ML19254D709

Responds to Encl 790611 Resolution on Borough of Goldsboro Council Concerns Re TMI-1 Restart.Summarizes Recent NRC Actions Re TMI-1.Communications & Emergency Notification Must Be Upgraded Prior to Restart.White House Referral Encl

ML19254D709
Person / Time
Site:	Crane
Issue date:	10/02/1979
From:	Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Myers K GOLDSBORO BOROUGH, YORK COUNTY, ETTERS, PA
Shared Package
ML19254D710	List: ML19254D709
References
NUDOCS 7910290373
Download: ML19254D709 (5)

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OCT 2 199 The Honorable Kenneth E. Myers i

Mayor of the Borough of Goldsboro a

Etters, Pennsylvania 17319

Dear Mayor Myer5:

This letter is in response to the Resolution by the Borough Council of the Borough of Goldsboro dated June 11, 1979, regarding the Council's concerns over the restart of Three Mile Island, Unit 1 (TMI-1). A copy of my response to you is being sent to the White House.

First, I will summarize the recent actions which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Comission) has taken with respe t to TMI-1, and secondly, respond sepcifically to the concerns addressed in the Goldsboro Resolution regarding TMI-1.

On July 2,1979, the Comission ordered that TMI-1 remain in a cold shutdown condition until further order by the Commission itself and stated that a pur.ilic hearing would be held prior to restart of THI-1.

The Comission believes that public participation is a vital ingredient dealing with those matters related to the TMI-l restart.

On August 9,1979, the Comission issued an additional Order on TMI-l specifying the basis for the Shutdown Order and the procedures to govern l

the hearing regarding any TMI-l restart. On the basis of that hearing i

the Commission will determine whether any further operation e ill be i

s permitted and, if so, under what conditions. I have enclo N a copy of the August 9,1979, Order for your infomation.

The Comission's Order also identifies a nunber of items that must be resolved prior to restart. These items, which are listed on pages 5-7 of the Order, include but go beyond that required for restart of other Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) designed pressurited water reactors similar to TM1 1/2. Included in these additional itens are items recommended by the Lessons Learned Task Force which studied the TMI accident.

The Commission carefully considered the time required for cT.gleting all tasks related to the Order en TMI-1 and which must be completed prior to any restart of TMI-1. A Comission schedule calling for expeditious handling of the necessary MC staff actions and procedural actions required for the hearing process is provided on the last page of the Comission's Order. Based on that schedule, I do not believe that the restert of TMI-l could occur before Septerber 1980.

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The Honorable Kenneth E. Myers The Goldsboro Resolution requested that certain specific actions be taken prior to the restart of TMI-l. Item 1 of the Resolution requested that Federal, State, and Local goverrments through adequate planning and funding be prepared to effectively respond to another accident of the mag 9itude of the TMI-1 accident for tha following areas:

With respect to Item l A, Communications and Emergen:y Notification i

are being upgraded by required actio.1s specified in the Commission's August 9, 1979, Order for TMI-1.

I call your attention to page 6, item 3 of the THI-l Order. These actions must be completed prior to any restart for THI-1. Also, your attention is directed to Section 2.2.1, " Improved Reactor Operation Command Functions," and Section 2.2.2, " Improved In-Plant Emergency Procedures and Prepara-tions," specified in NUREG-0578. These actions must also be implemented on TMI-l prior to any restart.

Regarding Item 'B of the Goldsboro Resolution, you will note that the Comission Order for THI-l specified that an analysis be made for assessing the relationship of State loca' plans so as to assure j

the capability to take adequate emergency actions. This assessment l

must be followed up with a test exercise of the revised energency q

plan for TMI-l. Also, the Conmission Order specifies that the i

emergency preparedness for TMI-l will require upgrading off-site j

monitoring capability. Additio.1al actions required for TMI-l which in erface with your concern are stated in Section 2.1.8, i

" Instrumentation to Follow the Cause of an Accident," of NUREG-0578.

