ML20045G245
| ML20045G245 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 07/01/1993 |
| From: | Murley T Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Hanshaw C AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20045G246 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9307130090 | |
| Download: ML20045G245 (6) | |
Text
.
DocfE ffp I%
rVes i
c UNITED STATES i
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION b
(
j#
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 l
July 1, 1993 Mr. Christopher R. Hanshaw 228 Indian Creek Drive Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055
Dear Mr. Hanshaw:
I am responding to your letter to Senator Arlen Specter of April 6,1993, regarding regulation of the Three Mile Island, Unit 1 (TMI-1) nuclear power plant. Senator Specter asked that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission p4RC) respond to your request.
The operation of all nuclear power plants in the United States is continually monitored by the NRC to ensure that all Federal regulations continue to be met. This monitoring program includes the continued onsite presence of one or more full-time NRC resident inspectors and periodic inspections and audits by region-based inspectors and the NRC Project Manager. The regulations contain clear provisions regarding civil penalties in the event a regulation is not complied with and the authority for the NRC to order a plant to be shut down in the event the NRC concludes that operation of the plant is posing undue risk to the public health and safety.
Beyond monitoring compliance with the regulations, the NRC also conducts a formal assessment of each plant operator's performance under the NRC's Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance (SALP) program. These assessments, called SALP reports, are used by the NRC to allocate inspection resources and to raise awareness of problem areas by both NRC and licensee management. These reports are prepared and issued approximately every 18-24 months.
In your letter, you stated your belief that TMI-l is not properly run or regulated.
Please be assured that the NRC would require the plant to be shut down if that were the case. Objective evidence indicates that, since its restart in October 1985, GPU Nuclear Corporation (the licensee) has operated TMI-l in a manner that exceeds NRC's regulations.
In the SALP assessment period that ended in the middle of 1990, TMI-1 received the highest ranking possible in all seven categories of the SALP evaluation.
In the subsequent period (May 1990 to November 1991), the plant received the highest ranking possible in six of the seven areas.
In recognition of the high level of-safety performance, the NRC Executive Director for Operations issued a letter of commendation to GPU Nuclear Corporation on June 18, 1991.
There are other performance indicators tracked by the NRC that also indicate that the operation of Tt!I-1 is above average.
You also expressed an opinion that new regulations are needed to improve safety and security and to prevent future terrorist threats.
Several years ago the NRC Commissioners considered whether additional regulations were needed to reduce the risk from terrorist threats involving vehicles. After a great deal of deliberation, the Commission decided at that time that the information available from the national and international intelligence h
communities did not support inclusion of vehicular bombs in the design-basis security threat used as a basis for the regulation of nuclear power plants.
'O 9307230090 930701 fI PDR ADOCK 05000289
-N
-PDR i\\
9 L
Mr. Christopher R. Hanshaw To date, tntre have been no known attempts to cause radiological sabotage at any licensed nuclear power plant in this country. However, following the truck bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon in 1983, the NRC commissior,ed a study by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico,10 determine what measures would be practical and necessary to deter potential tre:k bomb threats at nuclear power plants. As a result of the study, the NRC imposed a requirement that all nuclear power plant licensees develop a truck bomb contingency plan to implement short-term measures within a matter of hours to resist vehicular intrusion if they were notified by the NRC that the truck bomb threat level had changed. These plans were required by NRC Generic letter 89-07, " Power Reactor Safeguards Contingency Planning for Surface Vehicle Bombs," on April 28, 1989.
You are probably aware that the NRC chartered a special independent investigation team to investigate the vehicular intrusion event at TMI-1 on February 7, 1993. The team included several NRC and nuclear industry security specialists and was headed by a senior NRC manager who had no recent.
f association with the regulation of TMI-1. The team's report was issued on April 6, 1993. The report is designated NUREG-1485 and is available for review at the local NRC public document room at the State Library of Pennsylvania, Government Publications Section, located at Walnut Street and Commonwealth Avenue in Harrisburg.
In the report, the team concluded that the February 7 event resulted in no cctual adverse reactor safety consequences and was of minimal safety significance. The intruder was unarmed and had no apparent hostile motives for the intrusion. He had been treated on a number of occasions for depression and was remanded to a mental facility for observation and evaluation of his ability to stand trial following his apprehension after the February 7 intrusion at TMI-1.
L Because of the intrusion event at TMI-1, followed by the World Trade Center I
bombing only weeks later on February 26, 1993, the Commission decided that it is an appropriate time for the NRC to reevaluate and, if necessary, update the j
design basis threat for security at nuclear power plants to consider including vehicle intrusion and the potential use of vehicular bombs.
