ML20080M414

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ML20080M414
Person / Time
Site:	Neely Research Reactor
Issue date:	02/22/1995
From:	Carroll G GEORGIANS AGAINST NUCLEAR ENERGY
To:	Neely Research Reactor, ATLANTA, GA, NRC OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL (OGC)
References
CON-#195-16401 95-704-01-REN, 95-704-1-REN, REN, NUDOCS 9503030205
Download: ML20080M414 (8)

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DOCKETED UNITED STATES OF AMERICA USNRL NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

% FEB 27 All 52 ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD Before Administrative Judges:

OFFlcE OFf itE iy*[,1 i

00CKElik >

BR Atil?

Charles Bechhoefer, Chairman Dr. Jerry R. Kline Dr. Peter S. Lam Docket ~No. 50-160-Ren In the Matter of ASLBP No. 95-704-01-Ren GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH REACTOR Atlanta, Georgia l

Facility License No. R-97 i

TO ALL PARTIES:

i i

We want to make these recent newspaper articles available to you for your interest and your files.

[

Sincerely, t

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lenn Carroll Representative for GANE Dated and signed February 22, 1995 in Decatur, Georgia i

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high } The pattern is consis-l tent with Atlanto's prevail-1 njhh pnwd8 i tir ughts Hut gnvt tium tin chttenne new sta.

i"9 wind potterns, if the d

tieunt indth nunted veruns aidTraw knq i tamluth plannal a mpn Uhm p..nuw to ro icoCtivity were otkr an ntrestinun impi.n of rounnpl indeed coming Irom I

1 piule h our i Ntors h aik a mt the w Hkktws td the reactor ttMir o mile wuhle tjiMrler% til tiiC the of de e egna lo h 6amptes at the ineinad stiwts

{ (nd tir tlassh ah.pn,d ttr A.iministr, neon

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sure of abrbed j Ikukhng with ih nd1xun "l K 11" Mvwen

,d dose equivo-1 ilins ta nt d is unhkeh tidll esm n ene tir y

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3 irig nbiw ot rads hutte tivrwnts isito Atkinta's PM CdM*ltuke awr llisowumis wine '

l tuttend. l*Nera wwer system - are gairung

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J inw urgtexy as the Nniv N' ta. lear knarth in lir2 a huge qtuntd> of adultW1. pt >

] Centiv awaits pivvinvaviinun tir Nudear ductd tw tir%varvuh Rner Nuck ar Plant. was l&gulnory (ommiwon (NRC) to amtuitr impwted to dr de Dr makmal hailun j

operatnww for arm wher 31 yeari.

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"'"*'"d d'd n'dd in de 1=4 nW a tbn ky nwtor h.n Lt *innah tv pc M nw" - thn shrkhd diando gnppd widi hor foiW. Int i

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$ dispte a deudaily spitty sihty nuwJ iniltal mJ liW wndom aid medunn_al "hainic lY M,,g' uig a singk wwpstam as nuwo as Lnt scar dat we A h M a.

kmn My b s nth I dmv NRC vadatuwe arxt an NRCman, tne mah ruis may tr f dahd diutdown folkwing a PE' reatw a n-

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. Tech reactor is 50 millirems per year I hkt4s to be grardtd 11r NRC lus ruvn tunuq ch arsi nwng dr b0 NOWS O l The area seems to be absorbing 60 80 j tur diwn h4um mbabwuud de walns h.we

. percent of the maximum allowable dose y _umui-ntm e m,._m,,,

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t u 4l 4 }r aa im n bWNW, MF4! N b N g

and for a gi p iwn vidustry.ud hderal govemnent. starry

- 0e nxwt mwh awe nuunmm alkiwat&emptwun to, lopes when the reoclor is operating gid mth vnawe of *pswer too drap to nrtep al dna*v tiileu mmd at whdtW4w a ratutum mwhy s mye tusily prtmding nut k ar nungv as tir du4nWy sn-nimmsndwoh=x mne pvpad

. Says Jim Hardemon of Go. EPD, "While a

! wanud de tutun. Re.miivs st&h as(,TRR wen.

