ML20076B251
| ML20076B251 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 10/29/1979 |
| From: | Berryhill F COALITION FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT POSTPONEMENT |
| To: | NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20076B249 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7912040008 | |
| Download: ML20076B251 (2) | |
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2610 Grendon Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808 Telephone (302) 994-1342 October 29th, 1979 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.20333 Gentlemen:
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In a letter dated December 5th,1978 to Dr. James R.Schlesinger, Dr. Joseph M.Hendrie writes as follows:
Helationship Between Nuclear Waste Disposal and Reactor Licensing.
The CommAssion nas addressed this isuue in two instances:
( 1) in denying a Natural Resources Defense Council petition, PuM 30-10, wnicn requested a safety determination on waste disposal before issuance of new reactor licenses; and (2) in revising table S-J of 10 CFR Part 51. Tne Commission's decision that NRC is not legally required to liupose a moratorium on nuclear power plant licensing pending a determination that permanent disposal of high level waste can be safely accomp-lished was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in NRDG vs. NRC 382 F(2d Cir.1978). The Court found that Congress did not intend to link concinued reactor licensing to a diffnitive finding that spent fuel and other
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high level wastes could be safely aisposed of for tne long cerm. Thus, a relationship between waste disposal and reactor s-licensing is not legally imposed by cne Atomic Energy Act.
However, in denying the NRDC petition for rulemaKing in PRM 18, the Commission said " Tne Commission would not continue to license reactors if it did not have reasonable confidence tnat the wastes can and will in due course be discosed of safely. Thus. the Commission has itself linked continued reactor licensine and waste discosal. The Commission is committed to reassessing its basis for conridence as new data are de-velooed and Drogress is made in the Federal urogram. Tne Commission will keep Congress and the Presiaent informea or any changes tnat significantly effect its confidence that wastes can be disposed of safely.
Tae IRG has produced nothing that would suggest a solution to the waste problem. If cnis Commission nas data not available to the public to invoke confidence I woula rind ic highly irregular and would like to know about it. 04 o O OF
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If no such hiuten daca is availaole wny cnen must intervenors now go through the lenghty, tedious and costly process in Docket 50-289, Re-start of TM1 1 ? Wny must the owners of o through tne lenghty, tedious and costly process of Salem s compliance with NUREG-0578 " Lessons learned" to ready the Salem-2 reactor for start-up since une Commission "would not continue to license reactors if it did not nave reasonaole confidence that the waste can and will in due course be disposed of safely"
't it is cime that the Commission take a good look at the cost benefit. Ic is sc111 my contention that until NUREG 0511 disposal of Mill Tailings is resolved each reactor in the future is licensed in violation of NEPA. No cost benefit analysis includes NURG 0511.
Overnight Hearinzs before the Succommittee on Energy and the En-vironment of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs s
on January 25 and 26, 1979 reveal the following exchange between nep. James Weaver (D Oregon) and Dr. John Deutsen, Dud:
Mr. Weaver: Would you estimate for us the amount of money you expect une Federal Government to pay for waste dis-posal? It has doubled in the last year from rougnly 4450 to $900 million. How much in the next 10 years are ue going co spend on waste disposal, or the next 5?
Dr. Deutsen: Many,many billions of dollars.
Mr. Weaver: Billions of Dollars?
i Dr. Deutsch: Many, many billions of dollars.
Mr. Weaver:
l' ens of billions?
Dr. Deutsch: Yes, sir, Mr. Weaver: Tens of billions of dollars on this issue ?
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Dr. Deutsch: Yes, sir.
It is cime tnat this Conmission stop dragging american citizens through the grueling processes of intervention, without funding and mostly witnout success ana it is time that this Commission stop the licensing of any more nuclear power plants.
Sincerely y liAw O' QV(u.L Frieda Berryhill Chairman cc: Chairman Hendrie Cormissioner Bradford Ahearne G111 sky l
Kennedy AoLB Docket 50-289 Re-start or TMI 1
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