ML19309H054
| ML19309H054 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dresden  |
| Issue date: | 03/03/1980 |
| From: | Stevenson A SENATE |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19309H049 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8005080269 | |
| Download: ML19309H054 (2) | |
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t 2006 Southwood Drive Champaign IL 61820 January 15, 1980 Sen. Adlai Stevenson 230 S.
Dearborn,
Rm. 3960 Chicago IL 60604
Dear Adlai Stevenson:
Enclosed is a copy of a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission acting chairman,. Robert Ahern.
It is a request for a public hearing and an environmental impact statement about the effects of the decontamination of the Dresden Nuclear Plant planned for Frbruary.
The chelating agents used to clean up the cooling system may aid in the rapid spreading of the radioactive isotopes into the environment.-
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All efforts on your part to bring about this environmental impact statement will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, d.d./
d'f Jean Mayes e
J JAN 21 ggy 1
2006 Southwood Drive Champaign IL 61820 January 14, 1980 Robert Ahern Acting Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington D.C.
205SS
Dear Robert Ahern:
The more I hear about a planned February decontamination of the Dresden Nuclear Plant the more alarmed I become about possible effects the experiment would have on people and our ecological system. The planned flushing of 8S,000 gallons of a DOW highly corrosive chelating agent through the Dresden pipes to remove the radioactive metal oxide deposits will result in 1200 SS-gallon drums containing 3000 curies of radioactive caterial, according to an NRC response to a letter from.Dr. Dean Hansell of the Illinois Attorney Genaral's office. A study done at Oak Ridge National. Laboratory reported in Science, June 30, 1979 found that chelating agents in radioactive waste hasten the migration of radionuclides away from original burial sites.
It seems quite urgent to me that there be a public hearing before the February decontamination date--or at the least, a proper environmental impact statement by then. Could I receive some sort of newsletter with information about hearings and the impact statement? Thank you.
Sincerely,
' Wbl' d2U C}C /
Jean Mayes cc.
President Carter Sen. Adlai Stevenson Sen. Charles Percy Rep. Edward Madigan Sen. Stanley h'eaver Rep. Helen Satterthwaite l
Rep. Timothy Johnson i
goo w o m
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D.E5 DEN DECONTAMINATICN FACTS
- Illinois Safe Energy Alliance P.O. Pcx 469, Antioch, Il. 60002 (September 13,197")
The nuclear industry plans to " decontaminate" Dresden Nuclear Plant, a 19-year cid 200 : egawatt reactor located near Morris, Il.
To " decontaminate" means to clean radioactive crud frca pipes. During reactor operation, radioactive metal exides called " crud" are depcsited on the insides of metal pips. These deposits
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- Where create hign radiation fields which are dangerous to the health of workers. '
a man eculd go indefinitely in 1960, and could stay for 45 minutes in 1969, he can new Only go for a minute and a half,' says a Com. Ed. spokesperson." (Progres-sive, Aug. 1979, p. 41)
In orier for Dresden I to continue operations, the crud must te renoved.
85,000 gallons of a Dow chemical solvent called NS-1 will be flushed through pertiens of the reactor's primary coolant system. The public does not have access to the exact contents of NS-1 because the information is designated " proprietary."
Mcwever, we know the solvent will contain one or more chelating agents which are expected to chemically bond to the crud to permit removal from pipe walls, valves, joints, etc.
Awaitirs "decontaminatien," Dresden I has been closed for nearly one year.
With the fuel removed.to an en-site storc.ge pool, the coolant will be drained from the prina y system. Temperary piping and support equipment being installed for this cleanig process will cennect the reactor's primary system with a new chem-ical cleaning facility especially. designed for processing the resulting radicac-tive liquid.
Solvent containing dissc1ved radioactive deposits will be drained to large tanks in shielded vaults.
The primary coolant system will be rinsed with demin-eraliced water to renove residual solvent.
