ML20010A193
| ML20010A193 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 07/30/1981 |
| From: | Snyder B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Hall D AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20010A194 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8108110164 | |
| Download: ML20010A193 (2) | |
Text
- - _
DISTRIBUTION:
N 4.-4fFcket File)r-320
' *~
0 4
g
(-
' TERA TMIP0 R/F
+
TMI R/F BJSnyder LBarrett f
8I 0 Lynch Docket No. 50-320 p
BApplebaum-Weiss i
g PDR R[g
(
LPDR 3
WU1 f( M,\\uG 0 e)198M,9 Mr. Doug Hall f
,,,g,[ ^
476 E. Lassen Ave., #8 I
Chico, CA 95926
\\
Dea; Mr. Hall:
Y i
This is in response to your letter of July 15, 1981, to the NRC Public 8
Information Office in which you inquired as to whether the NRC, at meetings i
on the TMI-2 Reactor Building Purge, suggested that citizens own personal j
radiation detection equipment and related suoplies.
l The NRC neither recommends nor encourages citizens to own personal radiation j
detection equipment or related supplies such as respirators for several reasons:
g e
1.
Adequate radiation monitoring capability already exists around the various
]
j nuclear power plants. Not only does the licensee have the necessary equipment and trained teams, but the states, local civil defense and nearby military bases i
also have the capability. At TMI, an extensive, augmented, environmental radiation monitoring program has existed since the accident. The TMI of fsite monitoring program includes participation from the licensee, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, Lommon-l wealth of Pennsylvania, and the State of Maryland.
(The Department of Energy and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania also sponsored a ccnnunity radiation monitoring 4
l program around TMI-2 in which some 50 specially trained members of the public l
participate using EPA and DOE supplied instrumentation.)
't 2.
Suitable equipment weich is reliable, easy to maintain, requires little calibration, is precise and accurate enough to perform radiation monitoring at low radiation exposure rates, or can provide adequate respiratory protection as well, is very expensive.
3.
Considerable training is requi:ed to be able to utilize radiation monitoring equipment and interpret the results o$ surveys. The variation in natural back-ground radiation from hour to hour or day to day may be considerable.
Instrunent j
performance may be erratic, as temperature varies, battery life ebbs, and electronics age. Monitoring personnel are trained to recognize such occurrences, differentiate between background or instrunent fluctuations and positive indications of radiation, and act accordingly.
i i
4.
The acquisition of special protective equipment and s!iupplies such as respiratory equipment by members of the public residing near nuclear power j[08kbac 00 0
I a
. ~.. C w.
-, -... - -. -. - -... _ _. - _ -... - -. _ ~.. -, - -
4
-g n
a vp-m er
[} -
Q Mr. Doug Hall 2
plants is considered to be unnecessary. The probability of the occurrence of an accident which would release sufficient radioactivity to justify the use of such protective devices is simply too low.
Even during the accident at TMI-2, the use of such equipment by the general public was unnecessary.
In affition, special training and physical conditioning is required to safely utilize such equipment.
The health and safety of the general public is of the utmost concern of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in exercising its jurisdiction over commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. The NRC's established environmental monitoring programs and the req 4 ired safety criteria in effect at nuclear power plants make it unnecessary for members of the pullic to maintain radiation monitoring and protection equipment on their own.
Sincerely, Bernard J. Snyder, Program Director Three Mile Island Program Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation f
j
/
.m
...TM1hRR CFFIC E >.TM.P.;FP,R.
~~ H9.L....../.ned,,,pJsnyaer.
- ^ " >..?.&h.81...
.. Z l.
(.81......
NRC FORM 318 tlO/80l NRCM O240 OFFICIA). RECORD COPY
- * ' w 32u2
__