ML19289F900
| ML19289F900 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 04/18/1979 |
| From: | Bassett H NRC OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS (MPA) |
| To: | Haller N NRC OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS (MPA) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7906210077 | |
| Download: ML19289F900 (9) | |
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UNITED STATES
.,, S NUCLEAR REGULATORY CC'.".11ssIGN WASHINGTCN, D. C. 2C555
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April 18, 1979 MEPORAf4DUM FOR: tiorman M. Haller, Director Office of Management and Program Analysis FROM:
Harold S. Bassett, Director Division of Information, Analysis and Planning, MPA
SUBJECT:
RECOLLECTIO 15 Oil THREE MILE ISLAtiD Per Mr. Gossick's request the following surparizes my experiences at the Incident Response Center after the TMI accident.
Although my actual participaticn at the IRC occurred after toe time Mr. Gossick is interested in, it involved listening to telephone tapes of the period in question. My personal involvement was limited to April 6th and 8th.
On Friday, April 6, I went to the IRC af ter work to check on the progress of our people
- who were recoristructing the chronology of events that occurred on t' arch 28th, the day of the accident.
My total tire at the IRC on Friday was about one hour (circa 5:30-6:30 p.m.).
On Saturday evening, April 7, the EDO called me at home and asked if I would listen to the telephone tapes and summarize the events surrounding the evacuation of pecple from the accident area.
Larry, Bill and I spent the next day, April 8, from about 8:00 a.m. 'til 6:30 p.m. listening to the telephone tapes of March 30th. The products from both of these assignments were used as background information in preparing Chairman Hendrie's Congressional testimony.
Steve Conver has the chronolcgy of the events on March 28.
I have attached a copy of selected evacuation conversations from the March 30 tape which was given to Mr. Gossick.
- MPA people who worked at the IRC include Steve Conver, Bill Maher, Sybil Kari, Larry Vandenberg, Jayne Rakowski, Doris Cay and myself.
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Harold S. Bassett, Director Division of Information, Analysis and Planning, MPA
Attachment:
As stated cc:
S. Co.tver 241 2/8 9 0 6 21ca7 7 f
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NOTES FRCM IRC TELEPHONE TAPES FCR FRICAY, P. ARCH 30, 1979
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(Items below are derived frcm a scan of the Incident Response Center's telephone tape recordings beginning at 7:30 a.m. and
'ending at 1:30 p.m., March 30, 1979.. These entries are selec-
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tions only and do not represent the product of a complete audit.)
AM 9:C3 (ch 7) = uncontrolled release... airborne ( Abraham)..1200 mr/hr
...if true civil defense will start prep for evacuatica
...but requires Governor 9:15 (ch 2)
= collins to Ryan's secy...Ryan should come to Oper Center because of talk about evac around plant 9:16 (ch 7)
= Gossick... teginning to look 1 ke evac.. notify Ccmmissicners, White House Situation rcom, Coe etc.
9:17 (ch 2)
= Collins to Col. Henderscn [PEMA]..1200 mr release.
NNE Royal ton and Middletown.. have you issued evcc orders?...No.
Collins reccarends evac out to 10 miles.
Henderson says wcuid start with five 9:18 (ch 7)
= Denton to Gilinsky, Bradford, Ahearne [Gilinsky not available]
.9:20: reccarends evac dcanwind of plume for first five niles
.. 9:23:...better start evac soon in Middletcwn b :23 (ch 2)
= Lenton...lighway patrol waiting for confirnation frcm Gov of fice 9
9:27 (ch 2)
= Collins to State Health office [Pa. Rad Health] discussing the cancellation of evac ceder... conversation ends at 9:31
... reading at stack of 2 R/hr 9:34 (ch 7)
= Gossick to Ccmmissioners [ conference call]:
-decide on what to tell the Gov regarding evac
-Gov waiting for NRC recommendation [ note: already made recom to PEMA. ]
-Denton: have probably missed chance to minimize individual dose but may still minimize population dose
-peopic at site in better snape to run an evac plan
-need to contact owner of plant to get better ccmmunications
-Denton suggests that NRC get senior people up to control room around the clock Fouchard.. 0PA rep. states Harold Collins called Pa.C.D.
9:39 (ch 2)
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and reccmmended that they evacuate immediately.
J. Fcuchard:
accurate?... Collins: That's what we were told to tell them.
Phil Stewart called frcm site and asked if Collins reccmmended
,_ 9 :49 (cn 5)
=
p evac 5-10 miles.... based Cn reading of 1.2 R/hr Stewart says hignest onsite is 25 mr/hr and highest offsite is it cr/hr 241 279
(Friday, March 30, am-continued) 9:52 (ch 7)
Case, Fouchard... till recom precauticnary evac Erian Grimes reccm people stay in their houses...end 9:55 9:52 (ch 13) = critical as to_whether the evac gets crdered [Ed?]
