ML17037B768

Letter Requesting More Information Concerning the Recent AEC License Awarded to Niagara Mohawk

ML17037B768
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	04/21/1965
From:	Humphrey H US SEN (Senate)
To:	Seaborg G US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
References
Download: ML17037B768 (11)

Text

(Dictated over the phone by Lavinia 5/4/65, 12:00 noon)

The Vice President Washington April 21, 1965

Dear Glenn:

I received the enclosed letter concerning the recent AEC license awarded to Niagara Mohawk and I wondered if you could supply me with any more information on the matter.

Thank you.

Sincerely, s/ Hubert H. Humphrey Honorable Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman United States Atomic Energy Commission Washington, D. C.

April 9, l965 My

Dear Mr. Vice President:

There is enclosed herewith a copy of a lett H

e er to onorable ea org, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, concern-ing the employment practices of the Niagara Mohawk P Corporation.

This cor o a

o aw ower s corporation has been provisionally awarded a contract to build 'a plant in Scriba, New York As you can see, we are asking for the right to show the the resent ci truth of the facts set forth in that this e present circumstances, should not receive this contract.

Respectfully, s/

Carl Rachlin General Counsel Honorable Hubert H. Humphrey The Vice President

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!~gtwtilÃlg]tEIgggILC'gIQ 33 PARK ROW NEW YORK 33. NEW YORK COrtlandt 76270 James Farmer rational director Richard Halcy associate Gordon Carey assistant Car,'achlln, Esn.

general counsel ADVISORY COMMITTEE Ralph Abernathy James Baldwin Roger N. Baldwin Katrina M. Barncs Algernon D. Black James B. Carey Allan Knight Chaiincrs Grenvillc Clark John Coglcy Earl B. Oickerson rugcno E. Frazicr Harold Gibbons Roiare'. Gittelsohn Sidney Hollander Gcoigc M. Housor E. Stanley Jones Bishop F. D. Jordan Martin Luther King Douglas Levin David Livingston WillMaslow A. J. hlusto Dorothy Nbrman A. Philip Randolph Ira OeA. Raid Waher P. Reuthcr Hobson R. Reynolds Jackio Robinson Arnold M. Rose Fred M. Shuttlcsworth Lillian Smith C. K. Steels Gardner Taylor Howard Thurman Bishop W. J. Walls Goodwin Watson Joseph Wilton Jerry Wurf Charles S. Zimmcrman OFFICERS Floyd B. McKissick chairman Rudolph Lombard 1st vice chairman Vfilfred Usscry

. 2nd vice chairman Ralph 'Rosenfcld secretary Alan Gartner treasurer James Peck CORElatcr editor STAFF

'orman Hill program director James McCain director of organization Marvin Rich community relations director Apx'il 9a 1965 Hon, Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman Atomic Energy Commission of the United States Hashingtona D

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Dear Dr. Seaborg:

The Syracuse Chaptex'f the Congress of Racial Equality has been attempting to obtain t'e attention of the Niagara"Mohawk Power Corporation to the correction of the latter's employment practices fox many months.

i, It is no secret that these practices do not meet a reasonable standard of fairness.

In Syxacuse, fox example, approximately

~g of 1% of the employees of Niagara-Mohawk are Negro despite the fact that more than 20I. of the popula-tion of the city is Negro.

Qe have been advised that the Atomic Energy Com-mission has tentatively granted a license to Niagara-Mohawk to build a nucleax'ower plant in Scriba, New York, at Nine Mile Point.

$$ile Niagara-Mohadcmay be technically and financially qualified to design and build such a plant, we strongly uzge that it does not meet the minimum standards of the United States Constitution nor a reasonable standard of fai=ness.

Xt is a publicly granted monopoly with publicly protected profits.

By awarding such a contract to Niagara

~'.ohafea you aze further increasing its profits and further dim=:ni'shing the rights of American citizens to equal oppor tun" ty and fair employment.

Surely, mere technical skill must not, be the test of who receives a major contract from the Usted States government.

Of course, we need not remind you of the obU.gations of the federal government under Title UX.of the 1964 Civil

Rights Acto

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II Hon. Glenn T. Seaborg April 9, 1965 Page 2

P3'fe urgently the expi" ation o the to the time and place are necessary+

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request the opportunity to be heard by o

b f you e ore

- ay provisional period.

We await your word as of the hearingo We wi11 produce such witnesses as Respectfully

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',(Qi,ipI, Cari Rachlin General Counsel cc:

Hon, Hubert H Humphrey Honi Nelson Rockef eller jj5"

",) foal Hon. James A. Lundy, Chairman New York State Public Service Commission L~k Faith Seidenberg, Esq.

'ounsel, CORE, Northern New York

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<n A<elh T<<enir territory Atnn I nttnnr tril<nrir Jnmn ~ PirE ron fIttnt ~rillnr Joseph F. Hennessey,l Esq.

United States Atomic Energy Commission Washington 25, D. C.'

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Ny dear Hr. Hennessey:

I am afraid I do not understand your letter of the 23rd inst.

I have, therefore, asked that the Vice Pres'ident of the United States intervene.

You s very tr

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ly, Carl Rachlin General Counsel CR: JG I fail to see how you can say you have no

'ower over this company.

This is a tentative contract as I understand it.

Certninly,you have the power to refuse to make it permanent.

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April 23, 1965 Carl Rachlin, Esq.

General Counsel Congress of Racial Equality 38 Park Row Hew York 38, Hew York

Dear Nr. Rachlin:

Chaixman Seaborg has asked me to reply to your leCCer dated April 9, 1965, in which you request the opportunity to be heard while Che Niagara-Mohawk construction permit proceeding is pending revimr before the Commission. I understand that your interest relates to Che question of the fairness of the employment pxactices of Niagara Mohawk.

There has been some misunderstanding perhaps concern ing the puxpose and scope of the proceeding.

The peading proceeding involves only the regulatory functions of Che Commission.

The provisions of Che Atomic Eaex'gy AcC of 1954, 42 Q.S.C.

Sec. 2011 et seq., limit the Commis sion's )urisdiction in regulatory matters Co questions of public health and safety aad ceamon defense and security.

The Ccmmission does not have authority in its.x'egulatory proceedings to take other considerations of social policy into account, no matter how worthy theix purpose.

Xn your letter you have also xeferred to the obliga-tions of the Federal Goverameat undex'itle VX of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Your refexence to this px'ovisioa may be based upon the assumption that there is federal fiaancial assistance involved in the Niagara Mohawk pro)ect.

In fact, however, the entire pro)ect is priv ately financed and ad.3.1 receive ao fiaiacial assistance from the Commission.

The Commission, of'course, is making every effort to comply scrupulously with both the spirit aad the letter of Che 19@a Civil Rights Act in all px'o grams to which that, act applies.

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Carl Rachlin, Esq.

X trust that you ~9.11 understand, therefore, that. the Commission has no authority or )urisdiction to consider the matters raised in your letter.

I regret any inconvenience our delay in responding may have caused you.

Xf X can be oZ any &xrtber assistance, p3.ease let me know.

Sincerely yours, S~gnerl

-O~elt~ F Hennessey Joseph F. Hennessey General Counsel

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