ML19322C417
| ML19322C417 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 03/30/1979 |
| From: | Harold Denton, Scranton W, Thornburgh D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF |
| To: | |
| References | |
| TASK-TF, TASK-TMR PR-790330-01, NUDOCS 8001170373 | |
| Download: ML19322C417 (15) | |
Text
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GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Paul Critchlow 325-R79 Press Secretary Press Conference 85 (717) 783-1116 TRA:4SCRIPTION PRESS CONFERENCE ~
3d GOVERNOR DICK THORNBURGH, LT. GOVERNOR WILLIAM SCP.ANTON, Dr. HAROLD DENTON, DIRECTOR OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION March 30, 1979
< 10:00 o.m.
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I have just met for an hour and a* half with Harold Denton who is.
-Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation for the NRC as well as the President's personal representative to our office for the duration of this situation.
Mr. Denton, who is h'ere with us tonighd, has spent most of the day at the site personally, and he and his associates have provided -
me with what I believe to be the best infornation available on this matter.
Based on what he has told me I have made the following three decisions:
No evacuation order is necessary at this time.
1.
- My earlier reco=mendation that pregna.nt wo=en and pre-school 2.
children stay out of the area within 5 miles of the plant site will remain in effect at least until sometime temorrow, when we expect i
to provide ycu with further advice.
'3.
My earlier advice that people livin,g within 10 miles of the plant site try to remain indoors' will expire at. midnight.,
- uT I would like to take a min te to thank two of my neigy. boring u
governors, Govs. DuPont of Delaware and Byrne of New Jersey, foy their offers to provide whatever aid or assistance that we might require frc
~
them.
Most of all,'I would like to thank the President for his personal
'L attention to this problem in our state, and for his prcmpt response to my request for the best technical assistance that.could be provided.
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PART 1 PAGE 2 REPORTER:
Sir, has the situatic. tmproved at all?
s DENTON:
I can give you a quick scrmary of where things stand.'
This morning Chairman Hentrie called the President and dcscribed the situation. The President indicated he wanted somone up here to keep him informed.
I've come up with a number of members of my staff.
We've got senior technical experts here in the various ',
areas, ECCS performance.
I've got a total of 25 technical people here.
We'll be working shifts at the site.
Our compliance division has a number of
' people here. My first concern in coming here was the status of.the reactor cooler, to be sure that it could be cooled in the event that anything happsned to the primary cooling system, they way it is now being cooled. We've assured ourselves that there is no imminent danger to the public as a result of the way the cooler is being cooled. There are nu=ber of safety systems that could be activeated if necessary.
These include the high pressure injection system, the low pressure injection system. We are concerned /
4 though about the status of the ' fuel in the core.
There's extensive fuel damage. We've learned this frem the primary coolant. activity levels. And the temp-erature's in the reactor core. There's also a bubble in the reactor vessel that means that any change in f
the hydraulics of the core have to be carefully monito' red So we're looking very carefully at the.
way the -----intends to get the core to a cold shutdown condition. By that I mean to place the reactor in a condition so that the water in the core is in 4
below the boiling point.
We've also looked at the of releases such as occured today. These occured because of -----gasing of -----gasses from the water in the so-called let down system. About 10 gallons a minute is being pumped over to the auxiliary building i
i and being degassed. These gases are being released now.
We estimate perhaps a tenth of a ----of xenon 133 per second is being released. The is atte=pting to rig a system whereby these gases can be pumped back into the containment. The containment has about 2 million cubic. feet of volume, adequate to contain the gases for a large period of time if uhis is successful. We'll know that in perhaps a matter of a half a day or so.
-Maybe I've covered the principle points and will take questions.
I REPORTER:
Is there any possibility that that bubble will ever
--fuel elements?
get enough to --
DNETON:
If the pressure of the cooler were just ~ pressure in the prinary cooling system were reduced, the bubble j
would grow. That means you have to be very careful about.the methods used to bring the reactor to a col.d shutdown condition REPORTER:
Because you've already got all gas out of -----out of the fuel elements, they're going to go on decaying, they're going to go on producing gas, is that going to greatly increase the sire of the bubble in turn?
