ML19206B308

Forwards Class Action Complaint CA 79-520,filed in Us District Court,Middle District of Pa,Brought Against Utils Associated W/Tmi

ML19206B308
Person / Time
Site:	Crane
Issue date:	05/04/1979
From:	Carrier W AMERICAN NUCLEAR INSURERS
To:	Saltzman J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 7905080530
Download: ML19206B308 (14)

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m BURT C.PROO M.CPCU P,es. dent May 4, 1979 Mr. Jerome Saltzman, Deputy Chief Office of Antitrust & Indemnity Directorate of Licensing U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Mr. Saltzman:

Re: Three Mile Island Nuclear Occurrence Civil Action 79-520 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Enclosed is a copy of another complaint filed against the several utilities and others associated with the Three Mile Island plant.

This is the 6th complaint whichwe have forwarded to you.

This is identified as follows:

Markle, et al, v. Metropolitan Edison Company of Reading, Pennsylvania Electric Company, Jersey Central Power & Light Company, General Public Utilities Corporation and Babcock &

Wilcox Company, Civil Action No.79-520, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Very truly yours,

,'ff (

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' William C. Carrier Claims Counsel WCC/j r Enclosure

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r IN TITE UNITED J'jTNEL'11Irfr.rctCCUnT g

I'OP Tl!E :.tII)DLC DISTRICr QF;PL: ':YLVA:lI A j

'l E.\\ nL J. ?!ARKLE and CLASS ACTIO:1

' doi:OTHY :! ACKLE, Individually

,J and as Husband and h'i fe g//~ gjgf 4

P.

O. Box 112 jEast Petersburg, Pa.

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['7] T T) j! BILL GOR:!AN and BEVERLY GOR:!AN, df,L og

l Individually and as Husband and 7~"W o

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ti tilfe and as Parents and Natural

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j Guardians of their minor b-N_ N children, DONNA and llICHAEL N-n g N IS **k U i GO2: FAN W

qMiddletown, R. D. /21, tihitman Lane

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q Pa.

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,1 ll RUSSELL C.

EARHART and

'; GR AYCE EARHART, Individually

!and as Husband and ' fife fi R. D. //2, Highland Road

'::li ddl e t own, Pa.

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?!ETROPOLI'1 AN EDISO:i CO:-IPA: Y Of' NO.

' READING

.:28 Pottsville Pike

?!ub lenbe rg, Pa.

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i JPC_';NSYLVANI A ELECTRIC CO::PA::Y 91001 Droad Street, Cambria Cty,,

hJohnstown, Pa.

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'! JERSEY CENTRAL PC'/lEn a LIGHT tlCO' IPA::Y

';'c/o Edgar C. Sechoener

adison Avenue a t Punch Don 1 Cd.

Jorrestown, New Jersey 07060 and Cl ::CRAL PC3LIC UTI LITIES CCI:P.

.Jf409 Pottsville Pike th:blenbe rg, Pa.

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'c/o C. T. Corporation Systems l123 South Broad Street

. Philadelphia, Pa.

19100, I

Defendants Attorney I.D.

51457C CO'.:P L A I :T 1.

Plaintiffs, Earl J. Markle and Dorthy Markle are hus-band and wife and oreners of their home located at P.

O.

Box 112, East Petersburg, Pa.

The ?..arkles own and operate a business

'known as ?larkle's Greenhouses located at R.

D.

r3, Epler P.oad, I

jl, ?tiddletown.

The Markles are also owners of investment property l' located within a five mile i

radius of the nuclear reactor located

. at Threc ? tile Island

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a i nt ifn Lill and Beve:.

Gorman, are husband and

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i o.. n c rr. of their hcme located at R.D.#1, Whitman Lane, s

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.wn, Pa.

Plaintiffs. Bill and Dever'.y Gorman, are par-h e.: t r i

m: guardians of thei r minor c'tildren, Donna, age J.

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.el, age 7 At all times pertinent hereto, Beverly jCorman was employed as a tax return preparer by Colonial Tax l Cervices

:at sd in Elizabethtown, Pa.

3.

Plaintiffs, Russell C. i'a rha r t anc. his wife, Grayce.;

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!are owners of thei r houe located at li. L.."2, liighland Poad.

i l Rusaell C. Earhart is the President and sole shar" holder of i

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Earhart, Inc., a real estate and insuranco busin m located i

d at 1204 Fant Harrichurg Pike.

