ML17326A265

Summary of 790829 Public Meeting Re Proposed Increase in Capacity of Spent Fuel Pool

ML17326A265
Person / Time
Site:	Cook
Issue date:	09/06/1979
From:	Wigginton D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 7910010674
Download: ML17326A265 (27)

Text

Docket Nos.

50-315 and 50-316 SF.P-0-6-1979 LICENSEE:

INDIANA AND MICHIGAN ELECTRIC COMPANY INDIANA AND MICHIGAN POWER COMPANY FACILITY:

DONALD C.

COOK UNIT NOS.

1 AND 2 L

SUBJECT

'EETING

SUMMARY

- PUBLIC, INFORMATION MEETING.ON D. C.

COOK PROPOSED, INCREASE IN CAPACITY OF SPENT FUEL POOL On hlednesday

evening, August 29, 1979, from 7:00 p.m. to approximately ll:00 p.m.,-a public information meeting was held 'at the Bridgman, Michigan High School on the proposed increase in capacity of the D. C.

Cook Nuclear Plant spent fuel pool (SFP).

About 120 to 130 members of the public attended.

Over 15 members made statements and asked questions on a variety of subjects.

Of the specific technical question asked on the proposed increase in capacity of the spent-fuel pool, none were considered neiv in that the questions had already been addressed by the NRC staff reviewers.

The members of the public did receive answers to all of their questions whether directed to the NRC or the licensee.

4 The meeting had been called at the request of the Govenor'. of Michigan.

" 'r. Rolland -Oselka, BerriRn County Board Chairman, chaired the meeting.

~

U. S. Senator Carl Levin's office assisted in the final meeting arrange-ments on behalf of members of the public from that area.

The NRC and, the licensee made brief presentations on the SFP proposed m6difications; a copy of the meeting agenda is attached.

tems two major n n technical rs-oC'"Che"pu lie-present';

ere we x'..of.. the..mam

,.,gf concern expre Th s'e" w'ere" d'iscu sed by a..gwmb sed at length r ~ ~

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CCCCIIIIACCC9P DATIW The NRC's presentation included elements of the licensing review of SFP modifications, the chronology of events on the proposed amendment to the facility operating license, and a brief status of the NRC's review.

The visual aids used in the NRC's presentation are attached.

The licensee presented the proposed modification details.

The licensee hns'een requested to submit copies ofis visual aids to the NRC i~ith a copy to

'e sent directly to the Local Public Docket Room (LPDR).

During the question and answer period, a partial copy of the April 14, 1979 "The Nation." pages 386-388, was presented to the NRC by a member of. the public.

This"publication is attached to the original of the meeting summary.

Copies have been requested from the publisher for the public docket'rooms.

Htft>>

Outside of the technical questions on the SFP modificati Th Mil

~yr Island Unit No.

2 accident', alternative power sources low leve on, ree e

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A number of the members of the public present spoke in favor of holding a formal ASLB type hearing without specific mention of any new or significant matter not'lready being covered, by the staff's review.

We pointed out that an opportunity for hearing had been properly published, in the Federal Register in January 1979 and that copies of that notice were on file in the Local Public Document Room.

We also pointed out that these facts were addressed in letters sent to several local citizens on Buly 16; 1979, copies of those letters'er~,also placed in the LPDR.

Because of the level of interest expressed in the hearing process, specific requirements of the NRC regulations were deli'neated in layman's terms by the NRC's counsel with direct reference to those sections of Title 10 of the Code of Federal'Regulations which deal with intervention (section 2.714),

late intervention (section 2.714).

and requests for a hearing at any time (section 2.206).

The second non. technical item of concern was the recent issuance and availability in the LPDR of the Final Generic En'vironmental Impact Statem'ent on Handling and Storage-of Spent Light Water Power Reactor Fuel.

Some members of the public mistakenly assumed* that the NRC staff was relying on this just issued.NUREG 0575 (3 Volumes) dated August 1979 as a basis for action dealing. with the licensee's proposed fuel pool expansion at D. C. Cook.

