ML20063C519
| ML20063C519 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 06/21/1982 |
| From: | Humphrey G SENATE |
| To: | Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20062E908 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8206200050 | |
| Download: ML20063C519 (12) | |
Text
_ _ - -
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OCRDON J.,HUMPHRcY couwrTTres s feEW HJ.MPSHIPE ARMED SERVICES
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6209 Dinassa SanArt Orrscs SueLoisse
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(202) 224 2441 MgilllCD,,pfCtlCS,(DC11Ct{C e
o ENERGY AND NATURAL '
d Resources Ntw HAuPsMinE TCLL FRes Noweta l-aco-es2 371' CMMnMANs SUSGouuffTrE oM EMGY ST WASHINGTON. D.C. 20510 RaoubArtc88 LAaOR AND HUMAN RESOUNCES June 21, 1982 C"""^"'5.""**o","'"O^'*""""""
1 Mr. Nunzio J. Palladino, Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555
Dear Chairman Palladino:
For some time now, I have been an advocate of nuclear power, the only qualification being that operation of such power plants meet environmental standards for safety.
Just recently, I received a letter from one of my con-stituents alleging (via a magazine article) that terrible j
things were happening near the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
I have no information which would verify the allegations, but they are of such a nature that I cannot in good conscience ignore them.
I am enclosing a copy of the article in question for your pursual.
I would sincerely appreciate hearing from you l
about the alleged conditions near the Vermont Yankee plant in order that I may prepare a further reply to my constituent.
With best regards, I am Sincerely your,
1 (k don J. Humphre USS J
GJH:lha Encl.
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FrornAL DUILDINS, Roote 730 FtornAL SU6LoINo. Roosa 209 1$7 MAIN SThrt?
9 Cowcono. New HAursuins 03301 275 Cursvurt STntrT 80 DAMEL STatrY BrnWN. New Hawesnint 03570 (603) 228-0453 MAucussTan, Nsw HAngPsHlms 03103 PowTsucuTM, NEw HAursussa 03801 (603) 752-2600 1
(603) 666 7698 (603) 431 0760
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FIRST OF A TWO PART INTERVIEW OWNWIND FROM:
/ bVERMONT YANKEE
-by Chris Nord j Sometime in 1984, Unit M1 of Seabrook's twin 1150 mega watt reactors is scheduled for completron.
How might those living close by be
( n -.2-Z ~ ~
- f affected by the reactor's presence?
n 3
~
Many people regard the accident at :
y':% ' ~R/
~
~
Three Mile Island as a fluke, a tragedy that will not be repeated-
- ~-
presumably because the 1:uclear lodastry 1:as learned from that in-c' dent how to prevent such mHhaps in the future But we may not need to cils "acc/ den'ts"such as TMiin order to find reason to fear for our health and safety.
Mildred Zywna and Annie Fostyck are sisters, both residents of Hin-1
'sdale, New Hampshire. They live a 0 ~; Q ~
_W.
[*
sho:t distance from each other on
~.
the Northfield Road, which parallels yf k
the Connecticut River. Within two
- ?&L-
- O miles of each sister's home, the 540-
- C*"****
megawatt Vermont Yankee Nuclear power plant has operated along the
. Connecticut's western shore, in interview with Mildred Zywna Chris: ATIof a sudden?
Vernon, Vermont, since November, Mildred: All of a sudden, it seemed g
19 72.
Christ Did you live here when Ver-that sections: of Hinsdale were Mildred and Annie we,e born in - mont Yankee was built?
getting awfully higtt percentages of H/nsdale, and raised on a farm there.
