ML19340E382
| ML19340E382 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane, Brunswick  |
| Issue date: | 12/22/1980 |
| From: | Snyder B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Miller A AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19340E383 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8101140239 | |
| Download: ML19340E382 (2) | |
Text
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Docket No. 50-320 9
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Mr. Andrew Miller i
625 Hopkins Road Amherst, New York 14221 1
Dear Mr. Miller:
1 I am writing in response to your December 4,1980, letter requesting infomation about the accident at Three Mile Island, Unit 2.
A number of factors contributed to the accident including human error, aspects l
of plant design, and equipment malfunction. Several NRC staff task forces have been organized to idantify and evaluate safety concerns, which originated from the Three Mile Island accident, that merit consideration in the licensing 4
actions for presently operating reactors as well as for those for which operating licenses and construction permits are pending.
1 The task forces' reviews have disclosed a number of actions in the areas of design and analysis and plant operations that will be required in the short tem to provide substantial additional protection of the public health and safety. All nuclear power plants in operation or under construction will be affected to varying degrees by the specific recommendations.
A team of investigators from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare calculated the doses to the people living within 50 miles of the Three Mile Island site and estimated the number of new cancers that would result from the exposure to the radioactivity that leaked out of the plant. The team reported their work in a report entitled, " Population Dose and Health Impact of the Accident at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station" (NUREG-0558). They concluded that the offsite collective dose associated with radioactive material released from March 28, 1979 to April 7,1979 represents minimal risks (that is, a very small i
number of additional health effects to the offsite population). Enclosed for your information is the sumary of NUREG-0558.
l The small dose of radiation that was received by people in the area came from radioactive gases that escaped from the auxiliary building. 'The average dose of radioactivity received by the population within 50 miles of TMI was approxi-mately 4 millirems. The maximum exposure to any individual was less than 100 millirems, which is less than the yearly dose each person receives as.a result of natural background radiation. Doses at these levels result in less than one health effect over the life time of all people in this area. Natural background radiation received by people in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area is approximately 125 millirems per year. To put these doses into perspective, note that a traveler flying round trip by jet from New York to Los Angeles receives 5 millirems of cosmic rays..-
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l Mr. Andrew Miller As a result of the accident involving THI-2, approximately 14 million curies of noble gases (mainly Xenon-133, 8 million curies) and 15 curies of Iodine-131 were released into the atmosphere in the first month following the accident.
Since that time, periodic releases have become relatively insignificant.
The radioactive gas releases to the environment resulted from the off-gassing and leakage of contaminated liquids which reached the auxiliary building by various sources. Little radioactive gas was released from the reactor building itself.
You asked how much the government paid to clean up the plant. The licensee has the primary responsibility to physically carry out decontamination operations.
The NRC was created by Congress to regulate the commercial use of nuclear energy.
Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, NRC has the authority to revoke licenses, take possession of special nuclear material (uranium fuel), and license other organizations if necessary. Should Met Ed be unable to carry out decontami-nation operations adequately, a number of options are possible, including NRC licensing another organization to run a facility or NRC operating a facility itself. At present, however, the resources necessary for NRC to implement its direct involvement in Met Ed activities are not authorized. Presently, there are 15 Commission professional representatives at the TMI site. Their task is to review all proposed cleanup plans, including the review and approval of de-tailed operating procedures, and to maintain surveillance of those operations which NRC has authorized. No future actions can be taken at the site without the NRC's review and approval.
Your final question asked "how much did the government pay to build the plant?"
Contrary to your belief, the government did not build the TMI plant.
It is wholly owned by General Public Utilities (GPU) which is a registered utility holding company for Metropolitan Edison Company (Met Ed), Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec), and Jersey Central Power and Light Company (Jersey Central).
Met Ed is the principal owner (50 percent) and operator of the plant. Jersey Central and Penelec each c,m 25 percent.
I appreciate your interest and I trust that the above information will be of assistance in preparing your report.
Sincerely, n:
Bernard J. Snyde, Program Director Three Mile Islan Program Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
NUREG-0558 Suninary
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