ML19330A190
| ML19330A190 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Midland |
| Issue date: | 04/06/1976 |
| From: | Gossick L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Cederberg E HOUSE OF REP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19330A191 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8007150960 | |
| Download: ML19330A190 (5) | |
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UNITED *TATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION j
j WASHINGTON. D. C. 20655
- dicket Nos. 50-329 50-330 THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS Honorable Elford Cederberg P00R QUAUTY PAGES U.S. House of Representatives
Dear Mr. Cederberg:
Your lei,ter of March 19, 1976, to Chairman Anders, which enclosed the March 8,1976, letter from Ms. Mary Sinclair of Midland, Michigan, regarding tne Midland Plant Units 1 and 2, has been referred to me for reply.
Ms. Sinclair expressed her concern regarding the design of tne didland Plant in ligt.t of c.ie ; ire anica occurrea a jear a;;o at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, and the allegations made recently by tnree engineers who rasigned their positions with the U+neral Electric Cc:pany. Specifically, Ms. Sinclair requested blueprints of the electrical circuitry for the Midland Plant.
Preliminary layout drawings and seneratics for the electrical circuitry for the Midland Plant are included in Chapter 7 of tr.e Preliminary Safety Analysis Report for the Midland Plant.
Tnis report is available for examination in the Local Public Document Roon established at the Orace Dew Memorial Library, 1710 W. St. Andrmes Road, in tne City of Midland, Michigan. We co not have final design drawin;s for tne Midland Plant electrical and inscrurentat. ion circuitry at this tine.
Such drawings will te submitted by the applicant in conjunction with our review of the Final Safety Analysis Report for the plant, now tentatively scheduled for submittal curing the summer of 1977.
These drawings will be available for Ms. Sinclair and her engineers to review at that time.
As Ms. Sinclair pointed out in her letter, the Browns Ferry fire did reveal seme deficiencias in the design of the Browns Terry units.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission established a Special Study Group within a few days after the Browns Ferry fire to examine the circum-stances surrounding the fire and to make recommendations to the Commission for possible improvements.
The results of the Special Study Group's effort were published in February 1976 as a document entitled,
" Recommendations Related to Browns Ferry Fire," docu:ent nusoer l
A copy of this document has been forwarded to all Local Public Document Rooms and Ms. Sinclair may examine the report at the Grace Dow Memorial Library if she desires. Should Ms. Sinclair wisn j
to obtain her own personal copy of the report, it is available from the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia j
22161. The cost for a printed copy is $5.00, but a microfiche copy l
may be obtained for $2.25.
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s Honorable F.lford Cederberg Basically, the report of the Special Study Group concludes that the probability of disruptive fires of the magnitude of the Browns Ferry fire is quite small.
The report does recegnize that improvaments can be sade in fire protection for nuclear plants, however, and reco:menda-tions are made for additional efforts in the areas of fire prevention and fire control, and for design =easures to limit the potential consequences of fires.
In tnis connection, toe Nuclear hegulatory Commission has ocen reviewing its criteria for fire protection for nuclear plants and, in tne near future, we expect tnat revised criteria will be issued. The proposad design of the Midland Plant will be reviewed in lignt of th?:e revice: rriteria and cuch alterations or improvements in tne design as may be indicated to obtain improved fire ;ravention, fira centrol, an: consaquanca limiting layout will te maae. Actions taxea in tnis resard will se made a par: of tne paclic record and wi,ll be available for :-:3. Sinclair's inspection in One Local Public Document Room in Mialand, Mien 1 an.
6 Tne allegations reg:rding nuclaar plant safety made by tna :nree engineers who resigne: from tne Ganeral Electric Company, as well as those cade by the engineer wno resigned from tne Juelear Regulatory Consission, have ceen tne sucject of pualic hearings neId by the Joint Connittee on Ato2ic Enerry.
Eaen alleration hac bean examined in d3pth by tha Nuc! car da;ulatnry Cornission staff and eacn nas oeen responded to on the public record. A co?.plete copy of all the allega-tions and the results of the staff investigation of each has been forwarded to tne Local Public Document Room in Midland. These documents are available for study by Ms. Sinclair.- In essence, wnile the "revelacions" alleged oy chese four individuals cade great press copy, no sucstantive issue was raised of wnich tne staff anc the industry had not been aware.
We recognize that nuclear plant designs are not perfect in cne sense that they guarantee absolute safety. Absolute safety probably is unattainable just as-other affairs of life cannot be guaranteed with absolute assurance. ilonetheless, the present designs of nuclear plants are " safe" in tne ordinarily accepted meaning of tne word.
The concerns raised by those individuals wno resigned are largely in the realm of matters whose resolution might make an incremental improvement to plant safety.
If it is determineJ that changes are necessary to assure that the-public is not exposed to any undue rise, such changes will be applied to the Midland Plant, just as to other nuclear plant designs.
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Honorable E1 ford Cederberg I cannot address specifically Ms. Sinclair's allegation that Mr. John Harris has " deliberately lied'8 about the siting of tne Mid-land Plant since she has not identified any specifics.
However, I can assure you and Ms. Sinclair that, while she may not agree with decisions that have bean made, such matters have been handled in accordance with the regulations under wnich we operate and in what we considered was the public interest. Should Ms. Sinclair have specific matters she wishes us to investigate in this regard, I would be pleased to initiate such an investigation, but I must first have some details with which to work.
I trust that this infor=ation will enable you to provide a responsive reply to Ms. Sinclair.
Sincerely, g -..
Ie-1.. uoss ick E.cecutive Director for Operations
Enclosure:
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e 76-1463 3/19 Logging Date No.
NRC SECRETARIAT TO:
O Commissioner oate O cen. Couasei L'
E xec. Dir./Oper.
Cong. Liaison Solicitor Public Affairs O Secretary C
Elford A. Cederberc. H.R.
incoming:
From:
3/19 Chairman Anders o,t, To.
Enclosing Constitttent Correspondence SubiecJ:
express.ing concern over tne electrical design a,..iidland nuclear power plant.
Q Prepare repiv for signature or.
C Chairman O Commissioner O EDO. GC, CL SOL PA SECY SUSPENSE:
April 5 C Signature block omitted 0
C seturn orig.nai of incoming witn resoonse O For direct repiv-For appropriate action C
UN' Na i For information
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Cy of incoming to Chairman Anders, OGC, aemark s:
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' Send three (3) copies of reply to Sec y Ma.1 Fac;;iti ACTION SLIP NRC42
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