9:54 (ch 2)
= Ryan to Henderson: we don' t kncw what the Chairman will say...
recom precauticnary evac to five miles, is cur reccanendation from this center... opinicn of the people in this center
...end 9:57 9:55 (ch 13) =... plant not recom evac... Region I and State recom evac 10:05 (ch 4) = c llins to State Rad Health, the latter c:mmenting on o
inadequate ccTnunicaticns ar.d asking t'at NRC go through Rad Fealth befora contacting Civil Defense... Collins states he was told to call CD 10:12 (ch 7) = Hendrie to Gossic:
talked with Gov.. no evac now; recca stay indcors till informa ticn gets better...up to five miles...
recca from SP encorsed by Harold and Ed
. Gov holding; Hendrie: would yoi. still make reccamendation?
Denten:.most rete it data confirms State information [not 1200 but 14-25 mr/hr]...c.10 am c50 mr at 600 C 2: above stack, wind velocity is 0 O
10:50 (ch 7) = Hendrie: President ;ust called...will be sending cc munications syr tem..."cIlmer needs backup
- 1:C0 (ch 5) = evac reccm based on ad icwiedged erroneous information, but
, cot changing..Phil Stewart, Larry Cohen 11:22 (ch 7) = no need for evac.. stay indcors,sithin 10-mile radius [enlargeo area frca 5 to 10 mi radius]
(ch 5) = Gossick to Corie... helicopter arrangements 1125 (ch 4) = be prepared fcr evac in 10-mile area in direction of plume 11:25 (ch 7) = Gossick and Abraham: Harrisburg airport closed...tell Gov another burp between 12 and i 11: 40 (ch
) = report of Gov putting four counties on alcrt... mary residents leaving Middletown 11:42 (ch 7) = Gov press secy just had press conference...r,eporters most interested in whether release intentional or accidental 11:43 (ch 10)= Eoyce Grier...Centon and EMT, with Gossick ccncurrence, recommend that area be evecuated
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11:45 (ch 3) = Eurp at 11:09 was for 15 seconds duration.
P 24i 280
J 11:55 (ch 7) = Abraham to John Davis /ECO: press conference by Met Ed p,
jus t concluded... newscasts commen ting tha t info conflicts f
with Federal, State and local reports EDO reports Congressman Goodling wants a cccmunications rep on scene... call CA about it PM 12:05 (ch 6) = Gossick to Chairman: checking before talking with Jody Pcwell
...a) advise that people stay indoors...b) pregnant women and pre-school children b'e evacuated as a precautionary measure, only to a 5-mile radius from plant 12:12 (ch 5) = Case to John Austen confirming Chairman's recornendation...
people who are sensitive tc radiation like pregnant wcmen and young children 12:13 (ch 3) = to Region I, Grier: confusion on evac... Chairman's recom and Governor's action not totally in agreement 12:37 (ch
) = Mattson.to Hendrie: [ discussion relatud to hydrogen bubble...
not periedic releases of radioactivity]
-50 of 52 thermocouples show declining temperature or stable
-appears to'be fuel damage
-bubble is 1000 cu. ft. in upper head...mostly hydrogen, indicating metal-water reaction
-p robl em: hcw to get non-condensibles cut of reactor
-recom NRC move people frcm 5-mi radius, 40,000 population Gossick on line... room for press being set up in E/W tc.2rs
...end 12:53 12:55 (ch
) = frcm " Harry": Gov has announced that pregnant wcmen and pre-school children should leave.
t 241 281
Summary of IRACT Tapes - 0821 - 0916 r.ours - 3/28/79 (All Channels)
Channels 4, 5 0847 Dudley Thompson to Tom Carter (NMSS)
(Ch. 5)
- Don't need NMSS rep, will notify Dircks.
C849 Bill Ward to Randy Pine (CA) 0900
- Notification, said she would call local Congressman (Heinz, Sweikert)
Bill Ward to Jones (Ccmmunicaticns Branch) 0906
- Told him to expect traffic.
0910 Grier (RI) to Moseley (IRACT) - explaining nature of prcblem Stcpped at 0915.
Channels 3-20 IRACT Moseley to Stello - notification (Eisenhut there also)
C831 Asked for radiological expertise at IRC.
(C835:06)
Said reactor seemed OK, problem seemed to be with rel ease.
Said he'd call cack.
0831:39 J. Davis to Gossick - Back in contact w/ reg.,
(Ch. 6)
(7:09 side emerg.
7:45 gen. emerg.) Want to activate EMT. Will call Denton, then Chairman) 0834:
Davis to Denton - Ed Case answered.
(He and Denton were ir (Ch. 6) meeting).
(0836:16) 0836:30 Davis to Chas's. Office - Secy. said Chmn not in today. Dorie answered.
Gave John Chen's phone number.
0838:10 Karen Jackson to ROI - have someone (Woodruff or Kirkpatrick) bring TMI FSAR to I.R.C. and come down.
0640:10 Davis tries to call Hendrie at home.
(Ch. 7)
C201 Davis asks NRC operator to call Chmn.