(The usefulness of demineralized water fer this step has been questioned.) The solvent containing crud will be concen-trated by evaperation and solidified into a vinyl ester plastic resin (which forms a matrix). This " solid" will then be transferred to a commercial low level waste site ;cssibly at Seatty, Nev. or Hanford, Wash. Water from evaporation will be cleaned and reused at Dresden I.
Acccrdig to an KftC response to a letter from Mr. Dean Hansell (I.S.E. A.),
The Attcrney General's Office states 1200 55-gallon drums containing 3000 curies of radicactive material will result.
If the radicactive material is uniformly distributed throughout the solidification agent, one can conclude that each bar-rel will contain 2 curies of radioactivity. One biological chemist'has termed it, "Carned hot stuff T' It is possible that twice the estimated amount of solvent may have to be used.
NS-1 can absorb only a certain amount of iron.
In other words, it is possible thLt iren, instead of radicactive crud, will take up the capacity of the solvent in which case a seccnd flushiq will have to be carried out.
Eecentanination vastes are bonded to chelating agents.
Expected radionuclides incluje;ri.arycobalt,butalsoCerium, Manganese, Zirconium,' Cesium, etc. A study dcne at Cak Ridge Naticnal Laboratory found that chelating agents hasten i
' the -isratien of radienuclides away from original burial sites. When radioactive maste(1cw level), is buried it is hoped that radienuclides will be adsorbed by the sedinent and remain away fren any groundwater. The presence of chelates,'however, interferes with adscrption by the sediment allowing the radionuclides to migrate freely. Accc:-iing to enviren.entalist Kay Drey of St. Louis, Mo. (Phone 314/725-l 7c7c), " h's like puttig radicactive waste on roller skates... it just goes l
21;;ing. cush the environ ent."
Ms. Drey has thoroughly researched the issue
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FACT SHEET FACE 2 and is especially concerned the chelates will be added to bo'th major kinds of re-ac cr systems on a routine basis greatly aggravating the already severe radicac-tive waste disposal problem.
This " solution" is proposed by the NRC and utilities. However, no one can guarantee that any area will remain dry for the extremely long time periods this waste re..ains dangerous to life. Fredictions of changing weather patterns and heights of water tables are impossible to make. Furthermore, radionuclides can leach out even in a "drf area (in a manner similar to the operation of a flea collar) and thus be free to be carried by even scant amounts of rain or ground-water.
One prominent scientist has termed the possible interaction of chelates and other wastes as" horrifying."
If states of Nevada and Washington find out about these complex wastes, they night refuse to accept them, just as South Carolina refused to accept certain vastes frca the Three Mile Island plant.
No one can be sure whether or not the wastes will really be " low-level". The N3C defines low-level radioactive waste as containing "less than 10 nanocuries of transuranic contaminants per gram of material."
Mr. Steve Lang of Com. Ed.
"does not expect any," but the possible presence of transuranics cannot be ruled cut.
The presence of transuranics (any element having an atcmic number greater than that of uranium) 's especially significant because they have extremely long half-lives and may remain dangerously toxic for a million years.
Questions that remain unanswered: 1) What exposure will workers receive dur-ing decentamination? 2) Will radioactive releases to the environment be limited to levels permitted by regulations? 3) What effect will the corrosive solvent have en the various joints, welds, and valves which are depended en to protect the public health but are not accessible for thorough inspection? 4) How ma.sy truck 1 cads and at what risk will'have to be shipped?- 5) How can citizens be oure that tremendous industry pressure is not being successfully placed on the NRC to everlock potential problems? 6) Why hasn't the NRC required that a rigorous study called an " Environmental Impact Statement" be performed?
recentamination is expected to cost nearly $36 million. Since the build-up cf radicactive crud was not forseen by the industry, the cost for rencval was not included in utility ecst calculations. $8.2 million of the total cost will be previded by the Depa'tment of Energy. Half the remaining expense will be paid by r
electricity censumers in ncrthern Illinois. The other nalf will be designated an cperating expense. Eresden I has been closed down for nearly a year while awaiting decentamination. This idle generating capacity os another added expense for both rate-payers and stockholders.
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3cience. June 30, 1978.
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