ML19249E186
| ML19249E186 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 05/21/1979 |
| From: | Benjamin A HOUSE OF REP. |
| To: | Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19249E185 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7909260558 | |
| Download: ML19249E186 (4) | |
Text
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ADAM DENJAMIN. JR.
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Easfjington, D.C.
20515
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WAssapes, ape. D.C.
2DS1S May 21, 1979 I:
James M.
Hendrie Chairman I
Nuclear Regulatory Commission I
1717 H Street, ::.
W.
Washington, D.C.
20555 Cear Mr. Hendrie:
Enclosed please find copies of recent news articles regarding the transport of radioactive nuclear waste from the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to a burial site at Richland, Washington and an air shipment cf potentially defective nerve gas bombs from a Colorado arsenal to a storage depot in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Tne news report indicated that certain state authorities were not advised that the shipment of nuclear wastes would be passing through their state until af ter the fact.
I would appreciate a verification of this report from your office.
I would also like an explanation of the applicable federal regulations affecting the interstate transport of riuclear wastes and explosive weapons.
I am specifically interested in any f ederal regulations which require state authorities and/or the public to be notified that such a transport is to take place.
If nc such regulations exist, I would appreciate a:n explanation of the rationale behind the lack of same.
If such regulations de exist, were they adhered to in this reported transport?
In addition, I request a clarification of any existing i
federal regulations regarding the safety requirements of transports of this nature and the right of states to inspect the cargo and transporting vehicle to assure that both are pro-perly contained, equipped, and that all safety pro cedures are fellowed.
I find it difficult to understand why state a uthorities are not notified of potentially dangerous transpor ts and feel strongly that, should federal law or regulations be derelict in this regard, immediate action should be taken to remedy this problen.
I will predicate any further action I mi.ght take in this regard on your response.
7 909260 $N um a
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f' Page Two May 21, 1979 Your prompt attention and cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.
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m-Be217aml Member of Co..gress ABJ/bs Enclosures l
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' tional defense.
Unofficial estimater' place Utah's mers could include the Aspen or Vail Utch Gov. Scott Matheson will file Dugway tnd Tooele Army base stock-ski resort re; ions which are in the off s 21: early next week in fedcral court piles at nearly C3 percent cf the na.
season. The wetpons would le,taken to halt the Army's propoW air ship. tion's store of chemical and biolo;ical from Dup.ar to Twele ty military ment of PC nerve ;as bombs from we8T ons-COuV0F-Cc'.artdo's Eceky Mountain arsenal to "The Army has shorcn ca!3ns d:rre-the Tocele Army Stortge Depot out.
gard for the hen:th and safety of the side Salt Lake City.
people who live here," said.:ntheson.
The governor's office was given 10 IIe said the bo:nbs were in such de-davs' notiec of the move yestcrday by teracrated condiuon and contained the Department of the Army, which such potent nerve gas that,theoreta-aceording to the governor's press see.,
cally they could annihilate ine whole l retary, Mag;ie Wilde, means that the.
uc
, Army could rnove the nene bombs e' proposed move.. presents any time cfter May 13.
obvicus hazards and the dise:very of I
Both Gov. Matheson and Colorado leaking bombs only compounds these Gov. Richard Lamm have opposed the dangers," Sen. Gary 11 art (D-Colo.)
added.
mot e for heahh end safety reasens.
Last year the Army discovered three -
Arcy spokesman Michael 6.tts of of the nerve bombs u ere'leakin".
the Rocky Mountain arsenal says that the Army has decided to move the The invironmenta! Protection Agency bomts by air because it feels that the and the Ilealth, Education and Wel-Air Force C141 aircraft has the best fare Department indicated publicly safety record of any commercial, mill-that the Icaks, which occurred in the tary or private aircraft in use, same place on the three* bombs, could As planned. the movement cf bombs y
be typical of the weapon.
would require three weeks at the rate Both governors, who are worried of one or two flights a day. Each about env movement of bombs that fli;bt crew uould include a technical tr.ay be detericrating, would like to escor* team to detect end neutralize see the nerve bombs neutralized right any s; ills or leaks, or respond in the where they are.
event of fire.
