ML19323A944
| ML19323A944 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 05/01/1980 |
| From: | Gerard Jackson HARRISBURG HOSP., HARRISBURG, PA |
| To: | Snyder B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8005070515 | |
| Download: ML19323A944 (2) | |
Text
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SECTION OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE i
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DEPARTMENT OF RADIOLOGY 94 H{ HARRISBURG HOSPITAL I
SOUTH FRONT STHEET George L Jackson, M.D.. Director - 782 5394 i -~
'#l HARRISBURG, PA.17101 Fred W. Flickmger, M.D.
H.F. 3ronfman. M.D.
J.5. Burkte. M.D.
F.J. Gailla. M.D.
D.R. Buxton, M.D.
8.8. Glullen, M.D.
J.H. Croteau M.D.
R.P. Stewart. M.o.
H. E. Fin k. J r., M.D.
G.J. Triano, M.D.
May 1,1980 Dr. Bernard J. Snyder, Program Director Three Mile Island Program Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555
Dear Dr. Snyder:
Thank you sincerely for forwarding NUREG-0662 and the two addenda for my comment.
I am most appreciative of your thoughtfulness.
On the basis of my review of these documents, my interest in the sub-ject of radioactivity and the peaceful applications of atomic energy and attendance at several meetingspartaining to the subject, I personally endorse the proposal to decontaminate TMI Unit 2 Reactor Building Atmosphere by the venting of krypton-85.
I would also favor the shorter total elapsed purged time of five days as compared with sixty days.
As you may or may not know, I have written to numerous government offi-cials citing my observations of patients' reactions and expressing my per-sonal concern for the increasing level of anxiety which is evident among the patients I am privileged to serve.
If this is a fair representation of the general population response (and I believe it is), then every effort to re-duce this anxiety is appropriate. As I have written on other occasions, I am convinced that physicians generally and particularly those knowledgable about radioactivity (Nuclear Medicine or Radiologists) can be a useful re-source (if wisely used) to assist in defusing the anxiety referenced above.
Forwarding this useful document could be one step in that process.
I would hope that wide distribution of this document (NUREG-0662 and addenda) was accomplished.
Finally, and possibly you would have no direct concern with this prob-lem, I believe that a second positive step in relieving the anxiety in our populpus (and also a prudent preventive medicine and aublic health considera-tion) is the prompt development of a responsible evaraation plan for hospitals.
In considering this, we must recognize that the most recent hospital evacua-tion (in Toronto, Canada) was required by virtue of a railroad accident with the release of toxic chemicals. There is an enormoits problem in the evacuation Do/7 sa sfo
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of patients on life-support systems. This was dramatically called to our attention from March 28 to April 7,1979. On April 2, 1979, there were several hundred patients on life-support systems in the hospitals in the immediate vicinity of Three Mile Island. The problems of addressing the appropriate evacuation and dt.sposition cf these patients has NOT been addressed. I am confident that one of the contributing factors to the anxiety in the Central Pennsylvania population is the recognition by many of the intelligent people in this area of the inadequacies of this evacua-tion plan.
If we were able to tell them that a method to evacuate people with special requirements in the event that krypton purging did not pro-ceed as we anticipate (a most unlikely possibility), I believe we would have taken a positive step in relieving anxiety.
In any event, I have sps.en too much. Thank you for sharing this information with me.
If any of my comments strike narmonious cord, I would be happy to develop them further in discussions with you.
Sincerely,
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Geo ge I. Jackson, M.D.
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