~
The bubble is growing not because.o,f gas from the fuel DEMTON:
= -but because of hydraulpsis of the water.
It's generating hydrogen and oxygen that and also some steam j.
in the bubble.
4' mores-J O
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1 PART 1 PAGE 3 REPORTER:
_Any risk of explosion?
DENTON:
Not in the reactor vessel.
eMr. Denton, will there be any other large leaks REPORTER:
of radiation, controlled or otherwise and if they are going to be controlled can you tell us when they will be.
DEUTOM:
The way the system is operating now, you have to recall that the releases of radioactivity that are occuring are the result of gases dissolved in water which is coming from the so-called letdown system whichsmaintains proper water balance in the primary coolant system.
These gases are now being released continuosly from the letdown flow.
So, they are not being stored and held up in a manner that might result in a big release at one time.
There are releases going on continuousl.
from that same source.
REPCRTER:
At what level did you say?
DENTON:
Our estimate is approximately one-tenth of a of xenons a second.
REPORTER:
Inaudible.
DENTON:
At the dose levels around the site at the moment appear '
to be' on.the order of 1-20 mr, this is on the site property, offsite they appear to be in the range of perhaps from one-tenth to a few mr per hour as a result of the type of releases that are occuring today.
REPORTER:
Could you specifically list the problems and options in going through cold shutdown including what you are going to do with the bubble?
DENTON:
The options that go to cold shutdown are many. ----
is looking at them.
I understand they are getting help frcm other reactor suppliers. The
- = has no plans to modify the present mode of core-cooling until we've looked at it and everyone has assured themselves that this is the best way to go the,
contingencies are planned for and when a transition is made it will be made in the day time when the state and we can be fully on top of the transition
~~
- REPORTER:
How many days have we got before that bubble will grow
--- inaudible---
=
-fuel rod DENTON:
You have start.with the understanding that appears
- at the top of the fuel has already been exposed during the event. This is what caused the extensive fuel damage.
It's hard to say at the moment whether the top -of the fuel is exposed from the bubble or r.ot I guess our estimate is likely that the bubble does not extend all the way.down to the top of the fuel.
But as a result of the fuel damage there is blockage
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in several fuel assemblies and these fuel assemblies much hotter than the remaining fuel assemblies.
=-suddenly a big heat up, you would presumably REPORTER:
_get an increase in pressure.could that cause a 1
venting that would let all the pressure out'and make that bubble suddenly get'much blgger.
DENTON:
Well an inrease in ressure would collapse the bubble and that is one way of collapse.
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-more-
PART 1 PAGE 4 REPORTER:
Then you could blos the relief valve.
,e Well actually, to get the bubble out through the relief valve and to the containment would be advab'tageous DENTON:
That is where I would like to have the bubble. '
REPORTER:
REPORTER:
How long will it be before the bubble could hurt the primary' pump.
DENTON:
If it grows to the point that it begins to enter the' resert lines it could affect the operation of the punp.
REPCRTER:
How long would that be?
DENTCN:
I don't knbw.
REPORTER:
You gave us your assessment of the situation now as no emminent danger. Could you give your assess =ent of the essentials of the dangers in the operations now proceeding? What is the potential.
Well, let's suppose the bubble grows to the point that DENTCN:
in incapacitates the primary coolant system or either that the primary coolant pump stops working for a-number of potential reasons the first course of action available is to turn on the high pressure injection systed.
These are three separate pumps. I think they put in a of about 500 gpm to repressurize the system. This would collapse the bubble and allow start-up of.the second resert pump that is also in that same loop. If that loop fails to start the course of action following that would be to open the pressurizer relief valve, begin to blow the system down, the accumulators would come on at their set pressure and as the pressure dropped the low pressure injection system would come and begin injecting bore-rated water from the outside tank.
REPORTER:
What is the risk of doing something like opening that would trigger
-- that you couldn't predict what would happer DENTON:
Well the systems I'm talking about coming on are designed to prevent core melt downs and we are fairly confident these systems will work as intended if called upon.
