ML19308B890
| ML19308B890 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 06/28/1979 |
| From: | Fabian B METROPOLITAN EDISON CO. |
| To: | Foster C NRC - NRC THREE MILE ISLAND TASK FORCE |
| References | |
| TASK-TF, TASK-TMR NUDOCS 8001170499 | |
| Download: ML19308B890 (16) | |
Text
{{#Wiki_filter:e-. 9 ~3 f. Metropolitan Edison Company Post Office Box 542 Read:ng Pennsylvania 19603 215 929-3601 June 28,1979 ) Mr. Chip Foster Special Inquiry Group on TMI 6935 Arlington Boulevard - Bethesda, MD 20014
Dear Mr. Foster:
I am responding to your telephone request yesterday for the trans-cripts of press briefings, conferences, statements, etc. that were made bf Met-Ed from March 28 until the time when the NRC took over the respon-sibilities for issuing public statements regarding the TMI accident situation. Enclosed please find those transcripts, etc. that I know to be available. YoursJrul j d" f(f(f ' [ / J Blaine F. Fabian Manager-Communications Services BFF:dle Enclosures cc: Ernest Blake, Esq. THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS P00R QUALITY PAGES f
e ATTACHMENT A .( Initial Statement. 7:30 A.M., March 28, 1979 "The nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island Unit 2 was shutdown as prescribed when a malfunction related to a feedwater-pu~p occurred about 4:00 a.m., Wednesday (March 28). The entire unit was systematically shut down and will be out of service for about a week while equipment is checked and repairs made." I I i ( j
r_ e ATTACF&!ENT D ( We had a turbine trip early this morning due to a feedwater problem in the secondar side of the plant (not a nuclear problem). This caus,ed the reactor to trip on hi.h preseure, which was followed by the pressurizer refief valves r relieving. which resulted in a radioactive water release in the reactor building. Sin:s rhis radioactive coolant vater was released inside the reactor building, this led :s the emergency plan implementation. Radiation monitoring teams have been dispt:ched on site and off site to monitor for possible external radioactive releases. None has been found, and we do not expect any. We a:t presently bringing the plant down to an orderly cold shut-down conditien, with no consequences to the public expected. 10 R D - 3L18 71 ( 3 e-L
~ r P ATTACHMENT E Statement ?repared For Answering Press Queries As Of Noon. March 28. 1979 At 4:00 a.m. Wednesday, the reactor at TMI Unit 2 was automatically tripped and shut down due to a mechanical malfunction in the System. All procedures dictated by state and regulatory authorities have beat followed, including the routine notification of state Civil Defense, Environmental, and police authorities. In accordance with procedure, radiation levels are behg monitored in and around the plant. At this tima, there hav. been no recordings of any sipificant levels of-radiation, and none are expected outside the plant. No evacuation of the local population is indicated at this time. The reactor is being coeled according to design by the reactor coolant system and should be cooled by the end of the day. There is no danger of a moltdown. Unit 1 at TMI is presently out of operation for a routine refueling, The two units together produce about 1700 r=< of electricity. There were no injuries { cither to plant workers or to the public. t u
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^ CT.EI": Uc lI, a n y t h i r.:. that e.u : '. aches vill not operate preicctly. i. piece el ce;u i p. r c i c f.E c v ri r. i this ia not in what ue c r.11 the nec1c e r Icci.. :.: us.n in t ia c curbine loop. This in turn inlicated t :- tha cycten i: : t the. - und no longer t h.:- r eqt:ircuen t cf the react.r to cupply heat. I wa c t.c t u l:., the reactor ucnt into it s ch.tt dern node. The centrol rod:, dropped i r.t o the reactor to
