diff --git a/PROMS/VEPROMS.CSLA.Library/Config/StepConfig.cs b/PROMS/VEPROMS.CSLA.Library/Config/StepConfig.cs
index 56a9dd52..dfabbd04 100644
--- a/PROMS/VEPROMS.CSLA.Library/Config/StepConfig.cs
+++ b/PROMS/VEPROMS.CSLA.Library/Config/StepConfig.cs
@@ -118,6 +118,18 @@ namespace VEPROMS.CSLA.Library
 
 				if (s == string.Empty) return 0;
 
+				// there was an invalid character for Wolf Creek's index.  just return
+				// a 0 if found.  The dataloader was fixed (6/8/12) to not migrate the
+				// bad character, but this was added, in case there are some other conditions.
+				int tst = 0;
+				try
+				{
+					tst = int.Parse(s);
+				}
+				catch (Exception ex)
+				{
+					return 0;
+				}
 				return int.Parse(s);
 			}
 			set