ML20127F296
| ML20127F296 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 09/20/1979 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Reed S PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20127C068 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-85-8 NUDOCS 8506250105 | |
| Download: ML20127F296 (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
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I 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 additional health effects to the offsite population. The prcjected number
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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 E. Conti J. Stohr, Region I C. Paul
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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.
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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 the hundreds-o'f-thousands who were subjected to Tt2-2's novel and reprehen-l 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-ings and lives of those peopic most intimately affected by America's worst I
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 Commissioner who continues to isolate-hinself from direct personal contact l
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 and fears about TKI only so long as you maintain your isolation from such l
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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%9 "foday's fronfices are tomorrow's unflerstenfling..."
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l9 1.::.e2d to J.:e:dr3. ' < u :t 19~
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f Til, the Eafety Study's accident-casu2.lty sta living beyoM the h tistics.
who
- t. erha;s then you i inens we yorself, ard Anericanshas had.saf ety and su:-dval of Ge c.h n out as you did sar.e experience Er, Cilinshy Y ou o t ction, rather than sell t essessment of "prepen fety h
Nuclear Industry's survivr.1 above t e pay your sala?y and expect pro eresponse to Stephen Earauer's advisenent that uMer syster.
disadvantages" in the General Elec r Iic health and safety" considerr.tion in 1972 in Leonard 31ckwit's caused direct-Second, regarding Thief Council blens ed narrowly as physical pro fety can be ato..ic energy statutes'"puba nuclear plant are usually The issue of public health and sa oblems have i
no such short-ter: exposure prThis the case, ly by exposure to radiation.
ignored, 'it was inplied, becaus,esurfaced fron the T paraScience Interna-t l aspects conducted 'trj and documents unconventionawho experi-i Chair::an Eendrie.aM self-funded investiEat on l arly pointsto hundreds of personsf radionuc h e:nnines Extensive tional, an organication.whict or ill-health as.the result o who suffered of van and his environnent, c e 26, 1979.ith scores of people enced physiological disconforand after Farch at length have been held wfollowing sy=ptoms:
released fron TIH-2 on Interviews varyin6 combirations of the air Metallic taste in theMetallic or Iodine-like o Irritated and watery eyessevere respiratory i fallout d dir.rrhea Ga.stro-intestinal dysfunction an Eode:ste or
' Disruption of menstral cycle from the Chinese A-bonb detonation
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southcentral pennsylvania Skin rashes (often giving the ap (as Met-Ed did, thoseintervie Sharp, abnormal pains in joints cymptons as psychosonatici nificant th who Before discounting theselife-long resident of southcentra"I grew u few they knew of that is), it is s g and I never 8 30(site of Bethlehea Steel's found echoed the statement of a 1979:
taste spoke of the days March 2 - at or that awful netallicome 'new tmosphere lived in Steelton for awhile l ased.
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had such severe burning in my throThe only ident I 2 and the radionuclides it ity,1)these 1
confirr with two during this period has been TE -
coincidesuffering these h
Supporting the attribution of t es from the reactorfroa TtH; 2) those area, arourd 7
reports from points up to 10 miles h
(ard likely three) radioactive releasesl) quickly t
and metallic according to f radionuclides symptoms recovered (in generaa link between th t
TIG and 3) the U. S. Governmen,
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ch into the effects of ' low-e ago than a decade i
taste in the atmosphere.
Furtheracre, PSI's pioneering resear
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i M. tic; that 1 highly sensitive to the presence of extren.
.cnt of the pepu-radiation si:itted by nuclear power plants.
nely lo.: doses of J r. the vicinity incredibly sensitive derinciers,of co- :ercial nuclear reactors whosi bodies fu to a plume's radicautive contents that person's bio pC
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s o o;;y is reacting health - are -Iihewise being affected, rocesses - that is, Ecu nuch Indiation was released from TFE?
how nach radiatien can a person be exposed to before exhibi iWhat was f
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And exposu:e problens?
t ng short-tern As you know, the ERC and tie Nuclear Industry - and health physics experts who oppose the Nuclear Industry - do even those various answer t3 any of these questions.
not know the ha-. progressively risen in the official estinatesExcept th released fron TFJ*
the so-calle. tafe levels of exposure consistent 3y decline a
,. while advances -
s nw11 cal science Eovever, one thing seens less nebulous to us
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radioactive dischar6es is. lased op our research an rom T12-2's
- 3eyond a reasenable shadow of doubt, not so!"
- ence, and certain me. ications,Just ns sore individuals are susceptible to adverse electricity-generating or nalfunctioning reactonother 5
ron pollens ra.dionuc3 ides fro:
What percentage.'of the population falls into this 3Atter l
as the susceptibi s.ity to radiation at extremely low doses (unle Group is unknown from southcentral Pennsylvania nuclear reactors have been gr ss the releases officially released figures) hqsjhcretofore apparently been unr ossly in excess of certainly unquantified).
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 suscettibilisu onrer by_
to your attention?
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, releases fram Three Mile Island,so similarly.anong so with too, we r.ight add -
And from peach Botton's reactors We shall be pleased to share, in person, the results of o unsuspected aspects of Three tille Island'.s accident'on ur unique and er pepulation, The pbysical synptoms cited are an aspect of the accident the g off-site conmissioners cannot justifiab3y ignore,.we feel, for the zumifications a o
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Y, net caly southcentn.1 Tennsylvanirns ' cut nos cf the populatien in Antrica
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preposed) cc nercial reactors,living within the radicactive threat and sh-d e
and end its pattern of selectively er.cluding the more dis difficult aspects of the. nuclear reactor cycle frc= public consideration and safety.
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 Co: issioner Victor Gilinsky, h'RC cc:
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 Investi ating Three Mile Island Rep. Morris Udall, House Subconcittee on Three Mile Island 6
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 Reed,103rd District General Assembly, House Special Committee Patricia Harris, Director HliW Robert Reid, Eayor of Middleto.m Drs Chauncey Kepford and Judith Johnsrud, Environmental Coalition on t
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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- _.,7 Ptae Two 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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