ML20126E429

Requests Comments Re EA Cederberg & M Sinclair Ltrs Concerning Safety & Environ Factors at Facility & ERDA-funded Nuclear Research Project Safety

ML20126E429
Person / Time
Site:	Big Rock Point File:Consumers Energy icon.png
Issue date:	05/11/1977
From:	Warren C COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
To:	Gossick L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
Shared Package
ML20126E427	List: ML20126E426 ML20126E429
References
NUDOCS 8101270880
Download: ML20126E429 (7)

Text

^f-I r

O EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT COUNCIL oN ENVIRONMENTAL OVALITY 722 JACKSON PLACE, N. W.

WASHINGTON D. C. 20006

~

t May 11, 1977 j

Mr. Lee V. Gossick Executive Director for Operations Nuclear Regulatory Commission

.f Washington, D.C.

20555 l

Dear Mr. Gossick:

The Council has received an inquiry from Congressman Elford A. Cederberg concerning safety and environmental factors at the Big Rock Point nuclear plant, as well as, a letter from Mary Sinclair which raises'a number of questions concerning the safety of conducting an ERDA.

funded nuclear fuel research project at that plant.

l I would appreciate receiving the view of the NRC on the points-made in these letters.

L #

A.

m Charles Warren Chairman Enclosures Congressman Elford.A. Cederborg cc:

Senator Robert P. Griffin Senator 1)onald W. Riegle, Jr.

Congressman Philip E..Ruppe Governor William G. Milliken Attorney-General Frank J. Kelley Ms. Mary Sinclair Mr. Robert Fri g10/8101@

/

R E C EI V E D:

1301 11077 i

5711 Summerset-Drive.

Alidland,-Michigan 48640:

1 E. A. CCCERDERG, Npril. 7,1977 f

The Hon. Elford-Cederberg US House of Representatives.

-3

' Washington,,DC ~

'20000

'i i

Dear Congressman Cederberg:

i Enclosed is a copy of a letter t'o' Charles-Warren, Direc-tor'of the Council on Environmental Quality, requesting an environmental impact statement and an investigationof the nuclear fuel research program at-the Big Rock. nuclear' plant j

which has been designated one of Lthe nation's ten most danger-t-

ous n-plants.

_[

l I hope you will support this action in every way you can.

incerely,

~

_. g_ m Mary Si air t

MS:SH Enclosures j

. ~..

.~- --

5711 Summerset Drive Midland,-Michigan 48G40-April 6,~1977 M

Mr. Charlos Warren, Director Council on Environmental Quality Washington, D.C.

20000 Dear Mr. Warrent Hocently the ERDA awarded a grant of S15,000,000 to Con-sumers Power Company for the purpose of doin5 roscarch on nu-i i

clear fuels at the Dig Rock Plant.

I bellove it should be-brought to your attention that this pinnt has been designated.

one of the ten most dangerous plants in the country by the.

Institute for Policy Studies of Washington, D.C.

It has cracks in the piping, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not required backfitting of the cmcrgency core cooling system in this plant because of the costs involved.

Therefore, it does not meet tho NRC's minimum safety standards

~

at present.

~

Furthermore,.there has never been an environmental impact 30PY; statement made foF'thW~ Big Rock ~n-plant, which has' operated ~~ ~

intermittently since'19G3.

By definition, nuclear fuel research means that there will be unknowns in the reactions involved.

It would seem at.least under these--circumstances that an environmental ~ im-pact' statement should be required before the fuel research is permitted.

In addition, Consumers Power Company has a cost lamentable record of poor management, incompetence and lack of quality control that has been demonstrated not only at Palisades and the Midland n-plant construction, but in their other facili-ties in Michigen, also.

For example, the people of the State of Michigan had to allocate $200,000 to investigate cost overruns in excess of four timer the original estimate at the Marysville LNG Plant.

Dr. Paul Orrefice, President of Sow USA, testified under oath in the current hearings that Dow's lack of confidence in Consumers Power Company. management and competence was one of the reasons that Dow Chemient now wants to be extricated from further connection with'the Midland n-plants which are under construction here.

The plants were' intended primarily to supply steam and power to the Dow industrial compicx here.

Consumers Power Company has stated they' face bankruptcy if the Midland n-plant is shut down and have stated they will s

~

.-. n -n.

