ML20067D118
| ML20067D118 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Fort Saint Vrain  |
| Issue date: | 08/23/1968 |
| From: | Fraley R US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| To: | Howard H AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20067C396 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-90-173 NUDOCS 9102120334 | |
| Download: ML20067D118 (1) | |
Text
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s August 23,1M8 i
Mr. Herher t A. Hward Tulip Tr ee House, Apt.1114 Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana 47401 i
Dear Hr. Hward Dr. Tabel has asked that I reply to your inquiry of July 31,1%8.
i The phrase " undue risk" has its origin in 10 Crt Part 50 of the Atomic Energy Cossat ssion's regulations, particularly section 50.53 vhich sets forth certain issues upon which the Commission punt make findings before a provisional construction permit for a production or utilisation facility may be issued. Although there is no formal definition of the phrase " undue risk" in the Commission's regula-tions, a recent memorandum prepared by the resvistory staf f of the i
Connission, er, the request of an atoanic safety and licensing board, i
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in a proceeding involving the applicatten of the Public Service l'
Company of Colorado for a previsional construction permit to con-struct the Fort St. Vrain puetear Generating Station provides guid-l ance as to its meaning. A copy of this memorandum is enclosed.
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Sincerely yours, ORIGINAL SIG!D BY R. 7. rPEEY
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R.synond F. Fraley Executive Secretary i
Enclosure As stated.
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9102120334 901229-PDR FOIA DEKOK90-173 PDR i
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AEC RIGUI.NtoRY STAFF'S RESPONSE TO D05RD'S QUESTION CONCEP. nit;G hEANING OF "Q'DUE_ RIS""
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' During this proceeding the Boe'rd, asked for coments (rc:a
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the partico concerning the meaning ot the phrase "uadue risk". T1.,
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. phrase appeare in,lasuo nuu.ber 1.(d) prescribed by the Coy. mission in
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its notico of hearins for consideration in this proceeding.
Issue' o
l "whether..'. there is reasonable l
number 1.(d) reads as follows:
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.. assurance that... (ii) taking into consideretion ~the tito criteria t
- contained in Part 100, the preposed ' facility can be const3ucted and operated at the propocod locotion without undue risk to the health.
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and infety of the public."
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The or.tgin of phrase in questien is Part 50 of the Comission's
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.p;s.;'.,, regulaitions, particularly Section 50.35, which list s the issues -
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', upon which the Comission must make a finding in ' order td issue a y
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_ [ provisional construction permit. A propor definition of undue i
riskinthecontextin.vhichitisusedrequiris'anunderstanding i
of the phrase " reasonable accurance". The Comission in its finsi
,c decision in the TRDC case' adopted the definition of."rcasonable s
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'a-assurance" set forth in Creat Atlantic _6 pacif te 'fca Co. v. Hughes,.;....,
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,g 53 chio App. 255, 4 N.E. 2d 700 (1935).
In that case,'the court t
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1 said " reasonable assurance means reasonable probability, established
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under the particular circumstances of the case in good faith sad in i
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I the excretse of sound discretion and expert, judgment."
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'4 While the phra'co "u'ndue risk" as used in the regulations has
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not been defined by the Commission, there are guidepoots to its I
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meaning in various Cor.niccion decisions and actions.
It is cicar that the phrace does not mean the aboente of all
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rirk -- absolute safety.. ibis is implicit in the words themselves'- '..'.
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'Vithout undue r'isk" rather than simply 'Vithout fisk". Safety _in
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everyday life does not, mean absolute freedoin from injury o,r, risk.
. -As the docaission stated I_n the Matter of Department of Water _and /.
') AEC 179,185 (1967):%f
. Power of _the Cf tyJf Los Anneles, a
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concern that the Board, in reaching its deter-
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mination,. has converted our standard of " reason. -
able' assurance" of no " undue risk" into one of absurance of absolute safety _. 4.
[B]oth our statute and implementing regulations show that, such an absolute; guarantee van never contemplated
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and that "the. concept of reasonable assurances of safety must be sensibly, though severbly applied..
11n the Matter of Power Reactor Development Company,1 AEC 65, 73;. sce also' 1.AEC '128,147.)."
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The benefits 'of the peaceful uscs of nycicar enerny, and in.
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particular the benefits of the generation o'f e'1cetric power by
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l the use of nuelcar energy, have been recognized by the Congress j
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f the Atomic Enn gy Act'
, bf the United States in the enactment o Tho Act, authorized the une of nuclear c'nergy'by piivate of 1954.
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i individuals unde'r such safety criteria nd standards as tLo AEC deems necescary t'o protect the health and safety of the'public.
. Pursuant to the Act, the AEC h'as issued regulations under 4
which nucicar power plants may bo operated..In Part 20 of ite
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.reguictiono, the Commission has cotablished standards for protection 1
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ageinst radiecion hazards dutieg nu,.a1 operati ;s;of the reactor
. In Part 100, facilities licensed by the commirsion under Part 50.
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the Cocaission hao cotablished general guides (" reference values"V
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to be used in the evaluation of reactor. ites with respect '
n potentialreactoraccidentsofexceedingiylowprobabiiity91 5
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In effect occurrence and low riok of public exposure to radiation..
'the Coeniosion, under its broad grant of authority from Congress 3~
to govern the safe use of nucicar energy,'has thereby set the 8
standards for the calculation and the acceptab.le limits' of risk... * "-
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under which nucica'ri.ower. plants may be operated. In so doing',
it has, in effect, defined unduo riskto public health *and safety.
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In Section 100.11, a method of' determi,ning the exclucion area, low population tone, and population benter distance fros c. nuclear
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. \\.t is described based,up'on an assumed fission product ' '
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.rcicase resulting frocnia tr.jor accidet.% vhich vould cause potent a
. hazards not exceeded by those from any accident considered credibic.
Under this regulation a co-called. " maximum credibic accident" for.a
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particular facility can be " identified". Th'e guides of'Part.100 i
l have been incorporated into Part 50. in Section 50.D5(a) n that pary.,.
l of the regulations which t' ate "taking inito considerat, ion the site
. criteria contained in Part 100, the proposed facili.y can be con-v structed and operated at 'the propcsed location without undue risk l
' to the health and safety of the pubt.ic.".This, oE course, is also the language of issue number 1.(d; in tt u, ; toceeding.
M In the judgment of the.AEC regulatory staf f, tne evidence which.
has been presented in this proceeding' clearly supporte an affirmative j
. conclusion with respect to this iso.uc.
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l Roopectfully submitted, f.
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"i lated at Bethe'oda, Maryland, this 15th day of August' 1968.
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