ML20032E271
| ML20032E271 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/19/1981 |
| From: | Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Moffett T HOUSE OF REP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20032E272 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8111200234 | |
| Download: ML20032E271 (4) | |
Text
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t, p'aatauq jo, UNITED STATES
!gg,.,y ( j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION TF g
,a WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 October 19, 1981 CHAIRMAN wr/'
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fl0VO 41981m r The Honorable Toby Moffett, Chairman 5
NmY Subcommittee on Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources O
E Committee on Government Operations cn b
United States House of Representatives Washington, D.
C.
20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The information regarding the status of emergency planning at operating nuclear power plants which you requested in your letters of. June 30 and August 20, 1981 is enclosed.
Should you need any additional information, please have your staff contact Mr. Brian Grimes, Director, Division of Emergency Preparedness, Office of Inspection and Enforcement.
Sincerely,
}
A v.a ~= l 6t.f D._s[. w -
Nunzio Palladino
Enclosure:
Response to Questions w/ enclosures 1
l l
8111200234 811019 PDR COMMS NRCC l
CORRESPONDENCE PDR I
l
RESP 0NSES TO QUESTIONS Cuestion No. 1 Indicate which operating nuclear plants, in the judgment of the NRC, have in place emergency plans, including evacuation plans, capable of actually being implemented at this time.
Include only those plants where site, local and state plans exist which are realistically capable of implementation at this time.
Answer All operating nuclear power plants have in place emergency plans, including evacuation plans, capable of actually being implemented at this time.
The NRC and FEMA are currently reviewing these plans to determine their conformance with the standards contained in the new emergency planning rule.
Question No. 2 List all those plants now in operation for which such currently-implementable emergency plans are not yet in place.
Describe briefly the shortcomings in the plans applicable to all plants in this list.
Answer All plants now in operation have currently-implementable emergency plans in place.
The NRC and FEMA are reviewing the emergency plans to determine if the standards in the new emergency planning rule are met and to facilitate the necessary corrective actions where shortcomings are identi-i I
fied.
All operating nuclear power plant licensees were required by the new emergency planning rule to submit upgraded onsite I
and offsite emergency plans by January 2, 1981 and to imple-ment the plans by April 1, 1981.
All operating nuclear power plant licensees have submitted and implemented up-graded onsite emergency plans.
Some licensees submitted current or draft offsite plans while the final upgraded offsite plans were unde preparation for submittal.
These current or draft plans are implementable.
These emergency l
plans will be submitted as final plans after FEMA reviews and comments and approval by the State Governor is given.
I because of the large number of submittals at approximately the same time, the NRC and FEMA are reviewing the plans on an established schedule.
To evaluate the licensees onsite
I 2
preparedness, the NRC has a formal Emergency Preparedness Implementation Appraisal Program.
We estimate that it will take about one year (until April 1982) to complete the reviews for all operating reactors.
The NRC Appraisal Program is a comprehensive review of onsite emergency preparedness.
Teams of four to five Head-quarters, Regional and contractor professionals spend two weeks reviewing the submittals, up to two weeks onsite evaluating the licensee's emergency preparedness capabili-ties, and about two weeks writing a formal report of their findings.
We have five to six teams constantly involved in this process.
As of August 26, 1981, fifteen implementation reviews had been completed by NRC at operating sites and two at near-term operating license sites.
Licensees either have been or i
are being notified of any significant deficiencies and are being given four months (as specified in the NRC regulations) to correct such deficiencies or face further enforcement actions which could include plant shutdown.
The review of state and local plans is a responsibility of FEMA.
FEMA provides.their findings on offsite emergency preparedness to the NRC.
The NRC uses these findings in making a final determination of the state of preparedness.
FEMA is in the process of reviewing state and local plans.
The enclosed report which we nave prepared with FEMA at the request of the Senate Subcommi* tee on Nuclear Regulation gives a more detailed status of emergency planning sub-i mittals and reviews.
t Question No. 3 List those plants where alarm systems required to be in place by July 1 are not yet in place.
In the extent possible, explain why those systems are not yet in place.
Answer Recently, we requested a status report frca all power reactor licenses on the operability of the reau! red public notifica-tion system.
A list summarizing ths status of the systems is enclosed.
The list includes thosa plants where the required public notification system is not in place.
There are several reasons given by licensees for noncompl-iance.
Dase are:
inability to obtain delivery of equipment; delays due to engineering studies on placement of sirens; need for consultation with state and local governments; requests for exemption from the rule which were not answered; d e ~r a y s i n receiving grants of easement and rights c entry from local r
3 governments and private parties; problems obtaining radio frequency apprcval from the FCC; problems identified during pre-operational testing; and installation problems in severe winter weather in northern climates.
Question No. 4 State what course of action the NRC plans to take to see to it that the actions required to be taken by the April 1 and July 1 deadlines are in fact taken.
State the date by which, in the NRC's current judgment, the requirements of the NRC's emergency planning regulations applicable to operation nuclear power plants will in fact be met by plants now operating.
Answer With respect to the April 1, 1981 date for onsite and offsite plan impl emen ta ti o n, the NRC and FEMA actions described are being pursued to verify that the required upgraded plans are in place.
We expect these reviews to be completed for on-site plans by about April of 1982.
A FEMA review of an exercise at each site will also be completed by that date.
With respect to the July 1, 1981 date for operability of a prompt pualic notification system, the projected completion dates available tc us at this time are given in the enclosure.
The Commissior has issued a proposed rule for public comment that would ex tend the date for operability of the public notification system from July 1, 1981 to February 1, 1982.
Because of the low rate of compliance with the regulation, the Commission gave serious consideration to whether this lack of compliance is an indication that the July 1, 1981 d-was unreasonably short.
Some licensees did take action
.ocure systems at an early date and were able to complete installation by July 1, 1981.
Many of the licensees, who made a good-faith effort, were confronted with unanticipated di f ficul ti es.
t The Cor'ission has directed the Office of Inspection and Enforcement to take enforcement action against the 13 operating i
reactor licensees who did not comply with the existing rule l
or formally notify the NRC about thei r inability to comply prior to July 1, 1981.
l Enclosures As stated l
L.