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l S- *. iii..iTM.'.I. : it e t t i. n a, c::ca: e nu..ir. Tc,rd uculd li h.- to nok you L r; tic a t i on. !!!*. Creite. DA'!ICI. FORD : fir. Cruit, the Nuclear I!c:;tilatory Connission re c c indicated that there'h cono leak in the primary loup itcelf. Is that true and hsyc you discovered the sou:cc of the leah? CREITZ: Yes, un did -- ue de cunpect that there'n a cmall Ica!. between the erinary and the secondary cyster: in one of the stenn generators. That utenn gencrator ic now icolated and is not functionint; like the other one is. Tr;RD : Can you tc21 ce uhat plant e q u ip::en t has incen disabled as a result of the accident? Io that infornation clear to you yet? CREITZ: !!o t, it is not clear, and it uon't be until vc nt t an opportunity of reducing the radiation Icvels in the plant, cicaninC up the aren and gettinn into it. FORD: Ucl1, if the equipnent dicabicacnt isn't clect to'you yet, hou cro you certain that the plant is nou cafely under control? CREIT2: Hell, the ra d e. i uculd scy that our survcillancc, the chechc on radiation and so forth, indicate this. TC P.D : It's under control et the noaent but uit5 tout knouing uhet equipnent has been disabled, hou do you knou you can hoop it ( under control? f CDCITZ: Uell, I believe ve cea -- several things have happened. ' Hunber one, uc uere abic to reduce the temperature in the - in the prinary nycte: at this t i r.ie. Ti:e radiation IcVeln in the centninnent vessel have not increased. FCRD: Eut they're utill quite hia.h. C RE ITT. : They're still quite high. FCnD: Isnd the leah ic continuinr.' CnI.ITZ: And tbc radictica level on the ta u t v i d <. of the plant in considerably lesa tnan it huu been. !!c ulll not proceed to go into that plant or to elo anything that nill endanger t i.e safety of our people,
- r. o our procedures are very ri;:id and t hi:: du uhy the '
record of the nuclect iudustry fo: the in a n t tuency yearn has been su gued. C :EGorJ : it r. Creitz, uith so cuca c< ntroversy a rer levele of radiotion that are sufo hou can you bc cbuelutely certain that no vorher or no percou that liven in that arcs hac beca co n ta:.tinc t e d ? N
.e i dn::I'iZ : iell. 1 re co;;ai ne it's a difrical:. o i. i n i o n. I guess
- t. L e ccientific* vorld, cir c re ' t alunyc been differences, and un
( t h i n '- that's good. I think i' keeps nost of us that have teopernte ft.cilities lihe t i:i s on our toen so ue do a better job. T h e ast o u n t of ratintion that's been relconed fron tho is l a n t. the IcVel ic so far u n d e r tih a t present, rc.u3ntions talk nbout that it a p p e ars -- cu p.: n r : - t e our people, und thic.iill isc.c decision that the Pennsylvanic i:: vi r on=cn tal i:enonrcen pecple uili have to nal.c and 'the 11ocicar accul tory Connic.cion, het our chuervations, baced on i ed e ral ctandarda, cro that the level in ex -- very Icu, certainly would not endspr,er or injure c.ry peopic in the aren. .:,.::Tl!Ai!: Thank yeu. nr. F o r c*, uhat is the potentici here fcr ci tast ro;-he? I gother free uhat I'm hearing we have not hc4 o catastrophic accident but that is the p o c un t i c l ?. FORD: Uell, I'n quite concerned that the Nucica r Regelctory Cc: mission and the company, uc've been f o11otting this very closely, have not yet r:cdc public inf orna tion ubich nould deuonstretc that ti,e picnt is nou cotinfectorily under ecntrol.- l'n not try1cc t o create any p nic. Titcy any have this in f o rr.m t i o n b u t it hasn't been atide public. Hou the everall prehlem hern involvec Icruc s scale radiation relence, and the cafety c::gerte i thinh are all quito in agrc,2cncut that a catantrophic a c-r id c n t isn't just goinn to h ppen out of the bicc, that it uculd be preceded by nnaller accidentn, accidents unich uould disclose veahnessas,' f railtien in the synten, accidents ther could be carning si:ns ti:a t the saf ety ( preccutions ueren't adequate and ti:c t 's t-b a t has happened, at a I ninir.u.: c this plant. It's a nulor uarning ninn chnut the deficiencics a n.i Ccfects in the ocfety precautions in today's nuclect plants. t:c. ' v e none throu ;h our filco for the 'f b ru e nile Island plaat and ue beve infornation about tuenty-tuo other naj or na f e ty p roblcus cf'ectin-that facility cad thin...