"' aually e4*apsulai.d oviv two arid a s or u walion annw.<d wasie were it is feosible that discharges from the I

uwtu!inirklustnalaraf mihtars rewanit and U ""U"'n mnMaM hw Mmdunsw nmwn! lo& wing 6 d a dit arul an

, stod M dW b dngs,

! inh aunttd dwil h stunate kihave such a pet arst NA%" nsa!!s a kinrut statt nu,nbt, who, unkru wn qtuntity of a dultWhsapd into tir. rodon gas and other notural phenome-

! tigwnn tauhty wint on as camim W nuny mhmewni hw dio *wy nyastal wwn sviann On m pm ahn de hi4 ail av iruw i.nwawan nwtw was anmd dwe hn nant nd hd %wntannt-a adad, anidin nushap aHomd an n.twhd l non are also factors This is not enough i

too sm.dl h w dr amhtans pn wtts lah offinals af dr Imng lask nut <4 tir piar 2.Mgalkwind u afet mntaminand

. data to condude onythin9 or certoin' f

nww=xd, assi dry unustulh p titpund dr h tinik wm umunguni Even so, the pattern must certainly Ahuns firrgs Genmsvain - Or pnikuwir

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urging by asetal intenuthm! organizatmos fa Iblups nxst unhh ly in theTedi nytest h a mgames amems M es a e,wm page 27 titrNRC b upfate thsat) rtatathm tbt, wls the timea ems todeuctuois-fdyam g

by namng aH tietune,amindinsexwamulw Ollrun also ridicuks the emergny pbn out-skn the natr, tlw e,tinuted m.t will tv appnxi-Olympic mpmium g

"M had a paraDMtuatum in IMn %,,,

linal in the(kxununt. In a lethy to the NRC, she mately $10 milkn saysSmit Mall, of ACOG's Public Affairs offxv. 5 a lands of raixwtivity bkwing mw that area.

wiits "'Ihe wy annurd eWMD h-

"At tlw appnprute time, wlxn tk Gawgia g

Ani nnendu,em standants were calaiWni Qwa 6 foot tall,IMpund man at nornulitspira-in the madiine shy, whidT is on the guni institute of Tafnukigy no kopy tksins e opt.

" Rey had a kiw-levd rextor at UCIA, and g

i tun - not for a 5-fmt tall pregrunt wonun wh ikur If theanuisfkuling.orpiiogawna ate the GIKR, a mpst ftwappnpriatan b the dx7 wumiit kw the Olympn, g

@*"" 0** DW sdMht'sdeaddh mmcyam-state legislatum wul be made to awr dununis_

On fat dw m n>xtw's ftx1 was e

mand antet iksks, win enT lxuni of putting siming awt.,

amomip&w bdwpmus,and anaeth y an mxvpny anta inside the nwtur imikhng?

Ormust waxkyhtw wdlsixha aquest catks weeplaad at aam pants bpunt Ongugemed theGIRRlunenoewal ht's rilicukms-woukile nwival by the tight-fisted against temwist adiviy Aprurendy, m axh larm, whkh wouki allow the rmctor to (perate in th ir intmentim'iupst;whkh is to ir the Apprtpriatkm Gmmittm takt d e Gok! u me pbns amm tap kw deM nwtw) for amdlxv 20 ymr5 a antaxv nuds, in whole-sulvd of an NRC ! waring in january,GANE mu-

-anxi what Tah woukidoif the mpst wtw Ibt exteiveamnty maastmsamlo.ng "Nordty probkms bvehsn anuntertd" meraks a number ddvstkns to dw nast's re-diutd planiwd,says mar "A vandy dumny nw+ =

l Tbexaiptisbut onedsewralwhihhave licmsing, hginning with m ums ah ut its stahl-

