ML19308A859
| ML19308A859 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oconee  |
| Issue date: | 03/22/1977 |
| From: | Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Hollings E SENATE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19308A860 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7912120650 | |
| Download: ML19308A859 (5) | |
Text
_ _. _
b fW 3
j
., 2 i977 -
The Eonorable Ernest F. lfollings nG r
thited States Sanata kl
' M EJ Ik "
a
'dasnington, D. C.
2310
~
Dear Senator Pollings:
Your letter. received February 14, 1377, requested infor ation reoarding a recer.t snill of rcdioactive '.atar into the Keouce River from the Cconeo r
!!uclear ':tation which cccurred on,1anuary 17, ir77.
The licensee renorted the ratter imediately to cur Inspectors fron the Ragion II offica in titlanta. Vio ha.nened to t e at Oconce on other attars at en tim.
Thev -ade a -]ralinin?ry revier! of tha event on Ja.nuary 4: which disclosed ra necd for public clarn.
7.ve t'.31 ts s,
an i..?.'pt:: investigation into the facts surrounding the snill vas ccniucted tho folleuing iteck and coaleted on January 29, 7077.
Coa-nitmaats for i:mo'iata corrective actit ' to.:revent recurrnnce oere obtain.'d fron Duke Pwer Co. pany on Fah,..ar/ 1.
'/hfle cur investigation results iniicata.the spill to have an insignif-icantly sr.all effect on public health, na halieva it was avoidable and that staps should have been taken by the plant staff to reduce the release once it had been detacte<!.
As uith all matters of this tytc, the F.C reviews the aspects of each event to daternine appropriate enforcwent action.
The evaluativo effort is now in arogress.
Phen the investication renort and evalua-tion are carnlete a copy will be fervar@d to you.
For your use in the intarin, we have enclosed a brief surary of actions taken to data.
Your interest in this atter is appreciated..Please let r.e knew if I can be of further assistance.
l Sincerely,
- J A r.
I FDCl 'Au rM !
WeiS3 (See next cana) 3//(, /77 f1 f4 3s/ /77 3/ /77 Iflyl" FC8 dE3,C #
.DF0 0E DD:IE
.D:IE o c.e, -
GCGoferj.'
GWRoy d DThompson JP$urray JGDavis
_ EDlisiau
,m..
3/f/77 3/).(/77
_3L. 77
.3/X/77.
3// //77 3/J//77 t.,
. m - m a.
- 9. m / 5_y a
%,....,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,( 5,,,,,,,,,,,,,
- 791212065D
.~.
The ilan6rable Ernest liollings 2-
Enclosures:
1.
Ltr fm. " People for a Clean Environ.ent" to San Hollings dtd 2/7/77 2.
Su:rary of Inspec. Activities v/atts (3).
Distribution:
L. V. Gossick, EDO W. J. Dircks, ED0 E. Volgenau, 0IE J. G. Davis, DDIE L. N. Underwood, IE G. Ertter (ED0-1501)
LE Files dELDCenteralritesj IE Reading Files EDO Reading Files 0CA (3) w/ine..
l e
9# F'O E *
......-.o St4M A me g g DATS >
._.... l foes. trC.31s (Res. 9 5)) AEC4 0140 W u. e4 eovenNetENT PRINTINS @P#iflEa 1974 988098
.g
,+ gun..m..
m.=
.,>,.3, 4
]
n
( _
f.,
Attachment Summary of Event and Inspection Activities Oconee Unplanned Release of Contaminated Water January 17, 1977 The Oconee Unit 1 Reactor was shut dawn on January 15, 1977, for repair of a steam generator tube leak.
This repair was necessary because small i
amounts of water containing radioactive materials consisting principally of Iodine 131, were leakir.g from the primary coolant system into the secondary coolant system an( contaminating the water in the secondary system.
During a test on the shut down unit on the evening of January 17, 1977, contaminated secondary coolant leaked to a turbine building sump through a broken gasket. The contents of the sump, which are not normally contaminated, were automatically pumped to a pond outside the plant.
The pond overflowed into the Keowee River.
Two inspectors from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Region II (Atlanta) were on site and began looking into this event on January 18, 1977.
Specific information on the released quantities was obtained and evaluated by radiation specialists in the Atlanta office. The Keowee River is the source of potable water for the town of Clemson, South Carolina and the Clemson University and NRC wanted to be sure there was no danger to the public. The evaluation revealed that even though the instantaneous release rate specified in the plant operating license had been exceeded briefly, the released contaminated water, when mixed with 3.5 billion gallons of water flowing into the Keowee River, resulted in an average Iodine 131 concentration in the river water very much lower (at least a factor of 10) than the average annual concentration permitted by rigorous NRC standards set for the protection of the public.
