ML19210B538

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Forwards H Willard Article, R Nader'S Full-Court Press Conference from Washington Star.Requests NRC Rept on Statement Re Layoff of Security Guards After Expressing Concern About Security at TMI-1
ML19210B538
Person / Time
Site: Three Mile Island Constellation icon.png
Issue date: 06/16/1975
From: Murphy G
CONGRESS (JOINT & ROTATING COMMITTEES, ETC.)
To: Kammerer C
NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
Shared Package
ML19210B535 List:
References
NUDOCS 7911090446
Download: ML19210B538 (3)


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SU 'U'I JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATOMIC ENERGY " *c=-

"%Ia"l=# w ASHINGTON. D.C. 20510 June 16, 1975 Mr. Carlton Kammerer Director Office of Congressional Affairs Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555

Dear Carl:

Attached is a recent article from the Washington Star which is self-explanatory. It would be appreciated if you would provide a report from NRC on the statement that two former security guards from the Three Mile Island

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nuclear plant expressed concern about security at the plant, but got laid off for their trouble.

Sincerely yours, G . ,e r' . urphy, Jr.

Executive Director

Attachment:

As stated 1566 091 o.a nn ,...

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Ral h Nader's Full-Court t

P.ress Conferenc...e-Panorama - D Dialogue n

. By Hal Willard

, i V y[ $ g WHEN I ANSWERED my phone, a woman gave her name and then The fact is that I have met Ralph said: "Please hold for Ralph Nader on several occasions and research and investigation was Nader, and went off the line. once hired him to write a', story done by Nader personally in the Now, who in the world is not going for The Washington Post. Ut was early days, and now it is done in .

to hold for Ralph Nader? I held. for a special section on automo- large part by underlings who make Ralph Nader probably is the only biles, and scarc.1 hell out of the reports to Ralph that he then issues

  • person who can send out letters . advertising desprtment).;

So Ralph is entitled to call me- Some formerly ardent Nader or announcements without a let. . fans now are merely fans, because terhead and sign just his name; Hal without the risk of being con-

- no identification. In fact, the name sidered pattonizing or over.fa- they aren't 'as sure as they used is typed - Ralph Nader - and he . miliar, or without being categorized to be about the firmness of "Nader" facts.

merely signs "RNader" with the legions of politicians and (That signature could bear ana- public reladons people who call The opinion seems to be that a lyzing, by the way. There is a big newspaper people by their first Nader fact is more factual than a "RN" run together, and then down names as a matter of principle, "Nader" fact.

whether or not they've ever met or f't'ot"Hal," Ralph was saying, "I'v

' . i even heard of them before. two former security guards N \ "Hal," Ralph said, Ne're having ' rom the Three Mile Island nuclear i a press conference tomorrow and j ower plant in Pennsylvania who

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I hope you can make it." >  !

ere worried about security at the Of course I could make it. I plant, reported laxness and got laid knew somebody was bound to get ,

i off for their trouble."

below, like a chemical formula, blasted and newspaper people comes a quick "ader" with a long always are willing to go hear some- f spectacular, the sort of thing thatIt t stroke for the top of the "d.") body get blasted, as long as it America has become used to in the And now Ralph Nader comes on isn't them. For a long time, any years since most citizens finally the line. "Hal,"le starts off. Well, attack by Nader was a cinch to became condneed . that Nader Ralph Nader is no back-slapping, get newspaper space. But in~ the really was about as selfless as it hail-fellow-well met type - but last couple of years he has spread is possible to be and meant it when neither is he rigidly formal with himself thinner and been less dis- he said he was fighting for the the criminating with his attacks. R e- ordinary consumer against those personality of cold cream-of-wheat (worse than cold oatmeal), sult: 1e:s press. who would make a buck off us any as General Motors and a large While increasing the number of way they could whenever they could.

bunch of Congressmen would have his sights:targets, he has not lowered his us believe. ' he still goes after the big- Like the work of anyone some gles.

The only thing is that the Ralph Nader causes are mo,re im-portant than others. This one in-

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, .. m lease of large amounts of radiation ' over nucidar power' plants compara-volved nuclear power' plants. It

  • was important. - .

and the death of hundreds and ~ tively late, but did so -full steam For perhaps the first time in the thousands of people . . '. and con- ahead and has become the chief history of communications, let's - tamination of th_e area and damage ' spokesman of the opponents! 'As to subsequent generations."- such, he asked'the' NRC for a' na-get the denial on the record before ,

the char'ge? the Three 31ile Island '- 'The Nuclear Regulatory Commis- tionwide investigation of nuclear nuclear power plant administra- sion has security regulations which plant security.

nuclear plants are supposed to 101- An NRC spokesman said the tion and .the Burns In'.ernational' - specific charges of .the guards Security Service, former employers - ' low, and an NRS spokesman said would be automatically investi-of the guards, emphatically insist after h Nader press conference gated, but the request for a full-that the guards' charges are in- that there are " frequent inspec- scale investigation would have to accurate, a'id further sta.e that the tions". to ensure compliance. How- be taken under consideration by guards were not laid off, but quit ever, Darcy and Shapiro claimed the commissioners.

of their own volition. the regulations are being. violated, Following Nader's jammed press Nader's concern was that if there -_. conference, I was approached by was in fact a lack of security at at Three MileI sland. . . .

Three Mile Island there very likely Whatever the security situation _a man who identified himself as a was a- lack of security at. other- now, the Three Mile Island, plant , representative of a utility company nuclear plants-including the 'two' was fined $3.500 by the NRC lasti ' who had attended the conference September when an unescorted in . - ' "just' to see what a Nader press

. innuclear plants in Virginia and Maryland, and the :everal othersone . . spector passed into a security area , ,' conference was like." .

of the plant without being checked. "How did Nader get so many in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. people there?" l'e asked. "By call-The two guards, John Darcy and Security at nuclear plants has worried some scientists, legislators ing them up and asking them to Joseph Shapiro,' of Camp Hill and come," I rep!Ied. ,

. Mechanicsburg respectively, cited and environmentalists for years.

a series of specific examples to Physicist Theodore Taylor has ."He seems to know what he is claimed that a person with the doing," the man said, referring to

  • support their charge of lax secur- Nader's dealings with the press.

ity: unwatched gates, issuance of right knowledge could pilfer the makings of a nuclear bomb from - "Yes," I said, "he certainly does unauthorized keys, untrained inow how to-get reporters out and guards, malfunctioning electronic nuclear power plants and Sen.

Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va.) has ex. present information."

systems, etc. But, the next day, only one major Nader said all this meant that pressed fears about persons gain ,

ing entrance to plants and sabo- newspaper, the Philadelphia In-there could be " terrorist intrusion quirer, carried the story, so far as and massive extortion demands. taging them.

Sabotage could result in the re- controversy I could determine. -

Nader entered khe 1566 093 4

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