}{~St drawn the ann of reador oppunts, win punt ity The ptitum ex,ts tbt tlw imctor rtsts " atty As dw Olympics apidi,a nu)wmixrm y g,g W-db Jm'mW u willh h

ti b tite violatmus, fineand shukkwn as evikur Waht u Cnek firnutx u, a sialby, s im us ami of nuny involvtd with the trachw - nuck ar hwa stementa x1saunty hwxsirwolved, that pknty d saftty pnbksns bve inn maud mutkly nudiumgraintd" type of rock w hith mesas weumunchsuppwwd MWMpwMhh p tend tends to break aam oNxpe pbins The grtup at snic tsugy - is that the reactor arxl irradia-ulatku can be assund Out we will tw nTy "Dr. Karam's relimsing apphcatum arms to ak points b tir p u,ibihty of sinkhiks; nimi, tko nutenals will offer a kmpting targd to ter-bvebm wntimin theIxpe that nomewill kmur empkiyas daim dut, in the mil 44, a nwists. While a duiivlink fine suntunds tlw Ik t evm if kral authoritus disctuTt the pts-actually smd it,"auffs a GANE mtmlet I hs deep sinMule adually kunsd right next b the awnpund, saurity is amarkably thin, and lus sibility of sonxuw k&ing a nxwtar shdl desisam ts edxel by kogtime actnist Pamela antainmmt buikling,and was so Lug tlut a hsn sirwr the facility was built, say kogtinw gnn$gh the readortuiklin O~Brdm, who has pud mw the ikxummt with wtwhy fdl into it. Karam (knks any krxwkdge employas in a&htion, tlw mactor's antain-th" nuf or tussing a a firetmthd awnb, and takts gnut gke in point-of suchan esent.

leowr the waU of Ox adult put,cntks nxut structure is, at its top, just sh indrs of m*

always rttum to tlw ptsitun that the site shtuki-ingoutits fathngs "Ihe sinkhole I bxw rxthing at ut " he says ade,wi6 a fweeigNbinh dated ni "N[h[mkl hhM "Ku wanta ik3"she asks"bukon page fumly As to the buikhng's stability "E kukal at

.g g g,,;n.e in nuclear mergy 1(UNT-t til f allofit'andlieikuw 100 'An mvironmmtal monitoring program has tbt, anti intkul, whm it was lult, the ftunia" cmt," says a fomwr tsnpkiyee *'Ibt tlwy tuve a with it, ys)w a wdirr kwmer staffet"If)na bsn carrialm with themperationd the tkn is tuilt m aumbkd rock, but bekw the kuv twnxudus arnount of radio,xtinty at dut uni-wankd to rimit to buikt that mxter RaimkgicalIkulthSathndticGsugia dathm is a [ancntel cup that p e dwn to sdki versity, aal I just fed hke it isn't wtuth kaping nsile theo i uts of Atlanta totlay,it'd newr Dpartnxnt of Public ! kulth since nochw start-axi,and thecupislusically thediameterof tfw that time dunng tlw Olympis. lt's just te u dan-umgfer o.shekunsu _ a e minmmthoue ahutmeedbmde y_,m,,,, m a p,mbny my hyan it shtukin't haw hrn put them to start p's no such thing' I ve trkd to fal'em-Ihre

-and abmt 11 fat abwn Somnutt r wlut serkus situath n, What dtstudw me is Out it is tby don't eusti There's a program to monitor happns m tl e outside, that cup wdl hsp de right il cre in the mkkile of the Olympic Vdlage, "M eink Gmigia Tah WMJ pnivik=

staksnent, they dkin't have 'em luck dut" ratkn gas,and me tlut liansas X-ray nuthins, stnxturein plxt and it's kkul for aime nut to samtage the Urutai leadership by cktsir the Naly Reactor,and but this Radiokigical I lealth sath n lusn't hm The interymtxin a pst alw notts tnt od er States ami embarrass us" anmrtd sinceJimmy Carkr wasgtwemot atis whih bve dischargsd high amtunts of Whik> dr weaponsegrade uranium wtuki tw focus on the anu d uck>ar waste naunh an1 Calls to state health authoritus anfinn her radimctive water into tfwir amT systmts, stuh verytiiffnulttonukt off wini,it-likedu'

[& [3 hrn 4

k ar facilities,"

s "Asdxu re,xt age statentmt.

as Albuquenpe, NM,have f.ud amnume udult - wouM h dwidally dangenxts il the Site also piints to the sistxo skuling with ckunup m.ts As to tlwmlult40 sugyly, GANI..

