ML19220A330

Suggests NRC Actions Re Accident:Proposes More Accurate & Complete Database to Support Decisionmaking & Offers Media Relations Guidance.Suggest Fusion to Replace Fission

ML19220A330
Person / Time
Site:	Crane
Issue date:	03/31/1979
From:	Axelrod D AXELROD, D.M.
To:	Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML19220A331	List: ML19220A330 ML19220A335
References
NUDOCS 7904170417
Download: ML19220A330 (6)

Text

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DANin M

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s Sat., ?Srch 31, 1979 Dr. Joaspb M. Randrie, Chai rmn U.S. Nu c l ea r Rc ;,u lat ory C or. mi s sion CaC)

Waship; ton, D.C. 20535 NU4 JECT-Three Mile Is. Accident Dear Joe -

The follouing are some sum;estions and recon endations f o r you r condideration regarding the Three Mile Island Accident and appropriate URC actions.

A.

Ec Gove rnmental Decis i on Making Pen,sylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh had to make the critical decision.

Without knowing his data base, and f rom ny reading of the n e'.

> p u p e rs and listening to television, I believe he made both a p ru d e n t and tinely decision.

Item D below discusses uays for ir: proving data base and guidance to Gove rnors required to raake emergency decisions regardina possible fu tu re nuclear plant accidents uith ::ut of fsite radiation releaseo.

D.

Ec In-plant Problers The essential conclusion of the accident and irmediate rc a p on s e, fran a safety syster.s point of view, is that the nuclear shu tdown and accurctiators /

core cooling functioned as planned.

Inis is important demonstration of nn fety compicmenting LOFT test results.

The "15 foot gas bubble" which formed in the reactor--possibly fron unter hydrolysis and/or ventin; of gaseous fissica products upon fuel rod failu re--

appecrs to have been larger than anticipated.

In addtion to the tro re th eds of reroving the bubble sus vsted in the nerspape rs--vat e r coolant dra.c % and uater dis ruption of the bubble--a third rethod r.ight be to re p res su ri z t the reactor to the point of overpressurization and venting fhrough ceactor head pressure relief valves.

If this method is not available under th current circur tances, and if the gas bu'oble is a generic probi m, this nethod should le considered for other recetor protection.

Prevention of core neltdoun or partial further elting or f ailure of fuel rods shxd U take priority m 3r further gas release to the containrent building, and containa >1t bhilding cleanup yysters.

C.

He News ?bdia Coverge_

i Ikeaune of news redic tiro pro >sut oc and the gene ra l un f amili.a rity and 7

emotional content of the su bj e c t of nuclear plant accidents, it is icpart a n t to have clear data and inte rpretitive : nc explanations R2,arding oitsite radiation releases-a.

The key is f actual reporung o f creo/h r o.a.;ured doses.

(S e e furtha.

com ents under D).

b.

This should b, conple: ared by brie f, coxise basic tac a :pa t i n;,

a "n re r" do ;es "2ir7t its rolat;.e in:ortance.

(s ee n ji g e.

,gle),

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.n 730612 0 l

Axel rod /I!e ndi re

Subject:

Three :ii'e Is. Accident 3/31/79 D.

He URC Fo11mmn Ac t i.on 1.

A complete, detailc-d and public investir ation of t oe causes, plent response, organizational anJ of faite c on ;i de rat ion:, relative to the acciden..

intergovetc.matal gu i !el ines on respansLbilit y in 2.

Establishmnt or esent of accid ut, including

'e the evacuation decision for his : tate, a.

State ;ove rnor shall '

upon u!vice of :RC, the utili ty and leal officialr.

b. Federal government shall provide support s e rvi c c., in such specialitier as cerrunication, evacuation procedures, civil defense, nuclear expertise, financial crergency support, etc.

3.

Conduct public hearings to establish guidelines for state goverunro to make evacuation decisions. A simplified example of numerical guidelines might be:

25 mrea/hr for 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br />

-- Evacuate pregnant s; amen & preschool childr 250 arem/hr for 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br />

-- Evacuate general population.

Other factors are discussed belou. Ilmeve r, in every case the governor ru n be given the latitude to rake the informed decision based on all factors that he needs to consider, and must not he tied down to rigid critteria.

4.

Data Measurements of of fsite doses:

a.

Require all existing nuclear stations to install at least the follouing gamra radiation tonitors uith harcheire telemetry to the nuclear station control room and to the nearc st designated of fsiste police station:

1.

On-site garma radiatier ronitor (2 ninicuo) 2.

Off-site ganma radiation conitor-- prevailing wind direction (s) at 2, 5 and 10 miles.

