ML20127F296

Responds to to Hendrie Re Apparent Refusal of NRC to Extensively Review Hundreds of Repts by TMI Area Residents Experiencing Physiological Reactions to Accident. Encl Ltr from Le Arnold Only Ltr Received

ML20127F296
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	09/20/1979
From:	Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Reed S PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF
Shared Package
ML20127C068	List: ML20127C065 ML20127F223 ML20127F239 ML20127F252 ML20127F269 ML20127F296 ML20127F310
References
FOIA-85-8 NUDOCS 8506250105
Download: ML20127F296 (2)

Text

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- Enclosure 2 -

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Tbc Honoratie Stephen P. Feed Fennsylvania house of Perresentatives Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

Dear Mr. P.eed:

I have been asked to respond to your letter of August E,1979 tc C!.airnan hendrie.

In your letter, you stated that you were " entirely baffled by the appercnt refusal of the U.S. L'uclear Regulatory Commission to have extensively reviewed the reports by hundreds of Three File Island area residents who, durine Marct. 20-31, 1979 prir.arily, and at tires subsequent, experierced:

(a) netallic taste in their mouth; (b) retallic or iodine-like oder in the air; (c) irritated and watery eyes; (d) modcrate or severe respiratory infiatr.ation; (e) gastro-intestinal dysfunction and diarrhea; (f) disruptien of the censtrual cycle in females; (g) skin rashes (some acrearine as radiation burns); (h) sharp, abnonnal pains in joints *. k'e are not aware of larce ner.bers of people reporting formally or inforr. ally pFysiological reacticns te the accident. The only hnowledge that we have of larce nunbers of pecple experiencinc physiological reactions to the accident comes through Mr. Arncid of ParaScience International (Enclosure 1). In his letter, Mr. Arnold claims that " hundreds of persons exr-erienced physiological discomfort or ill-health as the result of radionuclices released frau TEI-2 on and after March 28, 1970.* f:r. Arncic rade siciler claims before the President's Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island (May 18,1979). In response to Mr. Arnold's allegetiens, the NP.C's Three Mile Island Special Inquiry Group has offered to meet with

• Mr. Arnold to discuss his claim.*

Enclosed for your review is a copy of a report entitled, " Population Dose and Health Inpact of the Accident at Three Mile Island iuclear Station" (Enclosure 2). This report assesses the health impact of the radiation released on the approximately 2 nillion offsite residents within 50 niles

• Lote: We bave also received a letter fror. Prs.12rie J. Melowta

. . of York, PA. Mrs. Holowta has reported instances of _

livestock rortality and porbidity. Fr. !:arl Abrahar. of the PIC's Pecion I office, King of Trussia, Pa., t.as investigated her allegations and resronded to ter letter.

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l The Henorable Stephen P.. Feed 2 iD f 6 T~,

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of the Three Mile Island Huclear Power Plant. Technical staff rae-bers of the Nuclear Regulatory Co:nission (HRC), the Department cf Health, Education and Welfare (HEk') and the Envirorcental Protection Agency (EPA),

who constituted an Ad Hot Dose Assessnent Group, prepared the report.

The report concludes that the offsite doses associated with the accident during the period March 2E to April 7,1979, represents cir.ical risks of

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additional health effects to the offsite population. The prcjected number of additional fatal cancers due to the accident that could occur over the recaining lifetime of the population within 50 miles is less than one.

This report, of course, did not address the imriediate physiological reactions addressed in your letter. However, we have consulted with Dr. Marvin Goldman, a medical consultant for NRC and he has stated that at the radiation dose rates involved, as described in the report, none of the effects identified in itets (a) thru (h) above can be expected to be caused by radiation.

If we can be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to -

write us.

Sincerely, yp,- - _ . . ..

