample taken from it, it would have been spilt during testing.

When Mr. Rogulski stated that "such things shouldn't take place because it is dangerous" and that "an electric power plant must have special protection" - Mr. Baron told him "What are you making fuss from - trying to be a sky-dog? It has been this way for so long and now you want to have it your way?"

Mr. Rogulski's protests were loud among his friends, since one day he even managed to stop "Stetter" between 7 and 10 demanding that the director of the enterprise should come. The director didn't himself appear there, but he sent a car for Mr. Rogulski so that he and a friend of his would come to director's cabinet. The other man, unknown to Mr. Rogulski had already been present there.

Asked what his problem was, Mr. Rogulski explained he didn't agree with the way of making the concrete mass for the nuclear power plant, according to the "corrected" receipt since it was dangerous for the surroundings. After this conversation Mr. Rogulski was forbidden to move out his working place (and go round the building-site). At the main building the sentries were posted, so nobody could see cracks which Rogulski had spoken of.

Coming back to the question of concrete production for "Żarnowiec", Mr. Rogulski remembers that a different length of time of mixing concrete mass was in use: according to the receipt it ought to be 20 minutes but in real it was limited to 8 minutes, the time when water was added to the mixture.

At the end of May, 1986, a minister from the Department of Communica- tion visited the buildinng's area and Mr. Rogulski saw that another container of cement milk to fill in the gaps of the walls in the main building was additionally made.

Privately talking to a lab assistant who took samples of concrete, Mr. Rogulski asked why he had tolerated it - and the man answered "it is still nothing as these should be special cement from "Małogoszcza" cement plant in big 60-ton's silos and instead they stored cement of different classes in these.

Many times Mr. Rogulski heard radio - telephone calls of workmen talking about shortages of appropriately thick steel in return they were ordered to use thinner steel since "it'll be poured over by morning" (with concrete of course). This conversation took place late at night.

Mr. Rogulski didn't wait for the results of his activity for a long time since he was made to leave his job after three months work; his fol- lowing attempts to pick up a job were made difficult by immediate interventions of S.B.(Security Service).

Mr. Rogulski learned from his friends, that before he started work for "Żarnowiec" power plant building somebody also had worked there - and he had also protested against malversations of concrete. He had been an operator of the same installation. He came from Słupsk and was similarly made to give up his job.

Mr. Rogulski is willing to confront the director, the coordinator and other workers of "Żarnowiec" nuclear power plant.

All those protests are made known in the name of "Solidarity" movement, an activist of which Mr. Rogulski was between 1980 - 1981.


The declaration above was made by the Manager of BHP (Safety & Hygiene of Work) & Env. Prot. Sect. at the Gdansk Branch of N.S.Z.Z. "S". Gdansk, 14 Dec. 1989.

Compliance of this note with oral declaration Mr. Aleksander Rogulski is confirmed by Bureau for Ecology at the National Commitee N.S.Z.Z "S".

ZB no. 8-9(14-15)/90


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