3.

Off-site go,ma radiation nonitor-- quadrants other than prevailing vind direction at 2 miles, b.

llave maps for plotting, as a function of tire, of f-sit, mobile unit ww radiation detection results radioed t stati n and offsite police station.

t 5.

Prepare a detailed evaluation of at least five nuclear station evacu ltion plans to deternino parameter envelope for pregnant comen/ preschool child ren evacuation times and for general population evacuatloa times, or gut 'e to responsible governor on evac'iation time requirements.

E.

Re: Nuclear Fusion Longterm Replacement of Nuclear Fissicn One rf the reasons for considering fusion ir that the fusion reac to rs coatain only graas of fusionable isotopes, compared uith tons of fissioaable isotopes in fission reactors. Supplereatinp my "Prelininary De finiLion of a Fusiaa Po.ler Plant Development Prog ram,"

tich ue discussed at your Long Island home in January 1972, I an enclosing the fellouing subsequent evaluttoona I pe r f o rc ud on ORTP--One Kilomete r Thet a Pinch: Hrief Descriptioa of Plant, and Initial Steps to OKTP Fusion Power Develop.,ent.

Af ter the current accident c ri s i s,

you nay wish to pe ru se these iters and pass them along to Jin Schleasinger uitit your comments.

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1.n ; i u t er:

The a t t ache d d r m im,, '? f " i t i al Sten < ta Oi:T P. -o ~

cit, e,

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r-73, 79" st marize., in it i a l proe,t a.a ro cc en A' im liu to!!< in pdr,'Japhs hi,h-light the indi.vidual tash 1.

2; I'rt'r Lin.'a_r3 'orir"nt It In p t up o:n zl Ihat 1in Ioroidal m yIlac c' pe r iwo t Ic r4

.cri tiJ f6-ni app ro: 0 itely 25 r:e te r I I n.

. t lu t. p ini h e -:lo r n.c u r upm ci.

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i. o of u :. c ful scyllac exper1n atatina.

I;i s c u, ei.o n:: ait h LWI. p, r..o : oct i: J us 19/b indic:ted this ' ras an option undet consideration. C on'/ e r: lon to

. i u t er c::perirent would t;iven a five-fold scalt up of previous 1, 3, a n d 5: ter linaar theta pinches, and vould be an irportant scaling d e;.:ons t ra t i on.

2 Linc.ar Theta Pinch Pir. iin Current linear theta pinch end los< experinents on the 5rrter devie" should be o: tended and alternate n concepts should be attoted.

Ind W ioprm -

rien t is specifically critical to the linear theta pin concept Staged theta pinch experiments shoald also be continued as being esst utial to theta pinch power reactors.

3.

607 Meter Linear D ne rir'ent A 600.ncter (n on i na l) l i n. 'a t theta pinch (piire inrion) e q m.- iur: 3t nh.u 1 ! be den J ;ne<1 and plantu d [or, ce a r.ajor ex t < o.; i. 'n of tin I iin ai t h er., p i nt li scalin;. A 250

+ter to 6tD wt er p irc eter :,hou ld he cour.id oed,

>< ',; l nillion/E :.tcr (numinal) to a llo'..

for budget cons t rain t:,,

wh i L

t i l l u.h iev-in c, ' ',i s c a ling o f f u ll s i z c OEI P.

The 600 m e::pc riment shou ld b.

a stagrd theta pinch experic.ent incorpora tint; fu s ion reactor anxiliary systru technology.

A decision to construct the 603 o experi:: cut could a.ait experh ental and analytical results of LLe initial prograu.

4.

01:T P --On e Kil<retor Theta Dinch D_aign and plannin3; for a ft.ll scale ORff should proceed concurrem uit '

but at a reduced level of effort iren, the effort on th e 600 i t la r,,,

lim ar theta pinch, Special emphasic should be placed on the plant e n c r p,y b a lt.

a..

Initial ef forts should be expended en key clo ents of the OR P technology, including efforts on solid state sait ches (co; ple:c.en t in, cur ren t encry,y < tor-e age technolet;y efforts) and en capacitor life testin,, t o at least 100 cycle..

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INITI AL STEPS TP OKTP 2 (150 K li,800 K 17,75 0 K 3 2.O CO K

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1,2SM LINEAR E X P T.

1r;.ccc Decision to it m ed Design & Planninz 1000i:

F vsical le a r ra n.'.cr e n t JC00K 6 5 f'Or Experi.nent Startup 50]E

2. L!NEAR O PINCH PHYSICS 6.c^0r End Loss Experirents 10CCR

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