ML19309H480
| ML19309H480 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | La Crosse File:Dairyland Power Cooperative icon.png |
| Issue date: | 04/21/1980 |
| From: | Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Proxmire W SENATE |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8005130353 | |
| Download: ML19309H480 (1) | |
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B00513090 N
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION f)/h s,ghp(j[]h y
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
\\; %4 APR 211980 Docket Ko. 50-409 The Honorable William Proxmire United States Senate Washington, D. C.
20510
Dear Senator Proxmire:
This is in response to your letter dated Marchl4,1980, which enclosed a letter dated February 26, 1980, from Ms. Anne K. Morse relating to Dairyland Power Cooperative's cancellation of a January 1,1980 meeting and requesting that future meetings be held in Lacrosse, Wisconsin.
I am enclosing our response to Ms. Morse's letter dated February 10, 1980, to Mr. Harold Denton, which expressed the same concerns.
I am also returning the incoming as requested.
Sincerely, 35gnM 7.12f3
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t[WilliamJ.Dircks, Acting Executive Director for Operations l
Enclosures:
l 1.
Letter to A. Morse 2.
Letter dated 2/26/80 from A. Morse to Senator Proxmire, w/ enclosure l
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l THIS DOCUMENT CONTA!NS POOR QUAUTY PAGES Y
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UNITED STATES
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NUCLE AR REGULATORY COMMISSION 2,
E wasm NGTON, D. C. 20555 ww" APR 141960 s
Docket No. 50 409 N \\ \\
Anne Porse Box 1583 Coulee Region Energy Coalition La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601
Dear Ms. Morse:
This is in reply to your letter dated February 10, 1980 requesting that all meetings relating to Diaryland Power Cooperative's La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor (LACBWR) be held in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
As was discussed with you on January 11, 1980, Dairyland, not the NRC staff, initiated the meeting which was to have been held in Bethesda, Maryland on January 11, 1980, to discuss the projected operating lifetime of LACSWR.
The NRC staff, therefore, had no control over its cancellation.
As you are aware, Mr. Richard Vollmer, on my behalf, promised you during a telephone discussion on January 15, 1980 that if the meeting on the projected operating lifetime of LACBWR was rescheduled, the NRC staff would hold such a meeting in the La Crosse area.
Please be assured that if such a meeting is rescheduled it will be held in La Crosse and notice will be provided so that interested persons will be aware of the date, time and location.
We do recognize that it can be advantageous for the staff to meet with inter-venors and interested groups such as yours.
Such informal meetings can be arranged on an ad hoc basis to allow these persons or groups to communicate their concerns so that the staff can consider them in its review process and-keep interested persons aware of relevant staff activities involving the plant.
This also assists in the public's understanding of the NRC's role in regulating nuclear power plants. Technical meetings involving the NRC staff and licensees are conducted routinely on nuclear plants and are a necessary and desirable means of communicating during the course of a review or evaluation of a tech, nical problem.
Since the cost associated with sending the NRC's review staff and its consultants to a location near a licensed facility for routine meetings 1
could be excessive, these technical meetings are usually held in Bethesda, Maryland to maximize the efficient use of NRC staff resources.
However, in the future when there is a routine meeting scheduled that will cover issues that have been raised by the Coulee Region Energy Coalition, the NRC will assess the feasibility of holding the meeting in tne La Crosse area taking into con-sideration the impact of such a meeting location on NRC staff resources.
l
i Anne Forse EPRIL 1 4 1980 i
We do sincerely regret the inconveniences caused by Dairyland's cancellation of the January 11, 1980 meeting.
4 Sincerely, pr$$
n Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation t
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February 26, 1980
~ha %norable William Proxmire
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bEM Thital States Senate
' -ton, D.C.
20510
?^n-lenator Proxmire:
~.nclosed for your consideration is a copy of a letter recently n--
o Harold Denton, Chief of Nuclear Reactor Regulation for the
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- r Regulatory Commission, outlining the position of the Coulee Energy Coalition on the matter of the location of future re c
- i :e.s between the NRC and Dairyland P'ower Cooperative relating to n noa nuclear reactor.
Hopefully, this explanation of the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of the January 11, 1980 meeting in Washington which attemoted to attend will be helpful in conveying to you our sense wa of frustration 9nd anger over such unconscionable behavior on the n'rt of Dairyland.
One wonders what topics for discussion were so t-itive as to warrant exclusion from a public hearing before ci,izens and the press.
Whatever the reasons, however, as local citizens and coop members wishing to effectively participate in the debate over nuclear power, we can not afford to travel at our own expense to Washington to attend meetings that may be cancelled at tha last minute at the whim of utilities like Dairyland Power.
Also enclosed is an editorial from yesterday's La Crosse Tribune which addresses the issues of openness and accessibility and their relation to the nuclear debate.
It may well be that Dairyland has once too often arbitrarily acted to cut off public participation in this debate.