Mildred: Oh yes. Outside of eight thyroid cancer. Sometimes it would Annie has continued in farm life to years, we've been here since 1940. In be two or three in ' ne household, o
the present time, having maintained fact, l,have lived in Hinsdale all but Then we, heard from a doctor we with her husband a here of Jersey elght years of mt life. I'll be 60 next know (name withheld) that thyroid,
milking cows until the fall of 1981.
month cancer was of epidemic proportions l
Mildred also farmed for a time with Chris: How far are we from Vermont in this locality, and that people were her husband, before he entered.the Yankee right now?
getting leukemia and bone cancer.
i construction field. Having a keen Mildrsd Well, as the crow files,1 -. Also, animals-who ever heard of an interest in community affairs, would sey about 2 miles. The Con-animal dying of cancer? But all of a M// dred served for three years on necticut River is right outside the sudden, you would hear. Somebody *,
Hinsdale's Selectboard (1974 77).
window Adra, so the plant is north of would take their dog 1or cat to the vet She continues to work, regularly, us and just on the other side.
and find that it had leukemia. It was presently for a book binoery in Cht/s: When did you first suspect mind boggling and you would start Brattleboro, Vermont.
that Vermont Yankee's presence was wondering, well,'how come?
f interviewed Mildred and Annie in having some kind of effect on the Chris: Can you say when this started,
f their homes on January 3,1982, it ts local environment?
happening?
hoped that their stories will sned Mildred: We began hearing that so Mildred: It started about six years -
some light on the possible con.
, many people around town were -
ago...
sequences of living in such close getting cancer, all of a sudden. It proximity to nuclearpower.
seemed unreal.
~
continued ^
River Valley Voice pageS
AMERICAN KARATE STUDIO c3ris: Sii years ago wouid make it We tried-ine Town Cierk and i-57 Wells Street, Greenfield, MA 1975, or thereabouts.
to go through the deaths, because Y' s. So, the Selectboard she herself has had cancer. It Mildred:
e
" develop the discipline of from Hinsda,le and Winchester talked became a curiosity to see if we could l
non-violence andinner control" this over. We didn't like what was determine the deaths in Hinsdale j RICHARDhOY going on and wanted some answers.
and thelt causes f rom, say, ten years funktime ptofessionalinstructo, We contacted Governor (Meldrim) prior to'the atomte plant up to the Thomson,and made an appointment.
present time. But deaths, are written
. 3 888..,,,,,,,,,, g ss. D N And all of a sudden, we were atmost up in medical terms' and neither one 7
f Dee women's self defenDe ordered to go on the day he of us can read the jargon.
Tuesday 10-11 a.m.
. specified. And so we went. And 'he Chris: But an increase in cancer, Special Community Service wasn't even there.~He was at a fund especially thyroid cancer, is evident.
reiser! We were really insulted to think that this man would take six people's time, and practically order
- The vers would admit il us to meet with him on the problem, M l-Y and then not even be there. The 80 f 0 M IN f f3YGlfe IN#l-E Director of Public Health, Maynard gg ygg ghgg gggggg ggggic t
KEW3
'd RE Mires, was there, as well as Governor E ONI * *
- bel Ihf7 WOUId I
E
' Thomson's aide, Frederick Goode.
B O o%gg g)gg They told us, "There's nothing to not ggmig /g in pghlic,"
k worry about, nothing.. " So I asked i Ic. WORK or. uires, "How many people have
- Mildred zywne died-what are the percentages-in m"'"*
~
B't" A S'"". B"oorssoe Hinsdale versus the rest of the state,
,,om cance,7 ee to,d us,he,e was a M,,d,ed 1h. eoc,o, who mae.,h.s.
much higher x percentage rate of very statements refuses to become 2h M AIN ST, k0 kill AWTON. M AE - 586-C35 deaths from cancer In Cheshire public about it. If anyone goes to him
(
3 County than the rest of the state. So l and asks him about it, he'll just said, "We're only interested in two shake his head and not be put on the SUPPORT OUR towns: Hinsdale and Winchester.
spot. He seems to know that this is
' ADVERTISERS!
They're lust a smais percentage of what's happening, but nobody wants Cheshire County," (Cheshire County to be put on the spot because they k-J having Keene and other large towns cannot defend their position in it). "Would you break it down by there...How do you prove it?
towns-Hinsdale and Winchester-Veterinarians know it's happening.
' YOU CAN.
