ML12178A595
| ML12178A595 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 06/18/2012 |
| From: | Savett S US Congress |
| To: | Nancy Belmore Office of Congressional Affairs, US Congress |
| Rihm R, 301-415-1717 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML12191A285 | List: |
| References | |
| EDATS: SECY-2012-0332, G20120456, LTR-12-0299, SECY-2012-0332 | |
| Download: ML12178A595 (8) | |
Text
EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM:
Scott Savett DUE: 07/24/12 EDO CONTROL: G20120456 DOC DT: 06/18/12 FINAL REPLY:
Representative Jim Gerlach's Staff TO:
- Belmore, OCA FOR SIGNATURE OF :
GRN CRC NO: 12-0299 Borchardt, EDO DESC:
ROUTING:
Operations of Limerick-Nuclear Power Plant (EDATS: SECY-2012-0332)
DATE: 06/26/12 Borchardt Weber Johnson Ash Mamish OGC/GC
- Leeds, NRR
- Dean, RI Zobler, OGC
- Schmidt, OCA ASSIGNED TO:
EDO CONTACT:
Rihm SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
Please prepare response to Representative Gerlach for the signature of the EDO.
Prepare response in accordance with OEDO Notice 2009-0441-02 (ML093290179).
NRR and Region I to provide input to Roger Rihm,
- OEDO, if required.
Roger Rihm will coordinate response with OGC and OCA.
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EDATS Number: SECY-2012-0332 Source: SECY Genera Inomtn Assigned To: OEDO Other Assignees:
Subject:
Operations of Limerick Nuclear Power Plant
==
Description:==
CC Routing: NRR; Regionl; OGC; OCA ADAMS Accession Numbers -
Incoming: NONE OEDO Due Date: 7/24/2012 11:00 PM SECY Due Date: 7/26/2012 11:00 PM Response/Package: NONE Othe Ifration Cross Reference Number: G20120456, LTR-12-0299 Related Task:
File Routing: EDATS Staff Initiated: NO Recurring Item: NO Agency Lesson Learned: NO OEDO Monthly Report Item: NO Proes Infomaio Action Type: Letter Priority: Medium Sensitivity: None Signature Level: EDO Urgency: N(
Approval Level: No Approval Required OEDO Concurrence: NO OCM Concurrence: NO OCA Concurrence: NO Special Instructions: Please prepare response in accordance with OEDO Notice 2009-0441-02 (ML093290179). NRR and Region I to provide input to Roger Rihm, OEDO, if required. Roger Rihm will coordinate response with OGC and OCA.
)
Docmen Infomaio Originator Name: Scott Savett of Representative Jim Date of Incoming: 6/18/2012 Gerlach Staff Originating Organization: Congress Document Received by SECY Date: 6/26/2012 Addressee: Nancy Belmore, OCA Date Response Requested by Originator: NONE Incoming Task Received: E-mail Page 1 of I
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed: Jun 26, 2012 10:04 PAPER NUMBER:
ACTION OFFICE:
LTR-12-0299 LOGGING DATE:
06/25/2012 AUTHOR:
AFFILIATION:
ADDRESSEE:
SUBJECT:
ACTION:
DISTRIBUTION:
LETTER DATE:
ACKNOWLEDGED SPECIAL HANDLING:
Scott Savett (REP Jim Gerlach's Ofc.)
CONG Rebecca Schmidt Constituent Correspondence - Concerns related to Limerick Signature of EDO OCA to Ack.
06/18/2012 No Direct Reply... Signature of EDO.
NOTES:
FILE LOCATION:
ADAMS 07/26/2012 DATE DUE:
DATE SIGNED:
EDO -- G20120456 i,>.,-
Mike, Linda From:
Belmore, Nancy Sent:
Monday, June 18, 2012 11:40 AMr1 To:
Mike, Linda; Lewis, Antoinette Cc:
Powell, Amy
Subject:
FW: From Congressman Gerlach's Office Attachments:
ACE letter received June 18, 2012:pdf For necessary processing -
Thank you, Nanc-y Belmore Office of Congressional Affizirs U.S. Nuclear Regulato Commission nancy.belmore(anrc.zov 301-415-1776 From: Savett, Scott [1]
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 11:36 AM To: Belmore, Nancy; Savett, Scott
Subject:
From Congressman Gerlach's Office
- Nancy, We received this letter from Dr. Lewis Cuthbert who is president of a group called ACE which stands for Alliance for a Clean Environment.
Can the NRC look into the concerns that he expresses in the letter and provide our office with a legislative response?
Thanks for your help!