- - - -. ~. - -.-

t a

-2 sue Dow for S600 million if Dow tries to get out of the con-tract.

Paul Orrefice has stated that Consumers Power pres-sures amount to, in his words, " extortion."' At present,' Con-sumers Power Company's credit rating is low because of the very poor performanco of Palisados, which has operated at an aver-age of 32% capacity since it began operations in 1972.

As further proof of incompetence, Consumers Power was never abic to make their rad-waste holding tank work at Palisades, and they lied to the AEC's Regulatory Staff about it.

(See. memos and letters enclosed.)

Their quality control was so poor at the Midland n-plant site that the Appeals Board required a definite promise.of improved performance as a condition _of affirming the license.

When Consumers Power failed to keep this promise, the. Appeals Board wrote an angry letter to L. Manning Muntzing, then AEC's Director of Licensing, saying- "...What.we have here is a pattern of repeated, flagrant and significant QA viola-tions of a non-routine character -- coupled with an unredeemed promise of reformation."

(Midland ASLAB to Muntzing, Novem-

-ber 26, 1973.)

The first show-cause hearing in history was called against Consumers Power Company because of this.

We were unable to participate due to lack of funds, and the whole thing was covered up.

Given this abysmal public record, clearly the award of

$15 million to Consumers Power Company by ERDA is a boondoggle that indicates the extent to which ERDA's nuclear promotion activitie.s will_go to-. save--a-faltering, incompetent utility) pledged to nuclear promotion.

(See advertisement enclosed.

~~

How n h e people of this stato tolernte being made

~

guinea pigs for further experiments at big Itock by this_

utility. which is demonstrably dishonest and incompetent _?

I believe you should investigate all the circuustances involved at Big Rock,.xecuire an environmental iwpact stato-ruel_r.esearcE.grantv and as a miWI' mum, l

~

ment.. on_the_.nuch ar require that the n-plant is brought to NRC safety standards before the research grant money is awarded to Consumers Power.

neerely, A?

~

v~

MarySdlair Sagina*/Mapleton Intervenora MS:SH Enclosures Sen. R. Griffin, Sen. D. Riegle, Cong. A. Cederberg, Cc:

Cong. P. Ruppe, Gov. Hillien, Attorney-General Kelley, and Dr. Iloward Tannor s

-._.,,_,._.,_,......_..._,_,..._..,.._.....m._-...

_._.m.___.,_.__.m_

f L.

^

^

^

}

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT COUNCIL oN ENVIRON M ENTAL QU ALITY 722 JACKSON PLACE, N. W.

WASHINGTON, D. C. 20006 14M 1 A id77-Mr. Robert Fri i

Acting Administrator Energy Research and Development Administration Washington, D.C.

20545

Dear Mr. Fri:

I am forwarding copies of correspondence and'an inquiry we recently received from Congressman Elford'A. Cederberg concerning a proposed ERDA nuclear fuel research project at the Big Rock Point nuclear plant.

I would appreciate it if you would provide me with more information about.the project including a copy of any environmental assessment which may have been prepared

-I-pursuant to ERDA regulations implementing'the National Environmental Policy Act.(NEPA).

Sincerely, Charles Warren Chairman Enclosures cc:

Congressman Elford A. Cederberg Senator Robert P. Griffin Senator Donald W. Riegle, Jr.

Congressman Philip E. Ruppe Governor William G. Milliken Ms. Mary Sinclair Mr. Lee V. Gossickv

[

L

~,

(

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

t 722 JACKSON PLACE. N. W.

COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY WASHINGTON, D. C. 20006 i

Ms. Mary Sinclair 5711 Summerset Drive l

Midland, Michigan 48640

Dear Ms. Sinclair:

A copy'of your letter of April 6, 1977,.concerning.

nuclear fuel research at the Big Rock Point nuclear plant has been provided to me' indirectly by Congressman Elford A. Cederberg.

Unfortunately, your letter was not received directly by the Council.

I have made inquiries of both the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Energy Research and Development Administration concerning nuclear. fuel research at the Bfg Rock Point e

nuclear plant, including compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act.

I will provide you with the Council's response after I receive their replies.

Sincerely, Charles Warren

. Chairman cc: Mr. Lee Gossick /

Mr. Robert Fri Congressman Elford A. Cederberg

.