,i,st again,i tne county, inen against The farm inat you can see from here the state and then against the across the river was for sale, and a country?" And he saic, "Oh, yes,"-
. local veterinarian put a down
/
MAKE-ne wouid get that done. But they payment on it to buy it. But then he h
CHEESE haven't yet come up with that.in.
thought-that land goes right up to formation.
the 8tomic plant. And he withdrew y
the down payment.
d.'
b, in your Governor Thomson'came through Chris: Before we gg on, are there any
' ' K[. M-[/
g i
(%:=.), ( -
kitchen Hinsdale later, wher) he was running further specific phenomena that you j,
for governor again. And he said, yourself havenoticed?
1 eGouda "Well, Mildred, are you still having Mi, dred: Well, rny sister, A.nnie trouble with cancer in Hinsdale?"
Fostyck, has a f arrn right up the road, e Cheddar e R! cotta And I said, "More so than ever." He and I have seen v@at's happened to e Feta e Cottage Cheese said,"Oh, you worry too much." And her cattle.'
,,,,, an'd many more 3
that's all it ever amounted to. But by Chris: So tell me as much as' you I
then, things were really beginning to want to about your sister's place-litustrated Catalog with l
Recipes, 51.00 (refundable) show up. Cattle were aborting, and what kinds of things have hap-N C EESEMA N BOOK later on it got to the point that a lot of pened?-problems mainly with I
g6 the calves were being born defor-cows?
4 med.
new england Mildred: Yes, and cats...they had a lot of barn cats that were dying all over heesemakm*q
,a,Before the atomic plant, it was a e ining,o, peo,,, to nave cance,.
tne piace. How a ici o, tnem a,e bo,n supply co.
Even after the atomic thing was one-eyed. Most of the. calves were Box 8578, Ashf. eld. M A 01330 built...it's a gradual thing that's in.
born dead or deformed. She's f armed creasing all the time.
- all her life. We had a farm that we page 6 River Valley Voice
THE l
_MACROB10ZlCS_
, were brought up on. Farming was BOOK CELLAR YIN " YAW nothing new to her. This was g[g)ce gg4g MWMfNY
~
something that had never happened to her before. You'd lose cattle-you One of know,a cow would lose a calf once in New England's a while-but not like they had down f
there. Everything w_as going wrong.
Fine ota sookstores T.I And the vets would suspect, they
' s' would admit it to you in pijvate, that 6
It was that damned atomic plant...but
~
they would not admit it in public. Y6u could contact any of the vets and they would not go on record.
Finally, my sister demanded that
-l t O'idag huMW the State of New Hampshire come N
down to look at wh' t was happening, CookiTg CASSe5 a
)
It. When they did come, they were so
" g a t 3 p jv) & g g -
~
and come up with a reason for all of Y
g belligerent, that they threatened to close the f arm. They said it was' WitBFo6b Foraging because of unsanitary conditions carpentry /solpr 4
and so forth that my sister was and
,, having all her trouble!
s anti-nuclea;
.Anpe iOihankesfy Now the other' dairy f armers,
p.c.goA4{,
aluk around here won't admit to anything M.0$1 going wTong. But they're all afrald! Is 120 Main Street gggg.gp the State going to come, and close g,g g gggm,g g_gg,
.,uo2n 2
them down if ihis becomes public knowledge that they're having livestock deformities and so forth?
Chris: Are there any other dairy farmers who have spoken directly to you about any problems?
Mildred: They keep their mouths shut. They know something's wrong, j'
but they won't say anything. If the g
ggp p
g g-State closes them down, who's going g
to reimburse them? They've got their
.I whole life'in there, so they keep l
goino.
~
I Vitamins
- Cosmetics.
l l
Chris:What else has come up for you I
In the last few years that seems l,
d' Herbs & Produce l
~ _ strange?
l I
l Imported & Domsstic Cheeses Mildred: I remember corn that was growing over here-the leaves were I
s Our neighbors just south of us had it l-Freshly Milled Flours.
i all black-some kind of black fuzz.
s l
a lot blacker tharYours. Ours wasn't l
NORTHERN VERMONTS LARGEST NATURAL l
so bad, but Ibd enough. It's I
t FOODS STORE' i
l-something that no one here has seen l
.i g
before.
g Bring this ad in for a ko% discount b l
Chris: What exactly happens to the I
a purchase of $5 or more
- t I
corn?
