ML20070R439

Notifies of Opposition to DOE Request for Crbr Site Preparation Before Environ Impact Hearing

ML20070R439
Person / Time
Site:	Clinch River
Issue date:	08/02/1982
From:	Mitchell G SENATE
To:	Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20069D029	List: ML20070R439 ML20070R445 ML20070R465 ML20070R468 ML20070R475 ML20070R544 ML20070R548 ML20070R557 ML20070R572 ML20070R577 ML20070R581 ML20070R593 ML20070R596 ML20070R599
References
FOIA-82-516 NUDOCS 8302030024
Download: ML20070R439 (2)

Text

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Iiear~Mr. Chairman:

I am writing in regarc' to the Department of Energy's Section 50.12 request to conduct site preparation activities for the' Clinch River Breeder Reactor ~(CRBR) project which the Commission is due to consider in the very near future. As a member of the Senate Nuc-l' ear Regulation Subcommititee, I am opposed to the DOE exemption request which would allow site preparation before hearings on the proj ect's environmental impact are complete.

The Clinch River Breeder Reactor was initiated with the clear intent that it would be utilized as a demonstration project to explore the commercialization potential of breeder reactors. Breeder reactor demonstration includes the reactor's ability to be fully licensed. Therefore, the original purpose of the CRBR proj ect would be overridden by any deviation from the established NRC licensing process. And it is abundantly clear to me that the DOE request rep-l resents a shortcut at the .very first. turn of the NRC licensing, pro-Cess.

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The intent of Congress on the matter of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor proj ect has been made clear. Although the Cong,ress has af-firmed a need to construct the CRBR in an expeditious manner, at no l time has the Congress ~ request.ed -special regulatory exemptions for the CRBR project. The 1981 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act Conference Report states:

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-x "The conferees intend that the plant should be constructed in a timely and expeditious manner, so that a decision on the. commercialization and deployment of breeder reactors can.be made on the basis of information obtained in the oper-ation of the" plant. . The~ plant should therefore be constructed 'on the basis of that objective, and not on the basis of providing needed power

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in the specific region of the Clinch River site."

The intent'of Congress i that the CRBR should proceed through the entire NRC licensing' process to. provide essential information

.on the potential commercialization of the breeder reactor. d

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If:.th~e Comission were to . approve the Department of: Energy. .- -

~~'d.] .. request,J an indisputable ~ prec~edent would be' ~ set for future licen-

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sing ac' tion on the~ ;CRBR project.

'J a shift ~in the Commission policy of granting such ' exemptions At this early stage in ' the project, .

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~O _ the integrity would of beJtantamount.to the' NRC licensinginviting processeven in thei greater future steps against -

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"~.cuts not _be granted for the CRBR proj ect.- an . exemption which could result in additional short-Finally,

~ Department of Energy's third exemptionest. requIFirst, am concerned by the p if the Commission's consideration of DOE's significant number ofI question requests is the most appropriate use of the Commission's time. This is an especially important question since there remain a number of unresolved safety issues before the NRC - - including steam-tube leaks and thermal shock, both serious safety problems which have been found at the Maine Yankee plant in Wiscasset, Maine.

Second, public confidence in the Commission and in the NRC licensing process will . greatly suffer if a demonstration plant like Clinch now than River ever, is exempted it from normal regulation requirements. More is critical that we take steps to bolster rather than lessen power technologies.public confidence in the process that regulates nuclear

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Thank you for your consideration of my views.

Sincerely, George J. Mitchell United States Senator <

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