ML19224C598

Responds to Representative Stratton Suggesting Involving Admiral Rickover in Corretive Actions Re Tmi. Forwards Draft Ltrs Supporting Involvement

ML19224C598
Person / Time
Site:	Crane
Issue date:	06/11/1979
From:	Gossick L NRC - NRC THREE MILE ISLAND TASK FORCE
To:	Eizenstat S PRESIDENT OF U.S. & EXECUTIVE OFFICES
References
NUDOCS 7907030071
Download: ML19224C598 (1)

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LYGossick EKCornell TRehm

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IN REPLY REFER T0:

>Hr. Stpart Eizenstat

'The White House NTFTM/790611.

Washington, D. C.

20500

Dear Mr. Eiz6nstat:

I am pleased to respond'to the White House referral of Representative Stratton.'s ~1etter of May 4,1979, in which he suggested involving Admiral Rickover,in the consideration of corrective measures that should be taken a

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to preveht) repetition of the Three Mile Island accident.

A proposed responsetto Representative Stratton, indicating that the suggestion has merit and that it will be made known to the Chaiman of. the President's Comissi'on',l ~to the Nuclear Regulatory Comission 's (NRC 's) Special Inquiry

- -, -Group Director, and to Lee V. Gossick of_ the NRC, is enclosed for your -

consideration.:.:I have also enclosed a' proposed letter that could be n.g '

.y=.7sent to each of those three individuals. ;. y,e; _-

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. Participation ^by Admiral Rickover might be through the presentation of his.

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views to one or both of these investigations so that they could be factored into their considerations.

He mioht also review the results of the investi-gations by' the President's Comission and by the NRC Special Inquiry Group and then provide his comments and his own recomendations to this or sose other office.

Possibly, both of these avenues. could be taken.

Some related material is enclosed for your information. The May 31, 1979 memorandum from Lee V. Gossick to the members of the NRC enumerates the various NRC staff actions and investigations related to Three Mile Island.

.The Comission 's overall investigation is the last. item listed and appears

~' on page 32 of Attachment 2 to Mr. Gossick 's memorandum. The May 31,,1979

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;. issue of Huclecnics Weet _ discusses, on page 1,.some co.c.ments by Admiral.--

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Rickover. on Jdesign philosophy 'and operator.3 raining.

On page,4 it is. Indi. - -.-g; p._. _

---% cated that..the_ Atomic. Industrial Jorum is/serfously considering one of@dmiralE=E

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.Rickover 's ideas, the use of a centralife'd' school.~ for operators. The Comp

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-troller G5neral.'s rep /rt'toJSenator Scfseiker discusses operator training

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~# 7' in general ~and.cautJons,'on the last'page, against allowing concentration

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on human error to,4clipse design and other genericyeaknesses.

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The Honorable Samuel Stratton.

s U. -S.J House of Representatives Washington, D. C.

20515

Dear Mr. Stratton:

Thank you very much for your letter of May 4,1979, suggesting that Admiral Rickovar be brought into the consideration of, what steps cught to be taken -

to prevent a repetition of the Three Mile ' Island ac.cident Your s'[ggestion has a great deal of merit.

Admiral Rickover's participation could occur.in more than one way. For example, he could provide his views to the President's Comission and to the Special Inquiry Group of the Nuclear Regulatory Comission (NRC) so that they could be factored into their. ongoing investigations. _ In addition, he could review the _results of.the two investic W. ":7

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-.z I int' nd to provide your. suggestion and sqy views on it to the Chaiman of the'

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.' ' President's Comission and to the Director. of the NRC 's Special Inquiry 'iroup c - for their consideration. These two investigations are not likely to _be com- ~

pleted for several months. 'However,'the NRC staf f is undertaking several shorter term reassessments of specific areas to. determine if irmediate changes are needed in licer..,e requirements for plants in or nearing opera-tion. 'One such area involves operating staff requirements.

I intend, therefore, to also provide your suggestion and my views nn it to Lee V.

m Gossick, _th~e NRC.'s Executive Director for Opera cions, so that they c3.n be

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=i-Your.. interesti.., his ~ matter is appreciated. and I welcome any further views nt

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'.-.' e COMP' TROLLER GENCR AL OF* THE UNITED STATES

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The Honorable Richard S. Schw ik DD United States Senate

Dear Senator Schweiker:

This report responds to your April 19, 1979, request for a prcmpt analysis of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's program for licensing nuclear powerplant operators.

As you indicated, information from the Three Mile Island nuclear accident and from other nuclear plants has raised questions concerning the Commission's program.

In responding to your request, we have answered the specific questions that you had as%ed.

Moreover, our review has resulted in questions beyond those you asked which we believe must be answered to assure that this impor tant ele-ment of nuclear powerplant operation is being carried out safely.

These questions are discussed in the text of this report although we were unable to answer them because of the short time frame for carrying out your request.

But we believe the questions should be raised in a public forum now so that other parties--the. President's recently appointed Commission investigating the Three Mile Island accident, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and congressional committees--

can consider them in carrying out their studies of the Three Mile Island accident and related matters.

BUMAN/ OPERATOR ERROR AT THREE MILE ISLAND AND OTHER NUCLEAR 2h4 3h POWERPLANTS The specific events that caused the nuclear accidec.t at the Three Mile Island powerplant are being carefully evaluated by the Commission, in particular the Office of Inspection and Enforcement.

However, the Chairman of the Commission and the Director of the Of fice of Nuclear Reac-tor Regulation have publicly stated that human error was a major contributor t'o g, accident at Three Mile Island.

Because officials of the Cc 7 '-' - -- ~~

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JiT and Enforcement are current DUPLICATE DOCUMENT I

i investigation, they refused specific information being Entire document previously entered their investigation would b into system under:

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