Me stated and restated that this was not the case.

The concern was that NUREG 0575 had arrived at the LPDR only nine days before this public meeting.

The public was informed that this statement was not being relied upon by the NRC staff in its evaluation of the D. C.

Cook proposed modification tb the SFP and that an independent plant specific environmental impact appraisal is being prepared for D.

C. Cook.

Such independent actions,'e informed the public members

present, was Specifically provided for in a September 16, 1975, NRC Commission Policy Statement regarding Spent Fuel Storage.

We told the citizens at the meeting that in its public notice of this policy, the Commission announced its conclusions that it would not be in the public interest to defer all licensing actions intedded to ameliorate a possible shortage of spent fuel capacity pending completion of the generic environmental* iqpac5 statement.

We further stated that lie, th8a D. C,'ook, Application, we were following the directions of the Commission, that five specific factors should be applied,

balanced, and weighed in the context oC the required environmental statement or appraisal.

The five factors were quoted directly from that policy statement.

Not withstanding th'e above, we also informed the citizens present that the Final Generic Statement NUREG 0575 had been preceded by a Draft Generic Statement NUREG 0404 which was issued in.Harch 1978 for public comment and had been sent to all LPDRs shortly after 'issuance.

To aid their examination of. these two 'documents we:

O l.

blade availqble at the meeting approximately 100 copies of DFFICCOP'DRNAMCOO'ATC~

hBLC PORN 318 (9-76) NRCM 0240 Q V,S,'OVOHHMONT PIIIHTINO OPPICOI

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2.

Promised to send another full set of NUREG 0575 (3 Volumes) to the LPDR upon our return to headquarters (Sent September 4, 1979).

<IF!: "',3.'Iade'the observatIonl'that the f$nd$ ngs 1n NUREG 0575 remain

'-'j.ess'entially the same 'as'hose contained in NUREG"0404 issued

/'n March 1978.

I In summary, the NRC staff members present at the information meeting concluded that its stated purpose, to inform the public and to learn the publics concerns related to the proposed licensing action to expand the capacity.of the D. C.

Cook Spent Fuel Pool was accomplished.

Attachments:

1.

Meeting agenda 2.

Visual aids ggtgtnal stmna< ~

David Higginton, Praojeck Manager'Operating Reactors Sranch 01 Division of Operating Reactors cc: w/attachments See next page OIaFICC W CUIIHAMCW OATS

..DOE:ORB

..QSchWO.O,C. X 09J.

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9i...(.7.9 IC PORbf 318 (9-76) NRarf 0240 jnf V ee OOVRRNMIINIRINTINOOFFICRI Ias ~

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Meeting Summary for D.

C.

Cook, Unit Nos.

1 and 2

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Docket.Fi 1 e NRC PDR Local PDR NRR Reading ORBl Reading H. Dentpn E.

Case D. Ei.senhut G.

Zech W. Gammill

'. Miller Shao R. Vollmer M. Russell B. Grimes T. J. Carter T. Ippolito R.

Reid A.

Schwencer D.

Ziemann V.

Noonan P.

Check Lainas

'G. Knighton Chief, Systematic Evaluation Branch Project Hanager DOR Licensing Assistant

~ OELD OI8(E (3)'.

Fraley, ACRS (16)

Program Support Branch TERA J.

R.

Buchanan NRC Participants Short Service List

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Cy 4 p**4 Docket Nos.

50-315 and 50-316 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

~

WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 September 6,

1979 LICENSEE:

INDIANA AND MICHIGAN ELECTRIC COMPANY INDIANA AND MICHIGAN POWER COMPANY FACILITY:

DONALD C.

COOK UNIT NOS.

1 AND 2

SUBJECT:

MEETING,

SUMMARY

- PUBLIC INFORMATION I'EETING ON D.

C.

