ML20148B393
| ML20148B393 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/26/1979 |
| From: | Ahearne J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Scott Freeman TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8001220177 | |
| Download: ML20148B393 (1) | |
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NUCLEAR REGULMORY COMMISSION
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December 26, 1979 CHAWMAN l
Mr. S. David Freeman Chairman of the Board Tennessee Valley Authority Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
Dear Chairman Freeman:
Your December 3, 1979 letter to Dr. Hendrie requested that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission consider permitting TVA to conduct certain activities including fuel loading, zero power physics testing, special testing and operator training at the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant Unit 1 at no greater than five percent power.
Your proposal is an interesting one.
While a distinction can be made between the risk to public health and safety from a special testing program at low power and operation at full power, further discussions between our respective staffs will be required to explore the details of your proposed program.
However, until the Comission has completed the reviews necessary to ensure that operating reactors are adequately responding to the lessons learned from the TMI accident, only limited resources will be available for reviews associated with issuing r.ew operating licenses.
Subject to this resource constraint, I have asked the staff to review your proposal and to make a recomendation to the Commission in this regard.
The final. decision on this matter will, of course, reside with the Comission.
I would also like to note that Commissioners Kennedy and Hendrie prefer that the NRC staff proceed promptly in this matter, particularly in light of the ACRS's strong endorsement of your proposal.
They believe that the necessary resources can and should be made available under these circumstances, inc arely, s
1d.
ohn F. Ahearne l
i 90028300 8001220: 77
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