ML17138A876
| ML17138A876 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem, Susquehanna  |
| Issue date: | 08/24/1979 |
| From: | Cutchin J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE LEGAL DIRECTOR (OELD) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML16341B218 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7910240697 | |
| Download: ML17138A876 (7) | |
Text
UNITED STATES OF AflERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 4
BFFORF.
THF. ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSIffG BOARD In the Matter of PENNSYLVANIA POWER AND LIGHT CO.
ALLEGHENY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
(Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2)
)
)
)
Docket Nos.
50-387
)
50-388
)
CERTIFICATF. OF SERVICE Dr. Judith H. Johns ud Co-Director Environmental Coalition on
.Nuclear Power 433 Orlando Avenue State College, PA 16801 I hereby certify that copies of, "NRC STAFF'S ANS'HER TO SUSQUEHANNA ENVIRON-MENTAL ADVOCATES'ETITION FOR f<ODIFICATION OF SPECIAL PREHEARING CONFERENCE ORDER" in the above-captioned proceeding have been served on the following by deposit in the United States mail, first class, or, as indicated by an
- asterisk, through deposit in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's internal mail system, this 19th day of September, f979:
Charles Bechhoefer, Esq.,
Chairman*
Atomic'afety, arid Licensing Board Panel U.S; Nuclear Regulatory Commission flashington, D.C.
20555 Mt. Glenn O. Bright" Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 Dr. Oscar H. Paris" Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission llashington, D.C.
20555 Jay Silberg, Esq.
Shaw, Pittman,'otts and Trowbridge 1800 M Street, N.H.
washington, D.C.
20036 Mr. Thomas M. Gerusky, Director Bureau of Radiation Protection Depar tment of Environmental Resources Commonirealth of Pennsylvania P.O.
Box 2063 Harrisburg, PA 17120 fhs. Colleen Marsh Box 538A, RDP<4 Mountain Top, PA 18707 Mrs.'Irene Lemanowicz, Chairperson The Citizens Against Nuclear Dangers P.P.
Box 377 RDbl
- Berwick, PA 18503
Susquehanna Environmenta)
Advocates c/o Gerald gchultz, Esq.
500 South River Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board Panel*
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 Atomic Saf e ty and Licens ing Board Panel*
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 Docketing and Service Section*
Office of the Secretary U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 Bryan A. Snapp, Esq.
Pennsylvania Power 5 Light Company Two North Ninth Street Allentown, PA 18101 Nr. Robert f"I. Gallo Resident Inspector P.O.
Box 52 Shickshinny, PA 18655 James H. Cutchin, IV Counsel for NRC Staff
ilail '~D i>i,.~ It r~:.v vari ~
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r'>>e,l i ~D ~ u<i 8/2~1/79 BEi O<<E Tl)E iiTi",:liC SA! L: Y i ~D LI<.'...'Glii4 BOARD
'n ine: atter of PUBLIC SERVICE FLECTP,IC 5 OAS CO PAJ<Y (Sale.".'. i!uclear Gen rating Station, Unit iso.
1)
)
)
)
)
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Docket,"o.
50-272 Proposed Issu;:nc~ of A:;:en~".::ent to Facility Ope', ati ng License I!o. DPR-70 HRC STAFF RESPC'USE TO 8:" <:".') OUESTIOO.
4 RE(i" RDIllG 1HE OC"',"," lC.
OF A C!.ASS ACCID.!lT AT TiiRF.E fii' IS'."-..'<D During ihe course of the present ol oceeding, Lhe Board remade inquiry of the Staff as to,vhetlier the accident at the Three bile Island facility Nas a
Class 9 accident.
Specifically, the Board directed that
.he Staff respond to the following series of questions regarding this occurrence:
The proposed Annex to Appendix D,
10 CFR Part 50, appears to defi ne a Class 9 accident as a sequence of fai lures i;'hich are v.:ore severe than those.;hich the safety features of the plant are designed to prevent.
The sequence of failures at Three !lile Island produced a breach of th'e con-tainment and a release of radiation:;hich could not be prevented by the safety features.
'!as the occurrence at Thlee hlle Island therefole a Class 9 accident?
':.'as the risk to ihe h:al th and safet.
and the environiient le.":~ote in probability" or "extr i ely lo~>" at Thre Hile Island, as those tera.:s are used in.he."nnex?
The Staff has no'.( coo'pletcd its response to the Board's inquiry, and subnits its vie:,s herein.
V,gi0840
g1/
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In ""."!:ing to rospo," 'o the r".card's i..it al,",,uesti "n as to.:hether
"~he occurr=nce at
!!1! eo ilile Island...
[::".sj a Class 9 accident," it is first r'.ces-
!'. Finition of a Class 9 accident --
a task not viithout considerable difficulty.
