ML19290E240
| ML19290E240 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | La Crosse File:Dairyland Power Cooperative icon.png |
| Issue date: | 02/10/1980 |
| From: | Morse A COULEE REGION ENERGY COALITION |
| To: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8003050528 | |
| Download: ML19290E240 (4) | |
Text
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February 10, 1990 Mr. Harold Denton Chief Nuclear Reactor Regulation Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555
Dear Mr. Denton:
This letter is to inform you of some very disturbing events that have occurred in the past few weeks with regard to Dairyland Power Cooperative of La Crosse, WI and its activities relative to the operation of the Genoa nuclear facility.
As concerned area citizens we feel that Dairyland Power, with your cooperation, was able once again to successfully preclude our legitimate participation in a matter that bears directly on our health and well-being.
As I am sure you are aware, a meeting scheduled for January 11, 1990 in Nashington between the licensee, NRC technical staff and yourself to consider "a phase-out of the lifetime of LAC 3WR" was cancelled at the last minute.
Consistent with the NRC policy out-lined over a year ago as to the desirability of informing intervenors of all meetings which relate to the concerned reactors, and not simoly meetings regarding ex parte matters, staff counsel Colleen Woodhead informed us on Tuesday, January 8 of the abovementioned meeting scheduled for the following Friday.
After concluding that this meeting was of sufficient import to warrant personal attendance, the Coulee Region Energy Coalition agreed to pro /ide funds for the trarsportation of the intervenors to the January lith meeting.
Able only to afford automobile transportation, Mark Burmaster, George Nygaard and I left for Washington the following evening.
That our intended presence at the meeting was objecticable to Dairyland is all too clear, as evidenced by a Thursday a.m.
call to Woodhead from Dairyland's counsel, O. 3.
Hiestand.
Mr. Hiestand was obviously disturbed that staff counsel had informed the intervenors of the scheduled meeting.
At no time during this conversation did Mr. Hiestand suggest that the meeting might be cancellad.
Not until Thursday p.m. did Dairyland inform Jim Shea of the NRC staff that Dairyland intended to cancel the meeging scheduled for the following afternoon.
As you can see by the accompanying article, Dairyland offered two reasons for cancelling the meeting.
In looking back over the circumstances surrounding such cancellation, it is incomprehensible to us that the " official" reason given, i.e. the issuance by the ASLB of the decision on expansion of LACBWR's SFP, was in fact the most significant reason.
Woodhead had informed DPC's counsel as early as Y 6C23 sc lll H
2 Tuesday that the ASL3 decision would be out before the meeting on Friday.
Clearly, the issuance of the decision caught no one by surprise, and especially Dairyland.
Thus, we are left to inevitably conclude that Dairyland, in the high-handed fashion that so often has characterized its dealings with intervenors and other local citizens, believes that it can take lightly the much-touted " openness policy" that the NRC professes to follow.
In this instance citizen partici-pation was all too effectively thwarted.
At this time we feel that it is incumbent upon the NRC to take some action, if only to make clear to all that the NRC does, in fact, regulate the utilities, rather than merely following their lead.
It is our position that henceforth any and all meetings between Dairyland and the NRC relating to LAC 3WR be held in La Crosse, where those most affected by the operation of LAC 3WR are afforded the opportunity to participate and inform themselves on the issue.
Both the local press and interested individuals have heretofore been singularly unable to obtain from Dairyland an unguarded and accurate assessment of the on-going status of the facility.
It is just this paucity of information that leads directly to mistrust and suspicion on the part of those who attempt to inform themselves.
We look forward to your response on our request as to the location of future meetings.
Within our organization sentiment is such that we could not be more frustrated with Dairyland and the way in which it has chosen to respond to local citizen participation.
Sincerely, Anne K. Morse for the Coulee Region Energy Coalition AK:.1/akm Encl.
cc Honorable William Proxmire, U.S. Senator Honorable Gaylord Nelson, U.S. Senator Honorable Al Baldus, U.S. Representative Mr. Stanley York, Chairperson, Wisc. PSC
f 4-Monday, February 25,1980 k
i i
[
N EaCrosse truune f
An Independent Newspaper KENNETH 0. BLANCHARD, Publisher
_ ENNETH F. rEACHOUT. Editor THOMA S s. JENKS. oeneral Manager _
K RICHARD MIAL. Oornton Page Editor DA VID B. OFFER. Managing Editor ^
W T. BURGESS. Pwister Emeritus SANFORD GCLTZ.Etter Ementus Founded in 1904 Keep open debate
- on nuclear oower i
=
.h
' ! The need for open discussion and 4tomic Energy Act designates the 1
[ debate on nuclear power has never oublic adjudicatory hearing as '
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been greater.
such a forum. It provides a unique
, And etforts of anti-nuclear activ-vehicle for obtaining a:iswers in ists to get the Nuclear Regulatory oublic to controversial questions Commission to hold more of its Nuclear power is sufficiently 7
meetings and hearings in La Crosse controversial that its problems or i
could result in positive benefits to all apparent problems must be l
citizens and consumers - no matter dealth with and resolved on the
\\
if they support or oppose nuclear merits in full view of the public.
' power.
f At issue, of course,is the future of Last month Dairyland officials _
Dairyland Power Cooperative's nu-planned to travel to Washington to clear plant at Genoa. The NRC's
.get some information from the NRC.