COOK PROPOSED INCREASE IN CAPACITY OF SPEI)T FUEL POOL On Wednesday

evening, August 29, 1979, from 7:00 p.m. to approximately 11:00 p.m.,

a public information meeting was held at the Bridgman, Michigan High School on the proposed increase in capacity of the D.

C.

Cook Nuclear Plant spent fuel pool (SFP).

About 120 to 130 members of the public attended.

Over 15 members made statements and asked questions on a variety of subjects.

Of the specific technical questions asked on the proposed increase in capacity of the spent fuel pool, none were considered new in that the questions had already been addressed by the NRC staff reviewers.

The members of the public did receive answeIs to all of their questions whether directed to the NRC or the licensee.

The meeting had been called at the request of the Govenor of Michigan.

iver. Ro1land Ose1ka, Berrien County Board Chairman, chaired the meeting.

U.

S. Senator Carl Levin's office assisted in the final meeting arrange-ments on behalf of members of the public from that area.

The NRC and the licensee made brief presentations on the SFP proposed modifications; a copy of the meeting agenda is attached.

The NRC's presentation included elements of the licensing review of SFP modifications, the chronology of events on the proposed amendment to the facility operating license, and a brief status of the NRC's review.

The visual aids used in the NRC's presentation are attached.

The licensee presented the proposed modification details.

'The licensee has been requested to submit copies of his visual aids to the NRC with a copy to be sent directly to the Local Public Docket Room (LPDR).

During the question and answer period, a partial copy of the April 14, 1979 "The Nation," pages 386-388, was presented to the NRC by a member of the public.

This publication is attached to the original of the meeting summary.

Copies have been requested from the publisher for the public docket rooms.

Outside of the technical questions on the SFP modification, Three Mile Island Unit No.

2 accident, alternative power sources, low level radiation, safeguards, and nuclear insurance, there were two major non technical items of concern expressed by a number of the members of the public present.

These were discussed at length.

A number of the members of the public present spoke in favor of holding a formal ASl B type hearing without specific mention of any new or signifi'cant matter not already being covered by the staff's review.

We pointed out that an opportunity for hearing had been properly published in the Federal Register in January 1979 and that copies of that notice were on file in the Local Public Document Room.

We also pointed out that these facts were addressed in letters sent to several local citizens on July 16, 1979, copies of those letters were also placed in the LPDR.

Because of the level of interest expressed in the hearing

process, specific requirements of the NRC regulations were delineated in layman's terms by the NRC's counsel with direct reference to those sections of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations which deal with intervention (section 2.714),

late intervention (section 2.714),

and requests for a hearing at any time (section 2.206).

'I The second'non technical item of concern was the recent issuance and availability in the LPDR of the Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Handling and Storage of Spent Light Water Power Reactor Fuel:

Some members of the public mistakenly assumed that the NRC staff was relying on this just issued NUREG 0575 (3 Volumes) dated August 1979

.as a basis for action dealing with the licensee's proposed fuel pool expansion at D.

C.

Cook.

We stated and restated that this was not the case.

The concern was that NUREG 0575 had arrived at the LPDR only nine days before this public meeting.

The public was informed that this statement was not being relied upon by the NRC staff in its evaluation of the D.

C.

Cook proposed modification to the SFP and that an independent plant specific environmental impact appraisal is being prepared for D.

C.

Cook.

Such independent

actions, we informed the public members

present, was specifically provided for in a September 16,

1975, NRC Commission Policy Statement regarding Spent Fuel Storage.

We told the citizens't the meeting that in its public notice of this policy, the Commission announced its conclusions that it would not be'n the public interest to defer all licensing actions intended to ameliorate a possible shortage of spent fuel capacity pending completion of the generic environmental impact statement.

We further stated that in this D.

C.

Cook Application, we were following the directions of the Commission, that five specific factors should be applied,

balanced, and weighed in'he context of the required environmental statement or appraisal.

The five factors were quoted directly from that policy statement.

Not withstanding the above, we also informed the citizens present that the Final Generic Statement NUREG 0575 had been preceded by a Draft Generic Statement NUREG 0404 which was issued in March 1978 for public comment and had been sent to all LPDRs shortly after issuance.

