ML19211A175
| ML19211A175 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Zimmer |
| Issue date: | 11/26/1979 |
| From: | Varga S Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Mary Johnson AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7912170145 | |
| Download: ML19211A175 (3) | |
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'c, UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 4,k. h'c E
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 L \\ h f' $
N0Y 2 C 7379 Ms. Merri Johnson 10411 Colerain Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45247
Dear Merri:
Let me first express my regrets for the delay in responding to your April 17, 1979 letter to President Carter in which you expressed concern about the Zimmer Nuclear Power Station.
As you can imagine, a great many letters from the public have come into the Nuclear Regulatory Comission in the months following the Three Mile Island accident, all of which we are answering as fast as resources permit. We also needed the time to complete our studies sufficiently so that we are able to answer your concerns more directly.
You heard that people living around the Three Mile Island plant had to be evacuated because of the leakage following the accident. That is not exactly true. A lot of confusion existed at the time regarding evacuation because the information on the releases was fragmentary due to communications problems.
Two days after the accident, at the recommendation of the Comission and as a precautionary measure against further waste gas releaces, the Governor of Pennsylvania advised that pregnant women and prescnool children leave the region within a 5-mile radius of Three Mile Island and to close all schools within the area. However, no general evacuation was ever needed, although the possibility of one if the reactor condition deteriorated remained with us for several days. The Governor's advisory lasted about 10 days.
After reviewing the actual radiological information collected, it is estimated that the increase in radiation dose to persons living within a 50-mile radius of the Three Mile Island plant due to the accident was about one percent of the annual dose from natural background radiation sources. On the basis of present scientific knowledge, the radiation doses received by the general population as a result of exposure to the radioactivity released during the accident were so small that there will be no detectable additional cases of cancer as a consequence of the accident.
These were part of the findings of the President's Commission on the accident at Three Mile Island.
Nevertheless, we are in the process of completing our plans regarding changes to plant designs and procedures including operator training and emergency precaredness plans.
These requirerents will be placed on all nuclear plants including the Zimner Station so that we can all be more assurec regarding nuclear power plant safety.
1593 228 7912170 (
.:s. Ferri Johnson a 0 ',
The generation of electricity frca a nuclear power plcnt is similar ir. : ' :i ple to the operation of a fossil fueled power plant except that a nuclear ret:nr is useo to generate steam instead of coal or oil.
You may be able to fir:.any good books on the subject in your public library.
I hope that thi information is hel,,ful to you.
Si
- erely, s
J
I Iow O
m\\ Steven A. c L f' ting Assistant Varga, Ac Director for Light '.'ater Reactors Division of Project 7.anagement D *
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