ML19207B645
| ML19207B645 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 06/22/1979 |
| From: | Thornburgh D PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF |
| To: | Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19207B644 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7909050033 | |
| Download: ML19207B645 (2) | |
Text
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GOVCHNOH'S Orrict HARRissuRG TMC GOVERNOR June 22, 1979 The Honorable Joseph M. Hendrie Chairman
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United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555
Dear Mr. Chairman:
It has come to my attention through recent press accounts that officials of the General Public Utilities Corporation, parent company of Metropolitan Edison Company, intent to seek permission to resume operation of Unit 1 of the Three. Mile Island nuclear facility near V aletown, Pa.
Although you indicated in your May 25 letter to me that there are no plans to reactivate Unit 1 in the near future, I understand from these accounts and from our own Ccemonwealth officials that informal discussions of this prospect have already commenced.
Mr. Chairman, I must express my deep concerns over this matter -- concens that were heightened yesterday when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reported disc overing on June 20 a crack in an emergency cooling water pipe in Unit 1.
As Governor, I have a deeply felt responsibility for both the physical and psychological security of the citizens of this Commonwealth.
Therefore, I am advising you of my strong opposition to any plans to reactivate Unit 1 until a number of very serious issues have been resolved.
Specifically, I urge you to effect the indefinite post-ponement of consideration of any such request, formal or other-wise, until I, as Governor, have been satisfied that:
- The President's Commission on Three Mile Inland and other efficial investigations into the causes of the accident have been fully completed and their findings fully disclosed.
- The Babcock & Wilcox reactor design flaws which may have contributed to the accident in Unit 2 have been fully discovered and corrected in Unit 1.
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The Hon. Joseph M.
Hendrie Page 2 - June 22, 1979
- Allegations of human errors in the accident have been resolved; and that training of operating and inanagement personnel has been. upgraded, in recognition of the fact that the same set of operating technicians who manned Unit 2 may be manning Unit 1.
- Questions about the wisdom and safety of operating Unit 1 next to the severely crippled Unit 2 (containing lethal levels of radioactivity in the containment) have been answered.
- The psychological health of Central Pennsylv nia's resi-dents, who have already been subjected to an unpr
'nted trauma, won' t be adversely affected by the reopening.
To this end, I have directed the Pennsylvani a Department of Justice to be prepr. red to petition, under NRC rules, for a sus-pension of Metropolitan Edison's license to operate Unit 1, and to be prepared as well to take whatever legal actions may be necessary to prevent the reactivation of Unit 1.
I am not unmindful of the considerable costs which are being incurred by the utility in the purchase of replacement power due to the inactive state of Unit 1.
However, I believe that the considerations of human safety and security which I have ex-pressed must at this time transcend those of economic costs to the utility.
It is my sincere hope that these courses of acticn will not be made necessary.
Again, I ask you to use what.ever authority you may possess to delay consideration of any request to re-activate Unit 1 until these concerns ave been addressed.
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Dick Thor urgn Governor f ;,'
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