In a public Commission meeting on June 24, 1993, the NRC staff recommended that vehicular bombs be included in the NRC regulations dealing with security threats. This change to the regulations would require all nuclear power plants to install modifications to prevent unauthorized entrance of vehicles past the boundary i
fence surrounding the plant. The Commission is reviewing this recommendation and is expected to make a decision in the very near future. A copy of the report prepared for the Commission, SECY-93-166, " Staff Recommendation for Protection Against Malevolent Use of Vehicles at Nuclear Power Plants," is enclosed for your information.
NRC inspections over the past several years have verified that TMI-1 meets or exceeds NRC security regulations.
Following plant restart in 1985, SALP l
ratings in the security area have consistently been the highest given by the NRC. Nevertheless, GPU Nuclear Corporation announced on March 18, 1993, that it will spend about $1 million on permanent industrial security enhancements
rt F
L.
Mr. Christopher R._Hanshaw ;
at TMI-1 in response to the February 7 intrusion event.
These enhancements will include addition of hardened gates in addition to the existing protected area gates, strengthened access gates at the north and south bridges to the island, vehicle intrusion alarms at the south gate, and additional video t
surveillance at key locations. These enhancements are not presently required i
by the NRC but do respond to concerns expressed by the Governor of Pennsylvania and other local government officials.
7 I hope that this information is responsive to your request to Senator Specter.
.l Sincerely, ORIGINAL. SIGNED BY~
Thomas E. Murley, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
SECY-93-166 cc w/ enclosure:
The Honorable Arlen Specter i
United States Senate Washington, DC 20510-3802 r
i
- See previous concurrence orricE LA:PDI-4*
PM:PDI-4*
D:PDI-4*
Tech Editor
- AD:DRPE*
j NAME SNorris RHernan:cn JStolz M. Mejac JCalvo DATE 6/24/93 6/24/93 6/24/93-6/24/93 6/24/93 OFFICE D:DRPE*
ADP*
D:NR "ME SVarga JPartlow j Murlh DATE 6/25/93 6/25/93 7/f/93 OfflCIAL RECORD COPY N
\\
I Document Name:
G:\\HERNAN\\GT9030.HAN
{
b
e i
Distribution:
Docket File 50-289 (w/ incoming letter)
NRC &' Local PDRs (w/ incoming letter)-
EDO #0009030
-JTay1or JSniezek i
HThompson
~
JB1aha-TMurley/FMiraglia JPartlow/ADPR, Secretary
.WRussell SVarga/CNorsworthy JCalvo/LMitchell JStolz
-l SNorris i
RHernan w/ incoming l
- l SECY# CRC-93-0538 1
NRR Mailroom (ED0 #0009030) (12/G/18)
PD I-4 Green Ticket File OGC 1
JGoldberg, OGC TMartin, RI l
CHehl, RI AGody, Sr.
DCrutchfield i
i i
1 I
l i
u 1
1 I
-i 1
JS
<, w =, ~! )I
'd,.
- bi
/
'o,,
UNITED STATES t
E DO PRfCUEMD R EGtHJKF0WC CCt.tMESQ3fo t ro 1
[Aj j ii (, '
p, a w ue
- E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
\\,*****/
FROM:
DUE: 07/01/93 EDO CONTROL: 0009030 DOC DT: 06/03/93 FINAL REPLY:
Son. Arlen Specter TO:
D:nnis Rathbun, OCA FOR SIGNATURE OF:
- GRN CRC NO: 93-0538 Murley DESC:
ROUTING:
ENCLOSES LETTER FROM CHRISTOPHER R.
HANSHAW Taylor CONCERNING TMI Sniezek Thompsc.n DATE: 06/18/93 Blaha TTMartin, RI ASSIGNED TO:
CONTACT:
NRR Murley SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
CC TO SEN. SPECTER & MARK ENVELOPE ATTN: MICHAEL A.
KULIS.
NRR RECEIVED:
JUNE 18,1993 NRR ACTION:
DRPE: VARGA NRR ROUTING:
MURLEY ACTION MIRAGLIA
$EE DUE O NRR DIRECTOR'S OFFICE
$5'"""
Al Gyg 9}
B pmg NRR MAIL ROOM
_f
[.h
.t OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER:
CRC-93-0538 LOGGING DATE: Jun 17 93 ACTION OFFICE:
EDO i
AUTHOR:
SEN ARLEN SPECTER AFFILIATION:
U.S.
SENATE ADDRESSEE:
RATHBUN l
LETTER DATE:
Jun 3 93 FILE CODE: IDR-5 TMI
SUBJECT:
NEED TO IMPROVE SAFETY MEASURES AT THE TMI POWER PLANT ACTION:
Direct Reply DISTRIBUTION:
OCA TO ACK, DSB SPECIAL HANDLING: NONE CONSTITUENT:
CHRISTOPHER HANSHAW NOTES:
DATE DUE:
Jul 1 93 SIGNATURE:
DATE SIGNED:
AFFILIATION:
l e
5 t
009030 EDO ~~~g 3,7 g (*
._,