To aid their examination of these two documents we:

l.

Made available at the meeting approximately 100 copies of the 13 page Executive Summary of NUREG 0575.

2.

Promised to send another full set of NUREG 0575 (3 Volumes) to the LPDR upon our return to headquarters (Sent September 4,

1979).

3.

Made the observation that the findings in NUREG 0575 remain essentially the same as those contained in NUREG 0404 issued in March 1978.

In summary, the NRC staff members present at the information meeting concluded that its stated

purpose, to inform the public and to learn the publics concerns related to the proposed licensing action to expand the capacity of the D.

C.

Cook Spent Fuel Pool was accomplished.

1

~

Attachments:

Meeting agenda 2.

Visual aids David WiggintoV/roject Manager Operating Reactors 8ranch 81 Division of Operating Reactors cc: w/attachments See next page

Yr. John Dolan Indiana and Michigan Electric Company Indiana and Yiichigan Power Company CC:

Mr. Robert W. Jurgensen Chief 'Nuclear Engineer American Electric Power Service Corporation 2 Broadway New York, New York 10004 Gerald Charnoff, Esquire Shaw, Pittman, Potts and Trowbridge 1800 M Street, N.W.

Washington, D. C; 20036 Citizens for a Better Environment 59 East Van Buren Street Chicago, Illinois 60605 Maude Preston Pal enske Memorial Library 500 Market Street St. Joseph, Michigan 49085 Mr. D. Shaller, Plant Manager Donald C.

Cook Nuclear Plant P.

0.

Box 458 Br id gman, Michi g an 49106

'I Mr. Robert Masse Donald C.

Cook Nuclear Plant P. 0.

Box 458 Bridgman, Michigan 29160 Mr. Wade Schuler, Supervisor Lake Township Bar oda, Michigan 49101 Mr. William R. Rustem (2)

Office of the Governor Room 1 - Capitol Building

Lansing, Michigan 48913 Honorable James

Bemenek, Mayor City of Bridgman, Michigan 49106 Director, Technical Assessment Division Office of Radiation Programs (MW 459)

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Crystal

."1all -2 Arlingtt ", Virginia 20460 U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Federal< Activities Branch Region V 0 fice ATTN:

EIS COORDINATOR 230 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinoi s 60604 Maurice S. Reizen, M.D.

Director Department of Public Health P.

O.

Box 30035

Lansing, Michigan 48909

ATTACHMENT 1

PUBLIC ItiFORY!4TIOf< t~iEETING OH APPLICATIOH BY D. C.

COOK NUCLEAR PLANT LICENSEE TO EXPAND CAPACITY OF SPEHT FUEL POOL AUGUST 29, 1979 BRIDGtYH HIGH SCHOOL 7:00 p.m.

OPEN HEETIiNG

."",. OSELK>>,

BERRIEN COUhT'OARD CHAIR<AH 7:05 p.m.

PRESENTAT'OHS OPENING RENARKS 7:10 p.m.

OPENING REY!ARKS GR>vES~

ACTING ASSISTANT D>R=CiOR FOR SYSTEYiS Eh'GIhEERING,

NRR, HRC I-!O'.'ARD SOBEL, AEP SECTION t4UCLEAR t "iERIALS

':15 p.m.

7:25 p.m.

7 40 p.m.

7:55 p.m.

HOM NRC PEVIEl4S REQUESTS FOR AUTHORIZATIOt< TO It)CREASE SPENT FUEL CAPACITY tiRC'S-REVI'EM OF THE D.

C.

COOK REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE SPEHT FUEL POOL CAPACITY DETAILS OF hODIFICATION QUESTIONS BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

/

JEL tVt!%GEE'IEtsT SECTION ECH'IEllCER, CHIEF OP=PUTING REACTORS BRANCH

=;,'1

tiRR, tlRC D.