Harold R. Denton, Director 0ffice of -Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosures:

1. Letter from Larry E. Arnold of ParaScience, Inter-national to Chaiman Hendrie dtd August 2,1979

2. HUREG-0558 Central File MRR Reading ' RAS Re'ading Local PDR imC PDR SECY (3) (2339)

H. Denton R. Ryan TMI Inquiry Group V. Stello D. Thompson G. Gower E. Case H. Berkow D. Vassallo F. Schroeder D. Eisenhut J. Sniezek

, D. Muller W. Regan W. Kreger _

T. Murphy F. Congel E. Eranagan G.Ertter(ED0-7115) M. Groff A. Ferguson C. Paul -

E. Conti J. Stohr, Region I

• • SEE' PREVIOUS YELLOW FOR C'ONCURRENCE RAB:DSE ** RAB:DSE ** RAB:DSE ** AD:SA:DSE ** DSE NRR EFBranagan:me FJCongel TDMurphy WEKreger DRMuller HRDentor.

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- Larry E. Arr.cid dirc: tor

- August 2.1979 Joseph F.. Hendrie. Chairre.n U. 5. Euclear Regulatory Cen[.ission

• hshington, D.C. 20555 ,

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Dear Fr. Eeniries e As one who lives 16 miles north-northwest of Three Mile Island (in the direction of the nost intense rsdioactive plume novement following the recent accident there) and who har'been challenging for seve:21 years Metro-politan Edison's ability to oper:te without serious incident their nuclear facility, we have to date refrained from addressing you on the most recent ,

(and serious) accident at TF2'-2 because we have seen no indicatics that our concerns would be received any differently than in the damnable and uncon-scionable way the Atomic Safety and Licensing Icard responded to the public '

(ourself included) in the licensing process for THI-2 in 1977 - whe: tin Chairman Edward Luton told us (and other, members of the co== unity-at-large) that our cc ments would not be entered 'a's part of the permanent record' (Docket No. 50-320) and, hence, were irrelevant to the decision-making N process of the NRC.

However, in reviewing the transcript of the NRC Co::issioners' July 24 closed-door meeting ostensibly to discuss personnel natters that turned into arguments f ar and against the introduction of mental health effects among l the hundreds-o'f-thousands who were subjected to Tt2-2's novel and reprehen-sible form of terrorism as part of the decision to return T?2-1 to critical-ity, we are finally moved to respond.

First, you who have refused to attend a public. meeting with'Newberrytown citizens in the TMI five-mile radius area because such would prejudice your ,

decision regading Three Mile Islandi- a position we can only interpret as an unwavering pro-nuclear ~ commitment that,cannot take into account the feel-I ings and lives of those peopic most intimately affected by America's worst co.wercial reactor accident to date - should remove yourself from any decision-saking responsibility in the matter of Three Mile Island, (Afterall, j a trustworthy judge removes himself from'a case towards which he has a bias or corflict-of-interest. ) This policy should be adhered to by each NRC l

Commissioner who continues to isolate-hinself from direct personal contact l vith the people of this area; afterall, one's eyes can speak where words fail. -

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'You can retain this disregard of southcentral Pennsylvanians' concerns l and fears about TKI only so long as you maintain your isolation from such personal interchange. We suggest you speak with Concissioner Cilinsky, who to his credit lns willing to face the people in Middletown on June 29: he ,

learned very quickly that there arep peoule oft there beyond the sanctified walls of the NRO's Washington office, not faceless numbers in some Peactor l

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EafetyweStudy's accident-casu2.lty yorself, ard Anericanshas had. t. erha;s then you sta living i inens beyoM who the h Y ou o h saf ety and su:-dval of Ge c .hfety n out as you did sar.e experience Er, Cilinshy t ction, rather than sell t essessment of "prepend Nuclear Industry's survivr.1 above t e syster.

pay your sala?y and expect pro eresponse to Stephen advisenent that uMer Earauer's a in 1972 in disadvantages" in the General Leonard Elec31ckwit's r

Second, regardingIic Thiefhealth ed Council narrowly and as safety" physical pro fetyconsiderr.tion blens caused direct-can be i