RZPCRTER:
Has any person or persons saw enough radiation to have you concerned about their health?
-We have in the audience here the director of the local DENTON:
inspection enforcement office who is responsible for,
following these things. My understanding is that there have been three, four, five individuals exposed over three rem per quarter limit but not over the five rem annual limit and I think one of these people received an exposure ove'r three rem and attempting to get a sa=ple l
oftheprpmarycoolant.
REPORTER:
How are;you ratine chances of a melt down?
^
7 DENTON:
I think they are v_ery remote.
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-more-
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18
PART A PAGE 5 e
s Are there any other deaths ----- and has iodige
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- ^-
s been release.d at all?
' s s
Well noble gases are commonly thought of to be bo'th DFNTON:
Z-9's and criptides and whether predcminate isotopes is Z-9 133 and has five day half life.
REPORTER:
What aboi:t"ibdine?
.s Except for this one sample taken by the state early DENTON :
in the process there has been no iodine found in any of the sampling off-site and no fission products other than noble gases have been detected.
t Why is it necessary to pump it back into the c'ontainment-REPORTER:
vessel?
Because if you pump it back into the containment vessel DENTCN:
you prevent it from getting out and exposing it to the publi:
REPCRTER:
Do you consider the core stable enough to tinxer with that public at this point?
Well we are not going to tinker with it without firmly DENTON:
developed procedures that we get prove of.
REPORTER:
How long will that take?
s DENTON:
It will be days if not longer.
REPC RTER:
Do you have time with the bubble growing?
DENTON:
I think so. Well let me mention that I brought our senior specialist in all of these areas they have met they have gone through the plant I have received the briefing tonight before coming down to brief the governor we will be working around the shift we will have people there all the times at the various areas and tommorrow scmetime we will have a much better handle on some of.
these things.
REPORTER:
Does the bubble,seem to be growing?
DENTON:
I really, really don't know. You can always decrease the size of the bubble by raising the pressure.
REPORhER:
. What was the millirem readings at the plant this morning after the first burst, was it 1200 as the wire says?
DENTCN:
There has been some confusion in that area.
I think f
the - - -
reported something on the order 500 millirems righ't over the plant stack.
REPORTER:
inaudible
~
DENTON:
I guess you really can't speculate about that one.
Tommorrow we will have had 'a, chance to look into those data.
. g, REPORTER:
From the average persons point of view what is the worst possible thing that could happen?
DENTON:
Well certainly the worst possible thing would be a core melt down.
REPORTER:
And what would that entail? ~
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PART 1 PAGE,6 Well a melt down, you may recall the melt downs were studied in the ------------------this was critiquedeby.
DENTON:
the Lewis committe which found problems with the range
~,.
of uncertainty of express and Professor Lewis thinks the range of uncertainty is a lot greater than Professor" Most likely melt down would not result in early fatalities it would result in exposure to the public that cause latent cancers and land contamination and probably resulting in economic losses of a billion dollars j
REPORTER:
How far?
'4t Than there likely for the core melt down not very far.
~
Most that....
are other scenarios analyzed in that document CENTcN:
is not very far Dr. Denton? All the way to Washingto:-
REPORTER:
What few percent of the melt down analyzed in-- ------
DENTCN:
No. Only resulted in land contamination.
How long do you think it will be before you get the thing REPORTER:
shut down and under control.
I think i,t will be at least days before there is any change in any mode of cooling the core.
I hope that there is a change ~
DENTON:
in this continuing release of noble gases within another 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />.
'There,are I might mention one other fact which is interesting.
TLD's which,are radiation monitors that have been out at 10 These stations around the plant for th'e last three months.
were collected by our inspection people and analyzed. They were collected 2:00 yesterday so in addition two of them have been out for three months they also saw 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> The results that have come indicate of yesterdays events.five to seven millirem per month at these stations, which is the same exposure as background and these stations were seeing the same thing for example.
In a place like Middletown, now you said 500 right over the plant what was it like sitting on a' stoop in Middletown today.
