ML19276H645
| ML19276H645 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Zimmer |
| Issue date: | 11/26/1979 |
| From: | Varga S Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Weiner M AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19276H646 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7912170135 | |
| Download: ML19276H645 (2) | |
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UNtTED ST ATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY CCMMISg gUC DOCJ.. INT ROOM
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,, g Mr. Mike '..iener 7560 Forest Rcac Cincinnati, Chio 45230
Dear Mr. 'aiener:
Let me #irst express my regrets for tne delay in res:cnc"ng to your Acril 26, 1979 letter to the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatcry ScT ssion in wnich you ex;ressec ccncern about the Zimmer Nuclear ;oer Stati r.
As you can imagine, a great many letters frcm the oa:lic hi.e come into the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the months following "e
n ee Mile Island accident, all of unich we are answering as fast as rescu-cas cermit. We also neecec the time to complete our studies suffic;ently sc tnat we are able to answer ycur concerns more directly.
A lot of people, in addition to the staff at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, have been looking at all aspects of thi5 accident. Based Or cur findings so far, here are some answers to your questions:
There was an incident at Davis-Besse in September 1977, anotner plant with a Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) reactor, that foreshadowed several as ects of the TMI-2 accident. Also a warning by a senior engineer at E&L that more precise instructions be given to operators was misplaced.
- hi s wa-ring, i ssued 13 months before the TMI-2 accident, if heedec, could nave crevented the accident.
These were findings made by the President's Commission in its recent report on the accident at Three Mile Island.
The President's Commission also concluded that while equi; cent failures initiated the accident, the fundamental cause of the accident was "o;:erator error."
And so we also agree that correction of prccecural and training deficiencies are among the most important factors in recucirg the likelihood of accicents of this type happening again.
You live about 30 miles from the Zimmer plant; and ~u wanted to know how you would be affected in case the Three Mile Island ci.
1ces would happen at the Zirrmer plant. Even though there was high radiat1u iside the reactor building, the increase in offsite radiation dose te persons living within a 50 mile racius cf the Three Mile Islana plant was acott are cercent of the annual cose from natural background radiat on s:u-ces.
- n the basis i
of prese'n scientific knowledge the radiaticn ccses recel.e: Cy the genera!
- opul at'
as i result cf exposure to *re radicacti.'i.y e:sise dur'9c
- ne acc::en; v.e e sc small that there w ll De nc ce:ecti::t ic :ticral i
cases :" :ancar is a Ocnsecuence of re accicer.. -ness
..s s al50 part of the # r:' i;s c '. e besident's Comi s sion.
7012179 83'S
"r. m.e utener,,,,,,3 7;
'.a are in the process of ::roleting our c' ins regar:ing : a ;st
- :'a
- esigns and.:rocedures, inclucing coerator trainirig and eme ;ency : i:2 3:ne:s r'ans
':a s e: on evaluations of the Three Mile :sland accicer.:.
ise s:.i e ents, when aporoved cy tne *;uclear Regula: ry :croissicn, weil' :t 2:: ed to n.: lear power plants, including the Zircer Station.
I hooe that this information is helpful to you.
S perely,
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Leven A. '!a ga,'::-' ;,lisi stant Director # r ' gat Scar Seactors Div sion o# 'r jec.
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