ML20008D888
| ML20008D888 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 10/06/1980 |
| From: | Snyder B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Fisher L AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8010230450 | |
| Download: ML20008D888 (4) | |
Text
R..
Tw &
h, d i
00T 61980 Itrs. Laura Fisher 1608 Colony Lane Havertoun, Pennsylvania 19033
Dear ifrs. Fisher:
Your letter to President Carter expressing concern about the delay in placing Three Mile Island Unit I back into service 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 pre-vented me from responding to you as promptly as I would have liked.
On July 2,1979, the Commission ordered that R1I-1 remain in a cold shutdown condition until further order by the Ccamission and stated that a public hearing would be held prior to restart of BlI-1. The Commission believes that public participation is a vital ingredient in matters related to EtI-1 restart plans.
On August 9,1979, the Commission issued an additional Order on U1I-1 specifying the basis for the Shutdown Order and the procedures to govern the hearing regard-ing restart. On the basis of this hearing, the Commission will determine whether any further operation of RII-1 will be pemitted and, if so, under what condi-tions. I have enclosed a copy of the August 9,1979, Order for your information.
The Commission's Order also identifies a number of items that must be resolved prior to restart. These itss, which are listed on pages 5-7 of the Order, in-clude but go beyond those required for restart of other Babcock and Wilcox-design pressurized water reactors similar to RiI Units 1 and 2.
These additional items include those recommended by the Lessons Learned Task Force, which studied the accident at R!I.
The Commission carefully considered the time required for completing all tasks related to the Order.
(A Commission schedule calling for expeditious handling of the necessary ilRC staff and procedural actions required for the hearing process Based on that schedule, is provided on the last page of the Commission's Order.)
I do not believe that the restart of UlI-1 could occur until sometime in 1931.
Regarding the ::RC's supervision of the nation's nuclear energy program, in May 1977, the !!RC adopted a resident inspection program. The first resident inspec-tors were assigned to 15 sites during the summer of 1973. At present, there are resident inspectors at about 60 operating reactor sites. When the program is fully implemented in Septenber 1981, at least as many resident inspectors ll o,,,c.
- SU4=AM$#
00 Forte.W.313 (Rev. 9 3)) AZCM 0240
- u. s. oovsamm aar ramvmo orric as e,7..sa..ies 8010230 450
+.w ww
0 EU Mrs. Laura Fisher 2-will be assigned to each site of a nuclear power plant as there are operating power reactors there. All of these resident inspectors will scrve a tour of duty at their assigned plant, followed by rotation to another site, a regional office, or NRC headquarters.
Related activities currently underway by the NRC include the expansion of the resident inspection program to reactor construction sites and fuel facility sites as well as at operating plants, and the development of an equipment qualification program and a program for the independent testing of nuclear components to verify design and performance capability.
We have taken a number of actions with respect to all nuclear power plants as a result of the e cident at Three Mile Island. Specifically, full-time inspectors have been assigned to each operating plant utilizing Babcock and Wilcox pressur-ized water reactors like those at Three tiile Island. In addition, all these plants were shut down and the licensees of each plant were instructed to provide us with additional infomation about their facilities in light of the accident.
After review of the infomation provided, orders were issued to the licensees that required them to make immediate plant modifications, to provide additional operator training, and to reverse certain operating procedures. Additional long-tem actions were ordered to further upgrade certain plant systems and operator training and procedures. All of these plants, except of course the Three 1111e Island plant, have complied with the orders and have been pomitted to resume operation.
In addition, licensees of all operating plants utilizing pressurized water reac-tors have been instructed to take specific actions with regard to the status of certain equipment, plant procedures, operator actions, and facility designs.
Licensees of all operating plants, including those utilizing boiling water reac-tors, have been instructed to provide us with additional infomation with regard to their facilities in light of the accident at Three Mile Island. He are cur-j rently reviewing the infomation provided. As soon as our review is complete, orders for modifications, as appropriate, will be issued to provide additional protectior to the health and safety of the public.
In addition to the actions outlined above, as a result of TMI-2, studies were initiated in the areas of emergency preparedness, operator licensing reassessment, loss of feedwater event, small-break loss of coolant accidents, and lessons learned from the accident.
In a number of areas work has progressed to the point where additional licensee requirements have been recommended. A number of these recommendations have been approved and efforts have begun to implement them.
Regarding your concern about bankruptcy proceedings, under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, tRC has the statutory authority to ensure that the public health and safety will be pro:ected should Metropolitan Edison Company be unable to carry out its responsibilities as a licensee. At present, however, the resources o ne =
- su.= a = a
- oars >
Torts AEC 313 iRev. :P 53) AZCM 0240 C w. s. sov a.=ne s =r p.e=n=e or nc es t e r..sas.e es
....:.:^^
~<
~
l itrs. Laura Fisher T7 C 80 necessary for f'RC to implement its direct involveaent in !!etropolitan Edison's activities are not authorized. Nevertheless, existing statutes do give '!RC the final authority to decide who assumes responsibi'ity for a facility when a licensee cannot continue its operation.
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 public, not only at Three !!ile Island, but also at all nuclear power plants.
Sincerely, r
B[ardJ.Snyder,ProgramDirector Three Mile Island Program Office Office of f!uclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
Order and flotice of Hearing of August 9,1979 DISTRIBUTION Docket 50-239 PDR LPDR TERA NRR r/f TMI P0 r/f TMI Site r/f j
BSnyder JCollins DBrinkman WO11u l
Olynch TMI/TF 46._
"i l &. w...
TMI/TF
_ /..
a
>c =
- WOT f
DBrinkman BSnyd,eV pars *
??. _
_k F:rm AE313 (Rev. 9 53) AICM 0240 2 w. s. novsa==esar res=rias orrects s ere.sae.ies t '. -. -
.g.[
o@@ 03dSNb
,/
? V.%e !2e / f, / 9 90
<EIEv EAc.E rhNw 2Lo.,>l1cb Sja.5n),
(
Cyn k im c e. u no y
L % %.Gr a M u:-
n LYsL' usc5 h yCy f.,esw h,.gl.1/
cb.c,^ icv 2)
A&ud@iMWLLLC%pae%+%akw. -A.py
.n~~QcG.-k-h,a-vsawp.,$2,wsjoiLrj:jcmb..ce.pah n v-c M w Sh.4 cLa w % ewsts & n}na m iJ ne
~ At%6,na ga.6D a nan c 4
% i 6,!c,ai a n.cL b>.:% l3i
,cy b,e d u n J T e ucuL m-l 1. i &/ 4s>
L'L
~bys%wucl@cei&vl'salfg ep-sta -ob m G-G xc
.cn,.,,w.. ev j=a c n,J x avato s.
n a
.i a+w&a_w,Ls ua
.i,o,adrevnia/liUn bvuJlNou,u.j!vwwew n s p fav em.La
/
vvwy 4 (v w y w y, y g n./.gwram;_.
pub ev sLCA aa c w.aa>b.Aw.pga.ai ALu k.ik w s.snuLu % I4Liy.6, caw %
.Au c a:vv}/h,',c,ava a.kl.bx!LLllfi.l~un&,e 'w t.a5Lnt.,,h l,2,y a22
- s. d a c y.sct~?p % /.naca.w _ a.x, n k e-,yu>d;>1ru ci/a-
- Psm-
. e -m' b '
cuvua,,, _ b '
,,x e,,,,
an, a
~y.
h+s.eva
- n 7,w.)cha't.4d %h st/-
o fc'vev~
/6cS/bc6nvy n.,w,iAJ, ggy.,