ML20127P138

Responds to Re Issues Raised by Three GE & One NRC Engineer Re Reactor Safety

ML20127P138
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello, Prairie Island
Issue date:	03/26/1976
From:	Gossick L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Gove P MINNESOTA, STATE OF
References
NUDOCS 9212020092
Download: ML20127P138 (3)

Text

. - - - - - - _ - _ _ _ - _ _ - _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

ky g

g *,-

s; fu,R 2 C E76 iocket Mos'. 50-263, 50-282, 50-306 s

!!r. Peter L. Covo Executive Director Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 1935 Nest County Road B2 Roseville,liinnesota 55113

Dear Mr. Gove:

l This is in response to your letter of March 2,1976, to Chairn:an Anders which has been referred to me for reply. Your concern regarding the issues raised by the three GE engineers and the NRC engineer who recently resigned is understandable.

issues raised by these individuals have

~

been widely publicized by the press, radio and television, as well as the trade journals, Nuclear News, Nuclear Industry, Nucleonics Week, etc.

The official NRC response to the issues have been sent to the local public docunent roons, in your case, The Environmental Conservation Library, Minneapolis Public Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Stinnesota 554n1.

Enclosed is a complete set of the NRC statemerts before the Joint Comittee on Atonic Energy. The complete transcript of the hearings on the r.atter held by the Joint Comittoc on Atomic Energy will be available through the usual congressional channels.

Fe have reviewed the issues and have found that some of the specific issues are currently under review hy the NRC, but there were no new technical issues raised by the four engineers. This is brought out in Chairnan Anders' statement which is included in the enclosure.

You also stated that you wanted to know "whether in the light of these events Monticello und Prairic Island will be inspected, when the inspections will occur, and specifically what will be' inspected."

I w; cz v w -m sn.

e- --

9212020092 760326 PDR ADOCK 05000263 P

PDR

4-Mr. Peter L. Gove In view of the fact that no new issues were raised, there vill be no special inspections performed as a result of the allegations nf 1:ie four enrincers. There, of course, will be the usua,' routiv.c and unannounceJ inspections.

We overage approximately 15 ins!Netions per year for each power reactor of which 65% are unannounced.

The latest inspection at the Prairio Island P.iant was conducted on January 12 through 16.

A copy of that inspection report has been sent to you in response to your request of February 24, 1976, to Mr. Ziemann. All inspection reports are sent to The Environmental Conservation Library after a determination thnt no proprietary information is in the report.

4 I trust that this reply is responsive to your request.

Sincerely.

($ltned) Lee V. Could Lee V. Gossic)

Executive Diroctor for Operations

Enclosures:

DISTRIBUTION 1.

Statements before the NRC PDR DLZiemann '

Joint Connittee on Local PDR JRMiller

~' T ocket #50-263/282/306 REHeineman Atomic Enerry March 2, Fi,9 D

1976 by W. A. Anders.

EDO Reading IIRDenton I, C. Husche, V. Stello, ORB #2 Reading RSBoyd

r. B. Minogue, L. \\'. Gossich,

,LVGossick Secy Mail S. H. llanauer, b. C. Rusche WKDircks Facility - (3) 2.

N;tC Staff iteport on technical EGCase issues raised by R. D. Pollard DTDavis 3.

'EC Inspector and Auditor BCRusche Summary Report on allegations VStello by R. D. Pollard KRGoller 4.

Tr Staff Peport on technical TJCarter issues raised by D. G. Bridenbaugh, MGrotenhuis R. D. Hubbard, and G. C. Minor OELD 5.

'mC Staff l'eport on other issues GErtter (EDO-9930) raised by H. D. Pollard, MGroff

-/

D. G. Pridenbaugh, P. B. Hubbard, EPeyton and G. C. Pitnor RMDiggs d

l NRI{:DIl j EDO

.f Q'

OIf,E jf EDO LHigg nbotham BCRusq.

WJDircks LV ick

• See previous yellow for concurr g es 3/d/76 3/h76 3/ /76 3/4 /76 OR:AD/OR 0 ELD OR:DIR/OR NRR:D/DIR OR:0RB #2k OR:f0RBh2 o,ne.