Most disheartening of all is the fact that the NRC accepted, without further inquiry, the very weak reason Dairyland gave for cancellation of the meeting.
Clearly, the NRC wants to believe that Dairyland would not act to preclude public debate.
I, however, am not so optimistic.
clith these facts in mind we must inevitably ask, who is ultimately responsible for overseeing the activities of Dairyland Power Cooperative in the public interest?
It is our hope that you too appreciate the need for and desirability of holding future meetings relating to the Genoa reactor in La Crosse, where interested i-dividuals can observe for themselves the activi-ier of their member-owned utility.
Thank you for any assistance you can lend us in this matter.
Sincerely, Anne K. Morse for the Coulee Region Energy Coalition
Pobruary 10, 1930
"". Siarold Denton C h i.* , Nuclear Reactor degulation
. m r R.:.:ula tory Cc..miss ion
.i:ne. ingt on, D. C.
20555 Jr. Denton:
Ihis letter is to inform you of some very disturbing events that
- h. c.. Occurred in the cast few weeks with regard to Dairyland Power I::-c rative of La Cresse, '.II and its activities relative to the opers*.lon of the Genoa nuclear facility.
As concerned area citizens
'-el that Dairyland Power, with your cooperation, was able once w>
' 359 ta successfully preclude our legitimate participation in a matter that bears directly on our health and well-being.
As I am sure you are aware, a meeting scheduled for January 11, 193:0 in..'ashington between the licensee, NRC t1chnical staff and vourself to consider "a phase-out of the lifetime of LACBWR" was eu. clled at the last minute.
Consistent with the NRC policy out-lincd over a year ago as to the desirability of informing intervenors of 911 meetings which relate to the concerned reactors, and not simoly meatinqn regardin. ex parte matters, staff counsel Colleen Woodhead informed un on Tuesday, January 8 of the abovementioned meeting scheduled for the following Friday.
Aftec concluding that this meeting was of sufficient import to warrant n.3rsonal attendar;ce, the Coulee :iegion Energy Coalition agreed t'o orovide funds for the transportation of the intervenors to the January lith meeting.
Able only to afford automobile transportation, T.iark Burmaster, George Nygaard and I left for 'Jashington the following evening.
That our intended presence at the meeting was objectioable to Dairyland is all too clear, as evidenced by a Thursday a.m. call to Woodhead crom Dairyland's counsel, O. S. Miestand.
Mr. Hiestand WaF obviously disturbed that staff coiincel had informed tha intervenors of the scheduled meeting.
At no time during this. conversation did Mr. Hiestand suggest that the meeting might be cancelled.
Not until Thursday n.m. did Dairyland inform Jim Shea of the NRC staff that DTiryland intended to cancel the meeging sched.21ed for the followine a f ternoon.
- c yau can nee - by the accorapanying article, Dairyland offered two reasonn for cancelling the meeting.
In looking back over the circumstances currounding such cancellation, it is incomprehensible to un that the " official" reason given, i.e. the issuance by the AOLB of the decision on expansion of LACE.in's dFP, was in fact _the most significant reason.
Woodhead had informed Dic's counsel as early as f
of GY3)5452f spp.
Toenday I.hl t thn C;L" decinion would b; 'ut before the meetinr. on Friday.
- Clearly,
- t. h e inauance of t,he'dec sion caur,ht no one by nurprise, and especially Dairyland.
Thus, we are left to inevitably conclude that Dairyland, in the high-handed fashion that so often has characterized its dealinrs with intervenors and other local citizens, believen that it can t.ake lit;htly the much-touted " openness policy" that the N. G professes to follow.
In this instance citizen partici-i pation was all too effectively thwarted.
At this time we feel that it is incumbent upon the NRC to take some action, if only to make clear to all that the NRC does, in fact, rerulate the utilities, rather than merely following their lead.
It in our position that henceforth any and all meetings between Dairyland and the NRC relating ts LAC 3'.G be held in La Crosse, where those most affected by the operation of LAC 37/R are afforded the o,portunity to participate and inform themselves on tha. issue.
Both the local press and interested individuals have heretofore been singularly unable to obtain from Dairyland an unguarded and accurate assessment of the on-Coing status of the facility.
It is just this pTucity of information that leads directly to mistrust and suspicion on the part of those who attempt ts inform themselves.
'le look forward to your response on our request as to the location of future meetings.
Within our organization sentiment is such that we could not be more frustrated with Dairyland and the way in which it his chosen to respond to local citizen participation.
- 31ncerely,
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g 13 Anne K. Morse for the Coulee Region Energy Coalition AK.*:/akm Encl.
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-Tonorable '..'illiam Proxmire, U.S. Senator Honorable Gaylord Nelson, U.S. Senator Honorable al Baldun, U.S. Representative Mr. S t.anl ey York, f h.7 i rpornon, 'li n c. P :C i
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/ Dairvland meeting de-yondpy, February 25,1%
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wih NRC postponed rC aa rorDe CriEune o*viasto rr'ta Of the Tribune Staff plant.
