ML13205A034
| ML13205A034 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pilgrim |
| Issue date: | 07/31/2013 |
| From: | Scott(Ois) Morris NRC/NSIR/DPR |
| To: | Singleton M - No Known Affiliation |
| Michael Dudek | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML13182A577 | List: |
| References | |
| G20130491, LTR-13-0570, NSIR-13-0213 | |
| Download: ML13205A034 (3) | |
Text
July 31, 2013 Ms. Michelle Colletti Singleton P.O. Box 864 Brewster, MA 02631
Dear Ms. Singleton:
I am responding to your June 30, 2013, e-mail in which you expressed a sincere interest in ensuring that the residents of Cape Cod would be safe in the event of an accident at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant. In particular, you voiced a concern about what would happen if radioactive material was released from Pilgrim and whether the public could be effectively evacuated from Cape Cod. Your e-mail also urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to investigate the safety of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant and assess the risk that it imposes on the New England community.
Please be assured that the NRC takes your concerns very seriously and is committed to ensuring that sound emergency planning is in place at all of our licensed facilities, as well as for the surrounding communities. As such, in the area of emergency preparedness and response, the NRC works in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure that onsite and offsite emergency plans are adequate and can be effectively implemented. The regulations for onsite emergency response fall within the NRCs purview, while the offsite oversight responsibility rests with FEMA. The NRC relies on FEMA to provide a finding of continued reasonable assurance that the offsite emergency plans and preparedness are adequate to protect the public health and safety. Additionally, the NRC and FEMA work closely with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which has the overall authority for making protective action decisions (sheltering, evacuation, etc.) for ensuring the safety of their constituents during a radiological event. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) maintains the FEMA-approved State Radiological Emergency Plan for implementing those decisions, and is required to demonstrate the adequacy of the State Radiological Emergency Plan biennially during a graded exercise.
We contacted representatives from both MEMA and FEMA and informed them of your concerns. MEMA informed us they are sensitive to evacuation concerns expressed by the Cape Cod communities and are currently evaluating the issues. Should you want additional information or have further questions regarding the Commonwealths efforts to review this issue, you may contact MEMA at (508) 280-2000.
With regard to plant safety, the NRC regulates the safe operation of commercial nuclear power plants by establishing requirements for the design, construction, and operation of such plants.
The NRC maintains a rigorous process for licensing plants to allow them to operate, and subsequently provides continuous oversight of the plants operations by conducting numerous program inspections, including emergency preparedness, to verify that they are conducted in accordance with NRC regulations.
M. Colleti Singleton Thank you for your interest in this issue. If you have further questions or concerns with respect to the NRCs regulation or inspection program, please contact me, the Deputy Director of the Division of Preparedness and Response, Nuclear Security Incident Response at (301) 287-3779.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Scott A. Morris, Deputy Director Division of Preparedness and Response Nuclear Security Incident Response
Pkg. ML13182A577 OFFICE NSIR/DPR Region I Region I NSIR/DPR NAME MDudek*
FBower*
TDimitriadis*
SMorris DATE 07/23/13 07/24/13 07/24/13 07/31/13