ML19308B593
| ML19308B593 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 12/05/1979 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Martin G AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19308B594 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8001150334 | |
| Download: ML19308B593 (2) | |
Text
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I DEC 5 1979 Ms. Gladys S. Martin Box 134. RD 3 Glenwood Drive Ephrata, Pennsylvania 17522 Cear Ms. Martin:
Your letter to Chaiman Hendrie expressing your concern about the disposal of radioactive water from TMI and your desire to shut down TMI has been referred to me for response.. I regret that the answer to your letter has been delayed.
The accident and its consequences have created a substantial increase in the agency's workload, which has prevented us'from responding to you as promptly as we would have liked.
With regard to your concern about the release of contaminated water, except for releases of liquids containing only low or nondetectable levels of radio-activity to the Susquehanna River, such releases are not currently pemitted.
Before such releases.take place, NRC will evaluate the impact and the evalua-tion will be made available to the public. By this course of action, we will 1
assure that a thorough assessment is completed prior to release of the con-taminated liquids and that the health and safety of the offsite population will be protected.
As a result of releases containing only low or nondetectable levels of radio-activity, the levels of radioactivity in the Susquehanna are indistinguishable from existing background levels at public water supply intakes from the river.
These levels have been confimed by independent measuremeats made by the NRC, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Comonwealth of Pennsylvania.
An example of the type of evaluation that will be perfomed is the Environmental Assessment prepared by the NRC staff concerning the use of EPICOR-II to process contaminated water from the auxiliary building. This assessment addresses only the processing of the water and not its disposal.
Prior to disposal, another assessment will be prepared to evaluate the alternative means of disposal. A copy of the Environmental Assessment is enclosed for your infomation.
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With regard to your coments concerning the possible future operation of TMI-1, the Commission has ordered that a public hearing be conducted to detamine t
whether the. facility should be operated and, if so, under what conditions the restart would take place. Prior to start of the hearings, the NRC staff will ome s >
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conduct a review of technical infomation concerning the restart of Unit 1.
As part of this review, the NRC staff will conduct meetings with the licensee in the presence of the public, and the public will be given the opportunity to raise questions and to make statements. During the hearing, the technical issues that are appropriate tn assure the public health and safety will also be addressed.
In addition, the Hearing Board may consider the psychological impact of future operation on the nearby communities. A copy of the Commis-sion Order that outlines the issues to be considered is also enclosed for your information.
We appreciate your concerns and assure you that every effort is being made to ensure the continued protection of the health and safety of the public.
Sincerely.
e wa Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosures:
1.
Environmental Assessment, NUREG-0591 2.
Commission Order dated August 9,1979 s
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