ML19322D367
| ML19322D367 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 01/24/1980 |
| From: | Vollmer R NRC - TMI-2 OPERATIONS/SUPPORT TASK FORCE |
| To: | Showman D AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8002120033 | |
| Download: ML19322D367 (4) | |
Text
_
YELAt-1
~
JAN 2 41980 Dennis Showman Co. Rd. 15, Q-529 l
Napoleon, Ohio 43545
Dear Dennis:
y Your letter to President Carter regarding the safety of the area around the Three Mile Island nuclear station and the plant's future operation has been referred to me by the Department of Energy.
I regret that this answer has been delayed. The accident and its consequences have created a substantial 1
increase in the agency's workload, which has prevented us from responding to you as promptly as we would have liked.
The very small dose of radiation that people in the area received came from l
radioactive gases that escaped from the auxiliary building. The average dose of radioactivity the population within 50 miles of THI received was approxi-mately 4 millirems. The maximum exposure to any individual was less,than 100 l
millirems, which is less than the yearly dose each person receives as a result of natural background radiation. Natural background radiation people in the Harrisburg area receive is appro:<imately 125 millirems per year. To put these doses into perspective, a traveler flying round trip in a jet from New York to Los Angeles receives 5 millirems of co mic scys.
To detemine whether food grown in the area will be contaminated, the Department of Energy measured the amounts of radioactivity present in samples of soil, water, air, and vegetation. Based on these samples and other infomation, it was concluded that the principal isotopes in the escaped gases were xenon-133 and xenon-135. Although radioactive iodine was found in samples of some milk, the concentration was less than 1% of the concentration pemitted by NRC regula-tion:i. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration tested other food samples; none of the. 377 food samples tested contained radioactivity produced by the reactor.
With regard to your question about the future operation of the plant, the NRC has ordered that a public hearing be conducted to detemine whether Three Mile Island Unit 1 (which was not damaged during the accident) should be operated and, if so, under what conditions.
Before that hearing takes place, the NRC staff must review technical infomation concerning the restart of Unit I and 8002120033,9
~
.er= >
suaan= >
.n >
NBC FORM $15 076) NRCBf $340 W o.a.eeveewom m enennae ocesemis.es.se..se,
u G-Dennis Showman conduct public meetings with Metropolitan Edison. With regard to Unit 2, where the accident occurred, Metropolitan Edison has not yet submit'ed to NRC a proposal for overall plant recovery, although it is currently studying the feasibility of Unit 2's operation.
It is not possible at this time to detemine when the proposals for recovery may be submitted, how much time will be needed for the required reviews and approvals, or, consequently, whether i
Three Mile Island will again be able to produce electricity.
I am pleased to provide you with this infomation.
s Sincerely.
Orighul signed by:
Eldard H. Vollav Richard H. Vollmer, Director Three Mile Island Support DISTRIBUTI0f{
Do..ket 50-289/50-320 NRC PDR Local PDR NRR r/f SEP/TMI r/f TMI Site r/f RVollmer JCollins JMullin W01iu SMiner HDenton ECase HBeritw/WRussel1 DMuller FSchroeder DVassallo DEisenhut RTedesco RReid DDilanni RIngram MGroff (NRR-3417)
TERA 9
l s
n
...T..M..I./..T..F.[.........
..T.H..I./..T F...
...M.
...r..t.....
T W011u r bmf SMiner RV 1mer
= = = = = = = >
... I....E.............
..# ~.y.$)........... l...yf I
===>
I A..
. e
..m a..
.s......-...-
sec samar sie p.w) sans esse