REPORTER:
I think that Goldsboro, is that I don't have that number.
1 the correct town - as a result of the type of release that is DENTCM:
going mn now is about 1 millirem per hour.
- three to five, five to seven?
REPORTER:
How many days- -
any consensus
'I th, ink it will be several days befor'e there i.
e DENTON:
among people as to how to approach bringing the plant to down. With the bubble there you have to me-a cold shut careful with the hydraul,ics so it's brought safely.
Does that mean they don't know hot' to cool it down yet?
REPCRTER:
No, it is more o'f a case what is the proper op' tion, you don't want to bring it down in a mode that gets more of the contaminatef DENTON:
Our goal is to keep all of water outside of the containment.
the radiation that is in the water in the containment as much' 12.
as possible. -
-more-e Om
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PART 1 PAGE 7 REPORTER:
Are you dea ing with a situation you have never
,'t dealt with before?
i i
si s
DENTON:
This easily the most serious accident in t$e l'ife of q i
the reactive program.
Has a situation similar to this ever been dealt with REPORTOR:
before? Do you know what you are doing?
Well I think we know what we are doing, yes, but wed DENTON:
have never had such extensive fuel damage before in any life of a reactor.
REPORTER:
Do you go alone with that 25% figure?
Depending on how that is calculated you can calculate DENTON:
I think anywhere from 50% of the fuel pins have been damaged down to 25 or less. Oncecthe' primary coolant r,amples are analyzed you can back calculate to a much closer value, but we don't have these result back ye'.
REPORTER:
What option are you going to take sir?
DENTON:
No sooner than a couple of days.-
REPORTER:
inaudible There are vents but they are manually operated and not DENTON:
accessible.
In technical terms why isn't this situation a melt down.
REPO RTER:
A melt down in my sense involves molten fuel and a complete DENTON:
loss of coolant there may be melted pellets in this core but all indications are it is more a case of planting.
f ailures and swelling. But until we get the reactor cooled down the head off to make a physical inspection we won't know the exact status of the fuel.
REPORTER:
Could this be a melt down?
Some of the fuel could be melted, but based en the fact DENTON; that it is mainly noble gases I expect it is more planning failures.
REPORTER:
How long can you run the reactor in this condition without any danger....
.1 DENTON:
I think you can run it for a long tire but you are continuing to bring out this let-down flow that continually de-gases and results in a continuing source of exposures on the
- if that can be corrected the reactor could be cooled in this mode for.quite awhile.
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4 PLEASE TURN TO SECOND HALF OF TRANSCRIPT
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PART 2 Page la REPORTER:
Are you dealing wit'h a situation that you have ever dealt with before?
DENTON:
This is easily the most serious accident-in the
-reactor program.
REPO RTER:
Do you know what you are doing?
I think we know what we are doing, but we have never.had
- DENTON, such extensive fuel damage before in any -------reac*cr.
REPORTER:
Are you going with that 25% figure?
DENTON:
Depending on how,it is ca1culated, you can calculate I think anywhere from 50% of the fuel pins.have been damaged down to 25 or perhaps less.
Once primary coolant samples are analyzed, you can calculate much closer value, but we don't have these results back yet.
REPORTIR:
inaudible---------
DENTON:
Probably a ctuple of, no sooner than a couple of days.
REPORTER:
Could this situation.have been avoided if you had had a vent in the top of the reactor?
DENTON:
Yes, and there are vents but they are manually operated.
and not* accessible.
REPORTER:
In technical terms, why isn't this situation a meltdown?
DENTON:
A meltdown in my sense involves molten fuel and complete loss of coolant, there may be melted pellets in this cere but all indications are it is a case of cladding failures and swelling but it will take, until we get the reacter cooled down, the head off, and make a physical inspection we won' t know the exact status of the fuel.
REPORTER:
Could this be a meltdown?
DENTON:
It, some of the fuel could be melted, but based on the fact that it is =ainly noble gases, I expect it is more cladding failures.
i REPORTER:
How long can you run the reactor,in this condition without any danger of the core melting or other serious problems?
