ML17037B760

Letter Regarding Review of the Idaho Nuclear Safety Reports on Tests 845-850 of the Semiscale Blowdown and ECC Project and Suggesting That the Commission Hold Up New Licensing New Plants and Suspend Licenses on the Grounds That Assurance of

ML17037B760
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone, Monticello, Dresden, Nine Mile Point, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Robinson, San Onofre
Issue date:	06/03/1971
From:	Comey D Businessmen for the Public Interest
To:	Seaborg G US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
References
Download: ML17037B760 (7)

Text

BUsrwmssxr.N r oa TrrL Pax3Lxc DmaaasT

&AVIDDINStWOAE COMCY Dl8ICIOII 0 1 C NVl8 0 ILKIN1AL RIS CAN CH SaITII 1001 100 M DI:m~aonx ST.

CEIL.OO, II GOG02 TnasrxroNm OIZ-ani-Sara June 3, 1971

., Dr. Glenn Seaborg, Chairman U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Washington, D. C.

20545 I

t

Dear Dr. Seaborg:

We have reviewed the Idaho Nuclear Safety Reports on Tests 845-850 of the

'Semiscale slowdown and ZCC Pxoject, and have compared them with the Water

~.Reactor Safety Pxogram Plan and other AZC documents.

Warnu~~s that ZCC water might bypass thc core and be blown out the primary system break appear ex~licitly at page 90 of the Zrgen rcport, page 49 of NSIC-24,

'and pages 2,

19 and 20 of Q~-1384.

Aiioreover, the Leidenfrost effect is a.well-3cnown phenomenon in two-phase,Qow theory.

In view of the fact that the tests verified the accuracy of these test objectives, we feel that the Commission is ivrong in regarding the test results as "surprising"

- or "une~~cted."

We are particularly disturbed by an AZC press release, dated iViay 28, 1971, which attempts to denigrate the tests by saying:

V The recent small moclc-up tests at NRTS were not designed to represent the response of an actual operating nuclear power plant to a loss of coolant accident.

There were significant differences in the experi-mental system which was tested as compared to an operating reactor.

In view of the fact that the blowdown test data from that same facility has been used to support license applications, we do not see how the Commission can have its cake and eat it too.

Either the facility does "closely model commercial plant 4

I'

~

I

>p--3458

~'I

~

~

C

Dr. Glenn Seaborg page 2 Juno 3, 1971 ECC systems" (page 27 of IN-1384), in which case the ECC systems on com-mercial PWR's do not work, or the test results on blowdown used in previous license applications must be cast out and the matter remanded for de novo consideration, which would entail holding new hearings on those license applica-tions.

In view of the crucial nature of this problem, we believe the only prudent course for the Commission to follow, in addition to its e~~ressed intention to hold up licensing new plants, would be to suspend the licenses, until the ECC system has been ezperimentally verified, of the reactors named on the attached list.

We ask the Commission to suspend these licenses on the grounds that the assur-ance of no undue risk to the public health and safety demands that no other course be followed by the Commission.

'DDC:mk enclosure Sincerely,

~ 0

/PAAR>~f<

r

~

't OPERAi%G LICENSES ZO BE SUSPENDS Name of Plant l

Connecticut Yankee Z)resdcn 2, 3 Qinna iraontxce llo Millstone 1 Nine Mile Point Oyster Creek Point Beach 1 Robinson 2 San Onofre

~

Location

Haddam Neck, CT Grundy County, 'IL Ontario, NY Nonticello, MN Millstone Point, CT l

Oswego, NY Oyster 'Cxeek, NJ Two Creeks, XVl Eiartsville, SC

. Camp Pendleton, CA

~Orator Connecticut Yankee'tomic Power Co

'Commonwealth Zdison 'Co.

-Rochester Gas and Electric Co.

Northern States Power Co.

Connecticut Ligixtand Power Co.

Niagara, 1Vlohawlc Power Co.

Jersey Central Power and Light Co,.

Vlisconsin Electric Power Co.

Carolina'Power and Light Co.

Southern California Edison Co.

A

I

Docket Hos.

G0-213 50-Ã7 50-249 50-M4 50-263 OO-2>5 50 226 50-2le O0-266 60-26l

.~O-206 gag gg pB Lfr. David Dinsmorc Comoy Director of Environmental Research Businessmen for the Public Xnterest Suite 100l 109 N. Dearbox.n Street Cllicago Xllinois 60602 13eax Mls Comeye

~

J DH r'bution:

Chairman (2)

Comm.

Ramey Comm.

Johnson Comm. Larson Secretary (2)

HLPrice CLHenderson SHHanauer EGCase PAMorris PDR Docket File DR Reading DRL Reading HKShapar GErtter(DR-3458)

This is in response to your letter of June 3, 197l, concerning licensed nuclear power plants and emergency core coo3-ange T>he CommissioKL>>,-of =.course>> is vTQ3..l,i~v45Ãe of the information referred to in your letter and it alas part of all of the information considered in the con-clusion czpressed in the ComIIIission 8 press x'elease of May.27>> l97lp in considez'ation of eUlelgency cole cooling systeriIs for nuclear povTer plants tha,t "this is'not tho typo of pxoblem reeuiring the shutdown of operating plants".

As you knovr, the Regulatory Staff's Tasl" Force of. sonior technical people is reevaluating emergency core cooling system designs

~

811ould the Commission find that changes in design ox operation of licensed plants are necessary such changes vTill be included as part, of the re~latory process.

Vie vTill bc pleased to inform you of the outcome of the Commission'8 reevaluation of emergency core cooling systems ivhen this information becomes available.

Cordially

,~ ggq Q gtLQII Chairman OFFICE P SURNAME >

DRL PAhk<g is: th HL lce

~f..l.27.1.