ML20136J081

Forwards Ltr to Commissioner Palladino That May Be of Interest Re Licensing of Facility

ML20136J081
Person / Time
Site:	University of Lowell
Issue date:	05/16/1985
From:	Doherty J DOHERTY, J.F.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
Shared Package
ML20136H905	List: ML20136H900 ML20136H927 ML20136H938 ML20136H947 ML20136H967 ML20136J013 ML20136J026 ML20136J039 ML20136J048 ML20136J081
References
FOIA-85-379 NUDOCS 8508200606
Download: ML20136J081 (1)

Text

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3---/74 PF e May 16, 1985 31S Summit Ave.

Brighton, Mass. 02135 C ice of the Executive LeEa1 Director U. S. Iiuclear F.eculatory Comm.

L'a s '. i :-t o n D . C . 20555

Dear Sir / Madam:

The e elosei letter to Commicsioner Paladino na- be of ince est to vou as it mentions a curreht licensing, and is also a nossible stinulation amon.- future arties for Dacket No. CO-223SP.

Sincerely, I}

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John F. Dohert

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May 15,1955 318 Su=.it Ave. #3 Eri.~hton, Mass. 02"35 (617) 232-3853

- Honorable Hunzio J. Palladino Chairman U. S. Nuclear Re ulatory Commission Washington D. C. 20555 . .

Dear Chairman Palladino,

I have recently petitioned for leave to intervene in the relicensing of the University of Lowell research .

reketor (Docket No. 50-223 SP) in Lowell, Massachusetts. ,

My decision to intervene arose in large tart from my concern about the presence of boob-grade uraniun in this low-security, civilian environment.

As a eneral princiele, I believe that highly en-  !

riched uranium should not be utilized except where national security or other vital interests =ake it essential. I feel strongly it should not be used in an academic environment such as that of the Uni-versity of Lowell where adequate security measures amuear difficul't if not inpossible to maintain.

Moreover, recent tests at the University of lii-chigan using a Materials Testing Reactor highly simi-lar to that at the University of Lowell indicate but l 10% of the neutron flux is lost by conversion to i low enriched uranium from which'a bomb cannot be made. i g l ryf~n P~ ,, v v< r  ! .

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Hence, a safe alternative is available to the highly e

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enriched uranium the University of Lowell croposes .

to continue using.

Therefore, I strongly supoort your proposal (49 Federal Register 27769) to require conversion of hishly enriched uranium-fueled reactors to low enriched uranium. I understand that my support is shared by the overwhelming majority of those who submitted comments on the troposed rule, including virtually all members of the general oublic who voiced an ouinion.

Approval and imnlementation of the orocesed rule would comoletely resolve this central cortion of my concerns about the University'of Lowell: reactor. Fail-ure to require conversion, on the other hand, would oblige me to challengein detail the adenuacy of se-curity at the facili.ty.

I resoectfully urge that the Commission adopt the conversion requirement. .

Sincerely, N' lWh l John F. Dohert 4

xc: Dr. Wm. HoFan, Pres. U. of Lowell Gov. Michael Dukakis Office of the Executive Legal Director o

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