.c DENTON:
I think if you run it for a long time but you are continuing to bring ------inaudible-==---=== flow, that continu;1'ly degases and results in a continuing source of exposures on the level I have described. If that can be corrected, the reactor could be cooled in this mode for quite a'while provided all the systems that are...
REPORTER:
In the next few days, when you make the decision, whateve f
decision you take, would you in advance of any action, want to evacuate certain. areas, and if so, which areas, 2.
and how ccmplete wi,11 it be?
DENTON:
We will have to cross that bridge when we ge't there. I think when we do change the mode of cooling as I said, it has got to be at a time that we in the' state are. agreed upon, well prepared to take whatever action,s ssem appropriate.
I REPORTER:
-==--=== inaudible-------
DENTON:
I would hope we-in the state would make that one' jointly.
-mcre-
PART 2 Tage 2a How long wi[1 it take the reactor core to cool?
- t REPO RTER:
In your current situation? Weeks, Months?
S
,5 ss.
It will take a-very long time for the reacter to cool s
s DENTON:
in the present state.
REPO RTER:
Months?
How long can you run it?
DENTCN:
It won't stay in its present state for months. ~ I mm.sure we will attempt to get it in a more normal mode to get down to...
\\
REPORTER:
It is not 5easible to let it cool this way?
DENTON:
Well, it can stay this way for quite awhile. The coolant,
the average elements in the core now are running at abou~t,
280,--
- which appear to nave overheated most 0
severely and have the most flow blockage are indicating temperatures of 6000 REPORTUR:
That is full power temperature?
Yes.N DENTON:
REPORTER:
------ inaudib le--- = = - -
== and you still have to make critical decisions and that is the-
inaudible-------
DENTON:
Well, it is fair to say that.the core has been cooled this.
way for the last day or so and we don't, would not encourage any change in it until the licensees develcp detailed procedures and we have reviewed them.
REPORTER:
Inaudible.
DENTON:
I think tha bubble might grow slowly. We think the procedure is in hand for activating all~the emergency core cooling systems will do the' job but they might cause more fuel damage due to the type of transient we impose upon them.
REPORTER:
Has the temperature in the fuel been going up gecause
.".et Ed snit tof ay the 51 5 temper =.tnve wa.= Son r on 7
five you are saying 6000...
DENTON.
I haven't looked at the detailed temperatures in'the last ten hours or so, many of these high fuel were a
c'oming slowly but there was one that didn't seem to be w
changing at all.
REPORTER:
Is Met Ed telling the truth about what is going on in that reactor and what has happened?
I guess I would have to defer to someone who..i DENTON:
j REPCRTER:
You have already contradicted them once today. Somebody from Met Ed said that the readines outside that plant were 350 mrs right after that...
t D
DENTON:
There has been a severe communications proble.m getting infor-mation back to Washington.I was there in the incident centor for the past coupla of days - that we now have on site are a couple of traiJers, we have got some d,dicated lines back to Washington and the White House. I.think we will have much better communication fro,m now on.
REPORTER:
Who is taking the readings elswhere? Is that all, Met Ed readings you are giving when you...
-more-t
PART 2 Page 3a DENTON:
Our compliance division, I think, has over 25 health physicists out in the environment taking measurements right now.
REPCRTER:
---- Met Ed readings, they're yours?
DENTON:
Yes sir.
--whether there was any human error or not involved REPORTER:
= = - -
in this?
DENTON:
We haven't attempted yet to go back and look at that aspect. We will make, prepare a full report on the topic at the mem' ant our number one focus is to understand the status of the core, the amount of damage, this bdbble, and what the implications are, and how to get it s
REPORTER:
Are you going to let Met Ed make the decision about thoseI options or are you going to help them out?
DENTCN:
No sir.
REPORTER:
Who will make the final decision?
I think we have the authority to' license and suspend and DENTCN:
I have no doubt we could impose our views on ultimate...
REPORTER:
inaudible-=
one way or the other?
Which option you will take?
s DENTON:
Well, I'would hope there would be a concensus of experts.
before we make a decision.
REPORTER:
Who decides finally at the very end?