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board The trip was canceled at the last t
- month approved Dairyland's re-minute, primarily because the NRC 7
q'
- t to expand its spent fuel storage said the meeting would probably not faculties at Genoa. But Dairyland is produce the information Dairyland still operating the plant on a provi-sought.
sional license. Its request for a full But another factor in Dairyland's i
operating license is still pending.
decision not to go to Washington was l
A frequent complaint heard from
. the fact that members of the Coulee the utility industry is the public's Region Energy Coalition were dnv-lack of knowledge about nuclear ing to Washington to attend the
~ power. This source of power deser-meeting. The presence of nuclear op.
~
ves the closest possible public scru-ponents at the meeting would have tiny, and holding more heanngs in La reduced it to a " state of disarray,"
Crosse instead of Washington could according to one Dairyland official.
help that end.
Dairyland needs access to the When it made its decision on the NRC, and the public is not entitled spent fuel expansion, the Atomic by law to sit in every time a Dairy-Safety and Licensmg Board had this land officials seeks an answer to to say about the need for public some question from the NRC. But at awareness:
the same time, the public needs ac.
? '. d'-: r "
cess to those NRC meetings and ' 'l.
4 faced with such strongly-held hearings that are open to the public.
differences of opinion, it is impor-11olding more meetings and hear-tant to resolve the questions in a ings in La Crosse would ensure that Y
public forum, unless clearly pro-nuclear power gets the full public de-hibited by applicable rules. It'e
' bate that is needed.
t i
f
W S
neC f
Hv DAVID STOEFFLER with the intervenors over the By DAVID STOEFFLER 4
Of the Tribune Staff plant.
m Of the Tribune Staff
/
He said that hearings are Dairyland Power Cooperative is trying to A meeting between Dairyland demandmg in terms of staff time Power Cooperatise and the Nu. that must be devoted to prepar-find out if it is going to be able to break even fi-clear Regulatory Commission on ing for them and attending nancially on its Genoa nuclear power plant.
the future of the Genoa nuclear them. and that past hearings And. among other thmgs. the utility hopes to power plant has been postponed. have been "very discouraging" c! ear the air about the posubihty that a damag-as far as public opinion towards mg carthquake could occur at the Genoa plant.
The meetmg. which was to be the plant.
Dmrvland has requested a mcctirg Friday in DO today in Washmaton. D C., was Wa'h neton. D C., with Harold Denton, the postponed at the request of Dairyland has until Tuesday to chw! W operatons for the Nue! ear Regulatorv Dairvland following notification convince the NRC that there are Com ussion and other NRC officials about th'e Thursday that the plant had re-no problems with seismic condi-statas and future of the Genoa plant.
ceived permission to expand the tions at the plant.
Accordeg to Richard Shimshak. plant super.
capacity of its used fuel storage intendent. Dairyland hopes to get answers to a well.
If Dairyland's consultants and number of questons regardmg the plant and its
~g A need to assess the expan. experts cannot show the NRC future as far as government regulatory require.
ston's effect on the plant's future that there is no danger of an mer.ts are concerned..
played a part in ca!bng off the earthquake causing damage to "We're confident that we have a safe plant."
meeung But also enteringinto the p; ant then the NRC will Shimshak said Wednesday. but he added that 3
- he dernion were doubts bv :ssue 2n order that will force the luestion ts "where do the regulatory re.
Dattvland officials that Wv Dairyland to pursue costly earth-quirements finally price the plant right out of were prepared enough for a quake prevenuon measures.
a m ence?"
q memg_tMLtonH x,
,g If the NRC issues that order.
ihe plant is f:cing a number of expensive bv newsman and)y_mece s of it also may mean there will be a equipment anj manpower additions m the the Coulee Recon Enefgy_Coak, public hearmg on the issue.
wake or last year s Three Mt:e Island accident lon, a La Crosse-based anti-in Pennsylvama - additions that NRC officials nue! ear group.
have esumated may cost each nuclear plant. no Three members of the coali-matter how small, between $15 m:lhon and $25 tion planned to attend the meet-milhon.
ing, leavmg Wednesday night to g
~ With costs that large. Shimshak said the 46 dnve to Washmgton. D.C.
t., q g e,$ g megawatt Genoa p! ant would have to run a long According to Richard Shim-t, Ib- )D A E f me in order to make up the expense shak. Genoa plant superintend-In add Uon. Shimshak said, the NRC is "un-ent. the presence of these people and newsmen at the meeting
) ii may have obstructed the pur-I*
pose of the meeting. that being for Dairvland to get some an-swers from the NRC about what fmancial demands are gomg to
~ placed on the plant.
be "3 would not have the mee mg ntnuant to a state ut disarray
}v ** " awe of the intetie-nas w% hwa,n adamant nd hrnelnt view" about!ha condi-
- g. '
(tion of the Genna r! ant l
But. 5ttimshak said, one NRC official had warned that Dairy-
!and would not find the answers it was looking for anyway, be-cause it was not presenting any plans - just seeking answers.
As a result. Shimshak said Dairvland is considering other methods of pursuing the infor-Rg manon.
At this point. he said Dairy-land will prcbably prepare a let-ter presenting specific ideas on the plant's future and additions that myht be needed.
Then a meet'ng could be held
- with the NRC on the items in the ktter Shimshak said that the etter would become public, and al-though that might cause some proMems. It wnuld avnid getting D.m.' u. ! e,.mocr 'manne