ML19332A320
| ML19332A320 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 08/22/1980 |
| From: | Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Heinz J SENATE |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8009110494 | |
| Download: ML19332A320 (6) | |
Text
Occ3dD CQ-PAC 1
~
~.' ;
er 7
q.,,_
c Docket No. 50-320
' ~ ~
AUG 2 2 mga The Honorable John Heinz United States Senate Washington, D.C.
20510
Dear Senator Heinz:
This inform: tion is a response ~ to your request of May 19,1980, which forwards a letter, dated April 25, 1980, from your const'tuents Mr. and Mrs. Charles W.
Emerick, Sr.
In that letter Mr. and Mrs. Emerict express concerns relating to krypton-85 releases into the atmosphere around the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant.
In addition to responding to these concerns here, I have enclosed three recently prepared documents which address virtually all of the concerns raised by your constituents. " Answers to Questions about Removing Krypton from the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 Reactor Building," NUREG-0673 was completed by the NRC staff in early May 1980. Also enclosed is a copy of the " Final Environmental Assessment for Decontamination of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 Reactor Building Atmosphere,"
NUREG-0662, Volumes 1 and 2, prepared by the NRC staff. Volume 1 contains the NRC staff's recommendations, including an assessment of alternatives to the Commission, and a discussion of the negligible health impacts associated with urging. Volume 2 contains the substantive public comments received by the NRC staff following distribution of Draft NUREG-0662 in March 1980. The Commission approved purging the reactor building atmosphere to the environment on June 12, 1980. A copy of the Ccrmission's Memorandum and Order setting out their determination of this matter is enclosed. The purge commenced on June 28, 1980, and was concluded on July 11, 1980, when lpvels of Kr-85 in the reactor building were reduced to approximately 2.0 x 10-3 uCi/cc.
In response to Mr. and Mrs. Emerick's questions regarding thyroid studies in the TMI area, the following is offered.
In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, thyroid examinations for newborns were initiated to identify thyroid disorders which, if uncorrected, could lead to mental retardation. According to Dr. Evelyn Bodin, Pennsylvania State Health Department pediatrician, the program was initiated in 1978 following a national recommendation by pediatricians and a group representing retarded citizens. Dr. Bodin pointed out that only about 10-15% of observed thyroid abnormalities are believed to be a result of a genetic defects. In the cited case regarding the twins (boys), the fact that one had an abnormal thyroid while the other didn't also indicates the abnormality was not inherited, but more likely was induced in utero. The cause of the observed effect is simply not known.
However, it is unliidly that it would have been caused by radioiodine from the TMI accident, since both twins' thyroids would have accumulated essentially the same f
I i.
4 800911040 w
The Honorable John Heinz radiation dose from iodine transport across the placenta.
Further studies of exposures to human thyroids indicate that much higher doses (on the order of 100,000 million) would be required to induce measurable increases in thyroid abnormalities.
With regard to the conclusion that the infant death rate around TMI has not increased since the TMI-2 a cident, the NRC staff has also evaluated fetal mortality rate (i.e. deaths / deliveries) data from Harrisburg hospitals for the period January 1978 through December 1979. These data were supplied by the Pediatrics Division at Harrisburg Hospital. The NRC staff :mncludes that there is no statistically significant difference in these rates between the 15 months prior to the TMI-2 accident and the 9 months following the accident. Nor was there a statistically significant difference between rates in 1978 and 1979.
Additional investigation by others, including Pennsylvania State officials and the NRC staff, of apparent increases in infant mortality (e.g. as claimed by Dr. Sternglass) showed the apparent increase was due to a recording, error in data reported by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Sincerely, isigneTT.IReW F William J. Dircks, Acting Executive Director for Operations
Enclosures:
1.
NUREG-0662, Volumes 1 & 2, May 1980 2.
NUREG-0673 3.
