ML20037B576
| ML20037B576 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dresden, Nine Mile Point, Indian Point, Oyster Creek, Haddam Neck, San Onofre, Yankee Rowe, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point  |
| Issue date: | 08/08/1974 |
| From: | Ray D US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| To: | Walker D ILLINOIS, STATE OF |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20037B577 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8010210865 | |
| Download: ML20037B576 (4) | |
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m Honorable Daniel Walker
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Governor of Illinois
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Springfield, Illinois 62706
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Dear Governor Walker:
l EE eien I understand from recent newspaper reports that Mr. Ralph Nader has written to you concerning the safety of a nuclear plant which the ABC has
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licensed to operate in the State of Illinois - Unit 1 at Commonwealth X
Edison Company's Dresden Nuclear Power Station in Grundy County.
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Apparently, Mr. Nader has misunderstood or misused information about reae-
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j tor pressure vessels contained in reports issued by the Advisory Committee l
on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) and the AEC Regulatory staff, and in corre-A spondence with Mr. Nader from the Chairman of the ACRS, Dr. William R.
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Stratton, and the Director of Regulation, Mr. L'. M. Huatzing. Copies of
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5 these documents and correspondence are enclosed for your reference. The ACRS and the Regulatory staff reports deal primarily with reactor vessels designed and fabricated in accordance with today's nuclear pressure vessel
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codes.
Mr. Huntzing's May 2 letter discussed ten early generatic.n vessels
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that were designed and constructed to pressure vessel codes in effect during the period of manufacture, and that are still continuing to operate
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safely in nuclear power plants.
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i nese earlier pressure vessel codes contained rules that reficcted the i
satisfactory experience with vescels in numerous fossil-fueled power plants
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i throughout the United States.
In fact, the construction of the earlier
.Z vessels was guided also by nuclear standards and codes developed by and used in the Naval reactors program. Older reactor vessels, such as the one at Dresden Unit 1, are not less safe to operate than the vessels built I
to today's codes. Se current nuclear pressure vessel codes merely
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l reflect requirements that include advances in the pressure vessel tech-I nology since the period of manufacture of the earlier reactor vessels.
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l Both the ACRS and the Regulatory staff reports conclude that the prob-ability of a disruptive failure of any reactor pressure vessel is 2
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exceedingly small.
In fact, recent tests supported by the AEC have 1
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DATS Form AEC-318 (Rev. 9-5 2
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= ;=j Honorable Daniel Walker AUG B 1974
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demonstrated that vessels which were deliberately flawed withstood pres-sures almost twice as great as they are designed to sustain in operation.
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Nevertheless, as a matter of conservative Regulatory practice, the staff m_.=;;;t;+
requires that all reactor pressure vessels, including the one at Dresden
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Unit 1, be subject to stringent inspection, surveillance and testing 79E9 programs.
The conduct and results of these programs are carefully monitored and evaluated by the Reguistory staff. Despite this, I under-stand that Mr. Nader has suggested to you thct such programs do not exist and that you should take appropriate action.
If it would be helpful, I would be pleased to have appropriate members of
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the Regulatory staff discuss this matter with you and/or members of your staff. In the meantime, please let me know if I can provide you with
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additional information about the AEC's Regulatory responsibilities for
'E protecting the public health and safety.
Sincerely, EE!
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!!:N Original signed by Dixy Lee Ray Chairman Enclosures-1.
Rpt to AEC fm ACRS dtd January 14, 1974, WASH-1285 Distribution 2.
Ltr fm ACRS, Stratton to Nader FDR (56-/ 0)
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dtd March 13, 1974 LPDR's 3.
Ltr fm AEC, Muntzing to Nader OGC 2-I dtd May 2,1974 SECY (3) 4.
Technical Report by AEC Reg. Staff OCR (3) dtd May 1974, UASH-1318 LMMuntzing
._ f EGCase EE cc w/encis:
FSchroeder Senator Charles H. Percy DR Reading File Senator Adlai E. Stevenson Central Files
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Representative Leslie C. Arends FLIngram, OIS i
Representative John W. Erlenborn DRGL bec: See attached list
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h.ij EU Honorable Daniel Walker Governor of Illinois
....:J Springfield, Illinois 62706 ll.]l;;
Dear Governor Walkers I understand from recent newspaper reports that M. Ralph Nader j
has written to you concerning the safety of a nudlear plant which 51 the AEC has licensed to operate in the State oi Illinois -- Unit 1
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4 at Consnonwealth Edison Company's Dresden Nucidar Power Station in 5
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Grundy County.
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Apparently, Mr. Nader has misunderstood o'r misused information about L y :.s reactor pressure vessels contained in rdports issued by the Advisory L
l Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS)'and the AEC Regulatory Staff,
[l and in correspondence with Mr. Nader/from the Chairman of the ACRS, p
j Dr. William R. Stratton, and the Director of Regulation, Mr. L. M.
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j Muntzing. Copice of these documents and correspondence are enclosed l
i for your reference. The ACRS and the Regulatory Staff reports deal r.k i
pr!.marily with reactor vessels, designed and fabricated in accordance j
with today's nuclear pressure, vessel codes.
Mr. Muntzing's May 2 letter discussed ten early generation vessels that were designed and j
constructed to pressure vessel codes in effect during the period of p"
1 canufacture, and that are still continuing to operate safely in
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l nuclear power plants.
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These earlier pressure vessel codes contained rules that reflected
~,.
j the satisfactory experience with vessels in numerous fossil-fueled power plants throughout the United States. In fact, the construction
.t (
i of the earlier vessels was guided also by nuclear standards and codes i
developed by and used in the Naval reactor 4 program. Older reactor vessel 3 such as the one at Dresden Unit l Is not less safe to operate h
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than the vessels built to today's codes. The current nuclear pressure
==
vessel codes merely reflect requirements that include advances in the pressure vessel technology since the period of manufacture of the j
earlier reactor vessels.
Both the ACRS and the Regulatory Staff reports conclude that the
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probability of a disruptive failure of any reactor pressure vessel is exceedingly small.
In fact, recent tests supported by the AEC h
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have demonstrated that vessels which were eliberately flawed withstood pressures almost twice as graa as they are designed to
==3 sustain in operation. Nevertheless, p a matter of consery/ive
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Regulatory practice, the Staff requipes that all reactor ressure vessels, including the one at Dresden Unit 1, be subjec to stringent inspection, surveillane[ carefully monitore[and evaluated
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and testing progr The conduct i
and results of these programs are by the Regulatory Staff. imd-I understand th t Mr. Nader has 9
suggested to you that such programs do not exist d that you should take appropriate action.
If it would be helpful, I would be pleased have appropriate members of the Regulatory Staff discuss thi matter with you and/or can provide you with additional informat%p ease let me know if I members of ycur staff.
In the meantime, n about the AEC's Regulatory responsibilities for protec ng the public health and
.,;.J safety.
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Sinc ely.
Chairman i
Enclosures:
bec: PDR 1.
Rpt to AEC fm ACRS td January 14, LPDR's 1974, WASH-1285 OGC 2.
Ltr fu ACES, Stra ton to Hader dtd SECY (3)
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March 13,197f/
OCR (3) 3.
Ltr fm AEC, Huntzing to Nader dtd LMMuntzing May2,197/
EGCase 4.
Technical Report by AEC Reg. Staff FSchroeder dtd May 974, WASH-1318 DR Reading File FLIngram, OIS cc w/encis:
l Senator Charles H. Percy Senator Adlai E. Stevenson Representdtive Leslie C. Arends i
Represe.tative John W. Erlenborn
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