ML19257A029
| ML19257A029 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Humboldt Bay |
| Issue date: | 12/20/1979 |
| From: | Gammill W Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19257A028 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7912310512 | |
| Download: ML19257A029 (7) | |
Text
UNITED STATES OF AMERIC NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD In the Matter of
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PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
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Docket No. 50-133
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(Humboldt Bay Power Plant,
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Unit No. 3)
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AFFIDAVIT OF WILLIAM P. GAMMILL I, '..'illiam P. Gammill, being duly sworn, state as follows:
I am employed by the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as Acting Assistant Director for Operating Reactor Projects in the Division of Operrting Reactors, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
On November 1, 1979, the Staff expressed a desire to consider first-hand the creliminary results of the ongoing seismic and geologic investigations being conducted by the Licensee of the Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit No. 3, including a site visit and a meeting with the Licensee.
See Affidavit of Anthony Thomas Cardone attached to the "NRC Staff Request for Extension of Time in Which to Answer Applicant's Motion to Hold Proceedings in Abeyance,"
dated November 1, 1979.
The purpose of this effort was to ascertain in a preliminary manner what progress had been achieved by the Licensee in supoort of its May 20, 1977 license amendmert application.
This effort was occasicr.ed by the Licensee's motion to hold the captioned proceeding in abeyance until 1664 280 s
7912810 s
October 1,1980.
Operation of the plant was conditionally terninated by
- RC Order of May 21, 1976 and the plant remains in a cold shutdown condi-7 tion.
The plant will remain shut down during the pendency of this proceeding.
Initial plans were made to hold the Staff field investiaation and r.eetings in the vicinity of the plant on December 11-13, 1979. Upon considering the resources required to conduct this short review and the impact of this effort on other ongoing reviews having greater safety significance, it was decided that this review would have to be postponed indefinitely.
The technical and administrative resources of the NRC are limited.
The allocation of these rescurces must be based primarily on considerations of public health and safety.
A delay in the resumption of this proceeding until October,1980 poses little safety risk because Humboldt Bay is
.i a safe shutdown condition. There are activities of appreciable safety importance and urgency presently being considered by the f;RC Staff.
Many of these activities stem from the Three Mile Island, Unit 2, accident of March 28, 1979, and pertain to reactors across the country, including, to some extent, Humboldt Bay.
Many of these activities are described in the "Tiil-2 Lessons Learned Task Force Status Report and Short-Term Recommendations," NUREG-0578 (July 1979), and in the Kemeny Commission report. The Geosciences Branch of the Division of Site Safety and Environmental Analysis in tne Office of
uclear Reactor Regulation, which would be principally involved in the planned site visit and review, is particularly strained.-1/
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1/ The efforts of this branch are primarily devoted to operating reactor licensing reviews (SEP), post CP construction problems, and OL and CP hearing activities (Seabrook, Indian Point, GETR).
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At a press conference on December 7, 1979, the President of the United States stressed the importance of addressing the safety issues described in the Kemeny Commission report in a timely manner.
Although Congress has recently authorized additional 11P.C staffing to cope with the increased work load, it will be some time before such staffing is productively at work.
Because Humboldt Bay is in a cold' shutdown condition, and will remain so during the pendency of this proceeding, a delay in the resumption of activity in this proceeding until 0:tober 1,1980 would simply preserve the status cuo for such period.
The Co : mission's Office of Inspection and Enforcement will continue to regula e the conduct of activities at the plant.
Thus, considering the safety importance and urcency of other tasks stemming from the TMI-2 accident compared with the importance of reviewing the in-vestigative work in progress at Humboldt Bay, it is not likely that the Staff, given its limited resources, will be able to perform a review of'the geologic and seismic investigations being carried out in the Humboldt Say region in the foreseeable future.
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I Willia'Ii P. Gammill Subscribed and sworn to befcre me this 2 0 " s ~., w..;
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My Commission expires:
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WILLIAM P. GAMMILL ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR OPERATING REACTOR PROJECTS DI"ISION OF OPERATING REACTORS OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Mr. Gannill has held h.is present position since June 25, 1979.
Fron May 1978 to June 1979, he was Assistant Director for Standardization and Advanced Reactors. During the period January 1976 to May 1978, he was Assistant Director for Site Technology, Division of Site Safety and Environmental Analysis. From March 1972 until January 1976, he was Chief, Site Analysis Branch.
Mr. Gammill received a B.S. degree with a major in physics from Arkansas State Teachers College in 1952. He did post-graduate study in radiological physics at Vanderbilt University in 1952-1953.
Following three months of field training in health ohysics at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in Company at the National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS)y Phillips Petrolem September 1953 he was emoloyed as a health physicist b near Idaho Falls, Idaho.