nxb en h>yM.nl de mak rbh wen-

'"ki )'dFlirw&i@uM Irlidewk > wa} s b

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. ts penthi hmith effats of an accident at the site; mxmxd tlut a bnudiin the h>Lhng pui d A'd d h

titz reliation dosage toleranws, kutnotal at the wouki erpre emerpncy pm wx4 to rad ation dN[can't d is the at spl kmuch bou writy, baause it's dx-tt cbpter's axi, wtw gkwxd fitun the Natxwul levels of 4m milixo n untpns ps hour - to put dassifut,",ys Karam "lbt we do tuve an Buwau of Standants I landiuok - pubhshtd in tfut in psspttive, the tk sage kvel after the WN dihere-dx hdtunin -is mwrpwy plan in place,that has hm NRC

""""1'"'["""* ard WucatA*4 dw P"Iw Manh of 1952. (Ilowever, the standants have Thne Mile Island disaster was Mf10 rumtans g-nmainal the same sne 1959, depite npcatal per hut dfkial with de Atlanta Gaumitke for

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AWt ntaliate apinst alSgers Yet stilliothing years It was mly last year iby imi a huge for instarre-m it will go on thmugh mmdia-27 u

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was die."

sinklmle m tb ranu trunk-lhu over m 14th muus treatrunts plants bfore going to tb river.

i GTRR pail the fuie and was authorval to Sin t that suthd down two pspk.That's just a As to the adult, well,4micmn adult partides o

it tart the reactor.

aiuple of140cks frtun die rtuctor."

am,in radiokigical timis, huge. It's anakipius to E i

ertd in a lurxh bag in the staff refrigerahm safety devicts deactivated, pbin tap-water suldtituted That sanw year, I kulth Ihysics Dinttir ikb The rtport docununts theichw d brge droppingahwlingtulloutof anairpbne-it's 5 for sampks of cmtaminated waste water - as Ikiyd was massignal out cf the facihty 1he cur-amounts d tntium, and smaller anyonts of perfatly hannksa unkss it hits anthing,"

h well as unsubstantiatal uports that reactor oper-nut HP dirtttor,10xinty kr, says he has a colult40 and -58, stantiunv90 and -89, asium-But the water isn't the only radiaxtive efflu-Q alors hni tain kruwn to slap at the amtnd an "piod working niatkoship" with Karam. Ile 131anxi-137,ami manpntv51.

mt issuing fnun the nsoanh cmter. Argon-ll sole while the mactor was ui operatnut confirms that the atup whxh has his dtpart-The figuns sune d whih son catnux4y and tritium are upbrly wnt d Inun the nue-In osu particubr case, imctor operator ment untler the anta d of the dirtdor is unusual, high, am nonctirkss within the limits of faleral kr's 76 kx4 stack wlxn it is in operation; the Downs pbyfully tappd the gbss of the hot cdl but says "the NRC fods dut, becatm of the past n);ubtions kr wastewattr pas are ntainal, mixtd with outside air, and E

with a namkey wasuh, chippu g it slightly.

instancts htwwn maiiagement and safdy staff, "If this was drinking water, tlxfd te in big thm punnd out - apirt wnile the levels are,

.e There were also npxts by an NRC udptkr this setupis appropriate."

tamble ~ sap a memixt of Gargians Aphwt in tluntselvtw my brge, the air diluthm is CE that, duruig a folkw-up inspectum, Karam usi" As b q pes &ms d d&ility'sd4y Nuckur Erugy (GANE), the mvinununtal dtuned within regulatorylimits cated to the inspector that he was awam of the gyg i3 cgg;g,,Our radi.dkn expsuns gump whkh has fikd an intnventim apirwt "Ihae am strict regubtkos in place to skp 5E allegatbns,wavaia cmfidentialNRC are dw kwest they'w ban in years " he says Tech's liutse nuewal app!katkn "13ut the Ihis de vmtilatkn systern compkiely if thtw is any Alky,atkm lkport in her face, and said,"I know "In fact, most of them are from othy facilitis area kit kxwrm this -evm (Nugh it emitual-radimctivity in the air" says Karant I le says all about that." When she demanded to know hwon campus" ly pu inu dw river, and Imn,n somtbody's there is m din <t rmuitonng of what nuncs out how b acquind intemal NRC docummts"."

Even so, of the six viobtims cital sirve '88, drinkingwakt" ofthestack.