1;ov ever, accordin:: to the Army The fli;h'. ;.>h wruld he:d corth cnd the secretary of defcnse, the " wet from Denver's S'
.eton airport to cye" nerve bcmbs are an inte;ral part Dugway in the western Utah desert, of the nation's inventory of deterrents flying over what the Army terms
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- i By Bruce Ingwll An enormous cask of nuclear waste was official.
right to know," asserted Robert Ryan Ohio Son-Times Burcou hauled by flatbed truck from Middletown, Two other truckloads attived there six '
energy director and vice chairman of the Pa., scene of the nation's worst nuclear acci-days earlier ' alter skirting Indiana and Illi-Ohio puc! car safety task force.
WASillNGTON-The first of many truck.
dent, west on Interstate 70, passing through nois in favor of a more southerly' route, he Eric Jones, director of the Illinois Civil De.
Inads of radioactive waste from the stricken Ohio, Indiana, lltinois and Missouri and said.
.'ipped through Illinois unannounced last
'tains, fense and Disaster Management Agency, ex-l hi et-Mde Island nuclear power plant ' crossing the Plains and the ' Rocky Moun.
Ohio officials became incensed Thursday pressed surprise l'riday that neither the Illi-upon learning that all three shipments. nois State Police nor the state Transportation wrck en route to a nuclear-waste burial $
The shipment reached the Nuclear Engl.
passed through their state without any ad-Department was alerted beforehand that the croond in Washington State, The Sun Times neering Co.'s waste-burial sit'e at Richland.,
vance warning.
thirf.chipment was passing through.
Imrned I riday.
Wash., last Sunday, according to a company
" Tills IS IN TIIE AREA of the people's ['<in a telephone interview, Jone would be damn solid procedure-at least as
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I a courtesy-for them to notify us."
y "I'm not too nervous," he said of the nu-clear waste shipment. "But I'd like to know about it. I don't like surprises."
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A-waste sent through Minois
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O Continued from Page 5
, Richard Riley barred.the first two truck-g ga No. I, which was shut down for refneling of' unit No. 2 as Metropolitan Edison Co. goes loads from enterieg his state on April ID.
when the h s.of fredwater accident befr!!
itmut the costly and tedious task of disman.
In a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Com-I gcp Itcactor No... Ilowever, this waste was fur.
11 ng the heavily damaged reactor and c!can-mission, Riley announced that South Caroll-I ther contaminated by leaking, radioactive ing up the badly contaminated reactor build-l. na would no longer accept radioactive
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' nE pg water during the accident, according to NRC i
. wastes resulting from an " unscheduled rest-The most direct route for th05e Ihlpmtnl5 j 10f ShuldOWn"$Uch as the Three Ahle Island M'
'W!!! be 140, which skirts the southern edge.
. accident.
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Tile iVASTE ' CONSISTED OF cobalt 60, of the Chicago metropolitan area, said offi-I It was then that the tru'ks were diverted t
nsium 136 and other radioactive impurities cials of Tri State Motor Transit of Joplin, i
c hat had been filtered out of the cooling wa.
Mo., and Ilome Transportation Co.of Mariet-westward to Richland, Wash., one of the na.
t tion's three low-inct waste burial sites still in and then solidilled, an official said. Each ta, Ga.
i in operation.
shipment weighed 785 tons and was carried flome handled the first two shipments and i
in an even heavier steel cask, Tri State the third, The bulk of the waste in the three ship.
g The shipping casks are lined with lead to Were it not for fowa's weight limits dur*
ments came from Three Mile' Island Reactor shield drivers and the public from overexpo-Ing the spring thaw, the shipments probably Turn to Page 52 i '
sure to radiation, would have been routed over Interstite 80,* " g Many more aihlpments will be coming out the officials said.
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