ML19338D156
| ML19338D156 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 08/25/1980 |
| From: | Snyder B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Snyder C AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8009190750 | |
| Download: ML19338D156 (9) | |
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{ { hn3.- m M n'""#4jg M i M AUG 2 5 y Mrs. Clarence P. Snyder 1357 East Chocolate Avenue Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
Dear Mrs. Snyder:
Your letter to President Carter expressing your concern about the Three Mile Island nuclear station and its effects on the environment and your family's lives was referred to me for response.
You commented that "we have been sitting on a time bomb." There was no possi-bility of a nuclear explosion such as that which happens in a bomb. Because of the physical conditions that exist in a light water nuclear reactor, such a (bomb-type) reaction will not occur to initiate an accident or following an accident (such as TitI-2) where core damage occurs.
For a few days after the accident, there was some concern that a hydrogen bubble in the reactor vessel might react explosively with the oxygen thought to be slowly accumulating in the bubble. There was concern that such a chemical explosion might break the reactor vessel or breach the containment building and possibly allow the escape of large amounts of radioactive materials. However, after ex-tensive investigation and consultation with outside experts, NRC concluded that such an explosion could not occur because essentially no oxygen could have ac-cumulated in the bubble under the existing conditions.
With regard to your concern about the purging of the radioactive krypton gas from the reactor building of T'il Unit 2, Metropolitan Edison Company sutnitted to NRC a " Safety Analysis and Environmental Report" (Novaber 13, 1979) in which it evaluated alternative methods for the disposal of the krypton gases, such as purging and cryogenic processing, and selective absorption. NRC also evaluated alternative methods for disposal of the krypton gas to determine what effect de-contamination would have on workers, on the public health and safety, and on the environment. Based on its evaluation, NRC issued an environmental assessment (NUREG-0662 and two addenda) for public comment on March 26, 1980, and received approximately 800 comments. These comments were considered in the staff's preparation of the " Final Environmental Assessment for Decontamination of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 Reactor Building Atmosphere" (NUREG-0662), vols. I and 2, copies of which are enclosed for your information.
From this process have merged the following NRC staff conclusions:
- The potential physical health impact on the public of using any of the proposed strategies for reoving the krypton-85 is negligible, orrees p
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- The potential psychological impact is likely to grow the longer it E
' takes to reach a decision, get started, and complete the process.
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- The nurging' method is the quickest and the safest for the workers
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on Three Mile Island to accomplish..
- Overall, no significant-environmental ~ impact would result fran use i
of ing of the alternatives discussed in the assessment. -
j On June 12, 1980, the Commission issued an Order for Tenporary Modification of License, authorizing controlled. purging of the krypton-85 from the reactor building atmosphere. In a separate Menorandum and Order, also issued on-June 12, 1980, the Commission discussed rationale for its decision. Actual venting operations began on June 28,1980,~ and were canpleted on July 11, 1980. The doses resulting from the purge were well within those predicted in section 7.1 of volume 1 of NRC's final environmental assessnent. Copies of both Commission issuances are also enclosed.
l Regarding your comment that "we do not ~ need nuclear power " NRC's primary responsibility consists in the licensing, inspection, and enforcement of regu-lations for nuclear power plants in the interest of public health and safety and for the protection of the environment. Changes in NRC's regulatory respon-sibilities can stem fran the public's will and' the r,esulting Congressional action.
In its Statement of Policy and Notice of Intent to Prepare a Programmatic En-vironmental knpact Statenent of Novenber 21, 1979, the Commission stated that p
the staff would prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement on the-decontamination and disposal of radioactive wastes resulting from the accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2.
The statement anphasizes the Cannission's inten-tion to coordinate its actions on this matter with the President's Council on I
Environmental Quality and to provide the opportunity for public comments. The programmatic environmental impact statement focuses on the environmental issues and alternative methods associated with the performance of these cleanup activities; With regard to your-concern about the effects of low-level radiation, for more h
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t an. our decades, the effect of. radiation on men and animals has been thoroughly studied. Numerous major biological. research programs (including studies of genetic effects) have been completed and others are in progress, all of which have been well documented. While the relationship between ionizing radiation doses and adverse biological effects among humans is not precisely known for all levels of radiation, the principal uncertainty' exists at very low dose levels i
where natural sources of radiation and the variations in these sources are comparable to other doses.. The most important biological effects that radiation l'
can cause are cancer.. hereditary diseases, miscarriages, and abnormalities that
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may occur to a fetus. These effects are identical to those that occur among humans from other causes. It is this -last point in cunbination with other i
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a Mrs. Clarence P. Snyder complicating factors--such as magnitude and variations (1) in nomal incidence of diseases. (2) in doses from natural radiation sources, (3) in radiation doses from man-made sources other than the nuclear industry, and (4) in aposures to
- nonnuclear cancer-producing agents--that is responsible for much of the uncer-tainty in the dose-risk relationship at low dose levels.
In lieu of precise knowledge of the relationship between low-level radiation and biological effects, radiation experts assume that fonizing radiation has an effect on the human body that renains directly proportional to the dose, even at very low levels, and that there is therefore no threshold below which radiation can be ignored. They therefore assume that any dose of radiation, no matter how low, may be hamful.
Several federal agencies, principally the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Nuclear Regulatory Com-mission, are responsible for regulating exposures from radiation or radioactive material. In all cases, the staffs of these agencies set regulations to limit radiation exposures to those well below nationally and internationally accepted levels of radiation protection.
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 pubite, not only at Three Mile Island, but also at all nuclear power plants.
Sincerely, Bernard J. Snyder, Program Director Three Mile Island Program Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosures:
1.
NUREG-0662, vols.1 & 2 2.
Order for Temporary Modification of License of June 12, 1980 3.
Menorandum and Order of June 12, 1980 DISTRIBUTION Docket 50-289-BSnyder PDR JCollins LPDR DBrinkman TERA WO11u
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