ML20070H237

Urges Plants Not Be Restarted Until Workable Emergency Plan Implemented

ML20070H237
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	12/20/1982
From:	Fink S NEW YORK, NY
To:	Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
References
NUDOCS 8212230270
Download: ML20070H237 (2)

Text

T H E AS S E M B LY

= STATE O F N EW VO RK D M r,..m. . .>

ALBANY MA

~

STANLEY FINK

$PEAKER December 232 IS 21 All Ill

.;r a LEUC.E EChimG & SEh'lCE Dr. Nunzio Palladino ERANCH Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1717 H Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20555

~

Dear Commissioner Palladino:

I am writing _ to_ you .today__on behalf of the .Assernbly's Special Committee on

_ Nuclear Power Safety, which I chair, to urge that the Commissioa decline to allow re-start of the Indian Point #2 plant until an acceptable and workable emergency radiologic response plan is in place. As per existing NRC regulations, such a plan was supposed to be in place for all operating reactors by July 1981, as a condition for continued operation.

This week the NRC is scheduled to review the status of emergency planning at the Indian Point site in Buchanan, New York, the most densely settled area near a nuclear power plant in the United States. In light of recent history on this issue, your decision will be pivitol in determining whether the NRC is to be taken seriously when it comes to emergency planning.

Federal regulations have established a process whereby FEMA must evaluate and the NRC must " concur" in State-certified plans. Plans must not only achieve State-established minimum standards, but must also meet Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) guidelines for workability and preparedness. Due to continuing inadequacies in the Indian Point plans as determined by the NRC and FEMA, the NRC has twice now imposed 120-day warning clocks to assure that plans will properly reflect real-life assumptions. These delays were to allow the utilities and affected local governments sufficient time to remedy inadequacies in the plans that were identified.

The fint 120-day clock was impused, among other reasons, because New York could not demonstrate that the functions could be peformed according to a plan which would be adequately funded. M response to this warning, the Legislature passed  ;

Chapter 708 of the Laws of 1981 which established funding for emergency preparedness.

In March 1982, a test of the plan was held. Deficiencie were again evident and, because the State was unable to correct them as the NRC desired, a second 120-day clock was started in August of this year. That clock has now expired and new amendments to the plans have been submitted. FEMA has once again found major deficiencies in the plans. Two of the five major planning criteria were found to be deficient. They are: i transportat.on routes in Westchester County and compensatory actions for the withdrawal of Rockland County from the plan.

Furthermore .in the absence of an additional test of the plan, FEMA has said it cannot attest to the quality of preparedness in the communities surrounding Indian Point.

In fact, Rockland County has said explicitly that preparedness is nonexistent there, and Westchester County as expressed its continuing reservations about various aspects of the plan.

8212230270 821220 PDR ADOCK 05000247 O PDR

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