Commission Mcr4randum and Order of June 12,1920, Authorizing Controlled Purging of the TMI-2 Reactor Building Atmosphere DISTRIBUTION:
Docket No. 50-320 DEisenhut PDR RVollmer LPDR Dross TERA SHanauer ED0 R/F RMattson NRR R/F ELD TMIPO 1/F oe# 9GG (3)
TMI Site R/F GErtter (ED0-9079)
JTCollins SCavanaugh VStello WTravers JCook MDuncan HRDenton HThompyon Wj C 80%Il*0 OCA.;Q EGCase PPAS P-BGrimes f(
8/'^-980
..TM,l?.Q ; N,.R[,.
, _ TMl P.0, ; N RR.,..N,Q,,(,T,x
/.
NRFj omcc)
..WIday, tst cap..13JSnyder..... ~,.. Y l.." " T.'.. EG C s e.........
.HRD an......WJDi rc k s....
e sua m e)
,,g...../ 6/8 0 /.....
8/ 7 /80
. j................
.. d../ 8 0 8/( /80 8
/80 8
8/ //80 8/
1........
DISTRIBUTION:
Docket No. 50-320 DEisenhut NRC PCR w/ incoming RHYollmer Local 4DR w/ incoming Dross TERA, w/ incoming SHanauer ED0 r/f RMattson NRR r/f Attorney, ELD Docket No. 50-320 TMI:P0 r/f w/ incoming OCA (3)
TMI Site r/f w +ncoming GErtter(EDO#9079)
BJSnyder kg, AFerguson JTCollins WTravers w/ incoming The Honorable John Heinz f.
/
Duncan e
FStello d
HThonpson w/ incoming JCook g', Wp,
United States Senate Washington, D. C.
20510 HRDenton 5
Dear Senator Heinz:
e This information is a' response to your request of May
,1980, which fonvards a letter, dated April 25bl980, from your constituents Mr. and Mrs. Charles W.
Emerick, Sr.
In that letter Mr. and Mrs. Emerick express concerns relating to krypton-85 releases into the atmosphere around the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant.
N
\\
In' addition to responding to these concerns here, I have enclosed three recently prepared documents which address \\ virtually all of the concerns raised by your con-stituents.
- o Questions About Removing Krypton from tne Three Mile Island, t 2 Reac'
...otng", NUREG-0673 was cogleted by the NRC staff in early May 1980.
the "E n.at Environmental Assessment for Decontamination of the Three Mile Island
[AlsoUnit 2 Reactor Building Atmosphere". NUREG-0662, Volumes 1 and 2,.a4ee tions, including an assessment of a% Volume 1 contains the NRC staff's recomm the NRC staff, hn on m..
zgh
.@ 9-lternatives to the Comission, and a discussion of the negligible health impacts associated'with purging. Volume 2 contains the sub-stantive public comments received by the NKC staff following distribution of Draft the reactor building atmosphere to the e% tMTie Commission approved purg NUREG-0662 in March 1980.
L rM nt: nvironment on June 12, 1980. A copy of the-g
-idemiFrandum and Urder _ _...,..... is enclosed.\\s of Kr-85 i The purge commenced on June 28, 1980, 11, 1980 when level rejtqtor_buildina w and was concluded on July ced toja.oroximately 1.0 x 10-b C1/cc. ^@'..A, rging 57,000 Curies of
[
n TMI area, since the krypton rypt'oii~B5 would not raise normal' background level
\\
would disperse throughout the earth's atmosphere an would not be independently y
FH g detectable.
e In response to Mr. and Mrs. Emerick's questions regardin thyroid studies in the TMI area, the following is offered.
In the Comonwealth of Pegnsylvania, thyroid examina-tions for newborns were initiated to identify thyroid disorders which, if uncorrected, could lead to mental retardation. According to Dr. Evelyn Bbdin, Pennsylvania State Health Dep::-tment pediatrician, the program was initiated in 1978 following a national recommendation by pediatricians and a group representing retarded citizens.
Dr. Bodin pointed out that only about 10-15% of observed thyroid abnormaliiies are believed to I
be a result of genetic defects.
