ML19207B686
| ML19207B686 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 07/06/1979 |
| From: | Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Walker R HOUSE OF REP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19207B687 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7909050088 | |
| Download: ML19207B686 (2) | |
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71 UNITED STATES j
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION j
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W ASHINGTON. D.C. 20555
% ~._ s J July 6, 1979 OFFICE OF THE C H AIR MAN The Honorable Robert S. Walker United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C.
20515
Dear Congressman Walker:
I am pleased to respond to your letter of May 7,1979, concerning alternatives to liquid releases from the Three Mile Island (TMI) facility to the Susquehanna River.
Before addressing your specific concerns, I wish to assure you that all radiological waste management ocerations at TMI are reviewed by Nuclear Regulatory Coninission (NRC) staff members located onsite, in order to assure that the health and safety of the public is protected.
To date, no highly contaminated water from within tne Unit 2 containment or primary system has been processed or released.
Prior to ar.y processing or release, Metropolitan Edison will be required to evalue.ie alternate methods of water cleanup and disposal or discharge.
The plens and alternative analysis developed by Metropolitan Edison will receive a detailcd review by the NRC in order to ensure that liquid waste processing and disposal or discharge operations will be within the limits specified in oJr regulations. All of the written material associated with this review will be made available to the public.
Cn May 25, 1979, the Commission directed the NRC staff to prepare an environmental assessment of the proposals to decontaminate and dispose of radioactively contaminated waste water from the TMI facility.
A copy of this airective is enclosed. The public will be given an wportunity to comment on the staff's assessment oefore alternatives are auaroved by the NRC.
The NRC has approved a TMI procedure which permits the release of liquids containing low or nondetectable levels of radioactivity.
The water that has been released usino this procedure has originated mainly frorn Unit 1, which was not involved in the accident.
The procedure requires the NRC to be nctified prior to such releases and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ie provided with a summary of releases on a daily basis.
A summary of the licuid releases and resultant environmenta'l imoacts and doses to :ne public from March 28 through May 11, 1979, is enclosed.
These releases nave resulted in doses to the public which are far below
- he acclicable ennual design objective dose limits of 3 mil' lire:n to the whole ocdy or 10 millirem, to any organ, as founc in our ragulations, n..mo Q e.he > ' - C4 79000500$6*
Congressman R. S. Walker Appendix I to 10 CFR Part 50.
As a result, the levels of radioactivitar in the Susquehanna are indistinguishable from existing background levels at public water supply intakes from the river.
This has been confirmed by independent measurements made by the NRC, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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- interely, h
_ph M. Hendrie Chai rman
Enclosure:
May 25,1979 Commission Policy Statement 2.
Summ.ary of liquid releases from Three Mile Island
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