- .+.nT!1 A;; : 1.e t ne ash you nonething. For a Icynnr citting
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- awfully hard to put all this it ;.oronective because ve dur.'t u n d e r u t.n ts :' nuclear cuergy. ':e hear bet-nices. Ue liest you
- ..v. d one t h i n;:. Un acar o t i:e r ( c f e t;. e r :4.i cecre : ryinn something c l :. : Ond thone people uho.:::rce ti:ct nucl. car caurgy in nnfe and it'L doing a terrific j ab and r. *> forth. Are you :cticfied that all the nuclear pinnts in this country nhould continue to o:)erate this
.torning or not? F0cL: Uo11, I t h i n*- that tiin ut.udien ucio done an ti the
- ve lca r f.cgulc tery Con tice. ion':, oun.stadica have exposed a vide crray of clunentary safety defecto. TUO vo c *'s cno, the (uclear I;egulatory Cor.niscion hat; to chet deun ffve plantn beennne they beintedly reco;;nized a s c r e t y p ro a l.n. a f f e c t ing the:. In January,
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t h t. !!cc l e a r - negu l a t e r; C :.:.u::r,'. u n ::e pudia t ed its con I,acic study vi i c h h a c1 's e c t, ucc: to c!.o u thnt reactorc nere safc. ( 1his country it: facing a us.*or nuclear safety crintu, and our feeline is thct u cr.c u t nafury repairs are n t:c d e d et riocens of nuclecr plantu operating around the country. tim.71!!G;: Uncasu ae. vonid you acree or d'iuagree uit.h that, i !;:. Cr:.itri Chi:ITZ: bo, I vculd d i.snSt re e with sone of the things that lir. Ford haa ntated. ~;t:c !!uclea r D.ep.ulatory du a reguictory body s ne: tite f look ct, look after us very carefully, and any observctions thst. they nahe are very seriously considered. I think the point that five nuclear stationo vere closed doun cad again I don't knou the pcrticulars of thene pinnt designa, but it indicatec that the
- uciccr nor,ulctot,y Connice' ion looks very closely and on a very conservative bacio in nching.c. judgenent.
li ART::/d:: You just said -- :tr. Ford's 4ust t,cid there are t..'unty-tuo ncjor fines in the nycten. Io t!iat what you naid? E00!> : Thene are icentified by the goveranent ac major unresolved cafety problems, apccifically affectring the I;i nc ( ?,' Ili l.c poi n t ( ? ) picnt. The qtication is hor in the face of all these unresolved safety p rol-l e nn the regulators, phon you say arc so ccutious, alloued the pinne to go into operation. j c-(' ' t..(.* ? ** **. 1* e n.1 *.) 1 i...,. F0Kr. : The fact of :he natte-is that the regulatory progran ans been c:cceedingly Inx. ti.a t t h e ;. have buon oc fnterested in a c c i r.:: n Ic.rt e nucicer paver progren that they have conprouined the safety of reactere i n, the interent of pronoting the counercial prospects of the i nd u s t r;.. That's the probica. CREGCRY: What chout f.lic unfncy details, ti r..Crcitz? C!;T.172.: David,-- Lavid, I think the record of the in6uctry having seventy-tuo rencters $u operation and never i n;i u r i n!, a r' y nenber of the public certainly s p e tO.: hi:;h ly of the ei t h e. scret; p r o cc u t.i o n s that are follered in the nuciccr indestiy. The re.nre alt.:yc neans cf inprovir: the cycten, sad ec recot;nire thene nne ccJo result ci the nr o t: 'r furry incident uc're in the pr*;.ceas of nnhing certcir c '. 2 n n te t, it doenn't nenn, howevcr. that are ;:.lant i t, curron:!y not safe tu e,erate. not at cil. + g . ~ L_.m
-v .y ro P ARTiinit : : u: si t - l ::c'. ' i :.: e n ' t ;erice: beceuan t hi:: p o r r. ! r. - you're ctitt sti. i t i ng - t o ;et i n t. c t h.: : plant 1:I:e re h.: r e is e::cc scive e radiation at the r.no ne:i t, right? CRF.!T'i: That is ri:.h t. IIe nust adni that tic cannet design c. pctfect muchanical device. You hnev, if ou r nu t onobili. systetis uoult have the sane unfory req ei renetn s as the nuc1 cur f.,d u s t r y ~ I'n af raid lienry Forti never venal:' h:ve producer
- hic first automobile.