Based upon this evaluation, it did not appear that there was any significant public health i
hazard or need to alert the public.
4 As a precautionary measure, on January 19, the NRC Region II office notified the Department of Health and Environmental Control, State of 4
South Carolina, and sugcested they obtain water samples from the Keowee River for analysis.
Duke power Company also trok water samples for the same purpose at several locations downstream from the release point.
On January 24, the State, having taken samples including samples near Clemson, Scuth carolina, reported to the Region II office that their water analyses had confirmed the initial evaluation.
peak contamination levels were reported by the State to be about a factor of 25 below the permissible average annual concentration. -Water sample results reported by Duke power Company were consistent with the results reported by the State.
)
Having confirmed the initial evaluation (that the release would have an insignificant impact upon public health), there still appeared to be no need to alert the public. The situation at the time, (1/24/77) also did not indicate any heightened public concern to the point where a public 4
announcement was needed to inform or clarify matters.-
j
... - l 3
'~
J.~
Even though the release was insignificant from the public health perspec-tive, certain aspects of the licensee's effluent control practices were reviewed in depth by Region II radiation specialists.
This investigation, which was completed on January 28, indicated the need for corrective action to minimize recur ence.
Commitments for immediate corrective action were obtained from senior Duke Power Company (DPC) management and documented in a letter to DPC on February 1, 1977 (copy attached).
Information received from DPC and other State sources indicated increasing public concern about the release.
Accordingly, NRC issued a public announce-ment on February 2,1977.
DPC also issued a press release on that date.
Copies of both press releases are attached.
On February 4,1977, at NRC's request, representatives of DPC met with the Region II staff in Atlanta.
During this meeting NRC representatives expressed concern about an apparent weakness in DPC's management system which allowed this release to occur.
Duke representatites were informed that in NRC's view the release was avoidable, and that the plant staff did not do all that it should have done to reduce the amount of radioac-tivit" released to the environment.
Duke representatives were responsive.
They.iscussed action already taken and indicated a willingness to take furtner corrective action to prevent recurrence of such events.
Following the news releases on February 2, the NRC Office of Public Affairs reported extensive media coverage of the event in the Clemson area and nearby cities.
The DPC office in Clemson was picketed.
About 200 citizens met with DPC officials on February 15, 1977.
Members of the NRC Region II staff attended this meeting along with representatives from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the State of South Carolina.
l During this meeting DPC stated that in order to rel.ieve public concern about prompt reporting to the public of such events, DPC would henceforth make prompt public announcements whenever radioactive liquid release
- limits had been exceeded.
It has been estimated that this event could result in no more than a 0.5 millirem thyroid dose to individuals drinking Clemson water.
For the purpose of perspective,'0.5 millirem may be compared to EPA's new Fuel Cycle Standard which limits individual thyroid doses to 75 millirems per year (40 CFR 190) and to the current Federal Radiation Council guidance value of 1,500 millirems per year to the thyroid.
Additional perspective can be obtained by comparing 0.5 millirem to the whole body dose of about 100' millirems per year caused by exposure to naturally occurring background radiation.
~
=. :. -
2
i..
Regardless of the low magnitude of the incremental dose to members of the public, the NRC will require DPC-to take effective action to mini-mize the possibility of additional unplanned releases in order to keep individual and general population doses as low as reasonably achievable.
As with all cases of this type, the NRC reviews the aspects of each event to determine appropriate enforcement action.
This evaluation effort is now in progress.
Evaluations of this type include consideration of the i
significance of the event and associated noncompliance with NRC require-ments, as well as the licensee's previous compliance history.
Sanctions available to the NRC include notices of violaticns, civil monetary penal-ties, and orders for modification, suspension or revocation of the license.
Copies of NP.C inspection reports, enforcement correspondence, and DPC's responses are routinely made available for review by the public in the Oconee Public Library at Walhalla, South Carolina.
Attachments:
1.
Ltr to W. O. Parker, DPC fm N. C. Moseley, NRC Region II, dtd 2/I/77 2.
NRC Press Release -
No. II-77-07 dtd 2/2/77, DPC to Limit Radioactive Discharges into Keowee River at Oconee 3.
DPC Press Release to K. Clark, NRC Region II, dtd 2/2/77 i
i
~'
~
-.. =----
m