Scott Savett Office of Congressman Jim Gerlach Work #: 610-409-2780 Fax #: 610-409-7988 Email: Scott.Savett@mail.house.gov www.gerlach.house.gov 1
Alliance For A Clean Environment 1189 Foxview Road Pottstown, PA 19465 June 14,2012 ii-..
Congressman James Gerlach By.
308 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman Gerlach,
We have repeatedly made you aware, through letters including detailed information and meetings with you and your staff, about unprecedented harms and threats faced by millions in the Greater Philadelphia Region from the operations of Limerick Nuclear Power Plant.
You have previously chosen willful blindness over reality, dismissing documented evidence presented to you from ACE's 12 year investigations, using the same spin we hear from nuclear industry lobbyists and unsubstantiated claims of no harm from NRC.
Limerick Nuclear Plant is ranked 3rd on our -nation's earthquake-risk list and considered a high-risk nuclear plant. Yet, NRC is allowing Exelon to wait until 2017 to complete key seismic safety upgrades.
Since we last contacted you we learned about serious threats for meltdowns at Limerick Nuclear Plant due to 5 fault lines within 17 miles of Limerick, including one right under the site.
We informed you previously that earthquakes can lead to loss of power, then loss of cooling water, followed by meltdowns, both in the reactors and fuel pools, as happened at Fukushima.
An earthquake can disrupt the miles of vital, hard to inspect buried pipes and cables under Limerick Nuclear Plant, leading to loss of power and loss of cooling water, then meltdowns.
" Earthquakes can also cause cracks and leaking in the substandard cement holding the cooling water in Limerick's very dangerous, packed, and vulnerable deadly high-level radioactive waste fuel pools. These are Mark II designs, similar to Fukushima.
Earthquakes are becoming stronger and more frequent, something everyone should anticipate in PA due to fracking. The January, 2012 USGS study confirmed that fracking can cause earthquakes. Over 4,200 natural gas wells were approved in PA since 2007.
Of similar concern is the blasting that continues at the quarry bordering Limerick, a concern shared by a high-ranking NRC official.
The 8-23-11 earthquake in Virginia shook Limerick, triggering an investigation.
What could happen from an earthquake at a fault within 17 miles or under Limerick?
Local residents discovered from files on Limerick at the Pottstown Library, that Limerick has serious design flaws, known from the beginning, which can shake the generator just like an earthquake.
While the design was abandoned at another nuclear plant, it was supposedly fixed during construction at Limerick. However, the "fix" seems vulnerable to earthquake risk.
A key safety mechanism may not work to safely shut Limerick down in the event of an earthquake, fire, accident, or human error that could lead to a meltdown. Problems continue.
Fire is another serious concern, as we expressed to you previously. A Limerick fire could also disrupt power and cooling water, leading to meltdowns.
As you are aware, NRC failed to require Exelon to follow the safest fire safety regulations for Limerick, claiming the second set of regulations established to avoid cost for industry, was "SAFE ENOUGH".
While recent evidence reveals that threats from Limerick operations are increasing, recent news and reports show NRC has completely abandoned its mission to protect public health and safety, as well as the truth.
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akin-g a-r'ý-ý-si-v&e--& c-i& Vnfo rprfitiohffdjirecaution}rC is attemptirigL o coverý up reality to help the nuclear industry and government avoid astronomical costs for a U.S.
nuclear disaster. There is potential for devastation from a Limerick Nuclear Plant disaster to millions living in the greater Philadelphia region as a result of NRC's recent negligent decisions.
There have been enormous increases in population. Highways are overcrowded, especially during rush hour. Over 8 million people live within 50 miles.
NRC actually ignored the lessons of Fukushima, denied the devastating harms from the worst disaster in the history of the world, and weakened already unprotective, lax evacuation plans.
NRC's BIZARRE Response To Fukushima Is Beyond Negligent. Meltdown Risks at Limerick Nuclear Plant Increased Dramatically, Yet NRC Reduced Safeguards.
NRC's Actions Are Indefensible:
- 1. NRC Joined Exelon To Appeal The 3rd Circuit Court Decision In Favor Of NRDC's Request For An Updated Safety Analysis For Limerick
- 2. NRC Weakened Standards and Requirements For Limerick Operations
- 3. NRC Hides and Denies Radiation Risks
- 4. NRC Pared Down Evacuation Plans and Emergency Drills We also call your attention to Limerick Nuclear Plant's latest radioactive spill into the Schuylkill River, the drinking water source for almost 2 million people from Pottstown to Philadelphia.
While Limerick routinely discharges radioactive wastewater into the Schuylkill River, and there have been 4 accidental spills in recent years, the 3-19-12 spill reveals details on how Exelon, NRC, PA DEP, and elected officials, including you, abandon public health.
