ML20030E055
| ML20030E055 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Susquehanna  |
| Issue date: | 09/15/1981 |
| From: | Branagan E Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20030E021 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8109170352 | |
| Download: ML20030E055 (6) | |
Text
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9/15/81 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD In the Matter of
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PENNSYLVANIA POWER AND LIGHT C0.
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Docket Nos. 50-387 ALLEGHENY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
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50-388
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(Susquehanna Staam Electric Station,
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Units 1 and 2)
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TESTIMONY OF EDWARD F. BRANAGAN, JR. RELATING TO HEALTH EFFECTS OF RADI0 ACTIVE ISOTOPES (Contention 1)
Q1.
State your name and describe the work you perfom.
A.
My name is Edward F. 3ranagan, Jr.
I am employed by the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a Radiological Physicist in the Division of Systens Integration, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
In this position I am responsible for assessing the environmental impacts of nuclear facilities.
Q2. Were the radiological impacts from exposure to all radioactive effluents other than radon-222 and technetium-99 from the fuel cycle presented in the FES?
A.
Yes. The Staff stated in the FES (p. 4-31):
Radioactive effluents estimated to be released to the 1
enviroment fran reprocessing and waste-management activities and certain other phases of the fuel-cycle process are listed in Table S-3.
Using these data, the Staff calculated the 100-year environmental dose commitment to the U.S.
popul a tion.
It is estimated fran these calculations that the G109170352 810915 PDR ADOCK 05000387 T
overall total-body gaseous dose conmitment to the U.S.
population fran the fuel cycle (excluding reactor releases and the dose conmitment due to radon-212 and Tc-99) would be about 400 person-rem for each year of operation of the model 1000-MWe LWR (reference reactor year, or RRY). Based on Table S-3 values, the additional total-body dose commitment to the U.S. population from radioactive liquid effluents (excluding Tc-99) due to all fuel-cycle operations other than reactor i
operation would be about 100 person-rem for each year of i
operation. Thus, the estimated 100-year environmental dose cannitment to the U.S. population from radioactive gaseous and linuid releases due to these portions of the fuel cycle is about 500 person-rsn (whole body) per &RY.
The potential health impact from the preceding releases were estimated j
in the FES (p. 4-34) as about 0.08 to about 0.12 cancer deaths per RRY over periods of time ringing from 100 to 1,000 years.
Q3. Have potential health effects from exposure to radioactive effluents from the fuel cycle been the subject of other hearings?
A.
Yes. Both the S-3 Hearing and GES10 Hearing Records
- show that the issue of potential health impacts from exposure to radioactive The GESM0 record was largely the basis for the estimates of population doses and potential health impacts for the S-3 Hearing and NUREG-0116 and NUREG-0216 which collectively updated WASH-1248,
" Environmental Survey of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle." WASH-1248 was the
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basis for the original S-3 rule.
. effluents from the fuel cycle has been well ventilated ** and found to be inconsequential and incapable of significantly affecting the cost-benefit balance for operation of the station.
Q4. Have there been any major changes in mod 2is since the GESMO Hearing that would change the basic conclusionst A.
No. Tre most recent and authoritative guidance on potential risks fram exposure to low-level io!.izing radiation comes fram the 1980 BEIR III Report.*** However, the recommendations of the BEIR III Report do not significantly change the NRC Staff risk estimates presented in the S-3 Hearing, and the GES10 Hearing (Docket RM-50-2 and NUREG-0002).
Q5. Have there been some other estimates of population doses and potential impacts from exposure to radioactive effluent from the fuel cycle?
A.
Yes. Other recent independent estimates of population doses and impacts fran the nuclear fuel cycle are shown in Table 1.
