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2 3 DEC 1977 HAW MEMORANDUM FOR:
Boyce H. Grier, Director
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Eldon J. Brunner, Chief, RO&NS Branch FROM:
E. C. McCabe, Jr., Chief, Projects Section No. 2, RO&NS Branch
SUBJECT:
DECEMBER 16, 1977 PUBLIC MEETING ON MILLSTONE I 0FF-GAS EXPLOSIONS 1.
At 11:00 a.m. on December 16, 1977, a public meeting on the Mill-stone off-gas system explosions was held in Hartford, Connecticut, at the State Capital Building.
Attendees included representatives from Northeast Nuclear Energy Company, the Town of Waterford, the Connecticut Legislature, the Connecticut Office of Civil Prepared-ness, the Connecticut State Police, Governor Grasso's Office, radio and TV stations, NRC Region I, and the U. S. House of Representatives Governmental Operations Committee.
2.
During the public meeting, the NRC was queried on the following:
a.
The licensee's handling of the incident.
b.
The timeliness of the NRC arrival on site.
c.
The absence of generic, comprehensive NRC investigation of the numerous off-gas system explosions.
Our response was as follows:
a.
The licensee response did not hazard the public health and safety or exacerbate the incident, and met the NRC guidelines covering such matters, b.
The NRC arrived onsite at 6:35 p.m.
Since our role is one of investigation and evaluation, and not one of emergency response, that arrival was sufficient to fill NRC needs and require-ments.
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The NRC investigation of this incident would cover generic aspects. This was the first occurrence of off-gas syc. tem explosive gas buildup and detonation in an adjoining unvent-ilated space.
3.
The following additional statements were made by Connecticut offi-cials.
a.
Northeast Utilities could not be relied upon.
Connecticut needs a prompt input.from the NRC to assure that the input from Northeast is valid. A six hour delay in arriving onsite is inadequate for the needs of the State.
A su.+4. office, CC or subsidiary, is needed in Connecticut.
(We did then identify the present status of the RIP.)
b.
The NRC has not been responsive to the needs of Connecticut despite those needs having been identified over a period of years.
- c.. The NRC has not approved the Emergency Plan for the facility.
f 4.
A major point, frequently stated, was that Millstone's notifications of the State had been too slow.
The licensee committed that they would work out a notification scheme acceptable to the State.
i Primary State emphasis was upon slowness in notification about the first, non-disruptive detonation, with the point repeatedly made that the State Government first heard of the problem by hearing on a Rhode Island radio station that there had been an explosion at a Millstone nuclear power plant.
5.
In discussions after the public meeting, a State representative and i
the Governor's aide made the following point.
l The State does not have detailed knowledge of nuclear power plants and the hazard potential of specific incidents.
On the other hand, the NRC, scientifically oriented, is ignorant of the needs of the State.
But, NRC inability to fill State needs means that ee Connecticut must emact laws which do so. G
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Such laws are now being prepared.
6.
My own review of this meeting has led me to the following conclusions.
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l The concern over nuclear power in Q[r.ecticut is neither i
a.
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superficial nor unique.
If other regions arrive at the point where a similar percentage of their power source is nuclear (53% was the quoted number), similar concerns will develop.
b.
The concern of both elected and appointed officials of Connecticut was uniformly expressed and appeared to be more a reflection of the concerns of the citizens than elements of an election campaign.
c.
The source of the concern is that either unnecessary public panic will be caused or timely emergency response will not be achieved if needed.
d.
The number of incidents at Millstone 1 (chloride intrusion, unintentional releases, isolation condenser, off-gas explosions, etc) has received widespread unfavorable publicity, with Connecticut becoming more anti-nuclear as a result.
Faster NRC presence and input (accurate) to State and local officials, and to the news media, could be invaluable in avoiding undue concern.
Our statements appear to be trusted - our timeliness is of concern.
e.
Faster NRC response can be achieved through use of resident inspectors or regional sub-offices.
It cannot be assured in our present geographic configuration.
i.
If the NRC does not develop a faster evaluation and site presence capability, individual States will develop their own as nuclear power plants increase in number.
- 8. 0.1U,1 E. C. McCabe, Jr., Chief Reactor Projects Section No. 2
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N' C FORM 315(0-77)
- U. S. GOVE RNME NT PRINTING OFFICE 1977-237-025