ML19207B058
| ML19207B058 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 07/19/1979 |
| From: | NRC OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (OPA) |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (OPA) |
| References | |
| PR-79-125, NUDOCS 7908230313 | |
| Download: ML19207B058 (2) | |
Text
,.C%
UNITED STATES
- \\
1 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
\\...."/
Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. 20555 No.79-125 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel.
301/492-7715 (Mailed - July 19, 1979) 215/337-5330 NRC TASK FORCE RECOMMENDS SHORT TERM ACTIONS TO IMPROVE POWER REACTOR SAFETY A Nuclear Regulatory Commission Task Force in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation has issued a report of a " lessons-learned" study of the March 28 accident at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Station in Pennsylvania.
The report con-tains recoinmendations for twenty-three administrative and design changes in several stages over the next 18 months to upgrade the safety of nuclear power reactors.
More than half of the 23 actions are recommended for implementatior, on operat-ing plants by January 1, 1980.
The Task Force has concluded that implementation of the 23 recommendations would provide substantial, additional protection required for the public health and safety.
The recommendations contained in the report--when approved by the Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Reguli. tion or the Commission as appropriate--would be applicable to all plants already licensed for operation, those under construction, and those for which construction permit applications have been filed.
The recommendations are in the areas of:
(1) emergency power supply; (2) relief valve testing; (3) accident instrumen-tation; (4) containment isolation; (5) post-accident hydrogen control; (6) post-accident radiation control; (7) emergency feedwater reliability; (8) radiation instrumentation for accidents; (3) analysis and training for abnormal operations; (10) engineering advisor to control room supervisor; (11) in-plant emergency procedures; and (12) operations reliability.
It is the intent of the Task Force that implementation of its recommendations, when combined with the implementation of directives already issued by the NRC staff as the result of the Three Mile Island accident'and other improvements of licensee emergency preparedness being developed by the NRC staff, provide a necessary and sufficient basis for resumption of reviews of applications to construct and operate power reactors.
7908230 M g
f n)1%0
?
As the Task Force continues its work over the next several months, it may recommend additional licensing actions or require-ments for "backfitting" to power reactors already licensed for operation and for new facilities.
In addition, the Task Force is expected to recommend other longer term rulemaking actions and studies or research to be accomplished by other NRC offices.
The Task Force intends to develop final recommendations and issue a final report in early September.
The final report will deal with more general issues which could affect the future structure and content of the NRC's overall licensing process to correct deficiencies identified by the Three Mile Island accident and to upgrade further the level of safety in plants licensed for operation and under construction.
The Task Force does not believe that allowing new plants to begin operation in the next few months will forclose further design changes that may be shown desirabl; by its continuing study of the accident.
The " lessons-learned" study is only one of a number of najor actions being taken by the NRC in response to the March 28 accident. -Others include an independent inquiry headed by Washington, D.C.,
attorney Mitchell Rogovin; detailed investi-gations inco the technical and radiological aspects; other t ask groups assigned to support activities at the Three Mile Island site and to the development of emergency preparedness policies.
Copies of the Task Force report, " Draft Status Report and Short Term Recommendations of the TMI-2 Lessons Learned Task Force" (NUREG-0578), will be available for purchase in about I
two weeks from the National Technica'. Information Service, f
Springfield, VA 22161.
4 L
J v
9
+
5 ib E 35
-ag
_=s
? !-
13 2
i 8a-H 15 co" U$
I 38" b:!
e 7 5' gf f 3 5' S5
$$Sh W123)
=3 z
k