DENON :
I think the NRC would make the final decision.
l REPO RTER:
Is any option a gamble?
DENTON:
Well, they all have pros and cons and different experts advocate different ways and...
REPO RTER:
What kind of chances are we taking?
DENTON:
I don't think you are taking gambles with any of.the options that have been analyzed but before any of them are done we want to run them all through, simulate them, and be sure we understand it.
4 You saw fission going on in there
,c REPCRTER:
DENTON:
No the control rods entered the core back when the event
~
began so it is decay heat.
Howmuchmoreda$.agecanthisthingsustaininputtin's l
REPCRTER:
in the emergency' cooling procedures if the bubble grows?,
DENTON:
Well, if the, you can uncover quite a bit of core and still cool it from the steam coming up from below the core but if the bubble were to grow the cladding, if it is
.g already brittle fro.m high temperatures which began to crack and fail more.
REPORTER:
What would that mean?
DENTON:
It probably wouldn't mean a lot more release of* radioactivity because once the cladding fails, all.t.he activity that is in the gas is released anyway, it would'just further co=plicau ecoling of those --------
-more-u l
f
PART 2
.Page 4a Iet me ask whey you would like to terminato or change DENTON:
topics or...
deciding on an option?
REPORTERS :
DENTON:
We don't have an outside, we have one more the other way, but I don't expect any decision until several days have gone by.'
immediateare[,
t In people talk for the people in that REPORTERS:
eyeball to eyeball, what would you say to those people tonight, as far as this situation is concerned?
DENTON:
Well, as I saidiat the start, I don't think there is any inninant danger from the core the way it is sitting, I think the radiation levels that are existing of one-tenth to one mr from the ' type of release is small and we' expect to terminate that ir. the near future.
Is the situation getting better there,is it stable, is REPORTER:
it getting worse? What is your assessment of that?
I would like to think that havin'g brought in the number DENTON:
of pe ple that we are that will be on shift around the clock, with the operators, there will be less chance -f for surprises in the future. But I...
REPORTER:
Is i*. getting better?
Well, you know------- performances can't always be expected, DENTON:
so I think we can do more about planning and anticipating what might happen rather than having to react...
Is the situation there much safer than it was,three days REPORTER:
ago?
DENTON:
--inaudible--
Next Question and Answer inaudible-REPCRTER:
Has Met Ed handled the situation competitively from the beginning?
DENTON:
I will need more time here to look into what has gone on REPORTER:
Can lessons you have learned here affect the ope' rations
,of other power stations?
DENTCN:
Surveillance is the name of our game. We operate much like the federal aviation agency and when you learn problems on one reactor, you take steps to make sure the other reactors, fix that problem,---
so once we determine what the cause of the problem is here, whether it is a mechanical failure, or a procedural deficiency or operator error, we will take steps to as.sure that it won't happen in the other - ;
REPORTER:
inaudible" DENTON:
No it hasn't.
REPORTER:
Would you clarify something? You said.that --------- to a few mrs per hour as a result of these gaseous --------
how much, is that added to other radiation,that is going on?
...C This was my estimate based on t?e type of release that is DENTON:
occurring today or a few hcurs ago.
o
-more-
PART 2 Pego 5a REPORTER:
Is that the total radiation that the people are getting?
Well we have made some estimate of what the tot.1 population DENTCN exposure might be from the entire incide.qt and 'it has got some guesswork in it, but it might be on the order of-
~
1000 nanrem total exposure as a result of it -- 'if you go to the relationships between exposure and health effects, in the famous ---- report, they indicate that you might expect 1 to T eancers per 10,000 manrem of exposure to in the public. So based on 1000, you might extrapolate and say there has been, this event might result in a te.td to i a:-
t-tenths of a latent health effect_in the population.
What is the radius on that"----------------3 miles?
REPO RTER:
DENTON:
That is inte* grating all the way out--------
s You mean ----------- has been exposed to a thousand?
REPORTER:
DENTON:
No, the entire, if you take each person's exposure and multiply it is a crude it by the people that got that exposure, extimate and we might revise it.
