ML19347D146

Expresses Support for Encl Nuclear Safety Oversight Committee to President Carter,Re Research Suggesting That Iodine Products May Not Be Released as Freely as Had Been Assumed in Reactor Safety Studies

ML19347D146
Person / Time
Site:	Fermi, 05000452, 05000453
Issue date:	01/29/1981
From:	Mccarthy W DETROIT EDISON CO.
To:	Ahearne J NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML19347D143	List: ML19347D142 ML19347D146
References
NUDOCS 8103110240
Download: ML19347D146 (3)

Text

,.

• I Watter J. McCarthy, Jr.

+,, :, c:

w e en.n w e

.f aL_frolt r--

2 = 5 + =-

CdiSOn Em" '""

January 29, 1981 The Honorable John F. Ahearne Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

'a'ashington, D.C. 20555 Oear Chairman Ahearne:

This letter is sent to advise you of and support the letter which was sent co former President Carter on December 21, 1980, by the Nuclear Safety Oversight Cc=nittee (NSOC). The NSOC letter reports recent research which suggests that iodine products may not be released as freely as has been assumed in reactor saf ety studies. The letter suggests that the NRC and DOE should be responding more aggressively to this important development and resolving the issue on an expedited basis. I strongly support this position and hope you will move promptly in this direction. Multiple conservatisms in nuclear accident studies are now costing this country billions of dollars with extrenely marginal gains in public safety.

Sincerely,

/

A

/

,{,/h'[/k W Av

/

/

WJM:1 P81-61 Enclosuit cc:

Mr. Milton S. Plesset, Chairman, ACRS 8103110 M

.....__,4..-

4,_

.sg

=

3 <..., ~. -

-a..._

_ l.I.f?

.b/

l Nuclear Safety Oversight Committeo

^:E. %,g

.~ny-December 21, 1980 The Honorable 4Timmy Carte-President of the United States The White House Washington, DC 20500 Dear Md. President *

~

~

Your-Nuclear Safety oversight Committee has raceritly examined an issue the could have a significant impact on

'huclear safety nd regulation.

In sura, there is evidence auggesting that radiological consequences of some nuclear accidents may be substantially less than previously assumed.

l

. Scientists at Los Alamos and Oak Ridge National Labora-

' tories.have recently. examined the unexpectedly low air-borne release,of Iodine 131 at"Three Mile Island and also studied

~

the pattern of iodine releases in past reactor acci, dents in' this country and abroad.'

This'research suggests that in light water. reactor acci-dents, radioactive iodine fission products may not be re-

~

leased as'a gas as previously assumed in the Reac' tor Safety Study (WASH 1400) and other studies.

In the reducing atmos-phere likely t'o be present in most light water reactor acci-dents, the new studies suggest that radioactive iodine would

.. combine with cesium and e.nter into water solution.

If this assessment, which to our knowledge has not bee'n refuted, proves correct, it would have major implications for I

such regulatory issues as plant. siting and emergency planning, because the potential exposure of the neighboring population in the event of a major accident would be much lower than previously i

assumed.

In our-view, the Nuclear Ragulatory' Commission and the.

i Department of Energy should be responding more aggressively to this important development.

There are outstanding technical questions surrounding the hypothesis that can and should be answered by analysis and experimentation.

In our judgment, you should press for a coordinated research effort that would verify or refute this hypothesis about iodine behavior.

This technical question should be resolved on an expedited basis 113315th Street NW Thirri Finnt Washinntnn DG P0005 m

~. -. -,,

,..,6:

'~*= !!o.orablo Jimmy Ccrtor

? a g e.T.:o f

Cecc=ber 21, 1980 I

s for it bears directly on fundamental assumptions underlying some of the :nost important regulatory issues facing the nction.

The iodine release question is part of a broader conste11a-tion of issues involving source term estimates of the amount of rcdioactivity that shocid be expected in the event of a major We believe that the entire set of issues, including accident.

,, fission product chemistry and aerosol formation and behavior in deserves increased attention as well.

,+ accide..t environs, It would be helpful if you would designate someone frorn your staff to discuss this statter with us.

~

Respectfully, W/

~

e Bruce Babbitt Chair:aan

_a N

n ohn Deutch~" ~~

l Corittee Me:aber I

/9b_

~

~

Marvin Goldberger r

Oc::::nittee Member

[

%Y I

!arold Lewis-Committee Member ED:hae e

4 I

L

.