ML19305E190
| ML19305E190 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Yankee Rowe |
| Issue date: | 03/21/1980 |
| From: | Ahearne J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Vandenburgh D YANKEE ATOMIC ELECTRIC CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19305E191 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8004230095 | |
| Download: ML19305E190 (2) | |
Text
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jt UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g*
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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
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March 21, 1980 CHAIRMAN Mr. D. E. Vandenburgh Senior Vice President Yankee Atomic Electric Company 20 Turnpike Road Westborough, Massachusetts 01581
Dear Mr. Vandenburgh:
Your letter of January 18, 1980 brought to my attention your concern and dissatisfaction with the Region I workshop on proposed changes in the NRC's rules on emergency preparedness held on January 15, 1980 in New York City.
It was the staff's intention to use these workshops to present the proposed rule changes to interested parties and to provide an opportunity for comments and dialogue on the proposed rule changes.
In the case of New York, there was a great deal of public interest in the workshop.
In response to requests from the New York City Council and other organizations, we scheduled additional time for public comments at all workshops, both during the day and in the evening.
The workshops were very successful in San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta.
Even the New York workshop had some success in that the morning session of presentations and questions and answers was quite uusfactory. We regret that the afternoon session of this workshop was~ mjected to some disruption and that we were not able to thoroughly discuss comments from the invited util:ty, State and local government representatives as we had planned.
However, it should be noted that many of the comments received from the participants at the other workshops were repeated from one workshop to another and as a result, we think the staff has been made well aware of the potential problems involved in implementing the proposed rule changes.
In this regard, I am enclosing a copy of a memorandum from the Director of our Office of Standards Development to the Comissioners which provides a summary of the results of the four workshops.
The Commission has requested a staff briefing on this matter.
It is tentatively scheduled for the week of March 24.
We will advise you of the specific date of this public briefing when it is firmly established.
We especially regret the unpleasantness and inconvenience the developments at the Region I workshop in New York City imposed on you and the other invited participants.
We have taken careful note of the lessons learned at this workshop on conducting such a meeting and hope that we will be able to avoid such disruptions in the future.
8 0042 3 0 Od
Mr. D. E. Vandenburgh '
After due consideration, we have decided not to conduct another Region I workshop. The workshops were designed to encouraba public input during the comment period for the proposed rule changes which ended on February 19, 1980. Many of the invited participants from all the workshops, but especially those from the New 'Jork workshop, have been submitting written comments on the proposed rule. These written comments will all be carefully considered in developing the final rule changes.
Moreover, there is the need to move forward with the emergency planning rulemaking.
Thank you for your thoughts on this matter.
S,inc
- rely, hn F. Ahearne i
Enclorure:
i Memo summarizing Workshops on Proposed Emergency Planning l
Rule Changes dtd 1/30/80 l
i l
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