ML111151088

Response to Letter by Mrs. Pat Oreszko Regarding Concerns Over the Bellefonte Nuclear Facility

ML111151088
Person / Time
Site:	Bellefonte
Issue date:	04/25/2011
From:	Harris J Office of Information Services
To:	Talmadge H US Dept of State (DOS)
References
Download: ML111151088 (13)

Text

Honorable Herman E. Talmadge United States Senate

Dear Senator Talmadge:

Thank you for your recent communication forwarding Mrs. Pat Oreszko's recent letter to you; we appreciate having the opportunity to comment on it.

The nuclear power plant which is of concern to Mrs. Oreszko is the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant which the Tennessee Valley Authority is proposing to build in Jackson County, Alabama, about six miles northeast of Scottsboro. As proposed, the plant would use two pressurized water reactors, each having a capacity of about 1300 megawatts electric.

The AEC's Regulatory Staff has begun its safety and environ mental reviews of the TVA application and it is expected that these reviews will be completed in about a year. On the basis of its safety review, the Staff will make its determination as to whether the proposed plant can be built and operated safely at the planned site. During its environmental review, the Staff will assess the total environmental impact which would be associated with construction and operation of the proposed plant and assess the impact in terms of the available alter natives and the benefits which would be derived, such as meeting an urgent need for power.

Beyond these-reviews, the safety aspects of TVA's application must be reviewed by a group of independent experts called the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and a public hearing must be held to consider both safety and environmental matters.

The hearing will be conducted by an independent, three-man Atomic Safety and Licensing Board. Only after all these reviews are completed can a final determination be reached as to whether a construction permit should be issued or the application denied.

As an early step in the public hearing process, a prehearing conference has been scheduled for November 1 in Scottsboro-,

The purpose of this prehearing conference is to: permit .Sentp

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2' Honorable Herman E. Talmadge -2 identification of the key issues in the proceeding; take steps necessary for further identification of the issues; consider all petitions to intervene; and establish a schedule for further actions in the proceeding, including the evidentiary hearing itself.

The safety and environmental reviews and the hearing process are discussed in more detail in the two enclosed pamphlets -

"Federal Regulation of Nuclear Power Plants" by the AEC's Director of Regulation L. Manning Muntzing and "Step-by-Step Procedure in AEC Licensing of Nuclear Power Reactors."

Nuclear power plants have been used to produce electricity for close to 20 years now and totally have achieved an enviable safety record of more than 175 reactor years of operating experience without injuring a member of the public.

One of the reasons for this excellent safety record is the fact that it has long been recognized that nuclear power plants must be subjected to rigid safety standards. Therefore, we believe that nuclear power can play an increasingly important role as one of the safe, environmentally-compatible means of helping to meet this-country's growing energy requirements.

We agree fully that it is very important to research and develop as many alternate energy sources as possible and, at the same time, to place a heavy emphasis on conservation of energy. Further, it is true that it is technically and economically feasible to use solar energy to heat and cool houses and geothermal energy is being used to generate electricity on a small scale. However, the technical and economic feasibility of using these methods to generate electricity on a large scale has yet to be proved and, in addition, the long-range environmental impacts remain to be investigated.

In closing, we would like to point out that Mrs. Oreszko's comments regarding Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, probably result from charges by Dr. Ernest Sternglass that operation of the Shippingport reactor near Aliquippa has resulted in an increase in infant mortalities in that area. These charges were in vestigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the AEC, and were found to have no basis in fact. In addition, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has held public hearings to consider the charges but has yet to report on its findings.

S Honorable Herman E. Talmadge We hope that this information will be helpful to you in replying to Mrs. Oreszkop however, if you do need additional information, please let us know. In the meantime, as you requested, we are returning her letter to you.

Sincerely, Sfrnei J0ohin A.

Harris John A. Harris, Director Office of Information Services

Enclosures:

1. "Federal Regulation..."

2. "Step-by-Step Procedure..."

3. Letter fm Mrs. Pat Oreszko dated September 24, 1973 bcc: OCR (3)

G.Ertter (DR-6266)

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Respectfully referred to:

Congressional Liaison Atomic Energy Commission Washington, D.C.

Because of the desire of this office to be responsive to all inquiries and communications, your consideration of the attached is requested. Your findings and views, in duplicate form, along with return of the enclosure, will be appreciated by U.S.S.

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