ML19318A008
| ML19318A008 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 05/20/1980 |
| From: | Snyder B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8006170250 | |
| Download: ML19318A008 (2) | |
Text
_,
hiAY 2 01980 i
i i
Editor Evening Capitol 213 West St.
Annapolis, Md.
Dear Sir:
On Wednesday evening, May 14. I had the pleasure to serve as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission's representative in a panel discussion on the cleanup of the TMI-2 Reactor.
I believe this discussion was an open and frank dialogue j
among the various participants who represented organizations with differing views on this important public issue.
The Chesapeake Environmental Protection Association deserves the thanks of the public in bringing this discussion before interested citizens of the Bay area.
l Unfortunately the article which appeared in the May 14 Evening Capitol, prior to the meeting, was fraught with numerous factual errors which could cause needless anxiety.
In the interest of providing a balanced and accurate report, I believe your reporter should have checked the information provided to-him. This could have been easily done by contacting either State or Federal Officials who have responsibility for monitoring the Susquehanna River and the Cheasapeake Bay to ensue the public is not threatened by " releases" from TMI-2.
Your article discussed the cleanup of radioactive water at TMI-2 and erroneously reported that the process has "... already begun releasing waste water into the Susquehanna." The article further indicated, based on information attributed to two CEPA ment >ers, that an "... initial discharge earlier this month of intermediate l
level waste from a 250,000 gallon auxiliary tank" had been made. Looking ahead, l
your article stated: "Still to come is the release of 600,000 gallons of high level radioactive water...."
All of these statements are false. The Nuclear Regulatory Comission has not permitted any releases of radioactive water from the accident at TMI-2 to occur.
These strictures have been followed by the plant operator.
For skeptics, the records of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the Federal agency charged by the President with independantly monitoring around the TMI Site) are open to the public and show no significant radiation in the river from the reactor.
In your article on May 15 which followed the meeting, you correctly noted that a panel participant stated that the major public health impact is not from radiation but from anxiety.
I think it is obvious that reporting, such as in your first article, is a significant contributer to this anxiety.
s l
B 00617 0 2 5 0
.N M 4Y 2 01980 Inaccurate reporting of this nature only clouds the issues for the public.
I believe it is av responsibility, and yours, to have the facts and convey them
,1 correctly and in an understandable way to the public.
N Sincerely, Bernard J. Snyder, Program Director Three Mile Island Program Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Distribution:
TMI:P0 R/F BJSnyder Docket File TMI: Site ins NRR R/F j
1 HRDenton JFouchard WDircks MBills, EPA nr.
OFFICE h.....
BJ r: ht.,
sununut.,
DATE ).., 5/19/80
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