ML19322E682
| ML19322E682 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 03/19/1980 |
| From: | Gilinsky V NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Quisenberry G AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19322E683 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8004020112 | |
| Download: ML19322E682 (2) | |
Text
_
DOC iET * * "7
- i UNITED STATES'
._ @ & T b C, fNy( ^h NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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- E WASHINGTON. O.C. 20555 l
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OFFICE OF THE COMMISSJONER March 19, 1980 i j/
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10 $20 > _
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Geraldine F.
Quisenberry h,$, _hpnka 1202 E.
Palo Verde Drive B;C y,,
Phoenix, Arizona 85014 8, s s
Dear Mrs. Quisenberry:
Thank you for your letter concerning the financial situation of General Public Utilities and the Three Mile Island Unit 1 accident.
I understand your concern that General Public Utilities obtain the rate relief it has sought.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission does not, however, regulate the rates charged by electrical utilities.
Rate regulation is a concern of the various State public utility commissions and of the Department of Energy.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's primary concern is the regulation of the safety of nuclear reactors.
The Commission is presently conducting a hearing before a Licensing Board to determine whether Three Mile Island Unit 1 can safely be permitted to resume operations while the clean-up of Unit 2 proceeds.
Because this proceeding is adjudicatory in nature, I cannot comment on the substance of l
the issues which must be resolved.
The Licensing Board is currently conducting prehearing conferences and expects to i
begin formal public hearings by the early summer.
While the Licensing Board will undoubtedly seek to avoid unnecessary l
delay, it is difficult at this point, to predict how long these hearings will continue.
More generally, the accident has caused the Commission to l
reassess past practice with regard to insuring that the public's health and safety is adequately protected from the hazards posed by nuclear power generation.
This reassessment is, by its very nature, a complex and time-consuming procedure.
The Commission believes that it has made progress in implementing the more urgently needed improvements.
However, further improvements in equipment and operating procedures are likely to be required.
The Commission authorized the Tennessee Valley Authority to load fuel at its Sequoyah 1 facility and 8 004 020ll A
d e to commence low power (less than five percen,.) testing.
It is expected that other reactors which are nearing completion will be permitted to undertake similar testing once they have been conformed to the post-accident requirements.
I Since ely, f-
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V ctor Gilinsky Commissioner l
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