ML18113A874
| ML18113A874 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Surry  |
| Issue date: | 02/01/1979 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Allen J NORTH ANNA ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION |
| Shared Package | |
| ML18113A873 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7902260601 | |
| Download: ML18113A874 (3) | |
Text
e UNITED STATES e
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Docket Nos. 50-280 and 50-281 Mrs. June Allen WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 North Anna Environmental Coalition 412 Owens Drive Huntsville, Alabama 35801
Dear Mrs. Allen:
This in in response to your request by letter dated December 29, 1978, on behalf of the North Anna Environmental Coalition requesting that the Commission prepare an environmental impact statement concerning the steam generator repair program at the VEPCO Surry Nuclear Power Station and conduct a Show Cause hearing, For the reasons set forth
'in the enclosed response to your letter, your request is hereby denied.
A copy of this detennination will be placed in the Commission's Public Document Room at 1717 H Street, N.W., Washington, D. C.
20555 and at the Swem Library, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185.
A copy will also be filed with the Secretary of the Commission for its review in accordance with 10 CFR §2.206(c) of the Commission's regulations.
Enclosure:
Director's Decision Under 10 CFR §2.206
'190 22604'0/
Sincerely, Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
NO~{lj ANN.':\\iNVIRONMENYL COALITION C~rl-otZasvllle, Virginia 5
- Mailing Address:
- 4U 0nm DriT*
De<remb'er\\ 29 1978 Han1iaT_ille, Alabama 35801 (205) ~36-0678.
Secretary-of the Commission
- u. So Nuclear Regulatory Commission Docketing & Service Section Washington, D. C.
.20555 Re:
Hearing and Environ-mental Impact.State-ment for Surry Steam Generator Replacement
.
- In.the Matter of Virginia Electric and Power Company*
Sllrry Nuclear.Power Station,Units land 2
- Docket No.a. 50,..230 and 50-281
Dear Sir i,
Thia letter is addressed to yoa in accordance with the prov1-s 1ou:, o-r 10 CFa 2 *. 206 and. lO Ci'R 51.50 to>reque.a\\ tha't tb.e-~,.u R~g:uato?j' C(:c:1.u*1c:. *lri:aCJ oc:d.u:t -. Ml ~l.ue ~ -p..-.~, a..
. complete B:a-rironmentai l..'?Zpect ~atemenf: (.!?XS)* en 'im'CO*
- propoae4
- steam generator repl.aoement. at 1ta ~
Btlcl.ear Po.rer Station *
- Th.ere* is ~~ question but what this experimental remedial pro-
. oedure represents, "an unreviewed safety quest ion" in accordance.
. with 10 CFR 50.59, and is "a significant licensing step". in terms of the,.ACRS discussion of October 28,.'.1978 (Tr. 38. - 39).
Nevertheless, despite the fact that ~O's proposal to remove and *repla.oe defective Westinghouse steam generators is the. first pro-
. cedure of its kind in the country. and r.epresents* an attempt. to solve
- an industry-wide problem involving malf'unction and radiation exposure 9 NRC.did not,. is.sue a news -release.on October 21,.1977. for* pu:blic hear1Jig0
- . The* only notice that ~
can discover is Mr~ Case's letter of that date to the Federal Register, read by"few if any affected citizens in' the Surry area9 and seen for the first *time by NAEC just a few weeks, ago when Sllrry' s Proj eot.Manager kindly mailed the Coalition a r*equested copy.
,. R4m reqaested the copy after learnillg that the aignif'icant, hasarda: con-
- ,ii}
- _a1derat1on. 0~ ate an generator replaoe:nent* could ( and sh.ou1d ). be pre-
- ...,~j
- ~c 0.bT :pal,1~o hear'.~'.1'.9r.-. ~:it?.:~ tranaor1pt, -
122::3,... *~i
- -:'., DR~ Ilmllf( :Do you-.ex_pect requeet~,,!or a public
- .:-*~-.--)1
. ' ;. * *.. /.-.-~t;;_,~~~'2'. ~e~j~~g ~n :* '~~s*:~~~~~~li~tr~:~-~~;~:.;:~~:*_;>.
,,.. ')~
MR.. -.BENTONs:.
- No*.,.. -T:t,elieve:'the/comment period for
,_ that*.ac t..~on has.al.re a.di:. expired *.
- The *foregoing exchange*led*:~e Coalitio~:~o~~~- t~~-. above request. for*
a, hearing~.on 1ihia IIl&jor* modi:f'io~tion-_pla.nned.*for the:' Surry riuclear:plant.
a modi:f'ication*'which certainly involves the "poss ibil 1 ty for an aoc ident' or malf"u:nction of a different type-than any.evaluated previously in the*
safety analysis report *** "
study of' the ACRS Surry SUbcommittee -transcript of' October it clear that the Surry procedure involves multiple un1tnowns at stage of the undertaking, including, but not limited to:
" *** occupational radiation exposure, airborne*.
radioactive releases, liquid.and*solid wa.ate handling, disposal of' steam generator lower assemblies and the tubing, and radiological consequences of postulated accidents* ** " (Tr. 5) 28 makes ever-:,
It is. ge~erally. acknowledged that weldlng the l"eactor coolant pipe
. will give the highest radiation exposure to the workers involved, but total dosage estimates var:, widely:
VEl?CO estimates only 2070 man.ran per ~it whereas "the ]attelle study ran 3300 to 5500." lTr* 33)
How will the radiologic_al dose b~ distributed,.A.ORS asks.
DR *. ISBllfs What is the relationship here to transient workers? *** Ian't the staff' looking in general at this problt:n? Have you reached some position?
MR..B.ARRErT:
- I believe there are changes to part 20*
forthcoming. r do not believe that they have been. issued yet on transient workers.
- I am
- sorry.
- I can't give you much of the details. ( Tr.48/9)
Thus it is* evident that needed regu.lat ions lag. behind the. nuclear s ituat.ions requiring them.
- Similarly, we find on page 19 that it will be months before Westinghouse completes its repor.t on oomparative dose estimates between "retubing and r~plaoing steam generatorso On page 18, 14.r. Grimes speaks of': "the time scale that is desired by this utility" as it* the NRC were* powerless, to insist upon* sn*:t.h'
. being completed, enviroDnental impact. statements.Prepared, public hear-ings held, and significant hazards confront.ad bef'ore a:ny major and exper mental modification is, allowed at a nuofear plant.** It is *our understanding
- . that.NRO *Regulations require a:l_ioensing.'.proce~ure, before* a utili'ty is per-.
_ mitted to. go-~ forward with auch a. s.ign~ticimti liceneiDg step *
.:*... ~-~...
-"--~~-:--'.?~\\~:*.*-;*: __ -~~--~~~::~'."_~_::.~~-- '
.;:. Thus:: the; Coalitiori reElp$ctf\\illy"repeats** *1ts*' request that the, Commis-sion prepare a :thorough Enviromental.Iaipac:t: Statement on VEPO'O's proposed steam generat*or* replacement at Surry,* and that the Commission hold a pu..blio
- : hearing at which.VEPOO _1s-requireq. -to~:ebow cause: as* tow~ ell.Oh, a.hazardous*
- ~ ** *and unproven *prooedure shoul'd be alio~ed.. at* the*. SUrr;y s-tation *. We further.
ask ~hat the public hes.ring be widely *noticed in Virginia.
Thank you for your professional consideration.