ITA!!T;1 A;1: fr. Creitz, tiic n !:= f o r. hei ng Sti t h u s, and Dettina, thanks very ituch. CIP2ITZ: 1; ice beir.r, tith you entle:.cn tinis morning. g !! ARTil A*:: ! r. Ford, e t:a ni: you for j oinin;; va. e S 9 (., 9 O e i i e t .. -. -... 4 1 C- )
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A.e. .c gg PRocaAM TODAY STATION NI UC/IY IIIU H 2 C I.C Tt:G P.K DATE IIARCll 29, l')79 7: 40 MI CITY lii.U YOSE ~ l':f -.1: 0 A..D C. A S.'I.. 3 C.E. R.P T.. 11 ..l TOI: lip.C KMI: The entent of dscs.*.c fron that accident. ut the nucicar power plant :: ear lictri cbu rg, Pennsylvanic, still is bein:t -4 asvussed thic norning. This it: the facility that ::c ' re cl cu t to ,shoy you; it la called ::he ~hree :lile Island nucitar puner plant. The I:ticicar Re:.ulatory Connicsion in 1:ashington tcys rad i g.t ion penut.rnted thecunh valli. that ucre four feet thic!. and it spread an f ar as ten'to i ts nfluc f ecr. the plant. The recctor core apparently has been danaged s o..euh a t ; the extent of the 9ans:.c still is not knoun. The accident occurred in the ecchanica that we'cre shouing ( you here. That in the valve that blev out in a ut.tcr. purr that i ecals the re n c.t o r and keept it fron ov e r he n c i n;;. IIoll, with no in the ntudio to talk about all that today is Daniel Ford, an econe: iut f r o.! I*IT uho hecen t he l'<iion o f Conectried ~ I Scientists; that's a private nonprofit p,rcup that nonitord the nuclear industry, it 's a!ce been highly crit ct1 of it. And in
- ta r r i s b u r g;, Pennsylvanic, r g;b t neu 10 Uci ter Crc ~ tu.
!,; is the rc president of the Me t ro p o li t a n l'.d i r.o n C o'c; a n y, t ha t 's utie :.f severa l utilitica that run Rho nuclear plant that *c're tr.*hing about. thin j nurning on Ihree :lile~1cland.
- r. Crcitn, uhy don't yo u 5 :-i r.;; un u p t o d a t (: on the situr tion a
this norning. . iou noch radioactivity still i s c er c a p in g **
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He do appteciate this opportunity to renponf to <!u c:n t i o n u like th.It. ihu rad ic ti ca ec.mir ed t.h n t we have t3 hen it'the a r. a surraunding* the plant lu substantially lover t wn what ice hoc ree' yenterday. f.n d, of cou rt,e, t h e ar.ot.n t thet tm had read ye.sterday ven a very ninirul tumunt and c~rtr.inir did not encenter any of the pecplc that IPeud in the a r e.4 n.' the plant. I ~ c _____________-_?_
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em .11 EASTCroSTREET NON . x s. da E: o t . yp, gd. ~ %.,,,,..r..., ). r.....,a...-,,. s s. ~ ,,A, . P.Ja . :. a & A. e.. 6* r ti!UC/TV A :D 4 s m ics 11*:C 1.f!!.*0RK .,,g N C-O n u Tol)AY u M L . ffj Ni.U IOGK w 7 : t.0 A:1 cmt .. A.{ w i!ARCli 29, l')79 n :t - -Fi ~ .C.t..f( P.T.. w.3 Ul:0ADdAS'T M . g. J 's 4 70;; 1;R0!; AU: Tim ur.tunt of da;.ane from that a cc i d ur-t at the - - Ei:, still is b einp. 'N. Pennsylvanic. that ve're ni-cu t to near lin:rl sbu rg, .r Ininnd nucitar power plant. . g nucicar power plant This is the facility assessed thic :.ornint;. 9Pc you; it in called the Ihrec ;!ile r ad i c t ier. rsuutrated th rc u,qh v a '. l u that ucre four feet thic! and it s p
- Qg I:ucicar nenulatcry Co iniusion in 1;cchin; ton rays w h e,v oppurent l y The The rot ctor cure
$1 le n:lec fecn the plcnt. still in not coreuhat; the er. tent of the dans: c 23 f.2r ao ten to uo 'are phouing oc::t:rred in the r-cchanicn that -lj been da:-ai;cd S c s, That in the valve that blev out in a vs.tcr.pubt that .h The accident k n;w n. { c:nIn the re n e.t o r and keepc it fron overheating. A you here. talk about nil that t oday 18 ._...II, ! .-~ .:h l'oion of Concerned i;c. 1 1, with no in the needia to n thst no n i t o r.s t'oc - -d$ t h r: frou lilt uho heads ?cniel Ford, nn econe: ivt nonprofit ;;reu p And in g$ J.: icn t ic t u ; ti:s t 's a private bl.phly critical of i t.. r-d s; is the g It'c oice been Uniter Cre.~tn. of several
- uelear industry.
