ML19322D516
| ML19322D516 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 01/24/1980 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Mortali G AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19322D517 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8002140685 | |
| Download: ML19322D516 (2) | |
Text
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Ms. Georgia Mortali Blood Street Lyne, Connecticut 06371
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Dear Ms. Mortali:
Your mailgrams to President Carter and to Commissioner Hendrie opposing the re. lease of krypton gas from the Three Mile Island nuclear station have been
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referred to"me for response.
I regret that this answer has been delayed.
The-accident and its consequences have created a substantial increase in the agency's workload, which has prevented us from responding to you as promptly
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as we would have liked.
The origin of the krypton-85 is the release of fission products into the con-ll
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tainment building during the accident.
Other fission products, primarily
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xenons and iodines, had activity levels far in excess of the krypton-85. im-mediately following the accident. They, however, decay relativelv quickly a
and are now at very low levels.. The krypton-85, with a 10.5-year half-life, ha:: not decayed significantly and, thus,10 months after the accident, has become the dominant form of radioactivity in the containment building atmo-sphere.
g Metropolitan Edison Company recently submitted to NRC a " Safety Analysis and Environmental Report" (November 12,1979) in which it evaluated alternative
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" optimum choice from an environmental impact standpoint when potential acci-
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=f the reactor building atmosphere." This gradual venting, the report estimates, will result in releases below levels allowed for nomal nuclear power plant Ess operation, as set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 50, d
Appendix I). This venting might result in a maximum dose of less than 1 millirem of whole-body radiation.
Before authorizing venting or any other disposal methods of the krypton gas,
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NRC will prepare an environmental assessment to detemine potential environmental E
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v Ms. Georgia Mortali effects of the alternative methods and will request public coments on the assessment.
We appreciate your concerns and assure you that every effort is being made to ensure the continued protection of the health and safety o' the public.
Sincerely,
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Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation b[
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DISTRIBUTION Docket 50-289/50-320
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