ML19318B897
| ML19318B897 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 05/08/1980 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Maeulen S AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19318B898 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8006300264 | |
| Download: ML19318B897 (2) | |
Text
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- "%o, NRC PUBUC UNITED STATES MCUMEN1 ROOM E
'i NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3#
.E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
/
MAY
- e<<
8 1980 Mrs. Susan Maeulen 1209 Cherry Street Montoursville, Pennsylvania 17754
Dear Mrs. Maeulen:
I am writing in response to your letter of March 29, 1980, to Chairman Ahearne.
I will respond to your questions in the order you posed them.
Detailed information about the potential health and environmental effects of venting krypton from the reactor building of Three Mile Island (TMI), Unit 2 is provided in NRC's Environmental Assessment (NUREG-0662), and two Addenda, copies of which are enclosed. These potential effects are specifically addressed in Section 6.1, " Reactor Building Purga," and co@arisons among alternative krypton removal methods are presented in Table 1.1, " Environmental Igacts of Alternatives for Removing the Krypton-85 from the Reactor Building Atmosphere," and Table 1.2, "Cogarison Among 'lternatives for Removing the Krypton from the Reactor Building Atmosphere."
With regard to your question about the future of atomic energy, the former Atomic Energy Comission (AEC) had a Congressional mandate to develop and promote nuclear energy. When the AEC was abolished in 1974, the NRC was created by Congress' for the sole purpose of regulating the comercial production of nuclear energy. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is now responsible for the Federal Government's nuclear research and development activities. Consequently, questions about thr future of this energy source should be directed to that agency, at the followirg address:
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Public Affairs Room GA 433 Washington, D.C.
20585 hRC's primary responsibility to industry consists in the licensing, inspection, and enforcement of regulations for nuclear power plants. NRC's responsibility to the public consists of enforcing these regulations in the interest of public health and safety and for the protection of the environment.
You.ask "the reasons for not closing the disabled reactor before this time."
Metropolitan Edison's authority to operate Unit 2, except for those activities necessary to keep the reactor safely shutdown, was suspenc'ed by an NRC Comission Order of July 20, 1979, a copy of which is enciased. Unit 1 is also shutdown. With regard to its possible future, operation, the Comission has
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ordered that a public hearing' be conducted to determine if the facility should be operated and, if so, under what conditions restart would take place. A copy of the Comission Order is enclosed for your information.
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f THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS
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8008300 POOR QUAL.lTY PAGES
. You ask about the status of current emergency nacuation procedures for TMI and Berwick. These procedures for areas around nuclear power plants are the responsibility of state and local governments. You may obtain information about the status of these plans for TMI and Berwick by writing to the following organization:
Pennsylvania Energency Managenent Agency Col. Orren K. Henderson, Director Transportation and Safety Building Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120 The decision) about whether er not to evacuate the area around TMI during the pro-posed purge nast be made by each individual. Should the purge method be approved, the following radiation exposures would result. A person standing at the site boundry for three quarters of the purge period (approximately 90 hours0.00104 days <br />0.025 hours <br />1.488095e-4 weeks <br />3.4245e-5 months <br />) would receive a total body dose equivalent to approximately 1% of the dose received from one chest or dental X-ray examination.
Persons in Goldsboro and Middletown would be exposed to about 1/18 and 1/200 of this amount, respectively. NRC staff members, and in some instances their families, plan to be present in the Middletown area during the purge,should it be authorized.
I trust that these answers adequately address your concerns.
Sincerely, Cd p :!5 5 d by it? 0:n::a
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Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulition
Enclosures:
1.
NUREG-0662 and two Addenda 2.
Commission Order dated 7/20/79.
3.
Commission Order dated 8/9/79.
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