ML041040380

G20040262/LTR-04-0216 - Rep. Edward Markey Ltr Declassification of Documents Related to Three Mile Island Accident

ML041040380
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	04/09/2004
From:	Markey E US HR (House of Representatives)
To:	Diaz N NRC/Chairman
References
CORR-04-0071, G20040262, LTR-04-0216
Download: ML041040380 (4)

Text

EDO Principal. Correspondence Control FROM: DUE: 04/20/04 EDO CONTROL: G20040262 DOC DT: 04/09/04 FINAL REPLY:

Representative Edward J. Markey Chairman Diaz FOR SIGNATURE OF : ** PRI ** CRC NO: 04-0216 Chairman Diaz DESC: ROUTING:

Declassification' of Documents Related to Three Travers Mile Island Accident Norry Paperiello Kane Collins Dean DATE: 04/09/04 Burns/Cyr Dyer, NRR ASSIGNED TO: CONTACT: Miller, RI Walker, SECY CIO Merschoff SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

Coordinate response with NRR and Region I.

,91AI-:K) IrI L- eIS ; sC-i-(

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY r

CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET DatePrinted:Apr 08, 2004 17:10 PAPER NUMBER: LTR-04-0216 LOGGING DATE: 04/08/2004 ACTION OFFICE: EDO AUTHOR: REP Edward Markey AFFILIATION: REP ADDRESSEE: CHRM Nils Diaz

SUBJECT:

Request for declassification of documents related to Three Mile Island accident ACTION: Signature of Chairman DISTRIBUTION: Chairman, Comrs, OCA to Ack, J.S. Walker, RF LETTER DATE: 04/09/2004 ACKNOWLEDGED No SPECIAL HANDLING: Response requested by 04128/3004.

NOTES:

FILE LOCATION: ADAMS DATE DUE: 04/22/2004 DATE SIGNED:

EDO -- G20040262

EDWARD J. MARKEY 2108 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILCING 7TN-OisnmmT 1tAs-;AowseTs VWASHINGTON, CC 20515-2107

' A T (202) 225-2836 ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE RANKING MEMBER

• DISTRICT OFFICES:

SUBCOMMITTEE ON J o He QltU s)rlfI HIH SMIGHSTREET.SUITE10i TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND ofHtU it k tqMEDFORD,MA 02155 THE INTERNET (781)136-290 SELECTCOMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY 70otueI of raeprmegntatibe!- 188 CCNCCAO STREET. SUrrE 102 HcMELANDS]asbingon, 1C 205152107 8FRAMUNGI-. MA 01702 RESOURCES COMMITTEE M0 87-2-O0 www~house.govmarkey April 9, 2004 The Honorable Nils J. Diaz Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD, 20852

Dear Chairman Diaz:

I am writing to request the immediate declassification of all documents in the possession of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission related to the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear accident in accordance with Presidential Executive Order 13292. In addition, I ask that you provide me with a copy of all such documents.

As you know, the 25 year anniversary of the TMI accident was on March 28, 2004. On that date, you told CNN that T hree Mile Island was not really a disaster in radiological terms. There was no significant amount of radiation released, nobody was hurt." The NRC also stated in its publicity materials released for the TMI anniversary that TMI brought 'about sweeping changes involving emergency response planning, reactor operator training, human factors engineering, radiation protection, and many other areas of nuclear power plant operations. It also caused the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to tighten and heighten its regulatory oversight. Resultant changes in the nuclear power industry and at the NRC had the effect of enhancing safety."

You may be aware that Presidential Executive Order 13292 Part 3, which was published on March 25, 2003, states that "Our democratic principles require that the American people be informed of the activities of their Government,' that

'information shall be declassified as soon as it no longer meets the standards for classification under this order," and ultimately calls for automatic declassification of documents that are more than 25 years old. The only materials that would be exempt from the automatic declassification requirements would be those that would threaten national or homeland security or those that reveal the identity of a confidential human source.

It is in the public interest to disclose all documents related to TMI; Numerous members of the communities living near TMI have been attempting to obtain these documents for years in order to ascertain additional details regarding the radiation levels they may have been exposed to. Moreover, Americans have the right to be informed of the activities of their Government MINTEDCONAECYCLI PAPER

during and subsequent to the country's most serious nuclear reactor accident. If, as you stated to CNN, no significant amount of radiation was released, shouldn't interested parties be able to review the documents themselves in order to be sure? And if, as the Commission publicity materials state, the industry has undergone sweeping changes that enhanced safety and emergency response planning, there should be no national or homeland security risk in disclosing any previously classified materials regarding the cause of an accident that occurred 25 years ago.

Please provide these documents to my office by April 28, 2004. If there are specific documents that you believe should not be declassified, please provide a list of all such documents as well as the reason why the materials contained therein should remain at a classified level. Thank you very much for your consideration of this important matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please have your staff contact Dr. MichalIFreedhoff of my staff at 225-2836.

Sincerely, Edward J. Markev(\