ML20077J084

Limited Appearance Statement of Eg Fontheim.Urges Renewal of License R-71.Danger of Unanticipated Surge of Power Impossible

ML20077J084
Person / Time
Site:	05000142
Issue date:	08/09/1983
From:	Fontheim E AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:	Frye J
References
NUDOCS 8308120234
Download: ML20077J084 (1)

Text

{{#Wiki_filter:f.. . 1 I 1 Ern30t.G, Fonthoim d[k 1621 Hillridge Boulevard  ! Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103  ! g j. 7 9 August 1983 0FFi:E OF , Judge John Frye 0006& TING !

                                                                         $3 Atomic Safety and Licensing ESWfd Nuclear Regulatory Commission                        $CMgg gBGTI Washington, D.C. 20555 Re: Docket No. NRC 50-142-OL (UCLA Research Reactor)

Defr Judge Fryet I ask that the following statement be included in the record as a limited appearance. According to an article in The New York Times (7/30/1983) the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board of the Nuclear. Regulatory Commission is calling into question the safety of the UCLA training reactor. I was surprised to read in that article, however, that the arguments presented by the opponents are entirely frivolous. If, for example, the city of Los Angeles cannot guarantee security of legitimate activities during the Olympic Games, it is irresponsible to forbid such activities. In that case either Olympic security ought to be beefed up or the Games should be cancelled. There is of course no ab-solute guarantee of security against terrorist attacks. But the worst one can do is to capitulate to terrorists by dis-continuing an activity because it represents a potential target for them. Rather than eliminating terrorism, that only encourages them to threaten even more horrible actions. Also, the danger of an unanticipated surge of power is a fiction of the imagination. Reactors are built such that surges of power cannot occur. In conclusion I want to say that as a scientist I am worried that such frivolous and poorly founded attacks could call into question the safety of a facility. This could easily have the effect of diccouraging vital research elsewhere. This country is already falling behind other countries in many areas of research. The government should at least create an atmosphere that encourages research rather than throttles it. I urge you strongly to renew the license of the UCLA'-research reactor.. Sincerely,

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I 8308120234 830009 PDR ADOCK 05000142 PDR T '

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