ML19323C179
| ML19323C179 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 04/03/1980 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Wickersham B AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19323C180 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8005150106 | |
| Download: ML19323C179 (2) | |
Text
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WASHINGTo N, D. C. 20555 e
APR 3 1980 Beth Wickersham 4706 Hunt Circle Harrisburg, PA 17112
Dear Ms. Wickersham:
I am writing in response to your letter regarding your concerns about Three Mile Island. I regret that this answer to your letter has been delayed. The accident and its consequences have created a substantial increase in the agency's workload, which has prevented me from responding to you as promptly as I would have liked to.
Information about the accident made available to the public was confusing for a number of reasons. Some problems were attributable to the sources of information, some to the way in which information was made available to the press, and some to how the press reported the information it obtained. NRC's information was not always complete, nor in some instances, wholly accurate.
We recognize the importence of making complete and accurate information avail-able to the public. Consequently, we have made specific plans for providing information to the public for such potentially serious accidents as occurred at Three Mile Island. These plans include making the availability of public information part of NRC's and the utilities' emergency response planning.
Under this policy, the utilities must provide offsite locations for newscenters.
Ce also plan to appoint a senior NRC official responsible for coordinating NRC information activities during an emergency.
By centralizing the gathering and dissemination of NRC's information, we will provide the public with relevant and timely information.
As you are no doubt aware, measurements of radioactive releases during the accident made by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Radiation Protection and several federal agencies did not warrant that the NRC recommend a general evacuation of the population near the Three Mile Island nuclear station. A precautionary health measure that was issued during this time was the advisory issued on March 30 by Pennsylvania Governor Richard Thornburgh recommending that preg-nant women and preschool aged children leave the area within a five-mile radius of the reactor. That recommendation was in effect until April 9, 1979.
Subsequent studies of these releases indicated that they were very low.
The small dose of radiation that was received by people in the area came from radioactive gases that escaped from the auxiliary building. The average dose THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS P00R QUAllTY PAGES
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, of radioactivity received by the population within 50 miles of Three Mile Island was approximately 4 millirems. The maximum exposure to any individual was less than 100 millirems, which is less than the yearly dose each person receives as a result of natural background radiation. Doses at these levels result in less than one health effect over the lifetime of all people in this area. Natural background radiation received by people in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area is approximately 125 millirems per year. To put these doses into perspective, note that a traveler flying round trip in a jet between New York City and Los Angeles receives 5 millirems from cosmic rays in the natural background.
With regard to your comments concerning the possible future operation of Three Mile Island Unit 1, the Commission has ordered that a public hearing be con-ducted to determine whether the facility should be operated and, if so, under what conditions restart of Unit 1 would take place. Prior to start of the hearings, the NRC staff will conduct a review of technical information concern-ing the restart of Unit 1.
As part of this review, the NRC staff will conduct I
meetings with the licensee in the presence of the public, and the public will be given the opportunity to raise questions and to make statements. During the hearing, the technical issues which are appropriate to assure the public health and safety will also be addressed.
In addition, the Hearing Board may consider the psychological impact of future eperation on the nearby communi-ties. A copy of the Commission Order which outlines the issues to be con-sidered is enclosed for your information.
With regard to Three Mile Island Unit 2, the licensee has not yet sent to the NRC a proposal for plant recovery, although the licensee is conducting feasi-bility studies. It is not possible at this time to determine when such pro-posals for recovery may be submitted or how much time will be needed for the required reviews and approvals in connection with Unit 2's recovery.
I would note, however, that the licensee's authority to operate Unit 2, except for those actions necessary to keep the reactor shut down, was suspended by Order of July 20, 1979.
I appreciate your concerns and 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, A
Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Encl: Order and Notice of Hearing dated 8-9-79 l
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