ML19247A796
| ML19247A796 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | New England Power |
| Issue date: | 06/22/1979 |
| From: | Ballard R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Bliven G, Shawn Seeley CONCERNED CITIZENS OF RHODE ISLAND |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908020320 | |
| Download: ML19247A796 (2) | |
Text
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NUCLE AR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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'2 Docket Nos. Sitt 50-568 and STN 50-569 Dr. Samuel Seeley, President Mr. George F. Bliven, Jr., Director Concerned Citizens of Rhode Island Box 525 Charlestown, Rhode Island 02813 Gentlemen:
Thank you for your letter of May 25, 1979 addressed to Chai man Hendrie regarding the proposed New England Plant.
Since the licen' ing process involves an adjudicatory hearing which might be subject to review.y the Chairman and the Commissioners, it would be inappropriate for Cha' man Hendrie to personally reply to you.
For this reason, your lette. hus been referred to me for response.
In your letter you object to two paragraphs in the NRC staff site visit report dated January 3, 1974:
"The site visit was also attended by the President, Mr. P. Gibbons, and Vice-President, Mr. C. R. McLean of the local town council.
They both agreed that the local residents (permanent as opposed to transient) during a recent meeting had voiced no objections to a nuclear plant being placed on the old air base and would like to see the necessary studies initiated..."
"At a neeting with Governor Noel in the afterr von the local authori-ties assured the Governor that it was the desire of the residents to proccM with the detailed studies of the site..."
These paragraphs -aflect to the best of our knowledge what NRC representatives heard at the site visit and related meeting with the Governor.
In any case, the site visit and related neetings were preliminary information meetings and did not bias the licensing process.
The Draft Environmental Statement (DES) related to construction of Nt.P 1 a 2, NUREG-0529, represents the staff's preliminary environmental analysis of the proposed plant.
Section 2.9 of this document is a discussior, of public attitudes toward the proposed project.
All comr nts we receive on the DES will be responded to in the Final Environmental Statement.
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J Concerned Citizens of Rhode Island JUN 2 21979 Your letter of flay 25 has been placed in our official files.
Sincerely, O
%&Li:/ M 6 a;u t Ronald L. Ballard, Chief Environmental Projects Branch 1 Division of Site Safety and Environmental Analysis
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w Concerned Citizens of Rhode Island
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Dr. Joseph M. Hendrie, Chai:can j7 Washington, D. C. 20545 g'
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Dear Dr. Hendrie:
We call your attention to the Atomic Energy Co=niscion report on the
" Site Visit to the Naval Air Facility" from D. E. Sells to the Assistant Director of Environmental Projects, dated January 3,1974.
Cwo ve:y serious errors are c ontained in the follow $ng excerpted paragraphs:
"The site visit was also attended by the President, '.S. P. Gibbons end Vice-President, l'r. C. R. LSLean of the local town council. They both agreed that the local residents (permanent as opposed to transient) during a recent meeting had voiced no objection to a nuclear plent being placed on the old air base and would like to see the necessary studies initiated..."
"At a neeting with G8vemor Noel in the aftemoon the local authorities assured the Govemor that it was the desire of the residents to proceed with the detailed studies of the site..."
In the first cited paragraph, reference by McLean and Gibbons to the local residente having "no objection to a nuclear plant being placed on the old air base", we believe that these town officials had no basis for giving these assurances about the views of the townspeople.
In the second paragra#1, reference by EcLean end Gibbons to Govemor Noel that "it was the desire of the residents to proceed with detailed otudies of the site", also appears to be a serious nicrepresentation of the feeling of the town's residents.
We find that no town meetings were held to dete=ine specifically the attitude of the voters of the town. Other than a promotional presentation by the Narragansett Electric Co., no infornational neetings were held in the town that would help the citicens determine their course of action. Wnen a 1974 mail questionnaire from the new Town Council under Gilbert Eook showed a 5 to 3 vote against a nuclear plant on the site, Mook then conducted an official referendu= to detemine the attitude of all voters of the town. They again rejected a nuclear plant on the site, despite an extremely intensive doomto-door propaganda ca=paign by the power conpany.
Since it is our understanding that NRC tries to avoid placing nuclear plant facilities in areas where they are not welcone, we recuest that your records be changed:
(1) to show that a najority of the people of the town of Charlestown hkb
g,. r-Dr. Joceph M. Henurie 5-25-79 had voted against this nuclear plant proposai, (2) to show that there appeared to be, at the ve:f beginntig, najority opposition to the nuclear plant proposal for the old Ncvy airbase in Charlestown, and (3) to rtrike the original invalid statenents b:; EcLean and Gibbons fron the record.
Very truly yours, r
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'Sanuel Seely, E.D.,
President
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/[Concem)ed Citizens of Gebrge
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' ode Island cc: C. A. Le e, Jr., GSA 446 135