-l
' Mildred: There's. spots all over the r
leaves. And then instead of getting l
I'
~
4 l
ripe they get a sort of soft moss in l
g g[.
y
{gg[
l the husks, and there's no kernals.We l
g used to see that once in a great l
g l
l while-but it was a lot rarer than it is now.
/
_d Chris: Are there any other people 1,
River Valley Voice page7 l
._\\..__
i
~
~
J
f 3
0 HATHA YOGA besides the farmers that you've gy, already mentioned who have brought WOMANCRAFT Dr. Susan Johnson p,,3i,,,,, you,,,,,niion7 CHIROPRACTOR Misered: There's tne ones across the Classes start in Greenfield, river whose cattle have died of Amherst, and Northampton cancer. I've talked with one woman week of May 10th cA*rR[#l7.L*o'ik that worked in the shop, with me,, Q (name withheld). I saidgto her, 4*ve Jean-Janani Erlbaum.
g never hear.d of animals dying of -
cancer and she said; " Strange you
- for further information, call,
.mim should mention 'that, because we i
(413) 773-9744 or 584-1000 just had a cow that died.this week
(
)
from cancer." I asked 4f that had '
happened beforo and she said no.
wm M n --S "/# mNWC "#Mm6_" " n -,rnad And since then,I've heard they had l
Wouldyou believe TRADITIONAL andALTERNA TIVE l$,$,y"',"*,
,$,',','c y",*,$
~
~
under the same moff newspaper and her father-in-law TRY US!
vehemently denied that there was STEEPLEJACKS any pr blem in Vern n. I think it's Ironic that.with!n a year he.had sn downtown Sunderland, Mass.
passed away-with thyrold cancer. I.
Breakfast & l'unch Daily Again,' ne part of,the town of Vernon o
is petrified,,and some.of the.
Dinner Friday, Saturday and Su,nday
. Piano Friday and Saturdaygocal Entertas.nment Sundaynights.
residents are slowly moving out.
Chris: Before we finish, have there 665-7980 been any' other causes.for your concernaboutVermontYankes? '
z_qm1 =_w -1 =_-_yc
_,,c-1=_ w_u =_ws u
Mildred: Well, any time there's been a release, they'll Immediately say it
, was not large enough to endanger 1
SMALL SCALE HYDROELECTRIC POWER ny ne, that it was below the lev 9 s.
and so forth. What the majority of Renewable Energy,for New England,
people are not aware of is that no. -
matter,how sman the release, H H got Submersible Turbine-Into your tiystem, it's there -per-GenArato.r Set
~
manently. it's not going to go awayi,
it stays there. So any time there's a i
release and anyone has gotten it, it 3
i stays. It's there. It keeps adding and adding.
ROLd ca"* ' '" '
"v:"i"a '
'"='
people should be awsre of, who do now, or may someday be living near g-~
an operating nuclear power plant? Is there anything else 'that you would want them to know about from your i
9 yf own experle. ice?-for people who 9,
might have to d.eal with having a
' plant in their backyard?
d Mildred: If you ~can stop it, stop it.
You should always stop it. The dangers from them will continue 3I
' ' years af ter you're buried. If we can stop just one more from coming in,it will help the whole world.
,I NEW ENGLAND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS, INC.
109 MAIN STREET
- AMHERST, MA 01002 * (413) 25&a44 Part 11, an Interview with Annle Fos-tyck, will appearin the next lasue.
~
l I
page 8 River Valley Voice i
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'ECnifeb Sfales Sennic 3
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COMMITTEE ON j
ENERGY AND N ATUR AL RESOURCES l
W ASHINGTON. D C.
10510 (J,
CFFICI AL DU$lNES$
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Mr. Nunzio J. "alladino, Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(
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Washington, D.C.
20555 t
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JUL UN The Honorable Gordon J. Humphrey United States Senate Washington, D.C.
20510
Dear Senator Humphrey:
Thank you for your letter of June 21, 1982 addressed to Chairman Palladino regarding concerns about the Vermont Yankee facility in Vernon, Vermont.
One of your constituents had provided you with a magazine article tnat mada several allegations related to the proximity of the Vermont Yankee plant.
