ML20125B038

Responds to Re SL Frei Observation That Radiation Detector Signal Could Have Prevented Transfer of Contaminated Water at Tmi.Source of Radioactivity in Auxiliary Bldg Was Leakage from Reactor Coolant Letdown Sys

ML20125B038
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	10/02/1979
From:	Gossick L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Levin C SENATE
References
NUDOCS 7910190315
Download: ML20125B038 (4)

Text

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DISTRIBUTION: i' Docket Files. EDO -

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! The Honorable Car' ' vin ' G. Ertter (ED0-7367)

I thtited States Se, .

M. Groff

! Washingtoe. D.C. kg Schul tze. ,

LPDR Dear Senator Levit.

Your letter of June 1 9 to the Department of Energy concerning corres- .

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pondence from Mr. Ste Fni of Frankennuth. Michigan has been referred I

to the Nuclear Regul aission. Mr. Frei noted that a radiation detec-tar signal could be: ' transfer of contaminated water fromtthe Three

Mile Island, Unit i itainment building sump to the auxiliary build- .

t ing. His.observi and this matter has received considerable .e

attention within ut A recently published report, "TMI-2 Lessons ' '-

Learned Task Force; i and Short-Ters Recommendations," NUREG-0578 l (copyenclosed), race ..: diverse signals be provided at all reactors s.

te initiate containment len n Such a provision would have prevented J. .PlinW18ent tressfer of.wser fran.tha.TMI-2 sump .had it been provided in the ' t f ',

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., .. . .m .. . . .s e' The problem at TMI-2 was very simply that automatic containment isolation was -

i i initiated only on a containment pressure signal. Since pressure rise was e d

quite slow, the sump peup turned on and began transferring water well before .

I an isolation signal occurred. Mm_r.t investigations have revealed that.-

while considerable water was transferred from the reactor building sump, it l did not contribute substantially to the activity in the auxiliary building as l once believed. Operators turned the sump ptsop off about 38 minutes after the start of the event; this was well before the core was damaged. It is now certain that the source of high activity in the auxiliary building was leakage from systems which were in service subsequent to core damage, principally from the reactor coolant letdown system. portions of which are _in the auxiliary building. - i..

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If wr can provide any further assistaince,pTease let us know.

. I. Sincerely, r . - m m w,r ,- y,:y a c.;

',- t M. . ., . '

• i pKUNAL StGNED BY R. G. SMITH Lee V. Gossick f Executive Director for Operations

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,/ / f COMMENT S. NOTI F Y :

'h JCAE NOTIFICATION RECOMMENDED: O VES U NO b MC FORM 23M l} (l'h/* EXECUTIVE DIREClOR FOR OPERATIONS 00 NOT REMOVE THIS COPY PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL  !

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'21Cnifeb Stafes Senate W AS HING TON. D.C. 209e3 June 11, 1979 Nuclear and Cther Resources Federal Energy Departaent Roor 4446, Mass. Avenue Washington, C. C. 20585 rear Sirs:

Enclosed you will find correspondence trom Mr. Stephen L. Frei of Frankenmuth, Micnigan. I would appreciate your looking into this pa tter for me. P. Lease =stddress .any ,

cozz asivuaaucc t2=Ksceu-L -McCrce!M mi-etatt.' i Thank ycu for your cooperation.

Sincerely, h

vELh h Carl Levin CL/kmk En closure O

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l I have very carefully followed all available news infor-  ;

mation concerning the incident at the Three Mile Island plant  :

and have found no mention of the fact that contamination of the environment could have been prevented by incorporating j a radiation detector into the automatic switch responsible for turning on the rump pump that transferred contaminated water from the highly protected reactor containment cell to I the unprotoeted auxillary building. l l

I hope that I don' t appear foolish in writing to you about something so o'.wious, but I was wondering if you could find out if the Ifuelear Regulatory Commission is aware of this simple safety feature which could prevent similar con-tamination in the eveit of any future nuclear accidents at  !

ether plants includir g the one being constructed at Midland, 1 Michigan. l l

I, and likely othere of your constituents, would greatly appreciate knowing that the NBC is indeed aware of this area of concern as I am sure that the HEC is, at this time, more concerned with the cause of the accident itself.

Esspectfully,

.. . s2. . .

Stephen L. Frei 11576 Eing Ed.

Frankenmuth, Mich. 48734 04/04/79

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