ML20099G520
| ML20099G520 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Limerick  |
| Issue date: | 11/15/1984 |
| From: | Irwin M AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| To: | Cole, Harbour, Hoyt H NRC |
| References | |
| CON-#484-305 OL, NUDOCS 8411270327 | |
| Download: ML20099G520 (2) | |
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REV. CHRISTINE L NELSON
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Pastor of Vosstatean November 15,19%
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Dear Helen Hoyt,
Dr. Harbour, and Dr. Cole, I want to express my sincere appreciation to you for this opper -
tunity to respond regarding the evacuation planning.
So that you may know a little about my perspective, allov me to give a brief description of myself.
I am the Senior Pastor of a 1500-member congregatien in the evacuation area.
Having been awarded a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Pastoral Care after extensive study, I have the opportunity to do considerable family counseling.
I reside in Lover Pottsgrove Township, only a few miles from the nuclear power plant.
Our three children vill all be in schools which vill need to be evacuated. A large portion of my members are living and vorking within the evacuation At the time of the Three Mile Island accident, I was serving area.
a church just outside York, Pa., and therefore I experienced hov people reacted at that ti=e.
Therefore, it is frem my education in pastoral care,-=y experience with people in this area and in York, Pa., at the time of the Three Mile Island accident, and c:y deep personal concern for my family, my congregation and my co=munity that I come to the conclusion that the evacuation vould be far from adequate.
My first concern is that people who are a part of the evacuation process may not report for their positions.
In fact, scme have told me that their intention is to pack up and get out of the area the=selves.
Secondly, the assumption that the public would act in an orderly fashion goes against all of my experience with people.
To assume that people vill not act for themselves in accordance with their own self interest but instead vil). follow a pre-conceived plan is absurd.
Even if the public wouldre=emb'ebvhat the evacuatien plan vas, few people would follev it.
At the height of the 34 tile Island ageident, a couple fren my church in York were at a church camp near State College.
Although they were in a safe location, they drove back to York, driving past the Three Mile Island plant to come back and rescue their dog.
In my own neighborhood within hours after the accident many families involved in the nuclear energy field left their hc=es.
Others in our ec=munity would not leave their heme even if an evacuatica vere ordered.
To assume that neocle vill act in a crisis situatien in the vays pre-determined by an overall clan is, in.ar coinion, totally abusrd and against human nature.
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.. i4 November 15, 1984 Page 2 Thirdly, there are not enough buses in the school districts involved to transport all the students to safe locations in one run. To assume that in-the middle of a busy day one could contact drivers from other districts and that they would leave their employment' or activities to risk driving into an area of danger is to make some very large assump-tions which I think are unsupportable.
- Fourth, the assumption that in the event of an accident there woulli be adequate time to deal with numerous variables is based _on trust that
_ a) know what is going on within the reactor, and (b) vill
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those involved:
make decisions regarding evacuation in the public interest. There is no question that the people at Three Mile Island did not really kncv vhat was occurring in the reactor-(or if they did know that it was within the 200 of meltdown they were not acting in the public interest by not calling for an evacuation). To trust a company to make decisions purely in the public interest when corporations are structured for preserving their own self interest goes against our everyday experience.
It is in the interest of all involved with nuclear energy to delay calling for an evacuation even though the crisis management team is istruggling with inadequate formation.
In sumary, allow me to restate why I believe evacuation would :be impractical.
First, some key people directly responsible in assisting.
vith the evacuation of the public may not report.
Instead they vill depart with their own families.
Second, I do not believe the public vill remember or follow the pre-conceived plan. When frightened and with the noise of a screaming siren still ringing in their ears, people act in unpredictable ways. Third, I believe that the plan to take my children and the children of our community to safety is unworkable given the number of buses available.
Although I confess an inadequate knowledge of the availability of ambulances in our area, it seems to me that there vill also be inadequate transportation from Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, our communities nursing homes';t and the many people alone and shut-in within their own homes.
Fourth, even taking into account the technological advancements made since Three Mile Island, I do not believe that those operating the plant can tell what is happening in the countless scenarios which are possible. Therefore, there is much room for inaccurate assessment of the status of the danger, and thus incorrect decisions may be made in determing the correct time to call for an evacuation.
It is my hope that you vill give thoughtful considerations to my concerns and deny the issuance of an operating license for Limerick.
On paper the plans may look OK, but please consider realistically the way hu=ans act and respond.
Thank you again for hearing =y concern.
Sincerely yours,
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Dr. M. Bruce Irwin P.S.-
vr t a concerned citizen and am not a part of any of the