ML20125C008

Responds to Expressing Concern Re Util Emergency Evacuation Plans,Aslb Hearing & Economic Hardships Due to Plant Shutdowns.Assures That Evacuation Plans Are Receiving Attention & Announces ASLB Public Hearing in Feb 1980

ML20125C008
Person / Time
Site:	Rancho Seco
Issue date:	12/13/1979
From:	Kane W Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Wrinkle H AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
Shared Package
ML20125C012	List: ML20125C008 ML20125C014
References
NUDOCS 8001020542
Download: ML20125C008 (2)

Text

o UNITED STATES

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DEC 131979 Mr. Harry H. Wrinkle 3315 Turnbridge Drive Sacramento, California 95823

Dear Mr. Wrinkle:

Your letter of October 22, 1979, to Chairinan Hendrie and Mr. Denton has been referred to this office for reply. You expressed concern about the operation of SMUD's Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station, particularly emergency evacuation plans, the hearing being conducted by an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB), and the economic hardships associated with plant shutdowns. You also mentioned a proposal by Aerojet General Corporation for disrosal of low-level liquid radioactive waste.

With re tard to emergency evacuation planning, we appreciate your comments and concerns and want to assure you that we are working with Federal, State, and local officials to enhance the emergency plans at all operating nuclear power plants. Needless to say, this issue is receiving more attention than it had before the accident at TMI-2. A copy of your letter has been forwarded to the appropriate NRC Offices responsible for this issue.

As indicated in Mr. Heltemes' letter to you of July 27, 1979, the responsi-bility for decisions regarding the hearing on Rancho Seco was designated to an ASLB. In response to requests from Friends of the Earth, the Environ-mental Council of Sacramento and Original SMUD Ratepayers Association, from two individual members of the Board of Directors of SMUD, and the California Energy Comission, the ASLB will convene a hearing to litigate issues that have been ruled appropriate by the ASLB. This hearing is scheduled to begin in late February 1980. The public is invited to attend the hearing.

Your next concern related to the shutdown of Rancho Seco. As Mr. Denton stated in his letter to you of July 23, 1979, we were aware of the economic hardships encountered while the plant was shutdown. Our primary respon-sibility is to assure the protection of the health and safety of the public; however, wa have made every effort to avoid unnecessary delays in the resumption of operations at Rancho Seco, as well as the other Babcock &

Wilcox plants which were shutdown.

On October 24, 1979, the Aerojet Energy Conversion Co=any submitted a topical report for review by the FRC. This recort, " Radioactive Waste Volume Reduction System," describes a system for processing liquid and 90003095 i H 80o2o o l

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!!r. Harry H. Wrinkle )

OEC la 1979 l combustible radioactive wastes and converting these wastes into a dry salt /

ash product. We assume this is the system you centioned in your letter. l The NRC staff is presently developing a schedule for review of this report. )

We appreciate your interest and hope this information satisfies your concerns.

Sincerely, EvA$1 .

$c c W. F. Kane, Acting Chief Standardization Branch Division of Project Management l

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