r g:h t neu 10 th:t's one . c r r i s b u r.;. !!ct ropoli tan l'.d ino n "-'"c talhing n S o ut, tiri!. .,r tq. Pennaylvanin, Con;any, president of the thar utilities that run t h e. : ucinar ple:nt Icland. norning on T!) rue :lile the situut tun to date on -} you brir.;; un up is escaping ~' t Ir Crcitn, uhy ton'traticactivity still [ .;ou noch this norninc. He de opp rcinte th ic ] Ti-s M: you, To.~.
- A1.T t?. C T.!. I T 7. :
like that. f to g.cationa + opportunity to respont' a:: o surrounding that ua have t al:en f r.' t h e ye:terday. sub s tant ia l l y love r tlw n *,sha :. ne bec ree J radiction ocavured 't h e a very had re::d yest e rday uns, the p lc..s t is e " C C '1[ C r 2 0 7 O f t 's'. O p t C '471C the ar.ot.n t that un
- 1. n d, c f co u r t.e.
Id CCrtCid!V, d15 DD: Di n i f u l 4:*.0::"1I 2 nf tbc plant. that 1ited in the aces ( 6 e e. 2 8 6 - - eB M.WpdPe* .e..e.u. . S ee ...es..me.e.. h me gg . eWh 4...es. N dfb.M F 5 % 3t>se I#- ....'h.. M b ' ( e .g*- ~_r. .s = g "*".ms,.,,,
s 2 ~- B RO'e: AW : But i read th t it h.c cscaped; it's been etected as for as 16 nile away.. c CREITZ: There han beer. radiation that hes icf't the Yisnt. Even under narcal operations a una11 naun: af radiatica s.111 RL leave a nuclear generating ststion... d you would nornally have.
- hay uhat DRO)*AU:
Yeah, but thio is nore than a small-anount ,'i CREITZ: 17e11, i t is a anull a:ocunt in tercs of wha t-the'
- ~
federal regulations vould in'dicate vould be nn cuornt of rsdiatica- .1-that would bu dan;;crouu. The level, tha udcitional leveli is subatantially acre than uhat ue call the nornal backgrour:6 radiation., But it's utill veil untier any point of conecrn oc far cs hunan cafety is concernt d. BRONAW: One of the nennurenents of ra dla tic:: it: called a niloran(?). Anr1 there unre. I'n told by the !icelear T.c3; al a.t'ory Conciosion, 12 nilorans uithin tuo niles of the plant. In the cource of a year uc take in ottly 17.0 by dingnec tie X-rv;t: an O o on. So, it's still higher thsn junt what y mi uould norna11,y get ( frun bachground-redintion. + CREITZ: I think that con f e rn:. uith u::4 un n.:I d, t h.?. the enount is conoiderably higher titan th.: n o r nz. i bacL;ronn!, 'e u t still at a very lou Icvel, BRGRA;;; Uho hoc been radiated at the pir.nti CREITZ: Anybody that ir. in ti;e area o? ' aryhtsdy t.i a c ' s.o. the plant site i tse tt certoit.ly hon to be en:sosed to acdi t ional radictica. T.o uc v e r, the anovnt of ad:li tional Indiction i t, very closely nonitored.
- 'ach of the workers con
- tin i n s t r u n.r n t :.
each of the Worheru have ins t runent: u:: their bodics uhtch nennur:.s the enount of radit: tion that they are :; a t t i n :.. And certatinly ue are very concerned and do not per-t anyone :.c -- have a ri.dintie1 enposure that trould be con:3i(cred .i n ;;e ro u s. d::01:Ali: You've. tot a very hi,;h d e t;r e ': of ra Sio:.c t iv i : y, Suuever, la the c o n t a i nnte n t t e o r., don't ynn, !!r. C r c i t.t ? CCE1TZ: In the contain cnt toon there ir. a very hi.; .i e r,re e of rodiation. !!oucver, thurt are ne peopic in the con t;:ir :ca t roon. UPOh*AI:*: But hc!t are y U t;, quin; to ;;e t riil o f t hc. t ?