As a result of your request, we have looked into the thrust of the allega-tions raised in the article.
There are two concerns in our view:
First is the allegation that the Vermont Yankee facility is releasing substantial quantities of radioactive material; second is the allegation that there are noticeable and direct offsite effects attributable to Vermont Yankee.
Federal regulations, 10 CFR 20, Appendix B, and 10 CFR 50, Appendix I, establish limits on the types and quantities of radioactive materials which may be released in effluents from nuclear power plants. 40 CFR 190 estab-lishes linits on both the projected annual radiation dose cquivalent and total quantity of radioactive material entering the environment from the uranium fuel cycle.
The 10 CFR regulations and the operating license issued by the NRC to the owner and operator of the Vemont Yankee facility require operable in-plant effluent monitoring systems to measure and record radio-activity in the radioactive materials waste treatment and disposal systems as well as implementation of an onsite and offsite radiological envirenmental monitoring program.
l l
In-plant effluent monitoring systems must meet specific operability and I
calibration standards established by the NRC. An NRC resident inspector i
is stationed at the Vermont Yankee facility and he routinely inspects and i
verifies the proper operation of these systems.
Verment Yankee's environmental monitoring program includes analyses of l
airborne and waterborne radioactivity and direct radiation exposures. The airborne radioactivity monitoring program includes samples of milk, vegeta-tion, food products and soil from several locations near the Vermont Yankee facility, including the Hinsdale, New Hampshire area. The waterborne radio-activity monitoring program includes samples of fish, aquatic vegetation, Connecticut River water and sediment, and ground water samples. Again, multiple samples are taken during the year at various locations in New Hampshire, Vermont and Hassachusetts.
Direct radiation exposures are
' measured by thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) which are placed by the licensee at twenty-one locations on and off the Vemont Yankee site. These devices provide a measurement of the total radiatian exposure, including natural background exposure, at these locations.
OFFICE )
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onEy lmemrruwwmuague OFFlCIAL RECORD COPY upoonu m *o
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The Honorable Gordon J. Humphrey The results of analyses obtained from the environmental monitoring programs are evaluated and documented by the licensee. The licensee provides an annual Radiological Environmental Report and a Semi-Annual Effluent Release Report, as well as special reports, when required, to the NRC. These reports are placed in the NRC's Public Document Room and are also reviewed by NRC regional office inspection specialists.
In addition to the actions taken by the licensee, the NRC also conducts its own measurements to independently assess the licensee's results.
The.NRC program provides for review of the licensee's sampling programs and includes an independent measurements program whereby aliquots of effluent samples are analyzed by the licensee, by our Region I office, and by a national laboratory. The results are compared to confirm the validity of the licensee's analytical techniques.
In addition, the NRC places thermo-luminescent dosimeters at various locations near all nuclear power plants, including Vermont Yankee. The NRC first placed TLDs around the Vermont Yankee site in May 1980. There are 40 TLD locations around the site ranging from less than one to about nineteen miles away. To date, no exposures were measured which were above those which would be expected from natural back-ground radiation.
In response to your request, reports from the licensee have been re-examined.
A review of the licensee's Semi-Annual Effluent Release Reports for the s
period 1976 through 1981 indicates that the projected annual dose equivalent based on actual effluent and meteorological measurements did not exceed the environmental standards for the uranium fuel cycle (40 CFR 190). 40 CFR 190 specifies limits on both annual dose and total quantity of radioactive material entering the environment from the uranium fuel cycle. Also, a review of the licensee's Annual Radiological Environmental Surveillance Reports for the period 1976 through 1981 indicates only a slight difference in the annual l
dose equivalent between environmental monitoring stations which might be affected by plant operations and background (control) stations not affected by plant operations.
In all cases, the difference in the annual dose equiva-lent was much less than the 40 CFR 190 limits. Additionally, the dose rates measured by the NRC during cperation of the NRC's TLD Direct Radiation Network, and the amount of radioactive material in effluents from the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station actually measured by the NRC, support the licensee's conclusion. We have, therefore, no reason to believe there is any radio-logical impact on the environnent from the operation of the Vernont Yankee facility.
