ML19320D647

Forwards Do Jourdan 800328 Ltr for Consideration

ML19320D647
Person / Time
Site:	Yellow Creek
Issue date:	06/03/1980
From:	Kendrick H ENERGY, DEPT. OF
To:	Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
Shared Package
ML19320D645	List: ML19320D647
References
NUDOCS 8007220030
Download: ML19320D647 (3)

Text

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,. JUN 5 1250 i Department of Energy Washington, D.C. 20545 l

Mr. William Dircks U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Mr. Dircks:

The enclosed correspendence has been directed to the Department of Energy. The contents indicate that a reply should be made more appropriately by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Accordingly, we are forwarding it to you for consideration.

Sincerely, gh bhk Hugh Kendrick, Acting Director Plans and Analysis Division Nuclear Reactor Programs 2 Enclosures r

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• ~ . . ' JUN 3 195g Department of Energy Washington, D.C. 20545 Mrs. D.0. Jourdan, Jr.

107 W. Quitman luka, Mississippi 38852

Dear Mrs. Jourdan:

Your letter to James Schlesinger concerning the Yellow Creek Nuclear Power Plant has been referred to this office for reply.

Safety has been a parar.tount consideration from the earliest days of the U.S. nuclear program and continues to guide our atuions today.

The safety of commercial nuclear power has been publi' y scrutinized to an unprecedented extent, resulting in a safety record showing that no deaths or discernable injuries have occurred to members of the general .

public in ove; 20 years of operation.

Inasmuch as matters pertaining to the licensing, construction, and oper-ation of commercial nuclear power plants are under the cognizance of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, we are also forwarding your letter to them for appropriate action by copy of this letter.

Sincerely, <.

Original signed by:

Hugh Kendrick Hugh Kendrick, Acting Director Plans and Analysis Division Nuclear Reactor Programs 4 Enclosures cc: William Dircks t

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Mrs. D. O. Jourdan, Jr.

107 West Quitman Iuka, Mississippi 38852

Dear Mrs. Jourdan:

Your letter to James Schlesinger concerning the Yellow Creek Nuclear Power Plant has been referred to me for reply.

As you may know, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is responsible for the regulation of nuclear power plants. (See Enclosure 1, "NRC Responsibility in Regulation of Nuclear Power Plants"). Before the NRC issues a Construction Permit or an Operating License for a nuclear plant, the regulations require that extensive studies be performed to show that the proposed plant will not endanger public health and safety. Such studies are performed by the power company applying for a license, and are extensively reviewed by the NRC staff.

In addition, an independent review is conducted by the Advisory Cormittee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS). Following that, a public hearing may be held before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board. The licensing process is described in more detail in Enclosure 2.

In the case of the Yellow Creek Nuclear Plant, the applicant (TVA) submitted a multi-volume Preliminary Safety Analysis Report in June of 1976. We (the NRC staff) reviewed this application in detail over a period of two years. The review is described in our Safety Evaluation Report (see Enclosure 3) and Supplement Number One to our Safety Evaluation Report (see Enclosure 4).

The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards reviewed the Yellow Creek application on December 16, 1977 and January 5,1978. As may be seen from pages 21-1 of Enclosure 3 and pages 21-1 and A-1 of Enclosure 4, both the NRC staff and the ACRS concluded that the Yellcw Creek Nuclear Plant could be constructed and operated without undue risk to the health and safety of the public.

A public hearing on the radiological aspects of safety of the Yellow Creek Nuclear '

Plant was held in Iuka, Mississippi on July 6, 1978. After the Hearing Board concluded that the proposed Yellow Creek facility would not endanger public health and safety, the NRC staff issued Construction Permits CPPR-172 and CPPR-173, on November 29, 1978, for Yellow Creek, Units 1 and 2, respectively. i My purpose in outlining the steps that led to issuance of Construction Permits for the Yellow Creek facility is to illustrate the extent and depth of the review pro-cess that is carried out prior to issuance of any nuclear plant license, and the opportunity for public participation in the process. Let me assure you that if the  !

NRC staff, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, or the Atomic Safety and i l

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Mrs. D. O. Jourdan, Jr. -

2-Licensing Board are not convinced of the safety of a proposed nuclear plant, that licenses for the construction and operation of the plant are not issued until the areas of concern are corrected.

I hope _that this letter _has been responsive to your concerns.

Sincerely, Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosures:

1. NRC Responsibility in Regulation of Nuclear Power Plants

2. The Licensing Process

3. Safety Evaluation Report

4. Supplement 1 to_the Safety Evaluation Report 1

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