ML19281B655
| ML19281B655 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/30/1979 |
| From: | Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Friedheim J AMERICAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19281B654 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7905300525 | |
| Download: ML19281B655 (2) | |
Text
.
orm rD STATES f
NUCl.E AR REGUI ATORY COMMISSION f
- ,,f )
v:. w e m on. o.c. m m April 30, 1979
..' ) >
9 Of f ICf Of THC C H Alh M AfJ Mr. Jerry W. Friedheim American Newspaper Publishers Association The Newspaper Center Box 17407 Dulles International Airport Udshington, D.C.
20041
Dear Mr. Friedheim:
I have your letter of T.pril 13, 1979, inquiring abcut the n.eaning o." ry much-quoted co::nent on the First krendrent, made during the press of the Conmis', ion's actions on the Three Mile Island accident.
The ccm.:ent was a wry joke, one of thcse b;ts cf gallows humor that 50T3 of us use to vent feelings in a high-stress situation in preference to profc ni ty.
(I do confess to swearing tco, en occasion.)
I exptct vie all have made such indiscreet statements at one tire or another Indeed, it would not surprise r.2 if there were a good many of the publishers, editors, and staff of your 1335 ANPA member orcanizations who give vcice to their frustrations in the sane way from time to time.
Perhaps I can look to a more understending view from them.
I do note t'at in r..ost of the published material I have seen thus far on the
.ma tte r, r.,y cc:=.c n t Wa c reccgnized as wry humor during an emergency rathe r than eny serieJs asscult on freedom of the press.
I r. light note that icy com. tent came on the af ternoon of March 31st in the midst of a series of urgent calls to Governor Thornburgh and to 10 cal officials in Pennsylvania to assure them that there had been ne change in our assessment of the need for evacuation of the people around Three Mile Island.
Those calls were to counteract some inaccurate media reports.
What had happened was that I had held a press briefing an hour or two earlier and talked about the condition of the reactor and the hydrogen bubble that was then a niajor concern.
Someone asked if we would want co evccuate the area when we finally took steps to remove the bubble. I answered tha t that was a possibility, that when we went over the procedures to be used we would consider whether a precautionary evacuation should be recommended to Governor Thornburgh, and that any such decision was seme days away.
790530095~
_2_
Some of the press reports of that exchange converted the possibility of a future evacuation to a ccrtainty.
Tt y ignored all the qualifying elements and said in effcct that NPC had ordered an evacuation, presumably immediately.
These were the media reports causing the problem in the area and giving rise to toy comment, made ia exasperation at their inaccuracy cnd dengerous effects.
I believe. t would be helpful to all of us --
Government end media -- to explore more thoroughly the press aspccts of the lhree Mile Island accident.
I would 'elccme your suggestions on how to do this.
I trust you it ll make full copies of our exchange of correspondence i
available to all of your members.
Assuring you of my high regard for the members of your association and my continued dcvotion to the Constitution and all of its Amendrents, I an
., Sincerely, i
m_ %:-~ J ~.Q 3
dosephM.Hendrie Chairman cc:
Jody Powell Hon. James R. Schlesinger Nuclear Regulation Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public L'orks Energy and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Committce on Interior and Insular Affairs Energy end Power Subccmmittee of the House Ccmmittee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
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