4! IGGINTOH, OPERATING REACTORS PROSPECT

tWNAGER, HRR, hRC LICch'SEE

0

-:,PL=I%IT FUEI PQQL EXPANSION REVIEW COMSIDERATIGMS Radiological Design Criticality Cooling Structural Accident Heavy Object Drop Fuel Handling Accident Environ m enta1 Incremental Impact Waste Personnel Dose Policy Factors

SPi!=MT iFUEL CAPACITY INCBFASE SP~.FEY"II EVALUATIGN ELEMEMT.S GF REVIEW Limited Revievv of Plant as it Exists as Reference Point Limited Revievv of Prior Safety Evaluation as Reference Point Safety Evaluation of All Proposed Changes Criticality Considerations o Spent Fuel Cooling installation of Racks and Fuel Handling

'ccupational Radiation Exposure

~ Radioactive Waste Treatment e Structural and Nlechanical Adequacy

I

~

~'="!Y~VIBONMENTALELEMENTS OIF AEVIE)N 0 Need for Increased Storage Capacity

- Basis for

~ Limited Review of Plant as it Exists as Reference Point

'in~ited Review of Final Environmental Statement-as Rel'erence Point

'nvironmental Appraisal of Impact of AllProposed Changes 0 Alternatives to Proposed Increase in Capacity o Material Resources Involved Benefit-Cost Balance of Proposed Increase and Alternatives (Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Handling and Storage of Spent, Light Water Power Reactor Fuel; NUREG-0576)

Determination of Need or Lack of Need to Prepare an.

Environmental Impact Statement

'otal Plant I-leat Discharge Rate to the Environment

~ Radioactive Waste Handling and Treatment Systems

'pent Fuel St;-..rage Pool

'pent Fuel I-leat Removal and Cleanup System Land Use

'lant Water Consumption 0 Offsite Radiological Environmental Impacts

~ Solid, Liquid and Gaseous Radioactive Wastes Shipped or Released to the Environment 0 Occupational Radiation Exposure as Lovv as Reasonably Achievable 0 Nonradiological Effluents

'mpacts on the Community - Installation and Subsequent Operation

'ostulated Accidents - Radiological Consequences

DONALD C. COOI(

'UCLEAR PLANT

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UNIT 1 UNIT 2 SPENT FUEL PIT 6qr GIIADE608'06' AIl;I=. MICI-IIGAN r80 587'

DONALD C. COOI(

NUCI EAR PLANT SPENT FUEl POOL UNIT 1 UNIT 2 S WITCI-I GLAR BOOM AUXILIARYgUILDING CONTROL ROOMS +

SW ITCI-I GEAR ROOM TURBINE BUILDING UNIT 1 TURBINE BUILDING UNIT 2

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I EDITORIAL THZ HOT

'IVZB VM~iEY:

. SYNDBOMZ It has been the innocent American assump-tion ever since we uncorked the nuclear bottle. that we could control that monstrous genie with one hand tied behind our backs.

That meant, characteristically, leaving our

'afety in the hands of an energy industry" that had proved its carelessness with:.

human life in its black record in the coal fields. The controls on this dangerous busi-

'ness rested with Government bureaucra-

" cies in thrall to the industry and with a

. wretched safety record of thei'r own, as evi-denced by the yreapons-testing miscalcula-tions on the Bikini atoll and the Nevada Flats.

Now aH these irradiated birds have come home to roost at Three Mile Island. Their spectral presence there willbe no surprise

,to those who read The cVation of August 3, 1974the full issue we devoted to the.

dangers of the nuclear energy "system" in this country. McKinley Olson wrote about

'it all in "The Hot River Valley" and he brings the issue up to date on page 387.

.What is most distressing-about this "ab-'ormal evolution" (instead of "accident"),

as some spokesmen call it, is the defensive posture the Federal authorities have taken towa.d it. In the interests of averting "panic" and of dewmphasizing our shock ing dependence on Arab oil, the policy has been not to tell us the whole truth about this "transient event." Energyczar James Schlesinger, naturally; mutters'ab'out "hu-man failure" instead of the corporate-..

technical-regulatory kind.

