ML19331D041
| ML19331D041 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 07/25/1980 |
| From: | Snyder B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Musselman L AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19331D042 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8008270165 | |
| Download: ML19331D041 (2) | |
Text
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l Lee Brown Husselman i
2221 North Third Street l
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110
Dear Ms. Musselman:
l Your Letter to Commissioner Hendrie regarding the shutdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear station has been referred to me for response.
I regret that this answer to your letter has been delayed. The accident and its consequences i
have created a substantial increase in the agency's workload, which has pre-l vented us from responding to you as promptly as we would have liked.
i With regard to your corrnents concerning the possible future operation of TMI-1, the Commission has ordered that a public hearing be conducted to deter-L mine whether the facility should be operated and, if so, under what conditions the restart would take place. Prior to start of the hearings, the NRC staff will conduct a review of technical infomation concerning the restart of Unit 1.
As part of this review, the NRC staff will conduct meetings with the licensee i
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 I
that are appropriate to assure the public health and safety will also be addresse' In addition, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has indicated that NRC should I
consider the psychological impact of future operation on the nearby communities.
A copy of the Commission Order that outlines the issues to be considered is en-closed for your infomation.
g With regard to Unit 2, the licensee has not yet sutrnitted to the NRC a proposal l
for overall plant recovery, although the Itcensee is conducting feasibility
,y studies.
It is not possible at this time to detemine when such proposals for recovery may be submitted or how much time will be needed for the required re-s
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l views and approvals in connection with Unit 2's recovery. I would note, how-ever, 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! [
In response to your concern about the criteria for an Extraordinary Nuclear I a Occurrence (EN0), this is a term defined in the, Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as ame-y I
(the Act), which identifies those nuclear accidents where compensation to people g
for damages or injuries will be on a no-fault basis.
In the event of a nuclear i
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accident resulting in small releases or minor damages, these no-fault provisions would not apply and nomal legal procedures would be followed for persons sub-r lJ i mitting damage claims.
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JUL 2 5 D30 Lee Brown flusselman Q
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' i The f4RC was given the authority in the Act to detemine whether or not an
..1 accident can be classified as an Ei10. The Act defines an El!0 as an event
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that causes a discharge of radioactive mate-ials in amounts causing offsite
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radiation levels that the Comission detemines to be substantial and that the Commission detemines has resulted or will result in substantial damages j
to offsite persons or property. The Commission was required by the Act to 1 - i estabitsh specific criteria in its regulations for making the Efl0 detemina-i tion. Although the accident at Tf4I was not a nomal occurrence and would be considered extraordinary in everyday language, the Comission, in an April i
l 16, 1980, finding, detemined that the accident does not meet specific criteria l
for an Etl0 as defined by the Price-Anderson Act and the Comission regulations.
lle 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.
l Sincerely, i
Be nard J. Snyder, Program Director
{
Three !!ile Island Program Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation l
Enclosure:
Commission Order i
of August 9,1979 DISTRIBUTI0fl Docket 50-289 DVassallo PDR DEisenhut LPDR AFerguson (NRR #3289)
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