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80 20 UNIT?S stair 5 COVERNMENT Memorandum DATE: f(621 1963 to
- 11arold L. Price Director of Regulation Lk N raoM : yuncan Clark, nirector Division of Public Infor r.ation svaper: PUB 1.IC MZETING 0N PROPO5ED GINSOLIDAIED ED150N REACIOR DPI:JF At the invitat4-vs. the Astoria-Lung Island City Comunity Council, Robert Iowenstein. Director, and Edson Case, Assistant Director of the Division of Licensing and Regulatios. and Joseph Fouchard of the Division of P'ablic Insormation attended a pubite meeting on the propcsed consolidated Edison Ravenswood Reactor February 19 in long Island City.
t Also in attendance were representatives of Consolidated Edison; Oliver Townaend, representing Governor llockefeller; Dr.11anson Blatz, representing Mayor Wagner of New York City; Dr. Merrill Eisenbud of New York University; Dr. John Dunniug of Columbia University; Dr. Robert E. Beardley of Manhattan College; and James Graham of the Joint Comittee on Atomie tnergy. Mr.Jiario.
Corielli, president of the Borough ot Queens, also spoke briefly..
Tae meeting, held in a church auditorius in Long Island City, y
was attended by approximately 250 perscns, mostly residents of the area near the Ravenswood site. The meeting lasted for more than threa hours and reflected intense interest and con-siderable hostility to the project.
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Consolidated Edison described the proposed reactor and stressed the safety features uhich are proposed. Dr. Eisenbud and-Dr. Dunning discussed radiation ef f ects and reactor operating experience. Mr. Touchard of DPI informs me that neither con Ed's direct presentation nor its -ansvers to subsequent questions appeared to satisfy the audience with respect to the safety issues raised.
etc. Lowenstein noted to the audience that in accepting the invitatica to have an AEC speaker at the meeting, the Director of Regulation stressed to the comunity council that the Comission staf f would not be in a position to discuss the perits of the Con Ed application. Mr. Lowenstein asserted in his opening remarks at the meeting that neither tha Ccmission, its staf f, nor the Advisory Cocnittee on Reactor Safsguards ans reached 9210120297 920520 PDR-ORG NRCHIST t
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He described the conclusions regardins, the application.
any ter,ulatory progrma and the rsview of the Con dd application 3
i 11a was questicned on site criteria and now underway, indemnity, as well as the location of present reactors relative to prpulated areas. Questions included, "Is it,true the in case of
- government' will pay up to half a billion dollare en accident at the Con Ed planti" and "Are any rear. tors like Con Ed',s Raven,swood plant located in. cities today?"
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Mr. 'hownsend,'on behalf of the state, and Dr. Blats of the City Hosith Department both s aid they will study the application closely and confer with the AEC staff.
r, Mr. Cotielli, president of the Borough, of Queens, said flatly "I oppose it"f(the proposed reactorb He said the people of the LongtIslandtCity area have erpressed their fears to him and'heyddesn't feel an atomic plant should be built in a densafyjop,ulatediares. Mr. Corialli's remarka-drew loud
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In additioni a representative of Rockefeller Institute said that: Consolidated Edison had not consulted with the Institute i
on:its; plans.?He said the Institute.which has a campus
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.directly.across t,he river from the Ravenswood site, would
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study theisppiteation closely. He was applauded when he 5
described the architecture of the Con Ed plant as a " slum."
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Much of the questioning concerned radiation and environmental aspects,particularly discharges to the river and through the s c acka. Cther persons criticited the smoke conditions from the present Ravenswood plant.
There was one 4 :estion i _ which the citizen said that the f act that Con Ed had f,iled an application top 11ed tacit approval from the AEC. Mr. Lowenstein asserted that this s
was not so; that the Commission has made no determination on the application.
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