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In addition, your attention is directed to page 8 of the Commission Order for TMI-l which specifies long-term actions required to improve emergency plans for TMI-l.

Regarding Item IC of the Goldsbora Resolution,

.1 of the items wh % I have mentioned abnve will provide additional assurance th.

e NPC upon proper notification, can respond adequately to act' dents for the magnitude of the TMI accident. In addition to the short and long-term actions specified in the Comission Order for T:1I-1, ongoing studies by tre NRC Spesial Inquiry Task Force and investigations by other grosps may well provide additional recommendations and requirenents regarding an adequate NRC response to accident conditions similar to the TMI accident.

Regarding Iten ID of the Goldsboro Resolution, an evaluation has been nade for the assessnent of the radiation dose and potential

cpact of the accident at TMI.

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The Honorable Kenneth E. Myers !

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This analysis was prepared by the Ad Hoc Interage' icy Dose Assessment l

Group conposed of technical staff members from the Enviromental l

Protection Agency, 'he Department of Health, Education and Welfare and the Nuclear Regt.satory Commission. The analysis is contained in report NUREG-0558, " Population Dose and Health Impact of the Accident at Three Mile Island Nuclear Station," and this report I

indicates that the health impact is very small.

The analysis indicates that the potential ranber of fatal cancers that is projected to occur as a result of the accioent. less than 1 (one).

This potential impact would be undetectable compai d to the 325,000 cancer deaths that would nomally be expected to wur in a population of 2,164,000 people estimated to live within 50 mile. of the TMI site.

I have enclosed a copy of NUREG-0558 for your infemation. You may not wist to read the entire report, but ! suggest you read the Preface and Summary and Discussion of Findings on pages 1 through 9 of the report.

Also, the analysis report in NUREG-0558 is being re-evaluated by tN NRC Special Inquiry Task Force and will include the most recent data.

Regarding the psychological impact of the TMI accident, I refer you to page 13 of the Commission's August 9,1979, Order on TMI.

With respect to item 2 of the Goldsboro Resolution regarding waste disposal, the NRC was given regulatory authority over the storage and disposal of all commerically-generated radioactive wastes upon its creation in 1974 by the Energy ReorganiDtion Act. To implement this authority and to provide guidance in the Department of Energy (DOE),

the industry and the public, we are developing new or revised regulatory standards and guidelines for such storage and disposal.

These standards and guidelines will recuire confomance with a fixed set of minimun acceptable perfomance standards for waste mana;erent activities while providing for flexibility in technological approach.

These standards and guidelines will be designed to assure public health and safety and protection of the environment.

With regard to Item 3 of the Goldsboro Resolution, the President's Cornission on the Accident at Three Mile Island, the NRC's cwn investiga+1on, as well as other ongoing studies may detemine that additional actions will be required for nuclear power plants now licensed to operate. Such actions, if required, will be implemented on TMI-l.

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The Honorable Kenneth E. P ers 1 I trust this response provides yod assurance that the concerns addressed in the Goldsboro Resolution are receiving proper actions prior to the restart of TMI-1.

In the meantime, if y:. nave further comments, please feel free to direct them to R. Vollmer (telephone 301/492-7347) within the Commission's Office of Nuclear Reac'.oe Regulation.

Sincerely,

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a 110an:M Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosures:

1.

Commission's Order, dated 8/9/79 for TMI-l 2.

NUREG-0578 3.

NUREG-0558 i

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THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE REFERRAL j

AUGUST 16, 1979 i

ID: 053538

%: NUCIEAR REXLT.ATRY COMMISSIOi REPLY: DIRECT REPLY, EURNISH DifD COPY IF A DEIAY T MORE 'IHAN 9 Days IS DECINIERED PEASE IILENCriE 456-2717. BASIC CORRESKFCDCE AC CC2CROL SHEET A!D COPY T RESPONSE (OR DRAFT) MUST BE REIURNED IV:

AGENCY LIAISCri (ROOM 94), WHI'IE HQ1SE.