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4.

Defendant. !!a b c.n c h ' ' ilce Campany i, a corpora

• ion i

i organited and c tisting under the lacs of the l' t a t e of Delarare 1

'l t do in" h u ;in es., uithin the Cc ~oln.ealth of Pennsylvania in the

' b u: ines, of designing ind constructinn nuclear reactors such as I

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Defendant,.'Ie t ropo l i t a n Edison Corpa ny o f Readilg l!

1 is a public utilities corporation organized and existing under l1 l

..y and by virtue of the mar,s of the State of Pennsyivania and nldoingbusiness i

in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

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Defendant, p

Pennsylvania Electric Company, is a public I utilities corporation organized and existing under and by virtue f

of the Laws of the Cormonwealth of Penasylvania and doing busi-in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

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Defendant, Jersey Central Power and I.ight Company, is i

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",. t a public utilities corporation organized and existin:; under and by virtue c_ the Lar:3 of the State of !!c..- Jersey and doing busi-l l

ness in Dauptin County, Pennsylvania.

8.

Defandant, General Public Utilities Corp., is a public I

,1 il utilities corporation and holding corpany organiaed and existing-la ll under the Laws of U

the State of New York and doing business in h Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

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,j 9.

Defendants, General Public Utilities Corp., Metropolitan I l

Edison Company of Reading, Pennsylvania Electric Company and I

[, Central N e v. Jersey Pov.er and Light Compan are c. embers o,f a

,i y joint venture and/or partnership which was fo rmert for the purpose li g of designing, constructing, controlling, ranaging and operating a nuclear electric generating facility at an island three (3)

, niler in length located in 1

N t he Susquehanna River of f the shore

(

o f Coldsboro, Pennsylvania (here.nafter referred to as the Three-ff 9

l- :li l e Island nuclear facility).

10.

In April of IDCS, defenc:n n t s a pp l i r'd for a perni t to t'I non' t r'ic t a nuc l ea r el ec t r ic Cn e ra t i n:q pi n :t t on tha three-nile i

l ji i d ! a nci here1nbefore deDerlhed.

11.

Defendan:

and e.tch of thrm, were respcnsible fo r i "Irm i ng the dr s i;;n for the ot lea r e tt e r ric,enera t ing plant i

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1 uhich they proposed to build on the Three-:ile Island hereinbe-l4 fore described.

I 12.

During the year 1970, defendants began construction of i

1 l a nuclear electric generating plant on the Three-;'ile Island

' hereinbefore described in accordance with plans and specifications l

developed by them.

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13.

Since 1974, defendants have owned and operated, possess -

l l ed and controlled the nuclear electric generating plant located llIl a t three-mile island hereinbefore described.

i 14.

Said owning ant operation in pursuant to 42 U.S.C.

Iil S 2011 et seq.

h 15.

Jurisdiction is confer "I upon this Court by 42 U.S.C.

l52210.

I,I 16.

l The acts complained of herein rere performed by de-

,i fendants, acting through their respective ar,e n t s, servants and ernp lo y ees.

i' 17.

The operation of the Three-lile Island generating i

li facility is an ultra hazardous activity in that it necessarily b

i involves a risk of serious harm to the surrounding persons, jlandandchattles.

j!

13.

The facility hereinbefore describod was constructe.)

.I handoperatedreith the knowled;c that operat ion of the facility

'iIs4 uould constitute kno;.n b1Ch risk of bodily harm, injury to i

h.,

q la.d and chattles, injury to Lusitu as. d i r rup t. ion and cessation D;. o f the normal routine of society and resulting les of carr inn n

[ and forced e.acuation to tla-perc.nns, pri,"rty m - c r:,, business m

on.

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mn a nw nue t

, radius of said faciltt; 6'

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10.

Defendants failed to exercice reasonalale care in the i

ItQ design and operation of said nuclear pov.er plant in that:

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a) The design of the Three-:. file Island reactor creates Il an unreasonable ris!; o f hucan error; O

b) the "back up" colling systems of the Three-lile Island reactor were incufficient to prevent a major nuclear i(l incident; c) Defendants failed to perform systematic maintenance and checks on the equipment at the facility at Three-.:ile Island including but not limited to checks of valves and

meters, I

d) Defendants failed to have an adequate safety i

p ro g ra:1 in effect at the Three-:!ile Island facility; ll c) On If arch 2S, 1979, defendants' employces failed to

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!i keep open and/or open critical valves which resulted in ll

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iIj overheating of the nuclear reactor core; f) Defendants' operating personnel were not adequately ll

'l trained to handle a nuclear reactor emergency,

!i g) They violateci the applicable ordinances, statutes lil' and standards.