That is not nearly good enough. We must force the whole truth about this near-disaster out of Washington and we must mobilize so that it cannot happen again.

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(H 4 THE SMART MISSILE THE CBUXSZ-SA.I T-jFBZZ A.ND BEA.BLY As the SALTIIdebate begins to quicken, the

~

role ofthe cruise missileinthe United States'rray oftveapons looms larger. The capabil-ities ofthese weapons have been infregcently described, leaving the publcc to a.smcme they are simp' nets wrinklein ballistic tech-nology. As Robert C. Aldridge points out,

'occever, they are complex, versatile weap-ons. urith a potent first-strike capability, and the Carter Administra'ion's efforts to exempt them from a strategic arms limita-tion treaty caw be seen as a screen behind which their 'development can continn'e un-checked.

The Editors ROBERT C. ALDRIDGE When President Carter blasted the B-I'omber out of tomorrow's

skies, he be stowed White House blessings on a more le-thal family, of weapons.

They are cruise missiles, which cross the borders between conventional and

nuclear, strategic and tactical. Anti-ship tactical versions with conventional warheads look identical from the outside to the nuclear land-attack weap-ons.

Some land-attack versions are for theater targets while others ate for stra-tegic use. Soviet negotiators at the SALT parleys hav'e good reason to be wary of this new weapon because all of ih nuances are still not revealed.

Soviet cruise missiles

. with maximum ranges of 300 miles are al-most primitive by comparison.

The best way to describe a cruise missile is to say that it is like a small jet airplane which is flown by sensors and an automatic pilot, instead of a human being. Itican (Cont& ccced on Page 401) ggy D

A ril 14. 1979 The No,tion since 1H(i5

~ 1 a ., 387

- CONTENTS.

Vo(arne'228, twl~umber 1st COVER:

Editorial:

The Hot River Valley Syndrome The Smart 'Missile:

The Cruise-SALT-Free and Deadly LETTERS 386 Robert C. Aldridge 392 t)Apartheid Trib 393 Nuclear Martyrs:

.Uranium Rush in Black Hills, 396 Irresponsible Fleet Street 398 )Vatt'an Essay:

Two Cheers for the State BOOKS 5 THE ARTS I

Karen Rath)n>!Ier S.D.

R)')fr(.Jf>h(f)>x n R(Neer M V>)'Iliamr<

Phil>I) green EDITORIALS 387 The Unacceptable Risk 388 After SALT II 389 Taking the First, ARTICLES 390 South Africa's P.R. Man:

Muldergate on i>ladison Avenue

'(VcKt'nley 0 Iyf)n Jn Prrfnerance Peter H. Ston'<<

406 Stotie: Underground to Palestine Faf(v(g T)f)I.)'06 Time for Assessment, Chrintat>h( r 'Hit<<he>)g 406 Book Notes

~ Care)I DfrvV)II)n)nx 408 Lottman: Albert Camus Haral!I CI)f)mffn

'.410 Films'ah()

tyHrftrh 412 Art ld)fere)fir Allrn(ff>l 413 Indigenous Musir.

Not Hf )>tafj Drawings by Frances Jetter Edi!nr. Victor Navasky Ewer>>li>r Edi!nr. Richard Lingernan: l,ilrn>ryEdi!ar. Elizabeth Pochoda:

Poetry Edi!ar. Grace Schulman: Cayy Erli!ar. Patricia Dowling. A>>>>i>>fa>d Copy Edi!nr. Sydne Silverstein: A>>>>i>>fa>>f Iidi!an Kai Bird: F:dilarhd A>>>>i>>fa>tl>>. Karen Wilcox. Amy Wilentz: Edi!or>nl.'in re!ary. Ols Lvvon.

De(>><rf>sr>>f>c Ave. Lawrence Alloway: A>vhifee)>>n; Jane.Hol tz Kay; lh>>> r.