MEDIA: DOCIED C, M TED JULY 20, 1979.

10: MESIDDr.' CARITR l

FFOM: 'IEE IDERABM KDt.Tni E MYERS MAYDR & COLDSBORD l

E*"IERS, PA 17319 i

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Etters, Pennsylvania 17319 ornce or TMs Mavon July 20, 1979 j

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Resolution conerning Three Mile Island T0:

Whos It Fay Concern f

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Borough Council of Golds r

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Kenne 'h E. It,ers, Faycr //fv/l' /py

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The attached copy of a Resolution concerning Three Mile Island as voted upon and passed uranimously by the borough councilner at their Mcular neeting held on Mar. day, June 11, 1979, and is for your infemstion.

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RESOLUTIO!!

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j BE IT RESOLVED, by the Borough Council of the Borough

,of Goldsboro, York County, Pennsylvania, and it is hereby resolved i

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by the authority of the same:

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WHEREAS, the recent accident at Three Mile Island Nuclear

' Power Station has clearly indicated that the Federal, State, and Tocal governnents are not adquately prepared to effectively handle 1

,this type of stiuation, and a

W!!EREAS, t is apparent that the Federal F-overnment and i

sits regulatory agercies as well as the State and Local governnents have inadequately prepared for this type of accident, and MIEREAS, the problems which were revealed during the

'recent accident concerninS notification to the citizens and effectively dealing with the nuclear accident must be adequately

. resolved for the protection of the citizens before nuclear energy i

his generated again at Three Mile Island, so that the citizens do not have to live in constent fear of another nuclear accident, and L1IEREAS, as a result of this accident it is not presently known what effect the many releases of low-level radiation will have i

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cn the health and well being of our citizens, and L11EREAS, the Federal Government has not taken adequate i

steps to alleviate the problen associated with spent fuel shich is now beir.g s tored on site.

';0W, THEREFORE, be it resolved that Goldsboro 3crough Council does hereby request that the !!uclear Regulatory Comnission yestpone the start-up of Unit liunber 1 Reactor at Three ffile

' Island until necessary actions are taken to assure the safety of our citizens.

FURTHERMORE, we hereby request the following actions l

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Palso be taken in the best int : rest of our citizens:

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The Federal, State, and Local Governnents through 9

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fadequate planning and funding, be prepared in the following areas

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" o effectively respond to another accident of this magnitude or lt

] greater:

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A.

Comunications and Emergency Notification; I

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B.

Advance training of all government agencies including blocallevel,andtheissuanceofnewradiationdetectionequip-ment to adequately nnnitor any future releases; i

C.

That the N.R.C. be prepared to ircediately respond adequately to any accident of this c:agnitude or greater icnediately i

upon notification of such and to upgrade all areas of response lindicatedtobedeficientduringtheTMIaccident; D.

That the proper Federal and State agencies conduct i

an imediate !!ealth-Environmental-Financial impact study of the

[surroundingaffectedareas to determine what effects the accident

has had on our citizens and publicly make recomendations. This dl study should consider the psychological impact of the TMI accident.

2.

p The Federal Government decide how to deal with the

! removal of the spent nuclear fuel now being stored on the site I and inform the public of the plan for removal of the fuel and

. adequately protect the safety of the citizens during such removal.

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That the start-up of melear generation at Three !!ile h

f Island not begin until all official investigating agencies have pcompleted their investigations and until the above plans and

" actions are completed and the results of the same are taken into

[considerationbytheappropriateagenciesofgovernnent and jall problems be resolved to provide the safe living environnent i

1Ufor our people.

4 The aforegoing Resolution having been processed in

]accordance with law is hereby sustained this Me,[ day o fra%,

l 1979, by the Borough Council of 'he 'crough of Goldsboro.

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n Approved this //d day of6 4(2c q

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