For tnere exists no express definition of a Class 9 accident, and as the Ap"al Board observed in 0 fshore Po er Systems (Floating i!uclear Po;;er Plan 9 accident" is essentially a
t), 8 HRC 194, 209 (August 1978),
the phrase "Class te) m of al t.
1 The proposed Annex to Appendix O.-
gives interim g idar ce on
!~uv the environ-mental risk of a spectru."; of accidents should be addressed.
Ho.never; no specific definition is offered as to 'tv'hat constitutes a Class 9 acciden..
All tha. is set forth in the Annex is a description of v,hat should have to ta!:e place in order to have a Class 9 accident -- essentially that:
The occurrences
... involve sequences of postulated success'ive ailures more severe than those postulated for the desion basis for protective systems and engineered safety features.
The definition does not designate a specific accident as a Class 9 accident as it does for the other accidents, e.g.,
Rad.vaste System failure es.
Ilo:,ever, the courts and th" Appeal Boards have usually referred to "breach of containr, nt" and "core melt" accidents as reflective of those in the Class 9 category.
Carolina Environ:..ental Study Group v. U.S.,
519 F; 2d 796,
- 798, 799 (0. C.
Ci r.
1975),
!-,'lP, suora, at 209.
In discussing this type of Class 9 accident, the 36 F. R.
22851.
1/
3 CC
< 5 "Ud i',:)I',".a
!;Oa r'!.5 1 "'."'!~'nor<1 1 1 y co! c 1
'.!'on!
"ined in t.I! 'annex, ti<<!t such
<!n acci'e!!t ';o!;!d 1 j~ 1-'1"'!I!
~ - Ar res< a 5 I!:!1 l a!
to t!!at 1ly 1nvolvo "siv.Jl-t."Ursus f~il!Ures of all safety systo".5" ot "sIr"!'.:.
safety syste'::5 d;:Sinned
- nr] ~!!ilt into i.I,~ nuc]~;:r Gio..e v. U.S.,
s @ra, at i98-99; i'iP, s.!~~~'a, at 2"9 no~us
>,al f U!'!c 'ous Gf t U:.. ous Facil i tv," C-.. Oli!la St>"~v In co.isidering the facts now avail<".bio regarding
'he accident at Thr e hile
- Island, the Staff has concluded th t the Three i!ile Island accident "involved a sequence of success-;ve failures {i.e., 5::.all-b!
=k
~oss of coo',ant accident and failure of the emergency core cooling syste::1)
.".;"re se,'ere than t!iose postulated on the design basis of tiie plant."
Staff rRespo~se, at
- p. l.
Applyina this 1 llfoiI!!ation to the des cr tpti on of a Cl ass 9 accident conta i ned i n th. Annex to Appendix D, the Staff has concluded that the-occurrence at Thr e hile Island was a Class 9 accident.=2/
2.
The Board also inquired as to wh ther "th risk to the health and safety 2nd the environment
[wasj
'remote in probability'r 'extremely low't Three
."iile Island The Staff has concluded 'tha
', while the terms "risk" and "probability" carry with them special m:aning when used as part of an environ-mental assessment, the literal response to what;;e believe to be the Board'5 inquiry (what is the health impact) is that the "radioacti;e material i.eleased during the Tl!I-2 accident
'represents minimal risks (that is, a very small 2/
Mtf ough the Staff concluded that consequenc s of the Three labile Island accident were less severe
'h=-.n those calcul<~t;.d for the design basis of the plant (Staff Response at p. 2), this does not, we believe,
! e;".:ove tie accident from a Cl<".ss 9 category.
ro1 i bile '.h d finition of a Class 9
acciocnt contained 1n
<!1 5 Annex stat..s that ;o co,.so(',Ucnc
.5 of such an occur> ence could be severe," it do..s not 5,".=-cify in a..y i espect::hat the 1
!.~
w, sQ 4
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lw v I '
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r ',wq l
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a v 1 !
t s) i r
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doteii;:ini>>g ';:hethel an occu)! nc'alls with n
<he Class 9 category.
See
- FtlP, s.~'.!ra, 'at 2.13-1<:.
",u'-."..e'r) of "ddit Ional heal th t~ acts tv E'< of s'te
~~ooula ion. '" Staff's iRQsp~nso
< 4 p
2
~
Thus, v.hile the release of radioactive naterial to '.he offsite population I
v:as very sr,:all, the Staff'nonetheless concludes
'hat the accident at Three fl>le Island
~;as a Class 9 accident.
Respect ul 1 y sub",i' ted, J/
)'".~r>p~~ j'
~Q] "
Barry H. S:nith Counsel for HRC Staff Oat d at 8 thesda, tIaryland ibis 2>th day of August, 1979.