ML20050C220

Submits Concerns Re Embrittlement & Susceptibility of Copper Welds to Neutron Bombardment Damage,Per Des Review.Temp Drop as Result of ECCS Could Cause Rupture of Reactor Containment Vessel Releasing Radioactive Contents

ML20050C220
Person / Time
Site:	Midland
Issue date:	04/04/1982
From:	Warren S AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:	Hennan R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8204080299
Download: ML20050C220 (3)

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'ApriI 4,1982 cr y D c b)A s

S jfj x a-A g&y Mr.-Ronald W. Henna Licensing Project Manager

.0ffice of Nuclear Reactor Regulations U.S. NRC

' Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear. Sir:

[ I have read much of the Draft Environmental Statement relating

to Consumers Power's Plants I & II. I have followed the Midland

OM proceedings and in fact.was an accepted intervenor at one time.

I have been studying documents as well as' books and periodicals during

, the_.past four years' and. I find the DES severely lacking in its basis for many 'of its conclusions. ~

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I .would like to a'ddress one of'my many concerns and that is the omission of any mention 'of a severe problem plaguing pressurized water reactors around the. country, That problem, _ EMBRITTLEMENT, the premature aging of reactor containment vessels' due to the neutron bombardment from the fissioning of uranium fuel at pressures of 2000 pounds per square , inch.

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Theloccurance of embrittlement has been known 'for years but the embrittlement ~

process' is: occurring much' faster than previously expected.

i Thomas Murphy. supervisor of the NRC inquiry into the embrittlement ~

problem is most concerned about reactor vessels that. were built. before 1973.

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(CMEJ Dec81-Jan'82) According to the Midlarid Daily News Augustf23',1978, the reactors at the Midland Plant were' built between 1968' and 1971 even though '

the first1 reactor was=not delivered to?the Midland site until'Nov 19, 1974 and Unit 2 vessel was not installed until May of 1972.

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m Reactors, like those'in Midland,' have copper in the welds that hold the reactor: '

fvessel together~.

This copper is more suseptibleL to neutron- bombardment damage, than

-the ' steel. wails of the reactor vessel.

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During a Loss of ' Cooling Accide'nt (LOCA) the

temperatures jn the core rise. ~ To cool' the core, _the Emergency Core Cooling- ..

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System (ECCS) floo'ds the core with cool water (40 to 90 degrees). Such a temperature drop could, according to some sources, cause a rupture of the reactor containment vessel releasing its radioactive contents. (CMEJ Dec 81-Jan 82).

.I am very concerned that an environmental statement could be prepared by the .NRC that ignores this critical information. The health and safety of my family and friends will be greatly affected if this kind of damage could occur to the reactors now installed in the Midland Nuclear Plant.

I demand that the NRC address this as well as other concerns of the citizens of the'Saginaw Valley.

Sincerely, i C -

h Sharon K. Warren 636 Hillcrest Midland, MI 48640

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i Mr. Ronald Hernan i Licensing Project Manager

.{ Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulations '

? U.S. NRC

Washington, D.C. 20555 i

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