ML19339B036
| ML19339B036 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 10/20/1980 |
| From: | Snyder B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Fried D AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19339B037 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8011060208 | |
| Download: ML19339B036 (3) | |
Text
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OCT 2 01580 v.
Dennis Fried, Ph.D.
5'/- M S 616 South West End Avenue Apartment 10 Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17601
Dear Dr. Fried:
Q Your letter to Commissioner Hendrie regarding the release of radioactive L
material from the Three Mile Island nuclear station was referred to me for response.
I regret that this answer has been delayed. The accident and its consequences have created a substantial increase in the agency's workload, which has prevented me from responding to you as promptly as I would have liked.
With regard to your statement about "how much radiation leakage there was ir.
the early stages of the accident," the small dose of radiation that people in the area received came frnm radioactive gases that escaped from the auxiliary building. The average dose of radioactivity the population within 50 miles of TMI received was approximately 4 millirems. The maximum exposure to any in-dividual was less than 100 millirems, which is less than the "early dose tich person receives as a result of natural background radiation.
Doses at these levels result in less than one health effect over the lifetue of all people in this area. flatural background radiation people in the Harrisburg area re-ceive is approximately 125 millf rens per year. To put these doses into per-spective, note that a traveler flying round trip by jet from flew York to Los Angeles receives 5 millirems of cosmic radiation.
NRC has prepared a programmatic enviromiental impact statement (PEIS) for public comment on the decontamination and disposal of radioactive wastes re-sulting from the accident at tree Mile Island Unit 2..
The PEIS, a copy of g
which is enclosed for your ti..ormation, focuses on the environmental issues and 3C alternative methods associated with the performance of these cleanup activities.
With regard to your concern about the release of contaminated water, except for releases to the Susquehanna River of liquids containing only low or nondetectable levels of radioactivity, such releases are not currently pomitted. The Com-mission authorized use of the EPICOR-II water treatment system for processing the waste water stored in tanks in the auxiliary building. We do not currently permit the discharge of water processed by the EPICOR-II system. The disposal of the water processed by EPICOR-II is also' addressed in the PEIS on the de-contamination and disposal of radioactive waste at Three Mile Island.
As a result of releases containing only low or nondetectable levels of radio-activity, the icvels of radioactivity in the Susquehanna are indistinguishable fenm ovisting hnckgennmi 1punis at nuhlic w tor sunnly intakes from the river.
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Dr. Dennis Fried OCT 2 01%0 These levels have been confirmed by independent measurements made by the liRC, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
With regard to your concern about the purging of the radioactive krypton gas from the reactor building of Till Unit 2, Metropolitan Edison Company submitted to NRC a " Safety Analysis and Environmental Report" (flovmber 13, 1979) in which it evaluated alternative methods for the disposal of tM krypton gases, such as purging and cryogenic processing, and selective absorpticn. NRC also evaluated alternative methods for disposal of the krypton gas to detemine what effect decontamination would have on workers, on the public health and safety, and on the environment. Based on its evaluation, flRC issued an environmental assess-ment (NUREG-0562 and two 6ddenda) for public comment on March 26,1930, and re-ceived 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-0562), vols.1 and 2, copies of which are enclosed for your information.
From this process have emerged the following NRC staff conclusions:
The potential physical health impact on the public of using any of the proposed strategies for removing the krypton-35 is negligible.
The potential psychological impact is likely to grow the longer it takes to reach a decision, get started, and compicte the process.
The purging method is the quickest and the safest for the workers on Three Mile Island to accomplish.
Overall, no significant environmental impact would result from use of any of the alternatives discussed in the assessment.
On June 12, 1930, the Commission issued an Order for-Temporary !!odification of 1.icense, authorizing controlled purging of the krypton-85 from the reactor building atmosphere.
In a separate Manorandum and Order, also issued on June 12, 1980, the Commission discussed rationale for its decision. Actual purging operations began on June 28, 1980, and were completed on July 11, 1930. The doses resulting from the purge were well within those predicted in section 7.1 of volume 1 of NRC's final environmental assessment. Copies of both Commission issuances are also enclosed.
In response to your concern about who will pay for the cleanup, the Pennsyl- -
4 vania Public Utility Commission (PUC), in a decision and order of June 15, 1979, ruled that costs of damages caused by the accident at Three Mile Island would not be included in the present rate base for customers of Metropolitan Edison and the Pennsylvania Electric Company. These customers will, however, be re-sponsible for costs associated with purchasing power to replace power that the i-TMI facility would have provided. The Pennsylvania PUC reaffirmed this decision in an order of lia y 8,1980.
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e Dr. Dennis Fried 3-OCT 2 01980 I appreciate your concerns and assure you P. hat every effort'is being made to ensure the continued protection of the health and safety of the public, not only at Three Mile Island, but also at all nuclear power plants.
Sincerely, f
Bernard J. Snyder, Program Director l
Three itile Island Program Office Office of thclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosures:
1.
PEIS 2.
NUREG-0662, vols.1 & 2 3.
Order for Temporary Modification of License of June 12, 1930 4.
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