ML20125C637

Forwards R Bachelder Re Low Level Waste Facility Cp.Explanation of NRC Requirements for Authorizing Const Requested

ML20125C637
Person / Time
Site:	Maine Yankee
Issue date:	04/25/1985
From:	Snowe O HOUSE OF REP.
To:	Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20125C628	List: ML20125C625 ML20125C637
References
NUDOCS 8506120104
Download: ML20125C637 (3)

Text

, _ -

4 g,

A

'0""'

88:

OLYMPIA J. SNOWE Dista*T o'F8ces:

FOREIGN AFFAIRS 23 Disin*T. Mama O

F"^'8"**

JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE Congregg of tfje Enitch 6tateg

' ' "'C'~'2," ' '

sEuCT COMMrrm

~ ON AGING (20D 945-0432 J,',,,,,,,,,,,,,,.

Douge of Representatibeg c';'0,'"'"*"

ambington, BC 20515

^"l0D"UNl 9

(202)225-6306 -

197 Stars Sinsst Post Oprics Box 722 Passous Ista. ME 04789

' ' " " ' ~ " '

April 25, 1985 Nunzio J.

.dino Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1717 H Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C.

20555

Dear Mr. Chairman:

I wish to bring to your attention a letter I received recently from Mr. Rae Bachelder from North Edgecomb, Maine.

I share Mr.

Bachelder's concerns, and I have enclosed a copy of his letter for your consideration.

Mr. Bachelder is concerned about the permit approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in January to allow the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company to construct an interim low-level nuclear waste storage facility.

I would appreciate your explanation of the Commission's requirements to allow a permit for this facility.

Thank you for your consideration.

.5r erely, hw mo s

OLYF P[A J.

SNOWE Me er of Congress 2n District, Maine OJS:as 8506120104 850604

{DR ADOCK 05000309 PDR

""*%^n%"'

-u g,

RECElVED k

Id H

APR 121986 m.x.-

u;~

w,

,p S.g

b AUBURN, MAINE OLD FORT ROAD NORTH EDGECOMB. MAINE 04ss6

. April 8, 1985 s

o s#

Senator William S. Cohen

/

Senator George J. Mitchell Representative John R. McKernan, Jr.

Representative Olympia J. Snowe

'd May I call your attention to the enclosed "back page" article which was recently printed in the local newspaper.

It is extremely disconcerting to learn that there are no state or federal licensing requirements with which Maine Yankee must comply in order to build a $1.1 million low-level radioactive waste storage building. The " fact" that this builriing is to function as an interin storage facility allows Hair.. Yankee complete autonot;y regarding design, construction and operation.

The article points out, however, that Haine Yankee has not ruled out ston-age beyond 5 years. It is obvious that once the building is in service, its use will expand to accommodate whatever the current demar.ds are of the plant, the region and the state.

When will leadership require measures, which are not short-sighted and politically expedient, but rather ones which w.ill insure that our decisions have positive long-term results for future generations?

I shall look forward to your responses.

Sir.:erely, Y

dYi.cM( v Rae J. Bachelder enc.

rjb O

d

.a a

om "s.

g

~ ~

3

-a-2.

---

~--b---.-...

" ;,' " '.'-~

f d., -@.3,.tZ.. Anjee.a eeds..;hu FEth;,ert..icens r&e

~

t

. L'!U4H a.lE' ' "M

. J h.' +.

,,,s o

"1 um.. e

..m 2:,,

-... e n

...,r.,,.

m With$11M, -we.

.s. e.iEi6n Radioactiv'eWs'sf65tsys&... il.i.

3 a

,,.., g.s t.. By JENNIFER LOGAN -

.m..,

t?bf T';;"*r,'"'""dT

.Jhe Manyfacci0f. Low'.-LneLWastE y

E Id*3"el wants'.generaHy has s rs&oactive waste intenm storage bundmg is

.a lomi buddmg permit.~.~.--

. Radioactive waste not classified as high.

amounts of radioactivity inlarge volum.

.. Accor6ag 4o budding inspectoE'RayM~vlevel radioactivewaste, transuragic waste,4 material. Produced 8 Pent nuclear fuel, or by-product material.,,. medical and industrial procedures, Daltos. tin permd was issued January 31.

as defined in section 11e(2).of the Atomic..a. anade up pnmarily of items-paper, fi Matae Yankee does not need additional stata, Energy Act of 1964.

t

• ' '. - u n.

a 3 es aminata.