MGrotenhui[Y DLZiemann KRColler*

VStello*

EGCase 3/.!f(76 3/yy/76 3/ /76

,' /76 3/ /76 3/- /76 om r= Ar.cna an. 9-5 n ascu c24o

• w....ov

= -,= m.ornc i.u-.

u.*

j

?

?:

k g

!'r. Peter L. Gove In view of the fact that no new issues were raised, there will be no svelal inspections performed as a result of the allepations of the four e nt,ine ers. There, of course, will be the usual routine and unannounced inspections.

We average approximately 1S inspections per year for each power reactor of which 654 are unannounced. The latest inspection at the Prairie Island Plant was conducted on January 12 through 16.

A copy of that inspection report has been sent to you in re]ponse to your request of February 24, 1976, to Mr. Ziemann. ?::- ~r,pril inspection reports are sent to The Environuental Conservation. Library after a deter.iinstion by 2 :.

3. m,,

O ' 'c

? 3:7:s that no proprietary, information is in the report.

I trust that this reply is responsive to your request.

Sincerely, Lee V. Gossick Executive Director for Operations Fnclosures:

DISTRIBtJTION 1.

Statements before the NRC PDR DLZiemann Joint Com ittee on

' Local PDR JRMiller-Atonic Energy $tarch 2, E

' ) Docket #,50-263/282/306 REHeineman 1976 Ly h'. A. Anders, EDO Reading HRDenton T,.

C. Husche, V. Stello, ORB #2 Reading RSBoyd R. Minogue, L. V. Gossick, LVGossick Secy M&il S.

H.

!!ana u e r, B. C. ilusche WJDircks Facility 2.

' nr Staff keport on technical EGCase (3) issues raised by P.

D.

PollarJ DKDavis 3.

GC Inspector and Auditor BCRusche Su :ary r:eport on allepations VStello by 11 D. Pollard KRGoller 4.

' ".C Staff Report on technical TJCarter issues raised by D. G. Bridenbaugh, MGrotenhuis D. Itubbard, and G. C. Minor OELD

,s.

GErtter (EDO-9930)

(

MGroff EPeyton

)#

[

RMDiggs N

NRR:DIR A/EDO EDO -

BCRusche WJDircks LVGossick 3/ /76 3/ /76

'j/ /76 rNb onL 3

O'

%f"

{Lg D/DIR_

OR:0RB OR:0RB #2 OR:A1/OR DELD 0

j o,.,c.

MGrot enut i :

DL21emann.

.KRGoller,_

V o

E.GCage 3/h/76 3/f/76

_3/ff/.76_

_ 3/

76 3/2%

3/

/7_6.__..

o v. +.

Form A K-318 ( R ev 915 ) AK 4 02 40 1l!r u. es aova nm essur en,emme omcas t en.sae.ses

.=.

V r

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 612-296-7301 March 2, 1976 The Honorable William A. Anders Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.

20555

Dear Mr. Anders:

I am greatly distressed by the fact that three GE engineers and one NRC engineer have resigned in protest over nuclear reactor safety deficiencies.

Their acts raise serious. doubt that the NRC has diligently and objectively probed and determined the safety and reliability of currently operating reactors.

1 am further distressed that the NRC-has not explicitly disclosed the specific nature cf the reactor safety issues raised by the

.m resignees.

Within 50 miles of Minnesota's largest metropolitan area, which encompasses nearly two million people, there are three nuclear reactors at two sites, namely Monticello and Prairie Island.

I firmly believe that the safety condition of these nuclear plants must be immediately determined.

Therefore, I want-to know whether in light of these recent events Monticello and Prairie Island will be inspected, when the inspections will occur, and specifically what will be inspected.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has a responsibility to

~

assess the degree of hazard posed by nuclear reactors and to inform the people of Minnesota in a correspondingly apropos manner.

The specific nature of unresolved reactor safety issues, the extent to which safety issues apply to Minnesota reactors, and what protective measures are most advisable for Minnesotans are questions asked of this Agency almost daily.

I request as earnestly as I can that you.eep the MPCA fu ly informed of reactor safety problems, k

NRC actions, and the Minnesota reactors inspections.

./

[y TER L.

GOVE

\\E'xecutiveDirector 1935 West County Road B2, Roseville, Minnesoto 55113 Regional Offices

• Duluth / Broinerd / Fergus Falls / Marshall / Rochester / Roseville Equot opportunity Employer he r

i