In the cited case regarding the twins (boys), the fact that one had an abnormal thyroid while the other dion't also indicates the abnormality was not inherited, but as induced in utero. The cause of the observed effect is sinply not known. However, i is unlikely that it would have been caused by radiciodine from the TMI accident, sinc both twins' thyroids would have accunulated essentially the l'll.th o,,,m >.
s-4.
om>.
. a m m o m m m e r e m s m m.ne
i e
P The Honorable John Heinz 2-same radiation dose from iodine transport across the placenta. Further studies of exposures to human thyroids indicate that much higher doses (on the order of 100,000 million) would be required to induce measurable increases in thyroid abnormalities.
With regard to the conclusion that the infant death rate around TMI has not increased since the TMI-2. accident, the NRC staff has also evaluated fetal mortality rate (i.e. deaths / deliveries) data frc:n Harrisburg hospitals for the period January 1978 through Decenber 1979. These data were supplied by the Pediatrics Division at Harrisburg Hospital. The NRC staff concludes that there is no statistically significant' difference in these rates between the 15 months prior to the THI-2 accident and the 9 months following the accident. Nor was here a statistically significant difference between rates in 1978 and 1979.
p 6^3 dditional investigation by others chapparent increases in infant mortality (e.g. as claimed by Dr. Sternglass) s bwed the apparent increase was due to a s
, recording error in data reported by the Mational Center for Health Statistics.
1 Dr. R. L./ otchy of he NRC staff contactiN$ tife Consnonwealth Health Statistics N
G office of the Depa ment of Health regardin' infant and fetal mortality tes for g,y he per(od 1968 t 1980 in th Coninonwealt including Dauppin County the
'RV arrisdurg area)
When rece ed, the dat wilKbecareful reviewed and if M[
a sigdificant fi ding is ma, your off t e will be immedi ely informed.
\\
Sincere s
William J. Dircks, Acting Executive Director for Operations
Enclosures:
l 1.
NUREG-0662, Volumes 1 and 2. May 1980 2.
NUREG-0673 3.
Commission Memorandum and Order of June 12,1980, Authorizing Con-trolled Purging of the THI-2 e d M l{~ e y w p,.
Reactor Building Atmosphere y
j J
'\\
r
+
> -~
et2.g Q.4m X3 W s%o J OCA t
- ynTr. ere opphntre vrt i nu rnn en$1c"oprnrr
//
7/ /gn 0
.DIR
.P 0..
.0ELO.
.E:0Q/J4Rk.
e
. DIR/.NRR.
.EDO.
omcc).. IM I..P0..
.HRDenton.
WJDi rck.s.
..h.EGCas e..
suame). WTrAvers/hmt
.BJSp er.
.'.I80
.7/../80
. 7/... /.80..
oarc k. 7./15/00.
. 7/.8/.80..
7/../.80.
@ BM(pAyzttfsmg[frw rcenrsorarc (ogEgerb RO70-SOO-369
DISTRIBUTION:
Docket No. 50-320 DEisenhut NRC PDR w/ incoming RHVollmer Local PDR w/ incoming Dross TERA w/ incoming SHanauer EDO r/f RMattson NRR r/f Attorney, ELD TMI:P0 r/f w/ incoming OCA (3)
TMI Site r/f w/ incoming GErtter(EDO#9079)
Docket No. 5 -320 BJSnyder AFerguson JTCollins WTravers w/ incoming FStello MDuncan JCook HThompson w/ incoming HRDenton EGCase The Honorable John Heinz PPAS United States senate -
BGrimes Washington, D. C\\ 20510 Dear Senator Heinz This information is a esponse to your request of May 19, 1980, which forwards a letter, dated April 25, 980, from your constituents Mr. and Mrs. Charles W.
Emerick, Sr.
In that le er Mr. and Mrs. Emerick express concerns relating to krypton-85 releases into t e atmosphere around the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant.
In addition to responding to ese concerns here, I have enclosed three recently prepared documents which addre virtually all of the concerns raised by your con-stituents.