Karam nid,"You know I can't tell you that thrw tuurnd in 19910nc d thew was due to Dr. Karam, the autn's dinth s, acknowl-

"It's nxustmd bekwe it pxs in," he says in Nawember 1988, the worsaung scourn.

dw fM d4 whm 0e rmctor was otwratingat edps dut tritium is mgubrly pumpd out,but "Why do you runi to mmsum what mnws out?

i fuully dnw sanctions-GTRR was fined $5,fXD, kh 1 mepwatt dp>wn m radiation dtsdauns any aspnsibility kr - or knowlalge Als; what ams out in measund by the little ard a blistering aport lantkd on the mactor monitoring was(unducted. Antther involvtd a of-theotherdenxuts dettttors in pbce all anmnd the facility."

director's desk. Altixxigh the sum nught sesm practice of dismgarding ntjuind weekly radia-A fomwr empkiyse, who larply dismisas Nummius "httle dia1 ors"- snull hadps paltry, an NRC dfual says that, by itminh reac-tion sampling if a holitay happened to falhn a the hazan!s pml by die waskwater releaxw knrwnasThemx>Luminexult Dushndersar torstarmiards,it wasquitehigit h by nard ekss admits dut jurticks d adultM TUh - are placat at various kicatims artxal "Reseanh mactors don't have much money 4

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occasiomily tunxd up in wastewater sampks the Tah campus; nxwt Irkmg to Tah, but the to thnw around." saki the official. "Usually, the "M might have ideaxd a few little insiluble state tus 14 nunitors in plax,as wdL An aruly-fotrs am in the $5m range."The NRC aput Operatinuamisafdy practus amoman-cobalt sptks into the s.mit.uy xwn_. The watty sis of d.e EPD nudings fnun the past 10 ymrs ruAal dat the violatxnts were of a averity kwl am of the(min'scntics.Odumms inmhv was suppd b be filtend as it wmt to the sani-itvoals trut, while nuwt d the tudps nuwe n+

tlut wnki nornully have drawn a $2,500 fuw, the nyular mkuse d raduuctive sulwtarus inb tary awn dildithat nuwtof thetinw,but ativdy light skus of radiatim, a " plume" of tait tlut tb "pmalty was doubkd lwause d dwasand awersy*ntih-c micaxs have thtw wue times tlut we didn't do it We dit a much higher kwels is fonntd b de soudwe.t of year pm perfornunxin adluuxe to pnum kig hui a kical point dmvm nmmtalistsanw

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duns ard radiokyical amtmls, and heause of of the must vocal is veteran activist Pamela g.

[G1RR's] failure to take pnznpt nrndive 70 wh gsine lheGANE nunh5 takes a larger view of dznimntly northwtsterly wind pattans adi'"

'Y sudi dumping, n ding tlut Tah is but me of Amwding to figuns prtwikd by EID, die 1b ratice also stated,"Ihe hwoluntary dis.

Noting that holding tanks ngularly mkuse dhnWdWm m

missalof twvhoukhphpksnnpkiyus_was radimctive water, she &p mio one ha nussive W h %he e'h g

viewat by tie health physks staff as wtahatin kr stacks of dictumits and pulls mt a hamiful d "Thtw rekuxs might mth be wellwithin 40 millututs higher than the nmaining nine (me discussion d safdy axums with the NRC. ~

paps NRC limits," he says "13ut liuisas-lxwpitals, 1LD is m the nuctor buikling and, as expxttd.

An official familiar with the NRC pitmd-

,,tmk at this!"she says "Ihwam fun de universitits, indnstrks - are kokal at in a vacu-reads very high).1his mmns tiuse deta1tus am ing sys tlut the firing were ntA only dintily in Caugia EPD[Environnxntal Pmtatum unt evahutal t y drir indivihul aw U the mxiing m to 80 penuit of the matimum ymrly nialiation for the employas' aoperatko with Divtsaw1] Envinnnxutal Radiatim luput (nun awnmunity No system imks at a limur within dwalk)wal within NRC rtgubthm inspectors, but that tir entire anta aunal to IW9 and'Elh do't publish dun any nxwe "mtsider itself to be alvvc the ruks.The NRC

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Tuesday.Jan. 31,1995 g

iNDa t

Legislature '95 B) h e

Law & Order BA h Atlanta %urnal Otxtuaries 86 h Atlanta Constitution i

~

ES Legal notices Bf I

l Tech reactor a security cif check for '9 i Games plan: Federal regulatork :

want to make sure terronsts d t

{ target the nuclear facility.