The State of Vermont also monitors the environment around Vermont Yankee and provides a monthly report to our Region I office. These reports reflect findings that releases of radioactivity from Vennont Yankee are very small (much less than permitted) and that levels of radioactivity in the environ-ment (air, water, particulates and milk) are not much different than back-ground levels obtained prior to the operation of Vermont Yankee.
ornce) suncuc h oan )
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The Honorable Gordon J. Humphrey With regard to the problems at the Fostyck farm, we understand that the New Hampshire State Department of Health and Welfare conducted radiation surveys in the vicinity of the farm. We contacted Ms. Diane Tefft from the Bureau of Environmental Health who stated to us that they found no radiation levels above background. The Bureau routinely samples a farm contiguous to the Fostyck farm and has found no evidence of radiation above background.
If you have any further questions, Ms. Tefft will be happy to discuss them with you.
She can be reached at 603-271-4588.
In addition, we contacted Dr. George Cilley, the New Hampshire State Veterinarian, who stated that he had visited the Fostyck farm in April 1981 af ter receiving a call regarding premature and deformed calves. He stated that his impression was that the farm was not experiencing any more problems than farms elsewhere in the state.
In his opinion, there was no evidence of particular problems related to Vermont Yankee. He can be reached at 603-271-2404 if you have further questions.
If, in the future, we identify any further information regarding the ccncerns discussed in your letter we will contact your office.
If I or my staff can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sin is1gned)T. A.Rehm lilliam J. Dircks Executive Director for Operations Distribution:
W. Dircks T. Rehm V. Stello H. Denton R. DeYoung R. Minogue G. Cunningham L. Underwood R. Haynes R. Starostecki EDO 12043 SECY-82-0662 PDR_s LPDR Docket No. 50-271 RI:RA EDO OCA Region I Docket Room RHaynes
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- c JUL 19IM The Honorable Gordon J. Humphrey United States Senate Washington, D.C.
20510
Dear Senator Humphrey:
Thank you for your letter of June 21, 1982 addressed to Chairman Palladino regarding concerns about the Vemont Yankee facility in Vernon, Vermont.
One of your constituents had provided you with a magazine article that made several allegations related to the proximity of the Verment Yankee plant.
As a result of your request, we have looked into the thrust of the allega-tions raised in the article.
There are two concerns in our view:
First is the allegation that the Vermont Yankee facility is releasing substantial quantities of radioactive material; second is the allegation that there are noticeable and direct offsite effects attributable to Vermont Yankee.
Federal regulations,10 CFR 20, Appendix B, and 10 CFR 50, Appendix I, establish limits on the types and quantities of radioactive materials which may be released in effluents from nuclear power plants. 40 CFR 190 cstab-lishes linits on both the projected annual radiation dose equivalent and total quantity of radioactive material entering the environment from the uranium fuel cycle. The 10 CFR regulations and the operating license issued
~
by the NRC to the owner ano operator of the Vermont Yankee facility require operable in-plant effluent monitoring systems to measure ano record radio-dClivity in the radioactive materials waste treatment and disposal systems as well as implementation of an onsite and offsite radiological envirenmental monitoring program.
In-plant effluent monitoring systems must meet specific operability and calibration standards established by the NRC. An NRC resident inspector is stationed at the Vermont Yankee facility and he routinely inspects and verifies the proper operation of these systems.
Vermont Yankee's environmental monitoring program includes analyses of airborne and waterborne radioactivity and direct radiation exposures. The airborne radioactivity monitoring program includes samples of milk, vegeta-tion, food products and soil from several locations near the Vemont Yankee facility, including the Hinsdale, New Hampshire area. The waterborne radio-activity monitoring program includes samples of fish, aquatic vegetation, Connecticut River water and sediment, and ground water samples. Again, multiple samples are taken during the year at various locations in New Hampshire, Vermont and Hassachusetts.
Direct radiation exposures are measured by thennoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) which are placed by the licensee at twenty-one locations on and off the Vermont Yankee site. These devices provide a measurement of the total radiation exposure, including natural background exposure, at these locations.
