ML19343B198

Urges That Facility Be Closed Until Investigation Is Conducted Into Safety & Mgt of Facility,Investigation Findings Are Published & Adequate Measures Are Taken to Improve Plant Safety

ML19343B198
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee
Issue date:	11/30/1980
From:	Detmold D, Greenwald R, Lamont L AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:	Snelling R NRC COMMISSION (OCM), VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORP., VERMONT, STATE OF
References
NUDOCS 8012150192
Download: ML19343B198 (4)

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.- 0 November 30, 1980 , ,.

Governor Richard SnellinG State of Vermont o Montpelief, Vermont, 05602 4 Ruclear Regulatory Commission p 6b 4 11th Floor Washington, D.C. 20555 2 'O f

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%[0 y- g 7B Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp ' .,g V& Q 121 West Street Rutland, Vermont, 05701 \ o.e,4 "m 4, #

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Dear Friends,

We are Massachusetts citizens who live near to the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. Our homes, families and businesses are closer to the plant than the great majority of Vermont citi:' ens. We are downstream, and often downwind. We are deeply concerned.

You are the three authorities with the power to answer our appeal.

We appeal to you to use every power you have to keep the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant closed until;

_. 1. A complete and independent investication is conducted

> " Into the safety anc management of tne Vermont Yankee

-  :- plant. There are serious problems at Vermont Yankee, which we will outline in this letter. We plead with l

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.you to hold off the start-up of the plant until these problems have been thoroughly investigated.

2. The findings of this investigation are published, and 7 adecuate measures are taken to improve the safety of the l

blant. Some of these measures are cutlined in this letter.

If Vermont Yankee is allowed to re-open as scheduled, in its present condition, there will be serious trouble. All the evidence points to the likelihood of a major and serious eesident at this plant, '

if opened in its present condition. -

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WE PLEAD WITH YOU to use vour powers to prev.ent the start-up of l this clant. You have the authority to take this action. Ph. .

These are the problems at Vermont Yankee t at 'c'oncern us, problems l

l which endanger the public.

l

1. Corroded andicracke_d pipes in the " Reactor Water Clean-up system" have not been rep. a lac'ed &P{. y MITE #.

The pipes , plagued by hairline cracks and corrosion down to K inch thickness pose a serious threat of breakage. The breakage would lead j :o a loss of coolant, leading to a core meltdown. A core meltdown would l cause our neighbors and us untold damage in liy,es9. health, livestock, i land and livelihood. m

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~'"E ,e vercont Yankee Nuclecr Fo.zer Corporation has not replaced the

• e$uipment. Instead, temporary caployees are being sent inside the

.f 3 t'o I' w eld" the cracks and weak peints. The weldin5 may actually EsEv[e to weaken the pipes,and c~ertainly wont protect the public from

Lreat of accident.

2. The " Bolt Scandal" uncovered l'ast week by anti-nuclear groups and the press is more than just a humorous testimony to the lack of safety at Vermont Yankee. We'can joke about the Company having " a few screws loose", but the reality is quite frighteninC-3000 bolts were replaced at a cost of millions of dollars. Many of these bolts, desi 5ned to uphold vital safety systems, were discQ9Are'd.

to be cracked and faulty. Others were deceptively " sawed off", and welded on, to give the appearance of proper bolting.

The Verment Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation has threatened to sue the construction company responsible for this ne51igence. However, there has been no thorough investigation of other construction done by this company. -It is likely that if corners were cut here, they were cut'in other sta5es of construction. An investigatinn is desparately needed into the construction of this plant. This incident sheds some light on the question of the lon5 and troubleseme record of Vermont Yankee. We are concerned that the construction of this plant was faulty, and 8 years later, still is not corrected.

Repairs must be implimented on the findin5s of this investi 5ation.

This investi5 ation must be conducted before the plant re-opens, 3 Vermont Yankee is the only plant in the nation that has refused to install an "inerting system", as reco= mended by the N.R.C.

This system is extremely vital to r.rc?cnt explosions and fires in the plant. In li htS of the " hydro 5en bubble" situation experien~ced at Three Mile Island, it would be wise to install this safety systen NOW,

! before the plant Soes back on line.

4 There is serious evidence that Vermont Yankee, over the past l 8 years of operation, is suffering from " metal fatigue" and " stress l

corrosion". In the layperson's terms, this means wear and tear.

We Massachusetts residents understrnd the i=p]ications of age on a nuclear power plant. As you may know, our own Ynnkee Atomic plant in Rowe was recently closed down for 9 months. Wear and tear on the steam turbine caused a breakdown, luckily to the non-nuc] car end of the plant.

We understand that the turbine at Vermont Yankee hac been under repair during this shutdown, for similar reasons. We app 3nud the forsight to conduct the repairs before an accident occurs. We ask that the same I good judgement be used now on therest of the plant s problems.

The turbine and the Reactor Water Clean-up pipes offer us' evidence of such wear and tear inside Ver=ont Yankee. The consequences of starting up Vermont Yankee, before investigating these concerns, are serious.

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.' " . repair. :ne 'ter: n: icnkee .;: lear Fewer plant is in a sericus state ::

Inis is ::: a :ue::icn Of beinc " anti-nu:' - ear" Or " pro-

~,,. ., J : ; e ar" ,  : is a que.s ::n f beine f:r safety, er against it.

Y:u have recieved t..:.s le: er, te:ause y:u have :ne au h:r:.:y Oc

rier :ne continued res of tre 'ler:::: Yan.kee facil:y, un: 1 adeqate cafe.;uards are taken, and an investiga:icn is ::nducted.

'?e trus: that ycu will see :te wisic: Of taking :nis a::icn. Ti=e is sh:::. *ler:cn: Yankee is scheduled to rest:e c;eration :n Le:e:ber i::h - traditi:nally, they re-open a few days before the puel:.cly anncunce:

date.  ? lease take the time now :: make your decision.

May a sense of =cral responsibil:.07 for the is=erican People Guide ycu in your hour ct;.decisien.

Sincerely, The Ad Eo: Citizens Grcup for Safety at Vernon: Yankee name town sienature 50l-@0A.l~~ (Cru.Qc -j fng y c "[

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