ML20127H620
| ML20127H620 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Monticello  |
| Issue date: | 06/07/1968 |
| From: | Price US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| To: | Mondale W SENATE |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9211180563 | |
| Download: ML20127H620 (12) | |
Text
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/bL -l Distribution Suppl.3
-g AEC Pub. Doc. Rm.
Formal Docket REG Reading DRL Reading
-ASI 7 3g3 RPB-1 Reading H. L. Price C. K. Beck f
[0' M M. M. Mann C. L. Henderson R. Doan
[
Honorable Walter F. Mondale H. Shapar j
United States Senate P. A. Morris R. S. Boyd l
Dear Senator Mondale D. R. Muller D. Fischer Your memorandum of May 6, 1968 to office of Congressional N. Blunt Liaison, Atomic Energy Cossaission, concerning a letter you G. Ertter (1716/
received from Mrs. Henry H. Cowie, dated April 9,1968, has 70438) been referred to me.
To aid you in preparing a reply to this RPS letter,1 an enclosing a brief report which describes our regelatory review procedure and the radiological effects to the environs expected an a result of operation of the Heati-cello Nuclear Generating Plant.
In addition to the booklet, " Licensing of Power Reactors" which is referaseed in the attached report, I am also enclosing a copy of " Atomic Power Safety" which describes the operation of the typical water cooled and moderated nuclear power plants.
A similar letter from Mrs. Henry H. Cowie has been referred to me from Representative Joseph E. Karth.
Sincerely yours,
( signed ) Hacold E. FrIE Harold L. Price Director of Regulation Enclosures :
- 1. Report
- 2. " Licensing of Power Reactors" l
- 3. " Atomic Power Safety"
- 4. Ltr. fr. Mrs. Cowie, 4/9/68 l
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RADIOLOOTCAL E7FEC?S 07 O?ERATING t
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i THE MONTICELLO Ni'~~ EAR CTRATING PLANT -
The application by Northern Scates Power Company for a permit to construct the Monticello plant was reviewed from the standpoint of radiological l
safety by four bodies in the AEC's process of licensing and regulation,-
as outlined in the enclosed, booklet, " Licensing of Power Reactors."
j' 3 These -review groups included the AEC regul-tory staff, the Commission's j
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statutory Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), and an atomic a
safety and Ik ensing board which conducted a public hearing in the l
matter on May 28, 1967, at Buffalo, Minnesota. - The initial decision of i
the board, granting-a provisional construction permit, _ was.then reviewed j.
by the Commission itself. The construction permit was issued on June 19, l
f 1967. Each of these review bodies concluded that the proposed plant
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could be constructed and operated without undue risk to the health and l
safety of the public.
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When the app.icant completes the plant and applies for an operating
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license, further safety reviews will be conducted by the AEC regulatory staff _and the ACRS. Thereafter, if an operating license is granted, j
the plant will be under AEC surveillance and undergo _ periodic safety j
inspections throughout its lifetina.
Small amounts of radioactive material are permitted by AEC regulations to be released into the environment at controlled rates and in controlled amounts from a nuclear power plant. This requires a continuous program i
of monitoring and control to assure that percdssible' limits are not exceeded. The permissible limits in AEC regulations are based on guides l
developed by the Federal Radiation Council, a statutory body, and issued by the President for the guic.ance of Federal agencies. These 1
permissible limits are such that continuous use of air or water at the point of release from the site would not result in exposures exceeding j
national and international standards for radiation protection-~of the public. Permissible exposure limits-reflected in these standards are well below the ' level where biological damage has been observed in humans. It is believed that any biological effects th t might be a
produced at such low exposures would be too infrequenty in comparison j
with the occurrence of similar effects from natural causes,. to be observed by epidemiological or other techniques presently available.
1 Thus, the risk to individuals exposed at such levels is so low as-to be negligible in comparison with observable risks from natural and j
other causes.
The concentrations of liquid radioactive effluents released from the plant are further reduced by dilution in the body of water to which they are discharged. A recent survey of all fourteen operating nuclear power plants
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g-has shown that the concentrations of radioactivity in liquid releases
- t during 1967 were only a small fraction of the permissible' limits applicable to the radionuclides in the effluent.
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In the case of the Monticello p..nt, the A;C's cvaluations concluded that the design and operation of the rcdiolc ical waste disposal system would preclude harmful eff; cts on the ' water supplies of Minneapolis and St..aul, the nearest communities using the Mississippi River for potable water. Nevertheless, during our review of the
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proposed Monticello plant, we considered consequences to the Minneapolis d
and St. Paul water supplies of acci *cntal releases of radioactive i
material to the Mississippi River ' ven though we found no evident way e
that such a release could occur.
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i It is extremely unlikely that an accidental release of large quantities f
of radioactive caterial from the Monticello plant into the river would i
occur. However, if such a release were to occur, the radioactive material would travel downstream with the river current and sufficient time would 4
be available to close the intakes f or the Minneapolis and St. Paul water j
systems before the radioactive material reached them. If such action were necessary, the reserve supplies of water available in the reservoirs i
of the two cities would be sufficient toLmaintain full water supplies to-
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the cities until such time as tha radiation contamination has passed the 4
intakes. When the applicant applies for an coeracing license, the procedures to be followed, and the. instruments required to monitor any radioactive release, will be reviewed in datail to.further assure that the citizens of Minneapolis and St. Paul as well as other communities
- which use the Mississippi for potable water will.not be adversely-affected.
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DATE-mpy 6, 1968 7
3(11ilcD Min {cs Mctictic f
RE:
Mrs. Henry Cowie 911 Fairraount j
Saint Paul 1
Minnesota 55101 i
f Respectfully referred to Congressional Liaison Atomic Energy Commission 17ashington, D.
C.
For your consideration of the attached letter, and for a report.
__sgbgo be forwa rded directly to the constituent, with a copy to me for my information apd records.
N To me, in duplicate to accompany return of enclosure.
As requested below.
Additional comment.s:
1968 5/20-- D.R. Muller telephoned Mr. Avery.
It is agreeable w/Mr. Avery that our reply be addressed to Senator Mondale rather than the constituent.
RPB-1, DRL, AEC
,,., -. +. -
Please refer response to attention of Gary Avery
, of my staff,
t e
on the outside of the envelope only.
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1 Thank you.
WALTER F. MONDALE 3
l U.S. SENATE e
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,,4 B A'I E Mcy 6, 1968 1
'Phileb Sinies Sennie t
RE:
Mrs. Ilonry Cowie.
911 Fairmount Saint Paul
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Minnesota 55101 1
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Respectfully referred to 1
Congressional Lialuon l
Atomic Enorgy Commission i
Wach1ngton, D.
C.
For your consideration of the attached letter, and for a report.
__gggo be forwarded directly to the constituent, with a copy to me for my information apd records.
X To me. in duplicate to accompany return of enclosure.
As requested below.
Additional comments:
1968 5/20-- D.R. Muller telephoned Mr. Avery.
It is agreeabic w/Mr. Avery that our reply be addressei to Senator Mondale rather than the constituent.
RPB-1. DRL, AEC
' Please refer response to attention of Gary Avery
, _of my staff,
4 l t l
, _on the outside of the envelope only.
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WALTER F. MONDALE i
U.S. SENATE b
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