The issue of public healthplant oblems and sahave ato..ic energy statutes'"puba nuclear the are case, usually ly by exposure to radiation. t no such short-ter: exposure prThis paraScience Interna-ignored, 'it was inplied, becaus,esurfaced i conducted 'trj l aspectsfron the T and documents unconventionawho experi-Chair::an Extensive Eendrie.aMhle:nnines self-funded arly pointstoinvestiEat hundreds on of personsf radionuc tional, an organication.whic of van and his environnent, t orc eill-health 26, 1979.ith as.the scores result of people o

who suffered enced physiological disconforand after Farch released fronatTIH-2 lengthonhave been held wfollowing sy=ptoms:

Interviews varyin6 combirations of the air Metallic taste in theMetallic or Iodine-like fallout o Irritated Eode:ste or and watery Ga.stro-intestinal dysfunction an eyessevere respiratory i d dir.rrhea

' Disruption of menstral cycle )

from the southcentral pennsylvaniaChinese )

A-bonb detonation Skin rashes (often giving the ap (as Met-Ed did, thoseintervie Sharp, abnormal pains in joints who cymptons as psychosonatici nificant th Before discounting these few they knew of that life-long is), it isresident sg of southcentra"I grew u and I never echoed the statement spoke of the days March 2 -

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of Bethleheataste Steel's tmospherefound lived in Steelton for awhile at or that awful netallicome l ased. 'new

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ity,1)these had such severe burning I 2 handinthe my radionuclides throThe only ident 1

confirr during this period has been TE -

with two coincidesuffering these it r Supporting the attribution of t es from the reactorfroa TtH; 2) h area, arourd those 7 reports from points up to 10 miles t (ard likely three) radioactive releasesl) quickly t according to f radionuclides and metallic .

symptoms recovered (in, generaa link between l vel' th TIG and 3) the ago U. S. Governmen I ch into the effects of ' low- e than a decade i taste in the atmosphere. -

Furtheracre, PSI's pioneering resear

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, M. tic; that 1 highly sensitive to thenelypresence .cnt of the pepu-lo.: doses of of extren.

Jradiation si:itted

r. the vicinity by nuclear power plants.

incredibly sensitive derinciers,of co- :ercial nuclear reactors whosi bodies fu

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to a plume's radicautive contents health - are -Iihewise being affected, sthat o o;;y isperson's rocesses - that is, reacting bio pC j.

Ecu nuch Indiation was released from TFE? f how exposu:enach radiatien can a person be exposed tot ng problens? .

before short-tern exhibi And iWhat was As you know, the ERC and tie Nuclear Industry - and healtht3physics answer any of theseexperts who questions. oppose the Nuclear evenIndustry those various - do released fron TFJ* not know the the so-calle. ha-. progressively risen in the official ,estinatesExcept th advances - tafe levels of exposure consistent 3y decline a . while s nw11 cal science Eovever, one thing seens less nebulous to us

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radioactive dischar6es is. lased op our

• • 3eyond a reasenable shadow of doubt, not so!"

rom T12-2's ence, research an and certain me. ications,Just ns sore individuals are susceptible .

ron pollens to adverse ra.dionuc3 ides fro: 5 l electricity-generating or nalfunctioning reactonother What percentage.'of the population falls into this 3Atter .

as the susceptibi s.ity to radiation at extremely low doses Group is unknown (unle '

from southcentral Pennsylvania nuclear reactors ossly have ss the in been grof releases excess officially certainly unquantified). released figures) hqsjhcretofore apparently been unr ers'* inmellate ' attention, This is an area that should warrent the Commission 'ecognized (an The question for the noment, however, is this the NRC - estecially now that their vulnerable to your attention? _

onrer by_ suscettibilisu ty has been brought of re-openin6 T12 and in our viewWhener .

or not the mental heal e consideration sioners will be violating their own opeit definitely should bel - the Conmis-U. S Congress if they fail to consider therating directives as established by the radior.ctive, too, we r.ight addreleases- fram Three Mile Island,so withsimilarly.anong so-And from peach Botton's reactors We shall be pleased to share, in person, the results of o ur unique and unsuspected aspects of Three tille Island'.s pepulation, er accident'on g off-site The pbysical synptoms cited are an aspect of the accident the conmissioners cannot justifiab3y ignore, .we feel, for the zumifications a o 9

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net caly southcentn.1 Tennsylvanirns ' cut nos cf the populatien in Antrica preposed) cc nercial reactors,living e within the radicactive threat and sh-d and end its pattern of selectively er.cluding the more dis .. ,

difficult safety. aspects of the. nuclear reactor cycle frc= public consideration and people mere holistically, and is willing to e:m.nine the evi ventional as it nay seen to you) .of physical health effects of low-level radiation, we remain in anticipation of your response Host sincerely yours,

- \_.Es eM.