(Ch. 7) 241 282
2 346:00 Davis to Chen's Office - Chmn. may be at hosp.
Corie Ch. 7 talked.
Davis said he would try Gilinsky.
Dorie said Gilinsky not usually in early and that Chmn. at Wash. Hosp. Center.
Dorie said they would have Chan.
call Davis.
0847 Ward to Miller, Pagano, NRR - Pagano out of town.
Ch. 11 MILLER NOT IN.
0848:00 Thompson to Carter.
.?.rd to John Davidson 'sNMSS SG). Nocification.
CSa9:30 Ch. 3 0.erator to J. Davis. - Karen Jackson answered.
C ll C349
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stopped 0352 Davis to Comm. Kennedy.
Notification.
Davis said that C855:24 K. was the first Commissio, er he was aole to reach.
Ch. 7 K. said he would notify Gilinsky's of fice and that G. would be in soon.
John D. said that Fouchard, Case, Davis and Gossick were in EMT.
John Miller (NRR) to Ward C856 Gossick to Dorie.
Secy. said D. was in Gilinsky's office.
Ch. 6 C846 Gossick to Corie in Gilinsky's office.
D. returned Ch. 6 to his office.
0857 Gossick to Dorie.
Put John Austen on the phcne.
G.
C858 said Dorie should personally notify Chmn.
Ch. 6 0857 Davis to Ahearne.
Notification.
A. asked whether reactor 0904 shut down and whether state notified.
Outside Ch. /
inspector.
Foucha d added several words to Ahearne.
Ahearne asked for Case - wanted an explanation of the event.
Weiss to DOE (?) Erergency Operations Center (Jerry C859 0901:35 Coombs Office) - Notification.
12/15 241 283
3 0902 Weiss to EPA (?)
i 0905 i
12/15 0908 Fouchard to Carl Abraham (RI) - asking for uptate on 0911 media coverage.
Fouchard and Davis gave some Ch. 6 instructions.
Fouchard said he would send Strasma.
0910 Gossick to CA (Pine) - Asked if CA had heard from 0911 Congressmen.
Pine said yes but Ward was keeping her Ch. 7 info rmed.
0912 Eleanor (NRR) to Brian Grimes - reporting on contact Continues part 0915 with meteorologist.
Ch. 3 0915 Fouchard to DOE (Public Affairs (Harris) (Bob Dulin) 0917 Notification.
Ch. 7 Tace starts at C321 C823 Weiss, Moseley to Grier.
Getting info. on accident.
Ch. 2 C826 Grier didn't know whether material had escaped offsite.
0828 Grier getting ready to send someone to site.
RI notified at 0745 Indications of failed fuel Noone at site, 4 inspectors dispatched right now.
200R per hour insdie containments at tome of dome reported.
Less than 1..
per hour at boundary 6:50 declared site emergency 7:24 declared general emergency 8:35 - end first
^'7:45 Region I notified.
-- 8:36 confer-sation with Boyce Grier.
241 284 e
e.
4 8:31 Moseley to Stello and Daryl Nash.
Report on event.
8:35 Requests people experienced in radiological release Ch. 3 calculations.
8:40 Mike Wilbur to Boyce Grier. Checkinc site boundary Ch. 2 radiation levels.
Ccnfirms Unit 2 and was at 985 power when turbine tripped.
Confirms there is telephone contact from region to site.
Greg Yukas - Region I specialist - comes on line to report on radiation levels:
200 R per hour as measured by monitor in top of dome by health physicist in charge.
Same detector reports both 5CO and 1,000 R per hour.
20CR @ 8:00 600 R @ 8:20 1,000 R @ 8:45 Containment pressure at 1 p.s i, indicating leak.
i No problem in controlling over-exposures awaiting helicoper from Pa. State 3olice for use in environmental monitcring j
12 HF available + 7 supervisors.
j Not sure if reactor tripped at same time as turbine j
tripped.
Confirms wind directio 6,000 R reportti at con ment come calculated based
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on receiving 60 R throu;
o f l e a d
- figures questioned Another monitor reads l jR per hour - no shieldi,e.
Conjecture that monitor in reactor dome affected j
by steam-initial iodine concentrations reported.
REACTOR OPERATOR COMES ON LINE Turbine trip cid cause reactor trip.
No indication of coolant level.
Eoyce Grier to talk to Mcseley by calling on new line.
No power spike indicated IE region has phone line open to control rocm.
Key question from E/W is how is reactor core being cooled.
Ccnversation continues beyond 9:15 a.m.
241 285
5 8:54 Bill Ward to Jim ?, also Denny Crutchfiu;a. To 8:56 niake IAT notification.
Ch. 3
- Notes that Stello notified to come to incident center.
- Morris Howard is at incident center.
8:57 Sam (Brown)
Calling for Jack LeDoux; wants best PWR 8:58 man to come to incident center.
Ch. 3 9:12
? to ? - meteorology info and radiation info.
9:15 Ch. 3 241 286
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