" Answers to Questio About Removing Krypton from the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 Reactor Building", NUREG-73 was conpleted by the NRC staff in early May 1980.
Also, the " Final Environnental Ass sment for Decontamination of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 Reactor Building Atmosphere", NUREG-0662, Volumes 1 and 2, also prepared by the NRC staff, have just been couplet d.
Volume 1 contains the NRC staff's recom-mendations, including an assessment of iternatives to the Comission. Volume 2 contains the substantive public ci, ment received by the NRC staff following distri-bution of Draft NUREG-0662 in March 1980.
I would note here that the Comission has recently approved purging the reactor buil ng atmosphere to the environment. A copy of the Memorandum and Order stating this is nclosed.
'NUREG-0662, Volume 1, also contains detailed d cus31ons of alternatives to purging and the negligible health inpacts associated wi purging.
I would note here, however, that purging 57,000 Curies of krypton-85 would n raise Parmal background lemls in the TMI area, since the krypton would disperse thr ghout the earth's atmosphure and would not be independently detectable.
In response to Mr. and Mrs. Emericks's questions regar ing thyroid studies in the TMI area the following is offered.
In the Comonwealth of nnsylvania, thyroid examina-tions for newborns were initiated to identify thyroid dis rders which, if uncorrected, could lead to mental retardation. According to Dr. Evelyn odin, Pennsylvania State Health Department. pediatrician, the program was initiated in 1978 following a national recomendation by pediatricians and a group representing reta ed citizens.
Dr. Bodin pointed out that only about 10-15% of observed thyroid abnormal ties are believed to be a result of genetic defects.
In the cited case reprding the wins (boys), the fact that one had an abnormal thyroid while the other didn t also indic'ates the abnormality was not inherited, but was induced in utero. The cause of the observed effect is sinply not known. However, it is unlikely that it would have been caused by 'radiciodine from the THI accident, since both twin's thyroids would have accumulated essentially the omce SURNAME.
om k.
2-The Honorable John Heinz same radiation ose from iodine transport across thb placenta. Further studies of exposures to uman thyroids indicate that much higher doses (on the order of 100,000 million) ould be required to induce measurable increases in thyroid abnormalities.
With regard to the co lusion that the infant death rate around TMI has not increased since the TM 2 accident, the NRC staff has also evaluated fetal l
mortality rate (i.e. dea s/ deliveries) data from Harrisburg hospitals for the period January 1978 throu'A December 1979. This data was supplied by the Pediatrics Division at Hard burg Hospital. The NRC staff concludes that there is no statistically significa t difference in tnese rates between the 15 months prior to the TMI-2 accident an the 9 months following the accident. Nor was there a statistically significa difference between rates in 1978 and 1979.
Additional investigation by othe of apparent increases in infant mortality (e.g. as claimed by Dr. Sternglass showed the apparent increase was due to a recording e-ror in data reported by e National Center for Health Statistics (see Enclosure B). Dr. R. L. Gotchy of the NRC staff contacted the Comon-t wealth Health Statistics office of the Dgpartment of Health regarding infant and fetal mortality rates for the period (968 to 1980 in the Comonwealth (including Dauphin County and the HarrisbuKg area). When received, the data will be carefully reviewed, and if a signifi ant finding is made, your office will be immediately informed.
Sine rely, William J.
ircks, Acting Executive Dt ector for Operations
Enclosures:
1.
NUREG-0662, Volume 1 May 1980 2.
NUREG-0673 3.
Commission Memorandum and Order of June 12, 1980, Authorizing Con-trolled Purging of the TMI-2 Reactor Building Atmosphere OCA
\\
7/ /80 orrice). T,MI,P0
.DIR/TMI..P0 0 ELD.
D.:.DIR/NRR.
.DIR/NRR.
.E00 f
I
.EGCase.
.RRDenton.
..WJDircks.
sunme)..WTraxers/hmt.8JSnyder.
oes). 7/.;k/80.
.7/../80,
.. 7/../80, 7/ /80 7/ /80 7/ /80
. -. _