3 ( C n El'tZ : Uc11, we' re cu rently in the proccan of ' low ring the tecpurature of the reacter's coeliur systen, and as ca..n as that tenpera t.ure r,c t s down to a reasonal le level au ! uc? re obic then to punp ou't and cleanse some ci the con:aninsted uctor that's in the reactor containacnt buildinc., uc'll then be able tc proceed and have people go in to observe anc. nche an cases:3.1ent of what has to be done to put the plant back in ope atSco. UR0KAU: !!r. Ford, are you un confident.v2 Dr. Crritt is about the safe icvel of radioactivity at the plant? DA!!1CL FORD: Ifel l, I~think at the nonent thinge seen to be i under control, but our concern is uhether the rea'ctor hc3 :1.n fact been satisfactorily staailized, and uhother'the accident in over. The !;: clear Regulatory connission has not rulcased very detailed inf or=ation about this; hopef ully they have infornation. th:.t..
- 23 Indicates that.
EP.0KAU: Uhot is the uituation wou v'ith the reacteri 1:an it been etchilleud? As late us six o'cloch last night I'n told that it was not yet stcble. ~ i { CREITy,: T c's, the renctor has bann stchilized. i.'c h. ve now turned. of f the ener;;cncy core cooling systec. Uc have.one of the normal reactor pumps in operation, and by this procena ve'11 be able to lower the tenperature. The degree of rcdiation nc.i t.urcr:c n t u ^ taken outside the plant h a t: been considerably lover., FO P.1) : Uc11 the infornation that uu've received fren the liucicar P.er,uistory Coeniscion indien t us that there have been sone sericus problen in hecpinr, that recctor under control. 5ccause of the high radiation inside the containnent, they're prevent <.d frca 'l . ranking uhat nay be necuouary repcir::. And 1 think it 's ;;oing te be' a very dif ficult probic:2 of heepinc. that 1 col.ing plant under control. Cr.SITy.: It vill be, and uc're :oin;; tu ::o r k a t it very cactiously. Ue-do have a lot of concern about those that
- v. ri:
there, and overy step of the uny ve'll ne very carefully craiyce as we proccud into the plant, SMUhMI:
- r. Cecitc. I want to nou p.o over uhat 1:c:p;. aned yccterday.1.'a had a unif unc tion of n valve that I
.n te'd ca c onp ountied by hunan error, or at 1 cast that's the inicenation that Senator Gary !! art has received f ro:: the i:P.C, uhich is the.iuc! car Secu la to ry Comnic.= ion. 4 = n..
s ( CREITi: !:c. What occurbed -- a valve <!id inil. 7!. i r.- in turn told the rea c t or thr.t it nn longer had n'eed fer the. hear coercy. The reactor vent cu t ena tica lly -- ut.p t. i n t e.the preecss to shut duvn.. "fI,t e rods dropped b:ck into the rccctor, nu :. t was oupposed.to do. Thu pressure continued to build up, hovever, in the -- in the primary circuit, tihen the pressure nor to a curtain level, again, the autonatic sys c= took over cnd opered valves no that the pressure would not exceed the value that src had said j vould be usxinurs.
- .d liitO!; AL;:
You nean there uns no hu=an error involved'ot all? ~ ~ Cf!CITI: There tras no hunan error involved in r:ny of that ~< procedure. lie Vill certuinly be very caref ully lookir g at the whole events. Uc'11 look at it entre =cly carefully together with the !!uelcar Pegula tory Coauission. He 5:unt t o.hr.c u c s.n c.t.l y uh a
- m.c happened Juat on vell an everyo: e elec.
FO?.D : I don't rcolly think -hot that enplanation unnbos. It doesn't nahe conne. Valves do not fail aircculously. IIither ~ it uan designed inp roperly, installed inproperly, or sone other unenp ec ted and unprotected onsliu t situation crose. The in f o r::s t io n '{ chat uc iiuve, lookin; throur.h our files about this pcrticuler .4 reactor facility, indicates that there are a nunber ei other safety problenc'at that plunt.
- e found infornation on at least 22 significant saf ety problenc at : h r, t plant.