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20.

The design and/or mnuf acture of said f acility at a

np Three-:lile Island vas defective, rendering said defendants liable p

.c lI under flestatement of Torts 2d, S 402-A.

i-U 21.

As a result of the ultfa-haztrdous activities of ydefendant> and/or the negli 'ent and rechless conduct of defend-i I

ants and/or the defective d e:t il;n and/or manu f au tt:re o f the

,I f a c i l i t :. at Th ree-fil o Island, on " arch 23, 1979 and con t inuin:

Gl to t!!e i:rewn t, rad ioac t i n n:ttter has been an.! la being emitted

-i f ro:-

.a:d facili:

in a=2n n t ' 'ufficient to condtil'tte a danger 4

j to all pornons, aniru b, prop.'rty and chntiles vithin a five

! i e

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t.uli n: of said facility.

I' 23.

The even t.

v.hico uccu r red c:- :!a rch 2 '., ID70, t, a *. i n n i. n,,

I to the present a i n.'

the resulting relcase o f ra d i o-a c t i ve n._ t c ri a l h

constitute an " extraordinary nuc lear occu rrente-sci t h in the

! r'canirm of i

the lt o:7 i c l'nergy Ac t, 42 U.S.C.

S 20ld et seg.,nd l

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'; render defendants liable under cuch act.

2 <:

The events c.hich occurred on March 20, 1970, continuing i

l'! to the present and the resulting release of radio-acti.ve raaterial,

i constitute a " nuclear incident' tithin t h e.I t o T. i c Energy Act, d

d 42 U.S.C. S 2014 et. seg. and render defendants liable under

}suchact,

,I 25.

As a rnnult of the acts of deferdants heroinbefore 8,

ily conplained of, all persons veithin a five mile radius of the n ',

facility at Three-Mile Island have been deprived of the use and e n j oyr.:e n t of N[

their businessos, hones, chattles and property, n

2G.

As a result of the acts of defendantr bereinbefore l?

I; conplained of, all per:.,on s wi t h in a five mile radius of the i facility at Th ref. -M i l e Island have been exposed to excessive d

F amounts of radiation t.hich may result in a forrn of cancer or F

!, other abnormal cell g ro r; t h. AlI said nernons mus t be medically c

I ltexanined for adverse effects from said radiation exposure four lig tirnes per year for the remainder of their lives.

U' 4

27 As a result of the acts E

hereinbefore conplained o f,

[ all persons within a five nile radius of the facility at inree-I

' 'li l e Island havt incurred expe.

in e.acuating said five mile l

o 1

h[ radius for t hei r oc.n protection and health.

23 As a result of the acts Se rt 1..!a fo re co"plained of g

p t11 n o r ': i n;r ;2c r a o n n t t h !.t

.t f i v<

liil r:1 r! i a:; of thc f".cility at i

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Threa-Mtio I.,l a n d ha v.- s u f f e red a c cs.sa t ion o f their wor:. a th a re a u l t i n;- losa of carnin;s 2 '). As a result of tr.c acts hereinhofore complained of, I

i j all businessren within a five mile radius of the facility at h, Three "ile Island have suffered a cesnation and/or decrease e.

i 11 in their business with a re s u l t. i n g loss in inccme.

lI y'l 30.

As a result of act;, hereinbefore compir.ined of, l'

all buninesnmen dealin;' in the sale of chittle> h.tve had t he d

n, value of their atock rendered northles; because of the contamin-i,l d ation caur.ed by radiation or the fear in the ninds of the pur-H l',l chauing public of the contaminatton by ra di:t t io n.

y 31.

As a recult of th" acts hereinb2 fore cceplained of, 1

I all property ov.ners within a five mile radius of the facility l

i o located at Three-Mile I:, land have suf fered a loss and deprecia-fj o

', tica in the value of their property due to the contanination

l cauced by radiation and/or fear in the mind of the purchasing public of the effects of t h.

incidenta hereinbeforo described.

