ML20108D612
| ML20108D612 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Shoreham File:Long Island Lighting Company icon.png |
| Issue date: | 05/16/1983 |
| From: | Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Lent N HOUSE OF REP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20105B503 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-84-250 NUDOCS 8412130323 | |
| Download: ML20108D612 (2) | |
Text
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e MAY 16 1933 The Honorable Norman F. Lent U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C.
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Dear Congressman Lent:
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This responds to your letter of March 30, 1983 to John Suermann of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission forwarding a letter fron your constituent Mr. Norman Neubert, Jericho, New York regarding the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant.
We appreciate your concern for the safe operaticn of the Shoreharc Nuclear Power Station, a concern that I believe is reflectec: fn tre actions taken by the U.S.
Government over the past few years, including t'e Nuclear Regulatory r
Commission's requirements for more stringent erergency preparec ess provisions.
One of the key provisions of the NRC's regulatiens en emergency preparedness is that the nuclear plant operator must declare the emergency and alert offsite authorities to notify the public on the basis of plant conditions before there is a release of radioactivity from the plant.
The purpose and consequence of this provision is that people have more time available to take protective actions.
In addition, there is a requirement fcr an early notification system to alert people within a 10 mile Emergency Planting Zone around the reactor.
For Shoreham, the Long Island Lighting Company has installed 89 sirens in the 10 mile zone.
The purpose of sounding the sirers is sitply to alert people to
. shelter themselves in their homes and listen to sta ion WALK, Patchogue, for further instructions.
The 10 mile Emergency Planrirg Zcne was the recommen-daticn of a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Conmission anc C.S. Enviror. mental Protection Agency Task Force on Emergency Planning.
The reccerendations cf this Task Force have been incorporated into NRC regulations.
Suffolk County transportation officials had workec with the Long Island Lighting Company and its consultants to develop an emergency plan covering the 10 mile Emergency Planning Zone.
Suffolk County has recently developed an emergency plan that extends to 20 miles from Shcreham.
NRC does not consider planning to 20 miles to be necessary. The issue cf emergency planning is being
. fully aired in the public hearings for the licersing cf Shoreha, that are presently taking place in the Court House in Hauo;;oge. The NRC will not issue a license unless the evidence shows that the health and safety cf the public will be protected.
Evacuation of an area is not an uncommon experience in America.
About once every week or two, an evacuation of a few hundrec to a few thousand people takes place usually as a result of a transportaticr. accident invciving a tank h
truck carrying toxic chemicals, or as a resul cf #1 cods er darr breaks. The r
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishec a study cf some 500 evacuation 8412130323 840521
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The Honorable Norman F. Lent events in a document entitled " Evacuation Risks - An Evaluation," dated June 1974 wherein it is stated that there are a number of myths about evacuations which experience. shows are not true. For example, people do not panic and there is little or no looting.
On the contrary, disasters tend to bring out the best in people and they are cooperative and sensible.
Other than for local rescues, it has never been found necessary to consider evacuation by aircraft, although Fire Island was evacuated by boat during Hurricane Belle in August 1976.
I trust this information is responsive to Mr. Neubert's letter.
Sincerely, William J. Dircks Executive Director for Operations DISTRIBUTION HRDenton, NRR ED0-12975 GHCunningham, ELD IE Files SECY-83-1645 DEPER R/F WJDircks, EDO EPB R/F RCDeYoung, IE OCA (3)
JHSniezek, IE ELJordan, IE JMTaylor, IE SASchwartz, IE FGPagano, IE FKantor, IE CRVan Niel, IE JRSears, IE JDouglas, IE EDO OCA WJDircks 4/ /83 4/ /83
- See previous concurrences EPB/IE*
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JSears:sc FKantor FGPagano SASchwartz ELJo'rdan JHSniezek RCDeYo'ung 4/ /83 4/ /83 4/ /83 4/ /83 4/ /83 4/ /83 4/ /83