Iarry E. ' nold, Directar ParaSci ce . ternational cc: Co: issioner Victor Gilinsky, h'RC Co= issioner Peter Iradford, NRC Co::issioner Richard Kennedy, NRC _

Co .ission' er John Ahearne, URC '

President Jimmy Carter Dr. John Kemeny, the Presidential Cornission on Three Mile Island

,./ Senator Richard Schweiker, Pennsyhania Senator John Heinz III, Pennsylvania .

Senator Gary Hart, Senate Subco_=ittee Investi6 ating Three Mile Island Rep. Morris Udall, House Subconcittee on Three Mile Island Rep Allen Ertel,17th District Rep. Bill Goodling,19th District -

Senator George Gehas,15th District Genera 1y Assembly Rep, Jeff Piccola,104th District General Assembly, House Special Co :ittee Rep. Stephen Patricia Harris, Reed,103rd Director HliWDistrict General Assembly, House Special Committee Robert Reid, Eayor of Middleto.m t

Drs Chauncey Kepford and Judith Johnsrud, Environmental Coalition on Nuclear Power and Intervenors on THI-2 TI% Three Mile Island Alert e

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CouMDNWEALTH OF PENN E YLVANIA

. House or REPRESENTNTIVES Hammissvec. PA. 1712o Rcp SickwtN R. REED y August 8, 1979 Honorable Joseph M. Hendrie, Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, District of Columbia

Dear Chairman Hen.drie,

I am entirely baffled by the apparent refusal of the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission to have extensively reviewed the reports by hundreds of Three Mile Island area residents who, during March 28-31, 1979 primarily, and at times subsecuent, experienced:

(a) metallic taste in their mouth (b) metallic or Iodine-like odor in the air (c) irritated and watery eyes (d) moderate or severe respiratory inflammation (e) gastro-intestinal dysfunction and diarrhea (f) disruption of the menstral cycle in females (g) skin rashes (some appearing'as radiation burns)

(h) sharp, abnormal pains in joints.

The U.S. Public Health Service and Pennsylvania State Dept.

of Health are jointly conducting a survey of TMI area residents to record medical histories so that the full health consequences of TMI' radiation releases in the next 25 years will be documunted.

That is all fine and should be done. But why is there a complete dismissal by the NRC of any immediate indications of exposure to levels of radiation higher.than what were immediately thought the first dates of the accident? Psychosomatically induced ailments are possible with some, but not with hundreds or even more persons and I suggest this matter has been conveniently laid aside.

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The NRC is charged with ascertaining full details about the TMI accident. You are further charged with knowing the full effects of even low level radiation on populations near to nuclear reactors.

Failure to pursue the aforementioned reports from TMI area residents is a dismal failure of your most important safety responsibilities to the tens of millions of people living near reactors, not to men-tion the people around TMI.

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Ho5orable Joseph M. Hendrie August E, 1979 I therefore recommend that all available expertise be applied to ascertaining <the cause of these physical ailments associated with the TMI accident and a completely accurate public disclosure made of its cause and the level of radiation or contamination that people may have been exposed to. The inability of both Metropolitan Edison and the NRC to know even to this day (or at least to have disclosed if you actually do know) the levels of exposure is in itself a major, most serious failing of pre-TMI accident obligations by both parties. And if it is determined that the exact cause of these physical ailments cannot be determined due to the lack of adequate research on the subject pre-TMI, then the public should know the extent to which we indeed are unprepared to deal with nuclear plant emissions.

Y urs sinfe't ely, )

- o STEPHEN R. REED State Representative cc: NRC Commission Members

• Hon. Gordon MacLeod, M.D.

ParaScience International TMI Alert l

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