We now have a capability to take ".he weather at the various times of release and once we get accurate release data, we can both project what exposures will be tomorrow, and we can back calculate what exposures were yesterday.
That thousand is over the three days, for the duration?.
REPORTER:
2
~
DENTON:
That is correct.
REPORTER:
Now you are giving them 1 mr per hour.
DENTON:
The thousand is manrem, that is not millirem.
What does that translate into a millirem per person within REPORTER:
20 miles of this plant. Can we do that,?
Let me correct this one about the 1000 manrem -- that would DENTON:
be a million millirem.
REPORTER:
What does that translate into in millirem per person?
Our best estimate at the moment of the exposure occurring DENTCN:
from noontime,at 4:00 was on the order of a tenth or a millirem to a few millirem per hour at locations fairly close in and with Goldsboro being.about 1 mr.
REPQRTER:
- ------------into millirem' exposure per person?
DENTON:
You calculate it the,other way.
You determine the exposure of the individuals at various distances and you integrate it out.
--- --total mill 1 rem exposure per person.. 20 miles?'
^
REPORTER L DENTON:
That is the number I am quoting...
If you integrate out the exposure people get, rather people who get that exposure --------inaudible--------
2.
dose of the American adult in.a year?
REPORTER:
=-
Relate what people are getting here to the normal millirem dose of an average American in a year?
DENTON:
Well, the background in this area as measured.!dr the TLO's is probably close, if the actual. backgrounf. is five to seven mr a month that is 6 to 84 millirem a year,' background
~
exposure.
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PART 2 Page 6a REPORTER:
Inaudible s,s
.S DEN!0N:
We have done 'a crude look at that.
It doe n't look to's me as if any individual has'gotten over 100 millirems,
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for the closer person.
REPORTE s:
Not over what?
i i
DENTON:
Over 100.
But these are estimates and we will have to refine them with back calculations using the actual w~eather' I"
and so forth.
REPORTER:
Can we ask the Governor some questions?
i DENTON:
Let me clarify this 1000 manrem.
.e People receive milliram doses -- th'at is 1/1000th of a l
a a rem.
So you add up all, you multiply the people who received milliram doses by the number of people who get that and you look way out in long distances and you get a number of millirem per persons doses -- and what I have done is gone '.o manrem rather than manmillirem and that is the difference.
REPORTER:
long range now.
You have got a problem here that is probably going to take you what three months, six months,.
nine months, to clear up, what is your preliminary estimate on how long it is going to take to get this whole
cleaned up?
DENTON:
I wish I knew.
I guess my immediate task is to get the core in a cold shutdown condition and terminate the routine releases that are occurring. After you reach that state the half life of xenon being five days,..
the radiation levels inside will decay-down with that rate and the --
-can then go in and investigate the condition of the core and make whatever repairs are necessary.
REPORTER:
What is the number of the people who have been exposed?
DENTON:
I think we integr'ated out to 10 or twenty miles in other words, at some point in this calculation it becomes meaningless when you are talking about millionths of...,
j
REPO RTER:
---twe-tenths of one-percent of a latent health effect ~'
~
what number are we talking about?
DENTCN:
That number comes if you expose 10,000 people to'one rem each, which is 1Q00 millirem, out of that sample population, you would expect one or two, excess cancers showing up,later in their life.
REPORTER:
Will you tell the public when you're deciding on how you are going to deal with that bubble?
DENTON:
I hope to keep you informed on a daily basis as to what is
~
going on.
REPORTER:
May we questier. the Governor please.
REPO RTER: L Governor, the people of central Pennsylvania have'been put under tremendous stress in the past.72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> and especially today, would you care to comment 'on'how.they reacted, how you feel about the way the situation developed, and specifically, how the media handled the situation locally.
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PART 2 Page 7a GOVERNOR:
I will beg off on the last one.
I think that the cautiouc that we roccamended today were received appropriat,ely.
stapt.
by the people of central Pennsylvania. There amoencedjp:
be no manic. We received no recorts of anw concern over '
i
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the propriety'of the recon;mendations that we made..I no=e to have a chanc.e with the Lt. Gov. and with and with'their wives and families to visit some of those folks tomorrow, who have been. temocrarily disloc.*ted.
a Are you getting better informatica now?
