ML19309E124
| ML19309E124 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 04/08/1980 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Gilmore D BEUKERS LABORATORIES, INC. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19309E125 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8004180431 | |
| Download: ML19309E124 (3) | |
Text
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NRC PJR
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- r. Cavid W. Gile. ore Cirector "al m ciegi al Sarvites Seukers i G rai.ories, Inc.
St. h 2s, :sw York 11780 Cear l*r. Gilaore:
Subject:
ATMOSPHERIC SOUNDING CAPABILITY
Reference:
Letters dated February 14, 1980 from Beukers to Mr. J. F.
Ahearne, Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Connission, and many others.
I am.triting in regard to ycur February 14, 1980 letter to nwerous people within the MRC.
Please tske.his response to represent that of the Cc.:nission as a whole. The Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation his r.?ceived 18 copies of jcur letter to date through various char.nels peca pting our response.
In the refarenced letter, saveral ccticerns to which you allude deal with the availability of meteorological information during and after an incident such as TMI. In r, articular, your concern for public safety is the paraccunt issue and the identification of a plume exposure pathway raperN nts a :rajor input to this issue.
The direction, rate of transport, and diir.ensions of the plume representing the exposure pathway can be estimated from :c.eteorological information.
The responsibility for the planning for and response to emergency situations lies : lith scveral organie.dions from the facility cperator through state and local igencies to various federal agencies. Specifically, with regard to the r-xposure pathway infor. nation, because of the potential need to take is.nediate offsite action, the responsibility for assessment lies with the facility operator.
To complete such an evaluation, the facility opers'or should have available not only meteorological infor-mation, but a demonstrated capability for performing site specific real-time diffusion assessments.
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Mr. David W. Giluore Your analysis of the situation following events at TMI was not entirely correct. The meteorological information afforded the tiRC by the Air Force supplemented the meteorological information that was available at IM I.
Criteria were developed for the establishment of onsite meteorological
.casurement programs in 1972.
This infomation is available in Regulatory Guide 1.23 (originally published as Safety Guide 23). Such a meteorological aonitoring program was in place and fully operational at TMI during and after the incident.
Furthermore, the onsite program at TMI had the capability to be remotely interrogated from a nnber of locations.
i;ational Weather Service information was available from both surface and upper air data.
The sounding program was initiated to supplcment readily available data to be used in sophisticated diffusion models.
As a result of events at TMI, the Couission has initiated several activities which will enhance the response capability of facility operators.
- ew criteria have been prepared dealing with cmergency rosponse plans
- nd preparedness which direct some ecphasis on the collection and dissemination of metecrological information.
These criteria can be found in fiUREG-06S4 which I have included for your infore:ation. Upon review, you may note that the fiRC guidance on meteorological monitoring programs and attendant capabilities w:ien fully ivalemented, would reinforce significantly the level of information necessary for the decision-making process.
A second activity the Ccmmission has under review is the development of a supplemental metecrological center 'SMC).
The SMC represents a deployable instrument package 1.hich could be used for incident response shortly after an abnormal cccurrence. Brockhaven ifational Laboratory will make reccmmendations to the Comission for supplemental meteorological instru-mentation for incident response.
Upon the ccmpletica of its activities, a decision would be made whether or not an SMC should be constructed and, if so, how many. Since you have expressed an interest in this regard, we will ensure that you will receive a copy of their final report.
Should the Commission opt to develop a deployable instrument package, a sounding program to refine plume trajectories may be considered an appropriate portion of the program.
In this event, the Commission, laboratory, or agency charged with the construction of the SMC(s) will follow its standard procurement procedures. Information concerning the Com.ission decision in this regard will be made available to the public.
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i Mr. bavid W. Gilmore,
We trust this overview of post-TMI activities related to tatsarological i
- cnitoring is beneficial to you.
If;you have additional questions ra;arding our activities in meteorology and/or t. hare c?pibilities sch as yours fit.into our plans, you may direct your interiocatories to Mr. Earl Markee, Meteorology Section Leader of the l!;drolc;y-:'a'.ecrology Scanch. He m3y be reached at (301) 492-8124.
Sincerely, 1 g.., - - ~. ny
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Harold R. Denton, Director Office of !!uclear Reactor Regulation Enclosure HUREG-0654 i
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