ML19329F901
| ML19329F901 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/30/1980 |
| From: | Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Proxmire W SENATE |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8007110335 | |
| Download: ML19329F901 (4) | |
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TW EN 3 01980 The Honorable William Proxmire United States Senate Washington, D. C.
20510
Dear Senator Proxmire:
Your letter of March 14, 1980 brought to my attention the concern of your constituent Ms. Nancy Bohm concerning emergency preparedness warning systems around nuclear power plants.
Since the sumer of 1979, the Nuclear Regulatory Comission has been actively pursuing a major program of upgrading the state of emergency preparedness in the environs of operating nuclear power plants. The program was initiated by a series of regional meetings in which new and more stringent criteria were explained to licensee representatives and State and local officials.
The criteria have recently been published as a joint Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Federal Emergency Management Agency document (NUREG-0654/ FEMA-REP-1), a copy of which is enclosed with this letter.
By direction of President Carter on December 7,1979, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for review of emergency plans, which includes evacuation planning, of State and local authorities in the environs of a nuclear power plant. The NRC works closely with FEMA in this regard.
Upon completion of its review, FEMA will present its findings on the adequacy of offsite emergency plans to NRC, and the NRC will then make the final licensing decision.
The acceptance criteria in NUREG-0654/ FEMA-REP-1 include three principal items:
(1) the distance to which planning should be done, (2) the criteria for defining an emergency, and (3) the time for notifying the general public.
The NRC Commissioners have recently endorsed an NRC-EPA task force report, NUREG-0396, which is the planning basis for the development of State and local radiological emergency response plans in support of light water nuclear power plants. This report recommends that planning for protective measures should l
be made out to a distance of 10 miles from an operating nuclear power plant.
The report also recommends that there should be provisions for early warning and instructions to the general public. The emergency planners are defining this requirement in terms that state there should be a maximum of 15 minutes from the time an operator of a nuclear power plant defines an emergency to his notification to local authorities, and there should be a maximum of another 15 minutes for local authorities to alert the general public within 10 miles of the plant. We have not defined the means by which the general S VS TD THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS b
8007110335 POOR QUALITY PAGES
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The Honorable William Proxmire public shall be alerted.
Sirens can be used in built-up localities or some other system similar to weather alert systems for rural areas. The purpose of the early warning system is not to instruct people to evacuate an area -
it is simply to gain their attention and to have them shelter in one's home and to close doors and windows and listen for further instructions on the radio and TV, which may include subsequent instructions to evacuate. With regard to resources for these systems, FEMA and NRC expect that the nuclear facility operator will have an interest in assisting State and local governments by providing certain manpower, items of equipment, or other resources that the State and local governments may need but are themselves unable to provide.
A further key element in upgrading emergency plans is the concept of emergency action levels.
NUREG-0610, Emergency Action Level Guidelines for Nuclear Power Plants is included as an Appendix to NUREG-0654/ FEMA-REP-1.
We have defined a number of parameters in terms of observable indications in the control room which will require immediate notification to local authorities.
For example, the loss of two of the three fission product barriers would be defined in observable indications on control room instrumentation such as high pressure and temperature in containment as well as high radiation levels in containment.
The goal in upgradina emergency plans to these criteria is to ensure that the general public in the environs of the plant will have early warning and clear instructions of what to do in the event of a potentially serious accident at a nuclear power plant.
We trust this information will be helpful to you.
Sincerely,
~ymped)T. A Rahsi f+lilliam J. Dircks, Acting Executive C
Director for Operations
Enclosures:
l.
NUREG-0654/ FEMA-REP-1 2.
Incoming Letter dated 2/15/80
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2 Eecidec failing to rention who vac going to pay for t,he suggested alar cyste-the Fede have not defined what they consider a reasonsble cause for evacuation. On Ponday February 13, 1980, a cooling rystem incide the alrondy crippled Three 1:ile Irland nuclear Plant leaked as such as 1,000 gallonc of highly radioactive water. Authorities said that no radioactive meterial ercaped, whereas the control room operator reported ac -uch an 300 -illicuries of Erypton gas escaped into the at+osphere. ~ How uch radioactive material vill officals allow to escape into the atrosphere bafore va are warned';
Radietion is ernecially dangerous to us becauce ve can't see, feel, c~ ell, haar or touch it.
It gives off rays which panetrata and da-ares our celle, children era -ore rucceptible than adults to radiation da cge boe cure their celle are conctantly growing and dividing.
If Nuclear energr urt be used, all citicene chould be made aware of any dangers involved Therfore I' a -king you to suppart the !!RO's s ',[., w planc for a verninc "ynte', if such a device can be pro.en effective.
6 y d 2" Pleare also support any plann that vill warn of dangers as they occur and not days later. Your concideration of there matter: vill ba greatly apprecirted.
?
Sincerely, iM M
Nancy Enh-
/,57 Johnron Hall Rivar Falle, WI.
5/.02
"THree "ila Irlani Raficectiva Ucter Leat:c", St. Paul Pionaer Pres 9, Tuerdc:, Fabr r r" 12, 1990 page 1.
"What Rediatic". I and Does", uorth Country !.nvil, A Pri-ar on 14++e1eer Pavar.
I!o. 30s, publithed by box 37, "illville, ':n. 55957 1979 page11.
Helen Ocidicoot,
At the Crocsroads", IIev Ace "enatine, Decacber 1977, reprinted b Environ-ental Action Reprint Sarvica.
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