ML20062J622
| ML20062J622 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 10/16/1980 |
| From: | Snyder B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Bevel K AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8011040102 | |
| Download: ML20062J622 (7) | |
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UNITED STATES 85' NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g /-
C WASHINGTON. D. C. 20555
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OCT 161930 Mrs. Kathleen A. Bevel 1155 Turnpike Road Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania 17022
Dear Mrs. Bevel:
Your letter to President Carter about the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear station was referred to me for response.
With regard to your concern about the purging of the radioactive krypton gas from the reactor building of TMI Unit 2, Metropolitan Edison Company submitted i
to NRC a " Safety Analysis and Environmental Report" (November 13,1979) in which it evaluated alternative methods for the disposal of the krypton gases, such as purging and cryogenic processing, and selective absorption. NRC also evaluated alternative methods for disposal of the krypton gas to determine what effect de-contamination would have on workers, on the public health and safety, and on the environment. Based on its evaluation, NRC issued an environmental assessment (NUREG-0662 and two addenda) for public comment on March 26, 1980, and received approximately 800 comments. These comments were considered in the staff's preparation of the " Final Environmental Assessment for Decontamination of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 Reactor Building Atmosphere" (NUREG-0662), vols.1 and 2, copies of which are enclosed for your information.
From this process have emerged the following NRC staff conclusions:
- The potential physical health impact on the public of using any of the proposed strategies for removing the krypton-85 is negligible.
- The potential pr.)chological impact is likely to grow the longer it takes to reach a decision, get started, and complete the process.
- The purging method is the quickest and the safest for the workers on Three Mile Island to accomplish.
- Overall, no significant environmental impact would result from use of any of the alternatives discussed in the assessment.
On June 12, 1980, the Commission issued an Order for Temporary Modification of License, authorizing controlled purging of the krypton-85 from the reactor buiiding atmosphere.
In a separate Memorandum and Order, also issued on June 12, 1980, the Commission discussed rationale for its decision. Actual purging operations began on June 28, 1980, and were completed on July 11, 1980. The l
doses resulting from the purge were well within those predicted in section 7.1 i
of volume 1 of NRC's final environmental assessment.
Copies of both Commission issuances are also enclosed.
8011040 102
Mrs. Kathleen A. Bevel OCT I G 1980 Regarding your desire for the federal government to finance and direct cleanup operations at TMI Unit 2, the licensee has the primary responsibility to physically carry out decontamination operations. The NRC was created by Congress to regulate the commercial use of nuclear energy. Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as emended, NRC has the authority to revoke licenses, take possession of special nuclear material (uranium fuel), and license other or-ganizations if necessary.
NRC can, in an extreme case, operate a nuclear fa-cility if it deems such operation necessary to protect the public health and safety.
Should Metropolitan Edison be unable to carry out decontamination operations adequately, a number of options are possible, including NRC's 11-censing another organization to run the ' facility or NRC's operating the facility itsel f.
Presently,12 Commission professional representatives are at the TMI site. Their task is to review all proposed cleanup plans, including the review and approval of detailed operating procedures, and to maintain surveillance of those operations that NRC has authorized. No future actions can be taken at the site without the NRC's review and approval.
Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, NRC has the statutory authority to ensure that the public health and safety will be protected should Metropolitan Edison Company be unable to carry out its responsibilities as a licensee. At present, however, the resources necessary for NRC to implement its direct in-volvement in Metropolitan Edison's activities are not authorized. Nevertheless, existing statutes do give NRC the final authority to decide who assumes re-sponsibility for a facility when a licensee cannot continue its operation.
With regard to your desire for the permanent shutdown of TMI, the Commission has ordered that a public hearing be conducted to determine whether TMI-1 should be operated and, if so, under what conditions the restart would take place.
Prior to start of the hearings, the NRC staff is conducting a review of tech-nical information concerning the restart of Unit 1.
As part of this review, the NRC staff has been conducting meetings with the licensee in the presence of the public, and the public was given the opportunity to raise questions and to make
_C; sta tements. During the hearing, the technical issues that are appropriate to assure the public health and safety will also be addressed.
In addition, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has indicated that NRC should consider the psychological impact of future operation on the nearby communities. A copy of the Commission Order that outlines the issues to be considered is also enclosed for your information. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m., October l
15, 1980, at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Hearing Room, 25 North Court Street (ground floor), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
As for Unit 2, the licensee has not yet subnitted to the NRC a proposal for overall plant recovery, although the licensee is conducting feasibility studies.
It is not possible at this time to determine when such proposals for recovery may be submitted or how much time will be needed for the required reviews and approvals in connection with Unit 2's recovery.
I would note, however, that the t
licensee's authority to operate Unit 2, except for those actions necessary to keep the reactor shut down, 'Jas suspended by Order of July 20, 1979.
l l
l
e Mrs. Kathleen A. Bevel 007161c80 With regard to your concern about the effects of low-level radiation, the effect of radiatt -
on men and animals has been thoroughly studied for more than four decades. Numerous major biological research programs (including studies of genetic effects) have been completed and others are in progress, all of which have been well documented. While the relationship between ionizing radiation dose and adverse biological effects among humans is not precisely known for all levels of radiation, the principal uncertainty exists at very low dose levels where natural sources of radiation and the variations in these sources are comparable to other doses. The most important biological effects that radiation can cause are cancer, hereditary diseases, miscarriages, and ab-normalities that may occur to a fetus. These effects are identical to those that occur among humans from other causes.
It is this last point in combina-tion with other complicating factors--such as magnitude and variations (1) in normal incidence of diseases, (2) in doses from natural radiation sources, (3) in radiation doses from man-made sources other than the nuclear industry, f
and (4) in exposures to nonnuclear cancer-producing agents--that is responsible for inuch of the uncertainty in the dose-risk relationship at low dose levels.
In lieu of precise knowledge of the relationship between low-level radiation and biological effccts, radiation experts assume that ionizing radiation has an effect on the human body that remains directly proportional to the dose, even at very low levels, and that there is therefore no threshold below which radiation can be ignored.
They therefore assume that any dose of radiation, no matter how low, may be harmful.
Several federal agencies, principally the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and !!ealth Administration, and the Nuclear Regulatory Com-mission, are responsible for regulating exposures from radiation or radioactive material.
In all cases, the staffs of these agencies set regulations to limit radiation exposures to those well below nationally and internationally ac-cepted levels of radiation protection.
I appreciate your concerns and assure you that every effort is being made to m,
ensure the continued protection of the health and safety of the public, not only at Three Mile Island, but also at all nuclear power plants.
Sincerely, d
hM Bernard 4. SnydA.r, Program Tii~ector Three Mi}e Island Program Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosures:
1.
NUREG-0662, vols. 1 & 2 2.
Order for Temporary Modification of License of 6/12/80 3.
Memorandum and Order of 6/12/80 4.
Order and Notice of Hearing of 8/9/79 l
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