ML16341C940

Responds to to Jm Hendrie Which Requested Moratorium on Licensing of Facility.Nrc Is Evaluating TMI Accident Extensively.No New Reactor Licenses Will Be Issued Until Evaluation Is Complete

ML16341C940
Person / Time
Site:	Diablo Canyon
Issue date:	05/30/1979
From:	Gossick L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Ellen Brown CALIFORNIA, STATE OF
Shared Package
ML16341B187	List: ML16341C940
References
NUDOCS 7907060144
Download: ML16341C940 (8)

Text

SIAY 30 1979 Docket Hos. 50-276 O.L.60-323 O.L.

The Honorable Edmund G. Brown, Jr.

Governor of California Sacramento, California 95814 Dear.

Governor Brown:

This responds to your letter ofNay 4, 1979, addressed to Chairpian Hendrie, in which you requested a moratorium on the licensing of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power'lant.

Chairman Hendrie has asked me to respond to your letter in view of the fact that the application for an operating license for the Diablo Canyon plant is now pending before an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.

Under the HRC rules of practice Chairman Hendrie and the members of the Commission may be called upon to review the orders and decision of the Licensing Board and hence it would be inappropriate for him or other members of the Commission to comment on the matters raised in your letter.

The NRC staff is presently engaged in an extensive evaluation of the Three Nile Island accident.

This evaluation will cover-all aspects of the design and operations of that plant with the objective of identifying improvements which should be applied to nuclear power plants which are now under construction or operating.

Until that evaluation is completed or until otherwise directed by the Commission, the staff does not intend to issue any new licenses for nuclear power reactors even if authorized by a Licensing Board such as that presiding over the Diablo Canyon proceeding.

If, as a result of the evaluation, it is determined that changes in the design of the Diablo Canyon plant are required and those changes warrant a

reopening of the record, the t/RC staff will take the initiative to do so.

In this regard, you may be interested to know that intervening parties in the Diablo Canyon proceeding have requested the Commission to stay the proceeding pending the outcome of the investigation of the Three Nile Island accident.

These requests have not yet been acted upon by the Commission or the Licensing Board.

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ttith respect to your concern regarding the adequacy of the Diablo Canyon plant to withstand earthquakes, that matter was extensively dealt with during the course of the public hearing on the Diablo Canyon application.

Expert testimony was presented to the Licensing Board by parties to the proceeding.

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Board will take this testimony into account in reaching its decision regarding the application.

The Licensing Board's decision will be subject to appeal and review by the NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board and the Commission.

lie kook forward to reviewing the emergency preparedness measures now being revised by the California Emergency Power Plant Review Panel.

You may be assured that they will be given careful consideration in our evaluation of the adequacy of emergency plans for the Diablo Canyon plant to assure the public health and safety.

You may be assured that we will keep you and the appropriate State offices informed of new developments regarding the Diablo Canyon plant.

lie will welcome your and their assistance with respect to assuring that the public health and safety of the citizens of California are fully protected.

If you or members of your staff desire additional information or assistance with respect to this matter, please contact me.

Sincerely,

]Signed) Lee V. Gossick Lee Y. Gossick Executive Director for Operations Bur tel 1 otte Ketchen Davis Staenberg Shapar/Engelhardt/Christenbury Formal Files Reg.

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