ML19208B998
| ML19208B998 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 07/25/1979 |
| From: | Jay Collins Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Buskirk W LEHIGH-POCONO COMMITTEE OF CONCERN |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19208B999 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7909240301 | |
| Download: ML19208B998 (2) | |
Text
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{l JUL Y51979
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1 Mr. William Buskirk, Jr.
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Dear Mr. Buskirk:
4 I am pleased to respond to your letter of July 6, 1979 concerning al-ternatives to liquid releases from the Three Mile Ignd (TMI) facility to the Susquehanna River. Before addressing your specific concerns, I wish to assure you that all radiological waste management operations,at TMI are reviewed by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff members located onsite, in order to assure that the health and safety of the public is protected.
t To-date, no highly contaminated water from within the Unit 2 containment or primary system has been processed-or released. Prior to any pro-
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cessing or release, Metropolitan Edison will be required to evaluate l
alternate methods of water cleanup and disposal or disch'arge. The plans and alternative analysis developed by Metropolitan Edison will receive a detailed review by the NRC.in order to ensure that liquid waste processing
- and disposal or discharge operations will be within the limits specified l
All of the written material associated with this re-i in our regulations.
view will be made available to the public.
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On May 25, 1979, the Commission directed the NRC staff to prepare an en-vironmental assessment of the proposals to decontaminate and dispose of radidactively contaminated waste water from the TMI facility. A copy of this directive is enclosed. The public will be given an opportunity to comment on the staff's assessment before alternatives are approved 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 using this procedure has originated mainly from Unit 1, i
which was not involved in the accident. The procedure requires the NRC i
l to be notified prior to such releases'and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is provided with a summary of releases on. a daily basis.
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JUL. 2 5 is/9 Mr. William Buskirli, Jr.
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- It should be noted here that release limits for all radionuclides, in-cluding tritium, which (as you correctly point out) is not removed by ion exchange and filtration systems, are being met before discharges 1
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f to the Susquehanna are permitted. A summary of the liquid releases and l
l resultant environmental impacts and doses to the public from March 28 through May 11, 1979, is enclosed.. These releases have resulted in doses to the pub 1_ic which are far below the applicable annual design obj ective
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dose limits of 3 millirem to the whole bbdy or 10 millirem to any. organ, as found in our regulations, Appendix I to 10 CFR Part 50.
As a result, the levels of radioactivity 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 'ay the NRC, the l
j Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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, Sincerely,
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. John T.-Collins, Deputy Director I
TMI-2 Support u.
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02fice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i
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Enclosure:
i As Stated I
DISTRIBUTION:
Central File l
NRR' Reading-F'ile l
. TML Reading File l
TMI Subject File
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