Mi,E.

f l

By Charles Seabrook J.

'f stare wnTtn

' Die Nuclear Regulatory Commission is"mu!)

ing over security steps it must take next year t) make sure that Georgia Tech's nuclear reactor does not become a tool of terrorists during the 1996 Olympics, an agency spokesman tali Monday.

??

"A decision will have to be made" about tha operation of the reactor during the Games, sai!

Ken Clark of the NRC's regional office in Atlanto.

The reactor holds less than 11 pounds of hi -

ly radioactive enriched uranium in its core. N does not reveal the exact amount for security reasons.

.i An Atomic Safety and Ucensing Board pan will hold a *prehearing conference" beginni today in connection with the renewal of the'30-year-old reactor's license for an additional years.

A citizens' group, Georgians Against Nucleir Energy, requested the hearing, contending thtt the reactor is

• generally unsafe" and expresakg concern that it may be tainting Atlanta's sewer system.

I GANE also says there is inadequate securitiy at the reactor, and it could become a temptirp target for terrorists during the Olympics.

"The presence of fissionable and highly r0-dioactive fission byproducts at the reactor mane it... a target for a World Trade Center-tyre bombing, which would not only irdure residena d

and visitors to Atlanta, but create an internation-n al diplomatic disaster for the United States," saJd the organization in a, document submitted 'o o

NRC.

Clark said questions about the reactor's sec+

7 rity during the Olympics also have been raiscd independently within the NRC.

e He said security steps could include shuttirg i

down the reactor during the Olympics or temp+

ei' rarily removing its uranium fuel source.

b i

in the heart of campus Sitting in the heart of the Tech campus, the i-a million-watt reactor is the second most powerfd university-based reactor in the nation. It has W

been used over the years for teaching and re

'o search and testing materials for strength and,e i-1 durance.

h The NRC in 1988 ordered the ;eactor'shst down because of procedural flaws and the acci-e dental contamination of a worker. The agency 21 later allowed Georgia Tech to restart the reactcr, and said there was never a danger to the publh.

er Tech officials acknowledge that the reactor I

has been underuswi in recent years. Reactor'of1-cials say decornmissioning it permanently wou.d

, cost about $10 million.

e

D'4 Thursday, February 2,1995....

Tech students divided over reactor on campus Opponents say plant is unsafe, unnecessary By. Charles Seabrook Members of the anti nuclear i

STAFF WRITER group Georgians Against Nucle-ar Energy (GANE) said they

.. Georgia Tech student split have solid data showing that the o'versupportof theircampus'nu ' 30-year-old reactor, used for clear reactor Wednesday, as a teaching and research, is con-1 parade of anti-nuclear activists taminating Atlanta's sewers, sits claimed in a public hearing that on unstable ground andlacks ad-the aged plant is unsafe, unnec-equate security that could make ess,ary and a security risk.

it a tempting target for terrorists

.oTech student Jeff Favorite during the 1996 Olympics.

aci:used the activists of being GANE is asking a three-mem-short on nuclear safety facts but ber Atomic Safety and Licensing lo'ng on undocumented alle-Board panel to hold public hear-gations.

ings on renewal of Tech's nucle-

%"The law says you can't come ar reactor license for another 20 in-here with unsubstantiated al-years. Wednesday's public testi-ligations" and make claims that mony came during the second,

the reactor violates federal safe-day of a three-day "prehearing >

ty regulations, he said. He and conference"in which the panel other students said they want the also is taking testimony from reactor to continue operating.

GANE, the Nuclear Regulatory lo[way said it's "very scary" liv-

But fellow student John Gal-Commission and Georgia Tech.

The panel willreview the tes-ipg close to a 5-million-watt nu-timony to determine whether clear reactor."I'm not convinced NRC must hold hearings on ex-that it is safe," he said.

tending the reactor's license.

up t

.