ML19296B177
| ML19296B177 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Arkansas Nuclear  |
| Issue date: | 01/09/1980 |
| From: | Gossick L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Pryor D SENATE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19296B178 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8002200213 | |
| Download: ML19296B177 (2) | |
Text
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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The Honorable David Pryor y ;,y:
United States Senate Washington, D. C.
20510
Dear Senator Pryor:
I have been requested to respond to your letter of November 29, 1979 to Chairman Hendrie which referenced a letter to your office of November 8, 1979 from Bill Peters of Russellville, Arkansas. Mr. Peters commented upon NRC emergency planning meetings with licensees recently held in his
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locality.
NRC has an active program in progress for upgrading emergency planning in gsis g the environs of all operating nuclear power plants. The program ir.cludes visits to the reactor and its environs by emergency planning teams, and pr meetings with licensed utilities, local and State authorities to discuss QQ new and more stringent requirements. Such meetings are held in the locale of the reactor to facilitate public attendance and observation. Announce-ment of such meetings are mailed to local press, radio and television at least two weeks prior to the meeting to insure early notification and widest possible dissemination.
In addition, the local Public Document Room is requested to post a notice of the meeting.
The meeting is advertised as a technical review meeting and a specified time is set aside for public comments on emergency planning.
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Q To date the emergency planning teams have conducted 22 of these visits.
Our experience has been that one hour has generally been sufficient to receive public comments; however, in certain localities two hours have been scheduled for public coments to insure enough time for everyone to be heard.
It is true that some NRC staff members may have to leave af ter the official public coment period because of other commitments or travel arrangements but in all cases, NRC staff members make themselves available for questions and informal discussions as long as any member of the public wishes. The emergency planning team members are experts in emergency planning; many questions and coments received are on other aspects of reactor technology. Nevertheless, the emergency plannir.g teams are receptive to public comments, and consequently welcome both oral and written statements.
I The visit by the emergency planning team described above is the first step in upgrading emergency plans. The licensed utility is instructed to submit a revised and upgraded plan that complies with the new acceptance criteria within five weeks of the team visit. Written questions by the staff may m
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subsequently be necessary to elicit additional information.
It is planned 4* 'J that a second team visit would be made at a later date to verify the ie implementation of the upgraded plan. At that time, a meeting may be held to discuss the contents of the upgraded plan with the public.
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s The Honorable David Pryor We trust that this information is responsive to your constituent's comments.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to call me.
Sincerely, original signed by it G. Smith [
Lee V. Gossick Executive Director for Operations
I D AVI D' P R Y OR coqueTTtts.
ARKANSAS AGRICULTURE NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY 404 Russr LL 5. hate Orritt betoinc.
GOVERNMENT AL AFFAIRS
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205t0 1030 Fros nat Nitosam LITTot Roca. Annamsas 72201 i S01) 378-61%
November 29, 1979 ca r. Jos eph 11. tie nd r i e Cnai r ma n Nuclear tiegulatory Comuission 1717 si Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
20555 Dea r c1r. tiend r ie:
I an enclosing for your inf orma tion a copy of a letter i nave recently received f rora Mr. Bill Peters of t<ussellville, Arkansas, regarding a concern he has expressed about the way the Nuclear llegulatory Commission conducted a public meeting in regards to its inspection of tne emergency planning of Arkansas Nuclear one.
f4 r. Peters has made a number of comments which I believe merit your consideration.
I would appreciate it if you would review these comments and advise me of any actions or decisions whien may be pertinent.
Your reply will enable me to become more knowledgeable on this uatter, and provide my constituent with an inf orraed response.
Sincerely, M
I David Pry r DP/rr Enclosure J
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The Honorable David Pryor United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 l
s Dear Senator Pryorr l
I just attended the one-hour "public meeting" held by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in regard to its inspection of the emergency planning of Arkansas Nuclear One.
From the way it was scheduled, one would think the NRC was actually attempting to discourage public participation instead of being interested in hearing fror.i the people af fected by its actions.
I would like to express my crit icism and suggest changes in tuture public meetings by the NRC during these and other inspections.
(1) Not enough notice to the public: The NRC provided a press release to the media approximately two weeks ago, announcing that its team would be in town and that the public would be invited to all sessions.
I suppese that the NRC assumed our local media would be ef ficient enough to pass l
this information on to the general public.
Until I called our local newspaper the morning before the public hearing and requested that they publish the time of that meeting, there had been absolutely no times or places given for any of the meet ings open to the public.
I suggest the NRC follow up on its news relcases and request that the media announce schedules.
(2) Public meeting held at the end of schedule: The public had no opportunity to voice their opinions in the earlier scheduled meetings.
I feel that because the public is directly affected, they should have input before the NRC is finished with its proceedings with the utility.
For example, the NRC had no idea that rural Arkansas had hundreds of families without electricity, telephones, or good roads to their ho e s, and they were only able to receive this information after their sessions with the utility when it was to no avail.
I suggest that the NRC schedule the public meeting some time between its meetings with the utility, instead of after its business with the utility is finished.
(3) Public meeting scheduled at poor time of day: Most people in Arkansas have jobs and are expected to be at these jobs to make a living. The public meeting today was held at 1:00 in the afternoon and many people whc wanted to attend were unable because of their job requirements.
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suggest that the NRC schedule public meetings in the evening and night when more people would have an opportunity to attend.
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The lionorable David Pryor November 8,1979 (4) Not enough time
,r p blic meeting: Only one hour was allotted to this only opportunity for the public to personally approach the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with questlons and comments.
This is NOT enou;'h time!
Lack of communication is one of the greatest problems we have today in any business or organization. The NRC apparently feels that communication with the general public le insignificant because of this very brief time given for this meeting.
I requested more time, only to hear the worn-out excuse, "Sorry, I've got to catch a plane."
We were given the address of an NRC official, and were told we could write our questiens to him for answers.
This is not satisfactory!
I suggest that the NRC not only schedule their meetings at a more appropriate time as mentioned above, but also expani the -ecting to up to four (4) hours, as thov do with their t.:ss ions with t he ut il it y.
The LRC will be mai.in~ future inspections of orl'er plants, and will be r(turning to Russel;ville.
A feel that the above fout requests are in order and that with your input, the NRC will comply.
Will you please make every effort to see th it the general public is given _apyle offort unit y to express it s views to the NRC on it s scheduled visit.4 to camunities affected by nuclear power f_lants.
Thank you for your assistance.
Cordfally yours,.
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NFIB gg 6b Westerr. Association l'.2 Dc'oble Perry Carol Matlacl.
Renee Haines-Saine Judy Fossett Pam Barickman Bill Jr.hnson Bill Newsor
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