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CQS A CT I O': ALLEG ATI O'N 1

32.

Pla in t i f f s hr-r e in, aa indivictuals and as parents ii

[ and natural guarniano of t hei r rinor child ren bring thin action i'

Ig individually and on behalf of all those persons, adult and "

0 y minors, located within a five mile ra d i u.s of the facility lo-e c:it ed a t Three-?h le Island to recover per waal inj u ry to then-p nelveu, past and future *t<. cal expr : m>,

.i n d costs o f e',t c u a-V tien.

33 plaintiff > herein bri thi' action i n d i v i d u a l l '.

r a n.1 in 1. half of all p la i p o t 1. :. o c. n <

o. i th a a five nile *adia

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hof Three-:111e Island t c, recover for tho l o.s of the alae of i

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l; their propert'/ v.hich has occurred as a result of th' events

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Il' 34.

Plaintiffs, Earl and Dorothy "arkle and Rus ell C.

, Carhart bring this action on behalf of all business perrons I

pIoperating a businen.,, incorporated or unincorporated, within a I,

five nile radius of the facility at Three-'Jile Island to recover for the lous of incore, value of their stock, loss of their lp ro;>e r t y value and other related economic losser,.

Ij 35.

Plaintiff, Deverly Cornan, brings this action individ-l'

,!ually and on behd i of all wa;;e earnera v.orking within a five d

llnile radius of Three.' tile Island to r< cover for thei r loss of e

11iL nco.me.

30.

The four sub-cle

,e, alleged heroin areeachsonur=roasf i

!that joinder of all the nc niF rs of said classe.n would be imprac-l ll l{t i ca l.

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37.

i There are questions of fact and lar connon to at. of t :1e bNHmrs of the four sub-cla:

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The claims of the represcrtative plaintiffs are typical it

'of the cl:'ims of the nonber of the sub-clascon l!

4 30.

Plaint i f f s vcill I'

f airly and adequately as,ert and recre-

,cnt the

4. n t e r es t of the sub-classes a lle;;ed herein.

Plaintiffs'

';ttorneys I

I have uubstantial e5.porience in c o ~ ;> l e.s tort litigation.

lI'l a i n t i f f a '

a t t o rn c;, Dani"1 L. Th i : tie, Eaquirt 10 ' Jradu,,te

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.uelectrical er.n i n oe r and n.< ~ t i c u l a r l:. ab'e to de it with the ecm-

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i t 1<o o f t he b re a!.:E n.n o l' a

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uch no the T.tc i l i t. loc u df 3

,71 -, n e iammd. e1

-~.m.w.n-a.m run o i

n im r Plaintifi.

h.n o or

..' wonice surftetent funac to i

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.tssure adequate representation of the mer!;ern of the sub-h classes.

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40.

A Class Action pre.ents a fair and effective nethod ti ll of adjudicating this problem.

The questions of l at. and fact.

and witne zes are identical on the question of liability. The i![ ne thod Cor:g ross establicited for handlini; these clairs (all 0

3y claims being presented in the U.

S.

District Court for the H

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dictrict where the incident occurs) envisions a Class-Type I

action.

There are, further, many individualt tho have suffered il

.e locscs and are unaware of tacir civil renedies A Class Action

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ll is, therefore, the on15 r ethod available to guarantea ful' L

h componnation to all injured parties as Con;resa envisioned.

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11.

Dannnes are lirited by Congreus to $3GO,000,000.00.

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To innure proper allocation of noid fund, one Court nust ad-a

[ r1in is t er it.

To in,are orderly pre:entation of the varicua claico, a Cla:;

iction is r.e c e s s a r:

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i Ll!M.EFC3 plaintiff demand Jud ernt in their fa'.or and g,

againut defendants D *c.' I rd i n ;' p l a i n t i f f s and the nc eers of the l' class 4

they reprecent that amount o f ran':y v.h ich it n eces, a ry to

-f I'4,' corpon na t ethen for the los % enureratod, In addition, plain-o

'l tiffs d^nand on behalf of th muelves and the mentwru of their hli clan, punitive dama,;e s tor the rechlota conduct of defendantc.

li,In addition, plaintiffu demand judgment in the amount of the 11 a

i conts of this suit ind attorn"ys fe"s.

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