These independent reviews show that the potential impact from generating one RRY of electrical power from the nuclear fuel cycle See, for example, Docket No. RM-50-2; Gotchy at Tr. 589-623, 1483-1491, 2713-2733, 2870-2918; Grahn at Tr. 2937-2992, 3084-3203, 3228-3238; Alexander at Tr. 3051-3090, 3147-3157, 3205-3227; Bair at Tr. 3110-3147, 3206-3227, 3247-3250, 3257-3271; and Parsont at Tr. 3160-3182, 3190-3192. Also Docket No. RM-50-3; NRDC at Tr.14; Lewis at Tr. 63; EPA at Tr. 74; Sierra Club, Direct Testimony; Gotchy at Tr. 494-514 The Effects on Populations of Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiaiton, Canmittee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiaitons (SEIR), National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, Wa:hington, DC (1980).
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4 for all radionuclides (excluding Rn-222) is less than one potential human health effect (cancer and genetic effects) per RRY over time spans up to 500 years into the future. Furthemore, all of these reviews support the staff assessments in the FES.
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TABLE 1 RECENT INCEPENDENT REVIEWS OF THE RADIOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE PER RRY (EXCLUDING RN-222 AND TC-99)
Potential Impacts Length of Population the Environmental Doses Cancer
' Genetic Source-Dose Commitment (person-rem)
Deaths Effects 4
American Physical Society Study on Nuclear Fuel Cycles 500 yrs 500
< 0.05
< 0.2 a-
& Waste Management, Chapt. V, (Global) pp.1-45 (July 1977)
Nuclear Energy Policy Study Group, Ford
-- 50 yrs
<,1,000
< 0.2 None Foundation (Nuclear Power, (U.S.)
Given Issues & Choices.
1977)
National Academy of Sciences e-450 0.09
=0.09 Committee on Literature Survey 100 yrs (U.S.)
of Risks Associated with Nuclear 750 0.15
=0.15 a<
a-Power (1979)
(Global )
National Academy of Sciences 450 a*
Cc.amittee on Nuclear & Alter-100 yrs (U.S.)
ad 0.09
-0.09 native Fuel Cycles, (Energy in 750 a-Transition: 1985-2000, 1979)
(Global) a- 0.15 0.15
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United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of 100 yrs 1,200 0.12 0.22 a-Atomic Radiation Sources &
(Global )
Effects of Ionizing Radiation (1977)
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Professional Qualifications My name is Edward F. Branagan, Jr.
Radiological Assessment Granch in the Of fi
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I am a Radio' logical Physicht with the Presently, I am responsible for evaluating thce of Nuclear Reacto impacts from nuclear power reactors.
e environ.. ental radiological evaluating radioecological models and health eff In particular, I am responsible for licensing.
I have been with the Radiological Assessment Bra ye a rs.
c or about 2 Science Teaching from Catholic University in y in 1969, an ti A. in '
Sicphysics from Kansas University in 1976
, and a Ph.D. in Radiation for my Ph.D., I was an instructor of Radiation TWhile completing m College.
ported by a U.S. Public Health Service traninee entitled " Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of G amage My disse,rtation wasand w Bases."
amma-Irradiated DNA Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)Since joini the Of fice of Nuclear o
Regulation (NRR).
In SMSS I was involved in project managem work.
I was the project man.ger for two contracts that th Ridy National Laboratory.
n cal radiation doses from radon-222 and radium-225These <.ontracts Uranium Hilling (DGEIS), I calculated health effpart releases from uranium mills. As.
Upon publication of the DGEIS, I presented a p epact Statement on' ects from uranium mill tailings.
Uranium Mining and Milling for Commercial Nuclea aper entitled " Health Effects of Health' Icplications of New Energy Technologies r Pauer" at a Conference on worked on several Since joining NRR, I have rojects:
" Staff Review of 'Radioecological Assess:aent (1) managed and main author of a report entitle National Labor-f.ory involving development of a(N of the Wyh1 Nuclear Power Plant
- on an NRC contract with Argonne health effects from radiation, (3) served as a technical monitor on an NRC measured concentraticM of radionuclides in thcontrac nvolving estimated and technical monitor on an NRC contract with la e environment cerning a literature review of values for paramete s iwrence Live transport models and r
Laboratory concer;ning a(5) served as a technical monitor with statistical cnalysis of dose estimater via food path Presently, I am a member of the Healt vays.
ation for the Advancement of Science.h Physics Society and the America G
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