Attached are letters published in the Mercury recently with some of the details on the 3-19-12 radioactive spill and new information on our extraordinary earthquake risks from Limerick. We are also sending a copy of our latest TV show on these issues to your Collegeville office.
ACE urges you to stop protecting the financial interests of Exelon, a company that failed to provide full, accurate, and timely disclosure on risks and one that doesn't pay a large percentage of its costs of doing business or its fair share of taxes.
We ask that you send Scott Savatt to meet with us at 1189 Foxview Road to discuss the dangerous new NRC policies that abandon public health and safety, as well as the most recent Information we have on earthquake risks and radioactive spills on any of the following dates: July 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, or 27. Please respond with a date and time as soon as possible, to aceactivists@comcast.net.
Thank you, Dr. Lewis Cuthbert ACE President Attachments
AIO / THE MERCURY www.pottsmerc.com Thursday, June 7, 2012 NAuOTHER Vpln et Nucearplant safety should he top concern Staff writer Evan Brandt did a great job.of presenting new issues in "On the
" Fault. Line" in The Mercury 6n May 20.
The Mercury -laid the groundwork for
'what should be the starting point foP a comprehensive, updated -safety analysis of the Limerick nuclear plant. Although the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should be our watchdog, it stands squarely in the
.way *of crucial new scru-
.tiny.
Guest
.NRC's stance is. not columnist surprising. In 1981, be-fire Unit I was complet-Abed,'-LEA'. (the predecessois of ACE) filed a suit. 0n behalf of the public agdinst the At6omici Energy Commission, predecessor 6f.NRC. Even back.then, it had toocozy
- a.rýeaionihip with.PECO (now Exelon).
The.Mercury aptly titled the 'report of thatstory, "David Against Federal Goli-ath" (Sept. 28;, 1997). In it, LEA charged Limerick With: 1) violating the National.
.-Ewinro-imental Policy Act and 2) not
- considering safety-enhancing nuclear de-sign.altenatiyes for Limerick. "i"le suit
,dagged on for nine years, but LEA woi
- its'fact-based case in federal court. The judge's ruling was amajor embarrassment for the ABC, but'it was too late for real
- safety. Limerick was already constructed,.
e are very concerned about the de-sign flaws of Limericks :aging GE-Mark II.Boiling Water Reactors. Ordinary reac-
- tr -operations can produce an internal seismic.reaction similar to a major earth-quake, cautsing possible catastrophic con-tainment failure. An accident in 1972 at a West German plant was the first sign of that trouble: the forces ruptured the wall of the wet well.
GE notified PECO of the reactor prob-lems in 1974. Other nuclear plants sued GE, or were scrapped, but not Limerick.
PECO braced the reactors witl' expensive engineering and construction work, pass-ing the new costs onto their ratepayers.
.So, aifter being promised that Limerick's energy would be too cheap to meter, rate-payers were burdened with monumental increased costs while PECO raked'in huge profits (Phila. Inquirer August :13, 1984). We worry about why a safety test for Limerick's GE Mark II reactor "an NRC's response to it are both missing from one-of PECO's Final Analysis Safety Report volumes in -the library.
We know that an eatthquake triggered Fukushima's multiple meltdownsby caus-ing loss-of power and loss of.coolingw*a-tef. The Aug. 23i 2011 Virginia ear tiqhuake caused tremors at Limerick. Limerickjis ranked third on our :nationh's eqarthquake.
risk list. Despite all these facts co~0pled with'quarry blasting on the border of Liri*-
erick's property and possible earthq4i6Ae risks from fracking in :Pennsyjyani'&" tl NRC stilI resists upd--ing its satety hialy-
-sis for the Limerick Nuclear plant:
When a concerned mother requested inf6rmation about the nearest f*aults.to the nuclear plant; NRC sent her one. 6f
.the maps showri on.The Mercury's front page on May 20, highliýt rig.tlheram*.p and Chalfont FaUlts, Voilowing hait, "udr:
own research at the Pottstown:.Liary,'
led us to PECO'S 1974 Geological Survey map. It highlighted the Sanatoga.Fault.
right under the plant'site. That.map was also featbred 'nthe Mercury's front page.
We showed the 1974 map to NRCof-ficials at their public meeting o "April 18 Each of them denied ever having seei it-before. NRC says tht' earthquake risks.-
were. assessed before Limerick cbntruc, tion began. H6wever, Limerick's first.re-actor was rolled onto the site:in 1972 but' the seismic study was not completed until 1974."
We feel that, because of Limerick's troubled history, plus evolving unqaer-standing of earthquake risks and their relationship, to catastrophic events, the plant should shut down before it melts down.