Anc the ide ol e e,u e n t i o n that this incident rciucs in cur nied t u bcv in tht:.:crid is the federal nuc-lear regulatory progran alleuin? It.r c, connercial nucicar plants to opercte in p.'pulated areas uith known safety defects, with inadequete saf ety precautions. Tt.at's the qu.etion ~ that needs to be unnuered today. CREIT7,: Perhaps -- let ne put tha r. in ::onc pornpectiv. I'm not aunre of any sericus safety defecto at Th ree 'lil e.I:t i nnd nuclear generating station. Lut if it did enint... F OT.D : !!c re du the !!ucitar J.caula tory Con-incien c e p o r t.. ~ CnO!; AU: Ilu t you've been chut doun four tine:b .n t: e last yen e, !;r. Creit:. CRCIT7.: If it if so:.cthia0 uns vr o n;i' vi t h the pin. t, if there veuld be a naf et1. duf uct. I can anacre you thrt t b c ';u e l e.s r ?.eJuintory Conniasion uould s h t: t our plant dcun. i + \\ l fin 0K AU : But you have been ocut carn four t ine: i r. ths Inst year, have you not? (
(r ~s ?C"' 1 5 ( ~ CP.EITZ:
- o, ve have net been shut f our tices' by the,1:eclear Regulatory Conniasion, we have shut down because...of a cend'Ilon, a calfunction of a piece of equirnent.
I;o one -.you knus, 'c can' t expuct nar. to' nahu a p e r f u'c t : ccchaEi c a l d~cv ic e. And tb.tt'- why protective systens arc installed in c ce a systen cr o pitto-cf equipcent faila; the p ro tec ticit syn:ca vill take ever to r,iniaize ") danage and certainly to take into accouat the safety reluircaentu of the peopic that live in the uren. The nuclear induntry'has for 20 had commercial reactors in operation. We have 72 of.than d,oipg
- ,g a fine job, and we havw not injured a single cenbor.of the public
- 3 during thin period of tica.
-9 F0nD: Well, you're cb'rtai'cly not kcc}>ing up that record' .lh very well with the gencrcl - rnen:f.that's been declarod at titic plant. 'I ucan, our inf urna tion -- here f u the !!ucicar Regulatory l Connission document. It's a cutclo,. the cine of.o sunil teicphone book, docununting dozens of najor.c fety probleno, 22'o! unichP affect,the" plant that you're operating. And ue belicyc thct tlin ',,i nuclear proitran in the United Starcu has reached the p61nt of a . nafety cricis. Oc have plante operating ubich should not he -{ o p e ra t i n p... There are planen operating that need utp.cnt un.'ety ' %r.' repairs. And t h'u question ic uhat'n p.oing te be done.4hout all this? BROP.AU': I;r. Creit, tuo thint.c. First of n!), it was ny .inpression before th'ic accident that your bochup cyr. term uere so sufficient that you'd never haec an acciden: even of ti.is augnitude. nuch less uhat it could lead to. CRCITZ: ~ 220, 1 don't thich ut ever caf } tha t. Uc i;eid that we have bochup cyntens and backup systeco, and ti.e baci.up systens i did uork ef fectively in ehuttinn the plant coun. DI;0 K M !,: Uhnt about the future of the Three T.i le Lt latid nucleat plant? liith all the conten! nation that you.hcvc in the containnent housing there a re you ever n'oin.', te be atle ut. operate it again? Citt1TZi You, sir, 1 don't have any doubt hbent that that uc'll be able to put Three Zi]c buch in operetion. It'; certainly nost inpcrtant that ue de it its quickly or pocr.ibic, but :i c t overlooking tafety ct all. :hicicar uners;y ic on intortant c.ource of electric energy in this country toddy, an/ ce r u.i n ? y cre cy nuclear pouer plc.nt that's in opuration i s v.w i n;. thic cot::i t ry hundreds of thousando of barreia of oil. S.iOKM:: i;r. Creitn, thank you very nucl.. a
a 9 b !!r. Ford, are you confidcut about the a bi li ty t,f the Thrcc ,, i
- 11e Isic.nd nucicar pl:nt...
f FORD: I *think there in quito.a c loc r..::sf e ty con t urr.. I think all the exporen acrce that a ca tas tro; hic a ccide:,t iun't e rooing tu happen out of the blue. It vould be preceded by warniny. signs, and thiu ic quite a warning; si;:n. EROKAU: This ju a subjoct th'at we're'cll r.oing to be dcoling" e with over sone period of tine in the future as uel.l. l 4 - G GMS. e' i k. e e e I s l s** ( \\. t O ,g- ,.}}