ML20137D548

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Requests Rept Re 851021 & 22 Pipe Breaks & Releases,In Response to W Travers 850925 Memo Re Cooling Tower Drift. Repeated Inquiries on Method & Site of Apr 1979 Charcoal Filter Disposal Made
ML20137D548
Person / Time
Site: Three Mile Island  Constellation icon.png
Issue date: 10/22/1985
From: Jun Lee
AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To: Asselstine J
NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20137D512 List:
References
NUDOCS 8601170026
Download: ML20137D548 (2)


Text

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Jane Lee 183 Valley Rd.

Etters, PA 17319 October 22, 1985 b;f James Asselstine, Commissioner Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1717 H. Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20555

Dear Commissioner Asselstine:

This is in response to Deputy Program Director William Travers' Memo of 9/25/85, Pg. 3, Paragraph 2 " Cooling Tower Drift".

Mr. Travers explained that Dr. LaRoche had been unable to identify any substance associated with the TMI facility. Perhaps Dr. LaRoche failed to identify the white, silvery substance because he arrived long af ter both Unit 1 and Unit 11 had ceased to emit " Cooling Tower Drift". It's interesting how meaningless phrases are used to obscure the real issues.

Dr. LaRoche described the white powder as a " Plant fungus". Most people with two brain cells to rub together know about " Plant fungus" but many are not aware of nuclear power plants that emit contamination in the form of radiation and chemicals.

he white,silveryporder subtance we are referring to was found on cars and patios around TMI, PA, the Davis-Besse, Ohio and the Shippingport, PA plants.

Around TMI we detected this substance on top of the watering troughs at neighboring farms. When the water was stirred to remove the powder, which was thickly layered, the water turned milk-white, he residents around Shippingport and Davis-Besse were unaware of the source of this substance until they discovered that other reactor sites were encountering the same substance.

Since Unit i and Unit 11 were closed there has been no discernible evidence of this powder.

The Governor of PA will be relieved to learn of the wonderous miracle which has mysteriously wiped out the common fungus.

Mr. Travers' explanation on the removal of the 20 charcoal filters from Unit 11 on April 1979 is somewhat ambiguous. (Pg.1, paragraphs 1,2,3)

I don't know where Mr Travers was during the initial acc.ident at TMI but I was living in the vicinity of the plant and can clearly recall the events surrounding the 20 filters. h e 20 filters were removed and Met. Bl.

employees either forgot or neglected to replace them until Harold Denton came on site and demanded to know idure the radioactive releases were coming from. A thirty hour lapse in replacement of these filters was inexcusable and criminal negligence. If Mr. Travers has any further problem with this, may I suggest he contact Mr. Denton. Despite repeated inquiries about the method and place of disposal of these filters, no information was ever forth-coming.

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l GPU Nuclear, along with all reactors on this planet, are emitting

" Slight" or " Negligible" radicactivity every day. Not only is this hazanlous to the health of all living things but it is increasing the natural background Jevels every day. herefore, when goverment agencies and/or utilities report releases which are only equivalent to natural radioactive background levels, the " allowable"or "ecceptable" levels

increase accontingly.

Recent events:

On October 21,1985 at 6:05 p.m., GPU Nuclear conduct s a reactor trip test.

hose who live off site and in the vicinity of TMI heard the reactor trip. In fact it sounded like more than one reactor trip. There was a great deal of verbal conversation on the loudspeakers. Following the trip test, GPU announced off site radiation releases. Those releases were observed by local citizens.who reported the releases moving in a N./N.W.

direction.

On Oct. 22,1985 GPU announced that the reactor trip test created more pipe breaks and the reactor would have to be shut down for repairs.

But not to worry, the releases came from the "non-nuclear" side of the plant.

So much for " LESSONS LEARNED".

I would appreciate a report on each of the pipe breaks and subsequent yN releases. Which pipes were broken? What is the condition of the steam tubes? Exactly how much radiation was released?

Sincerely, an e

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