Nancy (ioldner:

F'>l)>a. Robert Hatch:

l>at&~>a>t>>> <tf>>>>ir. Nat Hentoff:

hta>>ir. David Hamilton: I're>>>>. Richard Pollak:

Tet<

>i>>ia>r. Peter Sourian:

Thea!rr. Harold Clu'rman:

)YA>7r Ha>>w (ha>>r>>(>>>>tde>>f.

Robert Sherrill.

Curn <<)w>>de>d>>: Bran(, C. Amery: ('a>t!>> >>v>.C.P. Fitzgerald: I>>>(i>> A>>>>>rien.

Penny Lernoux: ti>>ait>>>. Raymond Williamy:Paris. Clau<lc Bourdet: Pet I >ty.

James Aronson. ()da>>>>>i>>(>>f Carey McWilliam~.CalvinTrillin.()>>d>>%<<fi>>!I Ed!h>r. Bhir Clark. Iidi!aria! lft>>>>ri:James'Bafdwin. Normdn Birnbaum.

Richard Falk.

Frances Fitz(ieral<L Philip (lreen.

Robert Lekachman.

Sidney Morgenbesser.

Aryeh Neier. hiarcus Raskin. A.W. Singham. Alan Wolfe.

EDIYO I Pa!di>d>r>; Hamilton Fish Ad>'r>'f>>>i>>!f.)Ia>ta!><>t Susan Fllen Heitler; H>>>>i>>r>>>> Jla>>r>!!>>>t Ann B.

Epstein: ('n>>tali>a>.lla>>t>!p t; (sioria Songster. I >s>>I>>r!Ia>> ( t>>>>vli>>)aft>>t Deborah Thomavu A>>>>isa>>l fa I'>>M>'>>her. Karen Polk: Sfaff. John Holtz.

(>re(a l>>>e)l: A>ta>b>I fn>!in..s>r>rfary, Shirley Suht: tiali>>>> A>avueit>fe>>.

'lau<line Bacher..vafia>>

.V>>>ut 8e>> irr. Joanne

(>rant.

Tive,Va!Ia>> (ISSN (X)27.)c)78)is pu bi ishc<l tree k)v (except for the liest week in January. and bi-weekly in July an<i August) by Nation Enterprises an.Y. 1(X)l4. Tel 2I2.242 i<4(X). Second.<hss postage paiel at New York. N.Y. and at adrlitional mailing offices. international Telex: F>97 'lSS iVATION.

'Vs>h>>r>if>lit>>> Prier: One yea'r. $21: ttvo years. S')7. Student rate $ 15 a veer.

Add SS per vear postage for Canada and >liexico: $5 other foreign. All i'oreign subscriptions must be pai<l.in equivalent U.S. funds.

k wyv>

breadth of the nucle uel cycle, fraln &amain~

ur'anium ore to the containment a d

's

~ann)J-clear wastes to t e econtamination f

ea~~vr p ants and other ted radioacti fac'ties.

Nezt. itshould have been clear that one self-servin ent o our socie was pushin t e t of us into e arms of a technology t at could not tolerate, nor.

The acceptable His@

wo related points deserve to be made in the

~

radioactive aftermath of the nuclear power ~ontain-,a-majm~cc)d~en n

major acci ents,'n plant accident on Three Mile Island in the ~

or o

uman error, faulty products. war, rev-

. Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, which, olution, terrorism, earthquake and flood, are bound to for some perverse

reason, the media seem loath to happen, especially when we continue to increase the identify as the capital of Pennsylvania.

, pr'obability that a major nuclear accident willoccur One is the fact that since the mid-1950s. it has been

. by increasing the number of nuclear power plants in clear to man unbiase'd, independent and knowled e-our society and, with them, the consequent increase in able people in t is em'be au-radioactive shipments. storage facilities and the like.

a s

tnus Pealing and Hermes fv

. an Dr.

