ML19224A738
| ML19224A738 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 03/28/1979 |
| From: | NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PR-790328, NUDOCS 7905300148 | |
| Download: ML19224A738 (7) | |
Text
^
3/28/J:.
v' 10 'O AM The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received preliminary information on an emergency situation at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Pcwer Plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. There has been a release of radioactivity inside the reactor containment system.
Measurements are still being made to determine if there has been any radioactivity detected off the site.
There is no indication of release off the site at this time.
Metropolitan Edison Company, operator of the plant, has reported that the turbine of Unit 2 at the plant tripped off early this morning, closing off the steam flow frcm the reactor to the turbine.
The cause is not known at this time.
There was a release of primary coolant water into the containment.
The emergency core cooling systems are being used to provide water to the
, reactor.
The t' nit 2 reactor is shut down; Unit 1 at the plant is shut down for refueling.
NRC has dispatched a team from its. Regional Office at King of Prussia, PA, and they will be at the site shortly.
State and other Federal agencies have been notified.
79053001V
/
167 104 (n
f 3/28/79 11:20 PM, The Nuclear Regulatory Commision said tonight that its inspectors at the.Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania have reported that temperatures and pressures continue to drop in the reactor where an accident occurred earlier today. However, pressures and temperatures have not dropped far enough to activate the normal heat removal systems.
When these systems are activated, emergency core cooling systems no longer will be needed.
Radiation levels within the containment ouilding remain very high; one instrumert indicates thesa levels are thousands of roentgens per hour at one area inside the containment ceiling.
There is a continuing release to the atmosphere of detectable levels of radioactive gases.
These releases apparently result from water on the floow on the auxiliary building.
This water was pumped from the containment building.
The licensee is attempting to transfer the water into a holding tank. Measurements are being made by a helicopter tracking the plume with special instruments.
These measurements indicate that levels in the air have been about one third of a milliroentgen per hour over the Harrisburg area. Ground-level measurements at Harrisburg Airport, two miles from the plant, showed 12 milliroentgens per hour.
These levels are far below the 1000 milliroentgen level at which the Environmental Protection Agency recomends protective action.
Metropolitan Edison Ccmpany, operator of the plant, estimates that as many as eight workers received radiation exposures of one half to 167 105
, l' '
s.
2 one rem during the course of the day's activities.
The annual exposure limit for radiation workers is 5 rem.
167 -106
~
}
)
D 2.J 2 - i 7 da o N'
1 I
3/29/79
'7 l r
- s. 12:10 AM y
I.S S O E D The Nuclear Regulatory Comission said tonight that its inspectors at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania have reported that temperatures and pre:..ure nue to drop in the reactor where an accident occu-red earlier _.. Hcwever, temperatures have not drcpped
'l far enough to activate the normal heat removal systems.
i Radiation levels within the ccntainment building re-ain very high; cne instrument indicates these levels are thousands of roentgens per hour at one area inside at the containment ceiling.
There has been a continuing release to the at.mosphere of detectable levels of radioactive gases. These releases apparently result from water on the floor of the auxiliary bai1J This water was pumped from the centainment building. Measurement-being made by a helicopter tracking the air plume with special instruments. These measurements inriicate that levels in the air have been about one third of a millfrcentgen per hour over the Harrisburg ares. Ground-level measurements at Harrisburg Airport, about two miles from the p1snt, showed 12 millircent;cns per hour. These levels are far below the 1000 millircentgen level at which the Environmental Protection Agency recomends protective action.
Metropolitan Edison Company, operator of the plant, estimates that l/
as many as eight workers received radiation exposures of cne half to one rem during the course of the day's activities. The annual exposure limit for radiation workers is 5 rem.
g f
167 107,
47
.~
Facility: Three Mile Island Unit 2 Middletown, Pennsylvania (DN 50-32)
Subject:
RELEASE OF LIQUID WASTE TO THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER The NRC was notified by Metropciitan Edison Company, the Licensee, at about a:30 p.m., March 29, 1979, thatliquideffluentgontaining a small an.ount of radioactive material (approximately 10- to 10-4 microcuries per milliliter) is being released to the Susquehanna River in a controlled fashion. The radioactivity in the liquid waste consists primarily of noble gases, Xenon-133 and Xenon-135.
Considering dilution in the cooling water the release is within the NRC limits for discharge of normal effluents to the environs.
The licensee reports that this release is necessitated because of the large amount of water being handled by the waste treatment system.
There is significant media interest at the present time.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and EPA have been informed.
i 167 108 (tR> -
es t
0 PZ 0
t lb>J;,;h\\f\\,/ii l
C hl AhY ef cenaihl am U
/
v QDW J
1 M 7 h om 4%
y y7
%d A,~S L
A1p
-4 A&
pd, Jb %,
167 109
e 8
There have been intermittent uncontrolled releases of radioactivity into the atmosphere from the primary coolant system of Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The licensee is attempting to stop the intermittent gaseous releases'by transferring the radioactive coolant water into the primary containment building.
The levels of radioactivity being measured have been as high as 20 to 25 millirem per hour in the immediate vicinity of the site at ground level.
Off-site levels were a few milliroentgen.
At about 11:30 a.m. EST, the Chairman of the NRC has suggested to Governor Thornburg of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that pregnant women and pre-school children in an area within five miles of the plant site be evacuated. Members of the NRC technical staff are at the site and efforts to reduce the temperatures of the reactor fuel are centinuing.
These temperatures have been coming down slowly and the final depres-surization of the reactor vessel. has been delayed.
There is evidence of severe damage to the nuclear fuel.
Samples of primary coolant containing high-levels of radiciodine and instruments in the core indicate high fuel temperature; in some of the fuel bundles, and the presence of a large bubble of non-condensible gases in the top of the reactor vessel.
Because of these non-condensible gases, the possiblity exists of interrupting coolant flow within the reactor when its pressure is further decreased and the contained gases expand.
Several options to reach a final safe state for the fuel are under consideration.
In the meantime, the reactor is being maintained in a stable conditicn.
3/30/79 2:05 p.m.
167 110 (SC)
.