From 1953 to 1958 Mr. Gammill worked as a health physicist a'.
the Materials Testing Reactor, Idaho Chemical Processing Plant and the Special Power Excursion Reactor Test Facility.
In October 1958, Mr. Ga=ill accepted a position in the Dosimetry Branch, Health and Safety Divisien, Idahe Operations Office, U. S. Atomic Energy Conpission.
In June 1960 he became Chief, Health Physics Branch, Idaho Operations Office, a position which he held until June of 196:. During this period Mr. Gammill was responsible for eraironmental monitoring at tha NRTS and surrounding area, planning for coping with radiological emergencies, reactor siting studies including review of safety analysis reports, radio-active waste management activities including geologic and hydrologic studies related to the management of such wastes, and acted as the liaison between the Idaho Operations Office and the U. S. Weather Bureau Field Researen Group stationed at tne NRTS.
From June 1966 t: July 1971, Mr. Garcill was radiclogical engineer witn the Division of Reactor Development and Technology, U. S. Atomic Energy Comissior.,
Germantown, Maryland, where he was responsible for monitoring research and development contracts pertaining to atmospheric diffusion, behavior of radio-active aerosols in the atmosphere and in reactor containment buildings under simulated post-accident conditions, migration of radioactive materials in soils and movement of such materials in ground water aquifers, and ship ent of radioactive materials.
In August 1971, Mr. Gammill accepted the positi:n of radiological safety engineer with the Division of Waste Management ar.d Transportation, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission.
In November 1971, he was temporarily assignec to the Division of Reactor Standards, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Bethesda, Maryland, and was apoointed to Chicf, Site Analysis Branch on ". arch 5,1972.
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. As Chief of the Site Analysis Branch and as Assistant Director for Site Technology, he was responsible for directing the review of safety analysis reports in the areas of geology, seismology, hydrology and meteorclogy.
Through interagency agreements, the NRC is supported in these reviews by the U. S. Geological Survey, the Corps of Engineers, and the National Oceanic.
and Atmospheric Ad linistration.
As Assistant Director for Standardization and Advanced Reactors he was responsible for the project management functions for the safety review of standard plant designs and for reviews of applications for construction per-mits, operating licenses and license amendments for advanced. reactors, including fast breeder and gas cooled reactors.
fir. Gammill is presently responsible for the project management activities of three operating reactors br~anches.
This involves the management and coordination of technical reviews of apolications for license amendments for operating power reactors, test reactors, research reactors and critical facilities; and interacting with the Office of Inspection and Enforcement on the review of operating reactor experiences to assess the impact of any accidents or incidents on the safety of the plant and the generic implications of such events on the safety of other ocerating reacters.
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Uf;ITED STATES OF A".EP.ICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY CCo'. MISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD In the Matter of r
PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC
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COMPA!iY Docket No. 50-133 (Humboldt Bay Pcwer Plant,
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Unit No. 3)
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of "NRC STAFF RESPONSE TO APPLICANT'S MOTION TC HOLD PROCEEDING IN ASEYANCE" in the above-captioned proceeding have been served on the followina by deposit in the United States mail, first class or.,
as indicated by an asterisk, through decosit in the Nuclear Regulatory Com-mission's internal mail system, this 26th day of December,1979.
= Robert M. Lazo, Eso., Chairman Linda J. Brown, Eso.
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Donohoe, Jones. Brown & Clifford U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 100 Van l:ess Avenue,19th Floor Washington, D_.C.
20555 San Francisco, California 94102
- Mr. Gustave A. Linenberger Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U.S. ?luclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 Dr. David R. Schink
- Atomic Safety and Licensing Department of Oceanography Board Panel Texas A & M University U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Cermission CollegnStation, Texas 77840 Washington, D.C 20555 Philip A. Crane, Jr., Esq.
- Atomic Safety and Licensing Pacific Gas and Electric Company Appeal Board 77 Beale Street - Room 3127 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Cc:=ission San Francisco, California 94105 Washington, D.C.
20555 Friends of the Earth Michael R. Sherwood, Esq.
Sierra Club Attn: Andrew Baldwin Legal Defense Fund, Inc.
124 Spear Street 311 California Street, Suite 311 San Francisco, California 94105 San Francisco, California 94104 1664 285
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- Docketing and Service Section Bruce florton, Esq.
Office of the Secretary 3216 tl. Third Street, Suite 20.2 U.S. fluclear Regulatory Comission Phoenix, Arizona 85012 Washington, D.C.
20555 l[w QMkf Steven C. Goldberg Counsel for fiRC Staff 1664 286 h