CHARLIE and BE Y SHANK Pottstowil
A8 / THE MERCURY z.
An"OTHER MEW Saturday_, une 9, 2012 Limerick nuke plant should be shut down Limerick Nuclear Plant's latest March both routine and spills, are not just tri 19 radioactive spill is the tip of the ice-tium. Even if they were, Limerick's spill berg. Since 1985, Limerick routinely and threatened human health.
accidentally released radioactive wastevva-
- - Research'shows the smallest' tritin ter into the Schuylkill River. There's never dose can lead to cancer, tumors, cell dam been independent radiation monitoring age, mutations, developmental abnormali for all radionuclides released, including ties, and genetic reproductive effects, One spikes from spills. NRC, the lax oversight Limerick tritium sample was five times agency, never tested. Exelon, Limerick's the U.S. limit.
owner, controls all mon-
- Tritium's "so-called safe" U.S. limit itoring, testing, and re-Guest is 20,000 pICi/L. Safe? Hardly! It's seven
- porting, Columnist times the European limit.
Truth is, without an Drinking water for almost two million alert Limerick guard people from Pottstown to Philadelphia is and the April 13 Mercury article by Evan at risk" from Limerick Nuclear Plant op-Brandt, it's likely you wouldn't know erations. For details on unprecedented about the March 19 radioactive spill, threats and harms to the Schuylkill River, You can't see, smell, or taste radiation.
a vital drinking water source for so many Limerick's March 19 radioactive spill people, and for radioactive threats to
- provides another example of why we can't groundwater, www.acereport.org.
trust Exelon for full, accurate, timely
- 1. Limerick cannot operate without disclosure, and why we can't depend on poisoning the Schuylkill River with many agency or elected officials for protection.
radionuclides and other toxics, or deplet-
- Exelon's delayed notification (23 ing this vital drinking water source.. Every days late) denied people the opportunity year Limerick operates threats increase.
to protect themselveý. It was too late for A permit doesn't make it safe.
independent testing or reducing exposure
- 2. Groundwater under Limerick is al-from elevated radiation levels in water for ready radioactive. Monitoring required to drinking, cooking, bathing, etc.
determine -actual direction and distance
- Water companies didn't test or stop of radioactive contamination has not intake from the Schuylkill River during been done. Fifteen monitoring wells on the entire spill. Only Exelon tested.
600 acres, placed by Exelon, are unreli-16 hours after the spill, Exelon told able and inadequate in a fractured bed-NRC. NRC failed to test or immediately rock aquifer..
inform the public.
Limerick's radioactive threats can go
- 40 hours4.62963e-4 days <br />0.0111 hours <br />6.613757e-5 weeks <br />1.522e-5 months <br /> after the spill, Exelon in-undetected, unreported, and unaddressed, formed Governor Corbett, state and local Water companies are not required to do officials. Not one secured independent the monitoring, testing, and reporting, testing or informed the public.
or filtration that could better protect
- NRC Rules were violated, yet NRC your water from all the radionuclides in failed to require meaningful penalties.
Limerick's discharges into thle Schuylkill Exelon and NRC's absurd claims of River, While that would be very costly, "no risk" defy logic and reality.
the ultimate costs for ignoring Limerick's
- The March 19 spill blew off a man-radioactive discharges are astronomical.
hole cover, lasted for hours, and cau'sed Exelon should pay for radiation filtration visible erosion, yet the size of the spill was at water treatment plants.
understated, using terms like "overflowed If your water conies from the Schuylkill briefly" and "puddle."
! i.. Riyvr or a well within several miles of
- Approximate., 15,000 gallons of.ra, Limerick Nuclear Plant, you could mini-dioactive reactor-Water spilled with toxic mize Limerick's radioactive threats to cooling tower water estimated from 3,000 to 10,000 gallons per minute.
. Cooling tower water is not clean as claimed. Hundreds of pounds of toxic, corrosive chemicals are added daily to Limerick's cooling towers.
Only tritium? A shameful scam!
Over 100 radionuclides are associated with operating Limerick. Limerick's own radiological monitoring reports identify many radionuclides in water, including Io-dine-131, Strontium-90, and Cesium 137.
Limerick's radioactive discharges, your drinking water with a reverse osmo-sis filter, including pre and post carbon filters. Exelon should pay!
The only way to stop Limerick's ra-dioactive and other toiic threats t6 vital water resources is to closeLinierick now.
Ask elected officials and candidates if they will speak up to protect our water by calling for Limerick Nuclear Plant to close now.
DR. LEWIS CUTHBERT ACE President