An ladependent Newspaper He said that hearings are A meeting between Dairyland demanding in terms of staff time F.NNETH O. BLANCHARD, Publisher Power Cooperative and the Nu-that must be devoted to prepar-KENNETH F rEACNouT. Emor THOMAS S..IENKS. GeneralMeneger clear Regulatory Comnussnon on ing for them and attending MCNARD MIAL, Opinoon Page Emor DAVIO 3. OFFER. Meneeint Ener fthe on lear W
W.T. BURGESS. Putdisner Emerttus SWORD GOLTZ.EmorEmemus as far as public opinion towards The Founded in 1904 today m, meeting, which was to be the plant.
I Washmgton, D.C., was postponed at the request of Dalryland has untilTuesday to K00P 0PO0 dOb0t0 ceivedprnussiontoexpandthe Dairyland followmg notification convince the NRC that there are Thurs Oy that the plant had re. no problems with seismic condi.
tions at the plant.
nty of its used fuel storaga g,,
g A need to assess the expan-experts cannot show the NRC On nUCIOur p0Wer eee'seffectontheplant'sfuture sion that there is no danger of an
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the decision 'were doubts by issae an order that will force
' The need for open discussion and Atomic Energy Act designates the Dairyland officials that they
% d t p rs es e dibate on nuclear power has never oublic adjudicatory hearing as p'
ould tb attend If the NRC issues that order, been greater.
such a forum. Itprovides a unique gt t And efforts of anti-nuclear activ-vehicle for obtaining answers in by newsmen and by members of it also may mean there will be a the Coulee Region Energy Coali. Public heanng on the issue.
Ists to get the Nuclear Regulatory public lo controversial cuestions tion, a I.a Crosse based anti-Commission to hold more of its Nuclear power is sufficiently nuclear group.
meetmgs and hearings in La Crosse controversial that its problems or Three members of the coali-could result in positive benefits to all apparent problems must be tion planned to attend the meet-citizens and consumers - no matter dealth with and resolved on the ing. leaving Wednesday night to t
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if they support or oppose nuclear ' merits in full view of the public.
dnve to Washmgton. D.C.
LA W SSP _
power.
According to Richard Shim-
}I5'*OE L
At issue, of course,is the future of Last month Dairyland officials shak. Genoa plant superintend-Dairyland Power Cooperative's nu-planned to travel to Washington to ent. the presence of these people clear plant at Genoa. The NRC's
.get some information from the NRC. and newsmen at the meeung g[/p M Atemic Safety and Licensing Board The trip was canceled at the last may have obstructed the pur-t last month approved Dairyland's re-minute. primarily because the NRC p se d me muung. that being quest to expand its spent fuel storage said the meeting would probably not f r Dairyland to get some an-facihties at Genoa. But Dairyland is produce the information Dairyland $'"neNe*ma a going still operating the plant on a provi-sought.
sional license. Its request for a full But another factor in Dairyland's ~be placed on the plant."We would not have the meetI operating license is still pendmg.
decision not to go to Washington was ing Frought to a state of disarrav
^
A frequent complaint heard from the fact that members of the Coulee by.ha mawnce at the inteM-the utility industry is the puolic's Region Energy Coahtion were driv-Jort who hwa 2n adamant 2nd lack of knowledge about nuclear ing to Washington to attend the ' arronnt view" about the conds
.)
power. This source of power deser-meeting. The presence of nuclear op.
con d the Genom ninnt ves the closest possible public scru-But. Shimshat said, one NRC tiny,and holding more hearingsin La
- poner.ts at the meeting would have.
reduced it to a " state of disarray official had warned that Dairy.
Crosse instead of Washington could according to one Dairyland official.
",d " "
help that end.
Dairyland needs access to the go ay.
cause it was not presentmg any When it made its decision on the NRC, and the public is not entitled plans - just seeking answers.
spent fuel expansion, the Atomic by law to sit in every time a Dairy-As a result. Shimshak said Safety and Licensing Board had this land officials seeks an answer to Dairyland is considering other to say about the need for public some question from the NRC. But at " methods of pursuing the infor-awareness:
the same time, the public needs ac. mation cess to those NRC meetings and At this point, he said Dairy-Fac:d with such strongly held hearings that are open to the public. land will probably prepare a let-ditter:nces of opinion, itis impor-ter presentmg specific ideas on Holding more meetings and hear. ;the plant's future and additions tant to resolve the questions in a ings in La Crosse would ensure that ;f
- oublic forum, unless clearly pro-nuclear power gets the full public de-Th n a meetin could be held l hibit
- d by applicable rules. The bate that is needed.
t
_ wnth the NRC on theitemsin the 3etter.
- Shimshak said that the letter would become pubhe, and al-
'though that might cause some
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