.or federal heanairyr hersuam it is for the Weel.ml Radioactly Weste Policy Act, temporary storage of the ptant's own waste lfor a five-year period, according to the state ' ' M '***l

• "*~ ~~ ~ * ~- ( Atomic Industrial Forum.f"I..'.y' i

I. ~..

~ Pc h8f l "'.*2. '. '*.,, -

,'^*

• 14w level v.aste frong anciaar' f,'f**,6

.and federal offir.ials. contacted.about the. j,

• e e

"%v i m o pidag. *.=' - -

t Power plants includes sludges, vfilters, s

i

- c.h fiv'e year'ealy'stoingi M exempts.m u ressns, c replaced pipingi.. and 's "feelwel waste Waerything ese 14 4

Mains.Yanken. Atomic Power Co. from decammlaaloned plant equipmaat. Some,. fuel rods and the liquid which comes -

up to regulate radioactive waste starage,.y ' low inel wastes snust be indated fun the pneeting stricter statutes sogt guideline W e

opimarnent & as inuch as' SM years sh and boodes peo@ wear, it inck beyond"g ' staW 'in'Hf current. >NRC tefore their. harmfub teffects - have.. filters and filter sludges.'That stuff a f Women Voters. frgforg. : awaylf yo radioactive it can kill you y,7 i

3,c,,,,

6datagrated.

Maine-Yankee officials discussed 'their

...a.

{ plans fot' the fa'cility with the" Nuclear **"M"# #8H' *i FI8 Holt. 8Pohesmon# Me Md.

T

@" D.N"I i !

Y "I I'",i #**'* # **** '*""N I s"*

' M Regulatory t'ammission in an informatioso r ionly meeting held in Bethesda, MarylandonU

'I I DIO,AA.m J

. mnday morning..".ui e.

' mine Yankee's Executive'Vice President waste which would require a more elaborate ~the earliest.

r...,,.

E "As to whether or not there is a r

, John B. Randarna and Douglas Whittler'from' 9 storage facility. ! [

'th plast'glicensing ' division attended thes'.

The design, on site location, construction, groundwater aquifer at mine Yanh e

don't know," said Anderson. "I wish U

. meeting,'essording to.NRC project manager-and operation of the facility resta with Maine was more specific op fpeir eqviror..

Yankee. As stated in a 1981 NRC letter written

'~

r. Ihe Maine Yank== officials said they based by the director of. the office of, nuclear guidehnes,"hesaid. ~

' Kenneth Heitner.

material safety and safeguards, '"Racent L "The storage facility doesn't bottu-

• bulkhng specifications on an estimated 12,000 emphasis to staff is that guidance does not. said Anderson "The thing th

cubic ieet of, waste generated per year.. the plant is the sta e's chief radioactive,' consututerequire t

of the word 'should' rather thaa.'ahall'.".. f,[ years." *"-"--"w-~

l s waste generator, producing 45 percent of the canwhile Maine Yankee has not n

• state's roughly '10,000 cub 6c feet of waste 7"* One possible concernis whether the facihty wiu be. located on a bedrock aquifer, an area' storage beyond a five-year period.~~ ~

.'annuaHK 7-' (<*'d

't.,

Heitner said the Maine Yankee <

maw Yankee has already described the t whichproduceshighyieldsolgroundwater.',

reaffirmed their Octobet 22M*

?

.i, j k facility as a 37 by 1.4 foot, concrete-lined,f..h" basic engineering studiesf'.conductedn on the site by plant staff apply to foundation, liaine was,te commissiony ki g

1. , building located near the contractor par nlot'agd the" railroad on the pfant site.,,, work onl said

" Maine.,' Yankee; will cooperat h

i. Construction is plated',to begin in May.. Arnold. y, ~

')

t A

ra." al*alon findings that the best alt i

! )

I0lf.isgteriza storagelbeyopdfive'yesp -

E y Prahminary design work is being done by t!N"N material will be packaged in auch a '

• 'aste generated by othersin the Stat 4 i

i i Portland architecture and engineering firm waythatthatjs,thebarrier,notthebuilding,""r I

yankee,"said Randassa.

~

for those wastes to be stored l

+'- q.1 't baaid Arnold.b l

9, *

• E.C.Jonian.

• Assiptaa4 plant saanager Tom soulette said it is the plant's postuon"thatfurther

[ 'he low level waste taae inset articlO to be., engineering studies for a temporary storage..

~

RentalUbrary M

[

et

. stored in the building will include plastic.(acilityarenotneeded,said Arnold. T. Ar A.

~ bootias, clothing, wipettes, filters and filter 1 State geologist and commission member.

d SetlSellers !

resins which will be compacted into a solid < Walter Anderson said the 813,000. regional

. Callus to reserve yours

~

. tudy of bedrock fract'ure systems now'bar'ely wed.Thes.rrt. set se a m.4 p m. Eas

, form.,"M T' ', . i 1

4 s

i* 'lhe material will be stored in steel drums.

undsay in 1,incoln County is *.*Dy po mans

' HUCKLEBERRY lined with a concrete-like ' substance,. dequate forsite specific analysis" and woni t., ;

be completed until the end of the summer at '

(MllOOKSTDRE m a

', accordmgtoHeitner:

Boulette said the' plant opted riot to store W low-level waste in the liquid form, a type of d

..a m w

..A j

.ma '.% '

..a e a= ei et s'is e e' s a a er' ="* "****

_ -