ML16340A724

Responds to Jh Alexander Re Study of Human Factor of Nuclear Plant Installation.Operating Personnel Receive Addl Training in Plant Transients & Multiple Accident Conditions

ML16340A724
Person / Time
Site:	Diablo Canyon
Issue date:	10/31/1979
From:	Gossick L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Cranston A SENATE
Shared Package
ML16340A726	List: ML16340A724
References
NUDOCS 7912210124
Download: ML16340A724 (4)

Text

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~6 The Honorable Alan Cranston United States Senate

'Hashington, D. C.

20510'egarding the human factor in the control and operation of a nuclear power plant, the accident at Three Hfle Island, Unit 2 has shown that improvements can and must be made in the area of human/machine interface.

Toward this end, we have required that all operating personnel at nuclear power plants receive additional training in anticipated plant transients and multiple accident conditions.

Additionally,.recommendatfons leave been made to the Cormfssfon which will require operating personnel to undergo simulated reactor control room examinations.

The NRC staff is also presently reviewing the design of control rooms including the applicabilfty of existing tech'nology outside of the nuclear industry to identify where improvements can be made in this area.

Under present Commiission guidelines partfcular emphasis is placed on emergency planning within the low population zone surroundfng the plant, which for Diablo Canyon is six miles.

The Office of State Programs has recently concurred in the State of California Nuclear Power Plant Emergency

Response

Plan.

The State plan lists assignments and responsfbilftfes for the State Office of Emergency Services and the State Department of.Health, Radiological Health Section for assisting local county authorities'n monitoring, assessment, and-in recomenda-

'tions for ensuring the protection of public health and safety in the wake of a potentially contaminating event at a nuclear power facility.

In addition, Governor Brown of California has recently appointed a Nuclear Power Plant Emergency Review Panel to evaluate the adequacy of emergency preparedness measures to mitigate the consequences of a nuclear power plant accident.

Effort's are underway within the NRC to review all aspects of emergency planning, including the adequacy of present planning and the'eed for coordi-nation with and participation of other agencies in developing emergency planning.

Enclosure 1 outlines the requirements developed to date resultfn from the staff's g

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Nr. and les. Jack H. Alexander.

Your constituents expressed their opinion that more study could have been, devoted to the human factor portion of the operating and control system of nuclear power plant fnstal'latfon.

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'ore, they expressed concerns over the evacuation plans for populations in the vicinity of nuclear power plants; and the selection. of sftes in near proximity to natural hazards such as the Hosgri Fault and fts proximity to the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Station.

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The Honorable Alan Cranston Emergency Planning.and Preparedness.

Additional requirements are to be expected when rulemaking is, completed and some modifications to the emergency preparedness requirements contained in this letter m'ay be necessary.

Yoreover, an NRC-EPA Task Force Report NUREG 0396 dated December 1978 recommended 10<<

and 50-mile emergency planning zones and the Cottl1ission has endorsed this recommendation.

Stringent design requirements are, applied to nuclear power plants to assure that they are capable, of withstanding the effects of natural phenomena such as-flooding, winds, tornadoes and earthquakes.

In regard to the Hosgri Fault,

'his fault >ias discovered in 1971 well after the construction of the plant,

.was started; this fault is located 3 '1/2 miles offshore-from the Diablo Canyon plant, site.

As a result of this discovery, an intensive investigation ot the Hosgri Fault was undertaken by the Pacific Gas 5 Electric Company, the U. S; Geologic Survey (USGS) and the Nuclear Regulatory Coranission.

As a pr'incipal geology advisor for. the Commission, the USGS in 1975 suggested that a magnitude of 7.5 be assigned as a potential seismic value for the Hosgri Fault, and the Comnission adopted this value.

Comprehens1ve public hear ings on this matter were held by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board over about a two-month period.

These hearings were completed on February 15, 1979 and a Partial Initial Decision rendered by the Atomic Safety. and Licensing Board on September 27, 1979.

A copy of that decision, which is an excellent synopsis of the seismic'situation at Diablo Canyon, fs enclosed for your information.

I trust thatithe above information is useful in assessing your constituents'oncerns.

Si ncere1y,

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Enclosure:

1.

Near Term Requirements for

.Improving Emergency Preparedness 2.

Partial Initial Decision Lee V. Gossick Executive Director for Operations SEE RREVIOUS YELLOWS FOR PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES*

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