ML051800418
| ML051800418 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Indian Point  |
| Issue date: | 05/26/2005 |
| From: | Clinton H US SEN (Senate) |
| To: | Diaz N NRC/Chairman |
| Kahler, Robert, NSIR, 301-415-2992 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML051940349 | List: |
| References | |
| CORR-05-0109, FOIA/PA-2006-0299, FOIA/PA-2007-0014, FOIA/PA-2007-0093, FOIA/PA-2008-0157, FOIA/PA-2008-0174, FOIA/PA-2008-0199, G20050461, LTR-05-0298 | |
| Download: ML051800418 (4) | |
Text
EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM:
DUE: 07/18/05 EDO CONTROL: G20050461 DOC DT: 05/26/05 FINAL REPLY:
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton Chairman FOR SIGNATURE OF :
PRI CRC NO: 05-0298 Chairman DESC:
ROUTING:
Security and Emergency Preparedness at Indian Point DATE: 06/28/05 Reyes Virgilio Kane Silber Dean Burns Collins, RI Dyer, NRR Cyr, OGC ASSIGNED TO:
CONTACT:
NSIR Zimmerman SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
Senator Clinton no longer requests a meeting.
Staff should prepare response regarding status of Petition and sirens.
Coordinate response with OGC, RI and NRR.
Please Note:
Letters prepare by OGC to Gunter and Lampert are before the Commission.
-Th e
2-Oo7 Ateed':.e St-6
OFFICE OF TIlE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printedi: Jun 28, 2005 10:33 PAPER NUMBER:
ACTION OFFICE:
LTR-05-0298 EDO LOGGING DATE: 06/07/2005 AUTHOR:
AFFILIATION:
ADDRESSEE:
I-Hilliary Clinton SEN.
CHRM Nils Diaz
SUBJECT:
Request meeting with the Commission to discuss nuclear plant security ACTION:
DISTRIBUTION:
LETTER DATE:
ACKNOWLEDGED SPECIAL HANDLING:
Signature of Chairman Chairman, Comrs, RF, OCA to Ack 05/26/2005 No EDO....should coordinate response with OGC...Note CORR-05-0100, Gunter and CORR 0101, Lampert are before the Commission NOTES:
Senator Clinton no longer requests meeting; however, staff should prepare response regarding status of petition and sirens FILE LOCATION:
ADAMS DATE DUE:
07/20/2005 DATE SIGNED:
EDO -- G20050461
HILLARY RPD. '.M CLINTON
- N NEWS K
- X SENA. JR RUSSELI SENATE OFFICE BUILDING SUITE 470 WASHINGTON.
DC 20510-3204 202-224-4451 I) I,-)- %-
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to1/9 COMMRTTEES:
ARMED SERVICES ENVIRONMENT AND PUBUC WORKS HEALTH.
EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING WHnitTd Nitatcs 205f0atc WASHINGTON, DC 20510-3204 May 26, 2005 Nils J. Diaz, Ph.D.
L Gil Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission I
Washington, D.C. 20555
Dear Dr. Diaz:
I-o-'
I write to request a meeting with you to discuss an important nuclear plant security issue.
i-
.AS As you know, I have taken a very active interest in security and emergency preparedness at Indian Point and other plants in New York. I was disturbed to learn recently that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) had rejected a public petition filed by local governments and citizen groups, including several groups from New York.
The petition asked the NRC to require all nuclear plants to equip emergency notification sirens with backup power sources independent from the electrical grid, so that in the event of an accident or an act of terrorism accompanied by a loss of power the public could still be promptly notified of a radiological emergency. My understanding is that of the 62 commercial reactor sites that use sirens as warning systems. 27% have backup power for all sirens, 33% percent for some of the sirens and 40% have no backup at all. Indian Point has no backup power for its sirens, and I understand that none of the other New York plants have backup power for their sirens either.
This decision defies common sense. In the event of a successful attack on a nuclear plant, it seems obvious that disruptions of the grid in surrounding areas are a possible if not likely outcome. What good are emergency sirens if they are not going to sound in the event of an attack?
In your response to the petition, you include several justifications for your decision. One is that the petition was improperly filed. In addition, you suggest that this is perhaps a responsibility of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and not the NRC. In my view, none of these answers is satisfactory.
The NRC issues the operating licenses for our commercial reactors, and it is the responsibility of the NRC to make certain that emergency response plans work at Indian Point and other nuclear power plants across the country.
I urge you to reconsider and change your decision. If we need to change the law to make this happen, then I will work with you and my colleagues to see that appropriate legislation is PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
expeditiously introduced in the United States Senate. I look forward to meeting with you shortly to discuss this issue further.
Sincerely yours, lary Rodham Clinton