OFFICE )
SURNAME)
DATE)
OFMCIAL RECORD COPY uso~um-mm NRC FORM 318 f f 0-0) NRCM O24o
f The Honorable Gordon J. Humphrey The results of analyses obtained from the environmental monitoring programs are evaluated and documented by the licensee. The licensee provides an annual Radiological Environmental Report and a Semi-Annual Effluent Release Report, as well as special reports, when required, to the NRC. These reports are placed in the NRC's Public Document Room and are also reviewed by NRC regional office inspection specialists.
In addition to the actions taken by the licensee, the NRC also conducts itt own measurements to independently assess the licensee's results.
The NRC program provides for review of the licensee's sampling programs and includes an independent measurements program whereby aliquots of effluent samples are analyzed by the licensee, by our Region I office, and by a national laboratory. The results are compared to confirm the validity of the licensee's analytical techniques.
In addition, the NRC places thermo-luminescent dosimeters at various locations near all nuclear power plants, including Vermont Yankee. The NRC first placed TLDs around the Vermont Yankee site in May 1980. There are 40 TLD locations around the site ranging from less than one to about nineteen miles away. To date, no exposures were measured which were above those which would be expected from natural back-ground radiation.
In response to your request, reports from the licensee have been re-examined.
A review of the licensee's Semi-Annual Effluent Release Reports for the period 1976 through 1981 indicates that the projected annual dose equivalent based on actual effluent and meteorological measurements did not exceed the environmental standards for the uranium fuel cycle (40 CFR 190). 40 CFR 190 specifies limits on both annual dose and total quantity of radioactive material entering the environment from the uranium fuel cycle.
Also, a review of the licensee's Annual Radiological Environmental Surveillance Reports for the period 1976 through 1981 indicates only a slight difference in the annual dose equivalent between environmental monitoring stations which might be affected by plant operations and background (control) stations not affected by plant operations.
In all cases, the difference in the annual dose equiva-lent was much less than the 40 CFR 190 limits.
Additionally, the dose rates measured by the NRC during operation of the NRC's TLD Direct Radiation Network, and the enount of radioactive material in effluents from the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station actually measured by the NRC, support the licensee's conclusion. We have, therefore, no reason to believe there.is any radio-logical impact on the environment from the operation of the Vemont Yankee facility.
The State of Vermont also monitors the environment around Vermont Yankee and provides a monthly report to our Region I office. These reports reflect findings that releases of radioactivity from Vemont Yankee are very small (much less than permitted) and that levels of radioactivity in the environ-ment (air, water, particulates and milk) are not much different than back-ground levels obtained prior to the operation of Vermont Yankee.
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F:RC FORM 318 (10-80) NRCM 024o OFFICIAL RECORD COPY uwog,,i-m y
O The Honorable Gordon J. Humphrey With regard to the problems at the Fostyck farm, we understand that the New Hampshire State Department of Health and Welfare conducted radiation surveys in the vicinity of the farm. We contacted Ms. Diane Tefft from the Bureau of Environmental Health who stated to us that they found no radiation levels above background. The Bureau routinely samples p farm contiguous to the Fostyck farm and has found no evidence of radiation above background.
If you have any further questions, Ms. Tefft will be happy to discuss them with you. She can be reached at 603-271-4588.
In addition, we contacted Dr. George Cilley, the New Hampshire State Veterinarian, who stated that he had visited the Fostyck farm in April 1981 after receiving a call regarding premature and deformed calves. He stated that his impression was that the farm was not experiencing any more problems than farms elsewhere in the state.
In his opinion, there was no evidence of particular problems related to Vemont Yankee. He can be reached at 603-271-2404 if you have further questions.
If, in the future, we identify any further information regarding the concerns discussed in your letter we will contact your office.
If I or my staff can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely, u
lSignes0T. A Rehm lilliam J. Dircks Executive Director for Operations Distribution:
W. Dircks T. Rehm V. Stello H. Denton l
R. DeYoung R. Minogue l
G. Cunningham l
L. Underwood l
R. Haynes R. Starostecki ED0 12043 SECY-82-0662 PDR l
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Docket No. 50-271 RI:RA EDO OCA Region I Docket Room RHaynes
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