M.
REPORTER:
i Yes, considerably, we our recuest to the President for Mr..
GOVERNOR:
Denton and his associates was desianed to improve the flow of informa' tion, the sianal course provided us with a much creater capability for the ready transmittal of.information as it is develooed and the time lags that nave pl'agued us j.
and the differine sources for information have been *.* -
a' incroved considerably, i
REPORTSR Can you explain your three points. Why no evacuation?
{
Whv the exoirinc at midnicht? Why the creanant women, 1
children, etc., remain...
l GOVERNOR:
They are all based on the adviceifrom those people who l
reported to me on the condition at the site.
j i
i REPORTER:
Inaudible l
i Yes, I anticipate reevaluating them constantly, GOVERNOR:
Is it possible that you might order an evacuation after i
i REPORTIR:
if you find out what procedure they are going to use, you decide that procedure is hazardous?
I will make a continuing reevaluation of our reccmmendations i
GOVERNOR:
in the particulars I have discussed tonicht and other i
l particulars.
REPORTE3:
You have not ruled out an evacuation?
The first thine that I did when.I heard of this incident i
GOVERNOR:
early Wednesday mornine was to ask Colonel Henderson if we had the cacability to carry out an orderly and effective l
evacuation if it became necessary. He assured me that.
we did have that cacability and I centinue in that assurance 1
as of this acment.
t
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i
" REPORTERS.
Governor, do you have any idea how many people aren't in their homes in central Pennsylvania tonicht as a result of the news about the plant, and how many of those people.are in the evacuation center that you set uo?
GOVERNOR:
I don't.
Colonel Henderson would.
But, I don't know if 1
he is here.
i REPORTER:
How many evacuation centers have been set up,.do you knew?'
l GOVERNOR:
I don't know. ' I have no details on that.
i s
.q REPORTER:
Have you determined how long you will permit the release of these gasses to'co on before you would orper an evacuation?
Based on the assessm'nt civen to me bv the team at'the site.
GOVERROR:
e
-we would make a determination as to a possible, evacuation.
t
- m..
co on for several* days..q REPORTER:
may GOVERNOR:
We will make a determination on each of those dav,s as to I
what our proper course sf conduct will be.
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1 PART 2 Pace Sa f,
One area of exoosure is to this steady doseace.
REPORTE8:
GOVERNOR:
Excuse me.
s What is the area of exposure to this steady doseace now?
REPORTS.R How wide an area?
il.
We have the capability to take the meteorology that is DENTCN:
i existing at the site and the national weather maps, ---
in the release from the plant, and calculate how far, away various people would receive doseage, we can have y
j those maps prepared tomorrow.
But, as I said, the
~
dose falls,off at about a factor of 2 between the plant site and the first person across the water so the desence drocoinc off, the square root of distance as youA..
4 CRITCHLOWs Just a few more questions please.
On this kind of accident, with all the planning and zesearch i
REPORTERS:
that they have done over the years -- did you percieve that
]
this kind of accident was possible with this bubble. If so, what kind of measures did you take...
4 We certain1v foresaw that loss of feed water flow was DENTON:
anticioated. Plants are desianed assumine there will be at, least one of these transients a year in every plant. These~
d tvoes of transients occur in cold fired plants. What is unusual about this transient is the fact that it resulted in the extensive fuel damace, that much of the contaminated water cot over in the auxiliary baildinc in the early parts of the transient and that this bubble did form in the reactor vessel. So those thinas we did not anticioate.
1 Should we exoect more releases of cas and licuids that REPORTERS:
are creater than what we have had air,eady?
Thers is a lot of very hichiv radioactive water and there DENTON:
might be other events that lead, some 6f this water to cet outside and so you micht excect some occasional water to find itself outside. I would hope we wouldn't find the.
kinds of releases that have occurred up to now.
9 CRITCHLCW:
Thank you very much.
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