Becca-c econ e uencesof arne'ornuclear ower o n Go man, p ystctan and nuclear scientist. that tt

accident, vould be so devastatm n

ptiye~in power to produce electricity for widespread con-,~t'zsycwphan~av~tempte(Ltadea withtheirdi-face today can m large meas'ure be blamed upon our ppen 4s I write this. itstill hasn'. but the accident multibilliondollar pursuit and development of nu-at Three Mile Island, the astounding fire in 197o that c ear power.

rippled-th~merge~afety~y~~thggrotvns In the first instance.

we quictsIy learned that we Ferr nuc en~la t in Alabama and the ~partia were dealing with a bewildering array of radioactive meltdown of the nuclear fuel core in 1 6 at t e n-problems which ran through the entire length and rico Fermi plant near Detroit. among others, should

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April 14, 1979 b'e indication enough to anyone with common sense, an'd some shred of'independence from the economic establishment.

that we have been flirting with nu-clear catastrophe."

Instead'of pursuing all the logical options that have

'~been a

llahl ears. among them conserva-tion. energy efficienc

. soar ower.

w>n

. ower eo erma owe anic heat, the use of coal. the

tides, rain and wood alcoho, woo

>tse

. gar age.

lumoer an agncu tura wastes. a gae and the proc-ess of photosynthesis.

most of. i~ hich we have largely ignored in spite of the fact that their development would have been a'boon to the economy in terms of new. jobs and industrial growth, we have allowed our Federal Government including the Congress and the courts. and a c'onsortium of powerful public utili-ties and giant private corporations. to squander pre-cious years and billions of dollars in the pursuit of a technolo'gy that, at best. willlay a 100.000-year curse in the form of plutonium iiaste upon this earth.

Also. it means that those places. such as Chicago.

that are now harnessed to nuclear power, hav'e been tied to.an economic albatross, for we can be fairly sure that a major nuclear power plant accident any-where,,in this country will result in'amages so ghastly as'o arouse a clamor fo." the shutdown of nu-clear plants ever~vhere, which, in turn, if we con-tinue to rely upon'nuclear power. would relegate a

number of our regionsend cities to the potential.sta-tus of economic disaster areas.

There is a last lesson here: The. nuclear power con-troversy, like 'the controversy over the war in Viet-nam, teaches us that the Federal G'overnment and our, Federal employees must'be. constantly watched. and prodded, to insure that they serve the public interest

'ather'than the interests of power, greed, ignorance and privilege.

Once again, authorities are attempting to minimize the dangers and awesome impiications of their ac-.

tions. As I ~ rite this, we are being told that the levels of radiation emanating. from the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Station are not alarming. even though itis an acknowledged fact that radiation. at any level.

no matter how low, can cause genetic mutations; and.

even though we know that ionizing radiation is cumu-

= 'lative,.and concentrated; in those who have been di-rect)y exposed to it, and, as it moves up through the human food chain causes cancer. leukemia and other cell-mutated diseases.

We are also being told that the situation at Three

~

'ile Island is stable, whatever that means, and that there is no real danger that we willhave to face up to the ter'rifying implications of a fuel,core meltdown.

And, ifour brush witlt'disaster does not turn out to be-totally ho.rific, we" vigil! be asked to swallow their staggering contention that a near miss is as good as a mile.

In this, these defenders of the nuclear faith

'have been joined by the media and politicians who profess to be deeply troubled and concerned. but who conclude nevertheless that the nuclear fission power option is stiH a viable and rational answer to at least some of our energy needs.

'This is the same chorus that has for the past twenty-five years been trying to lull our fears. and '

lead us into a catastrophic radioactive corner, even though. ifwe continue as we have, the 'l fall. Who then. will pick it up?

cKIYLEYOLSOY McKinley Olson.is thc author'of Unacceptable Risk (Bantam BooI;s), about the nuclear power controversy.

In 19/4 The Nation devoted an issue ofthe magazine to Mr. Olson's article, "Thc Hot River Valley," about the nuclear fission pou'er plants on the S~csquehanna.

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