ML19322D662
| ML19322D662 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 12/28/1979 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Kirk H AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19322D663 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8002190828 | |
| Download: ML19322D662 (3) | |
Text
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- Q-o-s z 6 FRELAT05 BBC(ET RLE COPY DEC 2 8 1979 Ms. Helen K. Kirk, Secretary-Treasurer THIS DOCUf/,E:.7 027NH3 Board of Suoervisors, Lower Paxton Townshi POOR QUAtir'~ ' U D" 75 South Houcks Road, Suite 206 L
Harrisburg, PA 17109
Dear Ms. Kirk:
This letter is ir, asoonse to the Resolution by the Board of Supervisors, Lower Paxton Township, of October 8,1979, reoarding the release of contaminated water into the Susquehanna and the oos'sible future operation of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactors. Unit 1 and 2 (TMI-l and 2).
With regard to future oneration of TMI-1, on July 2,1979, the Commission ordered that TMI-l remain in a cold shutdown condition until further order by the Comission and stated that a public hearino would be held orior to restart of TMI-1. The Commission believes that oublic carticination is a vital ingredient in dealing with those matters related to the TMI-l restart.
Cn.Auqust 9,1979, the Comission issued an additional Order on TMI-l soecifying the basis for the Shutdown Order and the crocedures to qovern the hearing regardinq any TMI-l restart. On the basis of that hearino the Comission will determine whether any further operation will be nermitted and, if so, under what conditions.
I have enclosed a copy of the August 9,1979, Order for your infomation.
The Comission's Order also identifies a number of items that must be resolved orior to restart. These itens, listed on pages 5-7 of the Order, include but go beyond those required for restart of other Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) desianed cressurized water reactors similar to TMI-l and 2.
Included in these additional items are those recommended by the Lessons learned Task Force which studied the TMI accident.
As for future operation of TMI-2, the licensee has not yet submitted to the NRC a nroposal for overall clant recovery, althouah the licensee is conductino feasibility studies.
It is not possible at this time to determine when such proposals for recovery may be submitted or how nuch time will be needed for the reauired reviews and anorovals in connection with Unit 2's recovery.
I would note, however, that the licensee's authority to ooerate Unit 2, except for those actions necessary to keen the reactor shutdown, was susnended bv Order of Ju-ly 20, 1979.
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j y, Ms. Helen K. Kirk
<.2-With reoard to your concern about the release of contaminated water, except for releases of liquids containing only low or nondetectable levels of radioactivity to the Susouchanna River, such releases are not currently remitted.
Before such releases take olace, the impact will be evaluated by the NRC and the evaluation will be made available to the public. By this. course of action, we will assure that a thorough assessment is comoleted prior to release of the contaminated liquids and that the health and safety of the offsite population will be protected.
As a result of releases containino only low or nondetectable levels of radioactivity, the levels of radioactivity in the Susquehanna are indistinguishable from existing background levels at oublic water sunoly intakes from the river. These levels have been confirmed by independent reasurements made by NRC, the Environmental -Protection Agency, and the Comonwealth of Pennsylvania.
With regard to concerns about the radiation released from TMI-2, a very small dose of radiation was received by oeople in the area and this came from the radioactive gases that escaped from the auxiliary building. The averaqe dose of radioactivity received by the nopulation within 50 miles of T?il was aporoximately 4 millf rems. The maximum exoosure to any individual was less than 100 millirems, which is less than the yearly dose each oerson receives as a result of natural background radiation.
Doses at these levels result in less than one health effect over the lifetine of all oeoole in this area. Natural background radiation received by ceanle in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area is approximately 125 millirems per year.
To out these doses into perspective. it should be noted that a traveler flyinq round trip in a jet from New York to Los Anaeles receives 5 millirems of cosmic rays.
With respect to alternative methods of enerny oroduction, such as solar, wind.
and geothemal, the Denartment of' Enernv is the Federal Agency resnonsible for their research and development. MRC considers these alternative nethods of energy oroduction in its assessment of the environmental imoact of each nuclear power plant as part of our overall review of each utility's aonlication for a construction oermit or an operatino license. To date. we have determined that alternative methods of enerqy production are neither technically nor economically feasible to provide the recuired amount of nower at the time it is needed. However, the MRC certainly endorses efforts to promote enercy conservation.
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i Ms. Helen K. Kirk 1 I understand the concerns of the Board of Supervisors and would like to assure you that every effort is being made to ensure the continued protection of the health and safety of the public, not only at the Three Mile Island Station, but also at all nuclear power plants.
Sincerely, cy,, =.. n
- a. '. ;:.n Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
Order, dtd 8/9/79 bec: The White House DISTRIBUTION:
Docket Nos. 50-289/50-320 NRC PDR w/ enclosure Local PDR w/ enclosure TERA w/ enclosure ED0 r/f NRR r/f SEP/TMI r/f TMI Site r/f HDenton EGCase HBerkow/ Russell DVassall:
DMuller RMattson FShroeder DEisenhut RTedesco RVollmer JCollins SMiner JMullin Attorney / ELD DDilanni CNelson RReid SECY 79-2954/79-2927 (3)
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