ML19322D864
| ML19322D864 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 02/15/1980 |
| From: | Burgess D AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| To: | Muller D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8003050507 | |
| Download: ML19322D864 (2) | |
Text
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Feb. 15, 1960 1428 A Ravine Way Arnold, Md. 21012 I
Daniel R. Nuller -- Acting Director for the Division of Site Safety and Environmental Analysis, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington D.C.
20555
Dear Mr. Muller:
i These are coc:monts prepared for the 2/15/80 NRC Public Meeting in Caton-sville, Md., at the UMBC Administration Bldg. Lecture Hall.
In case anyone here hasn't read the papers or seen any Baltimore TV news this past week, 2/10, I'd like to share these headlines :
TMI Reports " Minute' Leak of Radiation Into Atmosphere THI Officials Say New Leak Not A Hazard New Leak at Penn. A Plant Termed No Public Danger NRC Probes 3 Mile Leaks Releases atCalvert Cliffs Go Unreported NF not Told Of 2 Leaks at Cliffs Calvert Cliffs I4aks Probed and, my favorite, a picture of TMI and the words Hot Again.
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All this after implementation of the NRC's TMI Lessons Learned Program.
- I'm here to speak about credibility, and scientific dispute, risks to workers, the psychological impact of the accident and evacuation, and continous low level leaks to the environment, and the plans to treat and discharge tritiated T
water to the Susquehanna.
i j
Right here it needs to be said that the vast majority of people around the world who are familiar with the events at TMI know that Het Ed has made so many mistakes and miscalculations, and in general has run such a shoddy buisness, that it has lost any legitamate right it may have once had to
' operate a nuclear power plant. It's basic competence to run the clean up is highly questionable. The fact that the NRC has not revoked the license of TMI altogether is a reflection of how far out of touch the NRC is from reality. The President's Conunission, and the NRC's study released in 1/80 agree that the NRC is incapable of filling the functions of regulation and protection of public health and safety it was created for. Indeed, the entire 3 Mile Island accident and it's a*ter=sth are a reflection of the inec=netence and inability of the NRC to premolgate effective rules and regulations for l
safe reactor operation in a way that can be measured and verified, and enfoe-I ced. What we have here is a crisis in confidence of the most profound sort.
Clearly, big changes are coming in th.s way the U.S. regulates it'.s nuclear industries. The only question really worth asking is whether these massive changes in the nuclear status quo will come before or after another accident l
like TXI or likely even worse. It is obvious that, at the rate the NRC is going another worse accident is inevitable before effective changes are made in the siting, licensing, and operation of these plants. Therefor, the contest is restructure the NRC toward some semblence of rational regulation that could reduce the odds of a catastrophic accident - before this accident occurs.
That is why we are here tonight.
g A.t example of the type of restructuring of NRC needed to prevent disaster, h%
is the policy of licensing large power reactors near urban areas and ecol'og-ically sensitive areas like the Chesapeake Bay. NRC and AEC before it stated that the wisdom of this kind of siting policy is questionable, yet the policy continues.
OB M A
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- 81. 2 The NRC has stated that, at the time of the accident, it had rated all the nuclear power plants in terms of safety maintenance, and good operating procedures, and TMI was just about in the middle of the list.
This meansthere must be about 30 or so plants with a greater potential than TMI foe accidents, and short of imposing fines for non-ccmpliance, the NRC considers this acceptable. This, too, is areflection of the trouble in the NRC.
The releases of gasses from TMI during the accident have been described as "haraileea" and " inert".. This euenoaedly means they don't cordine with othar elements that could find their way into people. However, a publication from the AEC, " Understanding the Atom" features a cover photomicrograph of zenon-tetraficuride - that is, radioactive zenon combined with flouride.
Now, flouride is found in the environment in connection with coal - such as mining coal or burning it in a power plant. No mention has been made by the utility of this possible dangerous chemical combination..
In mid 1979, the report "Radioecological.tssessment of the ifyle Nuclear Power Plant" was translated from the German by the NRC.. Conducted by a highly respect.ed group of scientists and enginerrs at the University of Heidleburg, the study was the first to research and challange assumptions and formulae and mathematical models 9 employed by the AEC in the.1950's and 60's' in the development of safe standards for radioactive emissions from power plants. These atandards reflect prevailing theories of the possible bio-accumulation and other food chain effects of radionuclides loose in the l
environment. According to the Heidleburg scientists, the NRC - Aec stah dards are from 100 to 1,000 times off, and are particularly inaccurate in relation i
to susceptible individuals in the population.
levels of radionuclides from power plants could be expected to be found inFurther, it sta many foods such as milk, venison, strawberries, grapes, wheat, soybeans etc.
Briefly, the study suggests that the experiments by which current ideas of whats safe and what isn't are based on tradulant research.
The people of Harrisburg and Central Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River Valley have been made to fear for their lives, the lives of their, child-
.ren, and and the inte-rity of their genetic material as a result of TMI.
Can Met Ed claim no responsibility for cancers and lukemias caused by TMI that show up 10 to 30 years laterf Remember that military men and others expos-ed to radiation in the 40's and 50's are just r.ow banding together to find out if their exposure is related to later cancer, lukemia, and genetic defects. ifhere do Harrisburg residents that develop these disorders report for their compensation in 1999 i I also question the utility and HRC commitment to safety as evidsaced by the occupational exposures workers are assigned. Have these workers and their supervisors been educated as to the probable effects of long term exposure to low level radiation f Ifhen an accient occurs, how well informed are the people sent into the " hot area t I believe that nothing approaching the fullest s
practicable use of robots abd other remote handling technologies has been i
attempted at TMI for one reason alone s expense. In he context of potential damage to future generations, this is reprehensible.
There is currently some controversy about the risks of tritium. I wish to remind the meeting tonight that the lack of environmental studies confirm-ing tritium's harmfulness is in no way an indication that it is safe.
t The people of Maryland are totally and unalterably opposed to the dumping of any radioactive or tritium bearing materials into the Susquehanna and the Chesapeake Bay.
MM i
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