ML20148P393

Valley Alliance & TMI Alert Motion to Request That Presiding Judge Order Gpu Nuclear to Provide Addl Info & Clarify Intentions to Install Test & Conduct Experiments W/Evaporator Prior to Hearings.*

ML20148P393
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	03/30/1988
From:	Skolnick F SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY ALLIANCE, LANCASTER, PA, THREE MILE ISLAND ALERT
To:	Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
Shared Package
ML20148P398	List: ML20148P393
References
CON-#288-6026 OLA, NUDOCS 8804110187
Download: ML20148P393 (5)

Text

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O o (NITED STATES OF AMERICA 00(;M@rIE0 US c i t0CIIAR REGULAIORY CQHISSION 15 APR -1 P3 38 i BEFORE THE A104IC SAFEIY AND LICENSIPC BOARD OFriCE U 5tche.:4, ,

00CMEllNG 4 $[,r,1U' BRANCH In the Matter of GPU )

Nuclear Corporation ) Docket #50-320-OtA Three Mile Island tbclear ) (Disposal of Accident Station, Unit 2 ) Generated Water)

SVA/'IMIA'S tCITON TO REQUEST THAT THE PRESIDItG JUDGE ORDER GPU NUCLEAR TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INEDRMATION AND CIARIP/ THEIR INIENTIONS TO INSTALL TEST AND OMDUCT EXPERIMENTS WITH THE EVAFORATOR PRIOR TO HEARItGS On Ibesday, March 22,1988,an article in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal (

rutified its readership that GPU lbelear was purchasing an evaporator for

$800,000 regardless of the up and ccming hearings. The article stated that -

GPU tb: lear had authorized a vendor to "design. install and begin testing the evaporation systen." On that sam day, Parch 22,Intervenor received a Press Release in SVA's Post Office rail box fran GPU tbelear. This stated that GPU tbclear "has authorized a vendor to hegin design, fabrication, installation and testing of the evaporator systan".

In light of the fact that GFU intends to proceed with purchase, installation, and testin6 Prior to the hearings,Interverrt is requesting that the Presiding Judge order GPU to provide the following informtion: -

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1) o sche &13 ftr the insta11ction and testing cf the evaporatac

. 2) prior identification and sche & ling cl all changes to be rade as ana-i a result of installation of the evaporator at the site.

3)theobjectivesofanyteststobeundertaken

4) the results and data which contributed to those results of any tests undertaken prior to purchase and which will be undertaken in the future.

Intervenor is aware that SVA/IMIA's Interrogatories were to be sutrnitted by March 15th,1988 and that Discovery was to be empleted by March 29th.1988.

Ibwever,Intervenor did not know that GPU had purchased and intended to install the evaporator and test it,until March 22nd.(The Press Release was dated March 17th.1988). Prior to this information,Intervenor had received GPU tbelear's System Description,(letter 4410-88-L-0012/0335P, dated February 16th.1988). In this document Mr Standerfer stated "GPU tbclear has recently authorized the systm vendor to --

proceed with the final de_ sign and fabrication of its evaporator systm" (Lines 7-10)

Mr Standerfer also stated that the Systm Description is "an evolving doctment and is subject to change" and states further that GPU has decided to ,

" begin final design and fabrication prior to approval of Technical Specification Change" Intervenor was therefore unaware of Licensee's intention to install and test the evaporator prior to receiving a change in their Technical Specifications. That change is required to rmove the prohibition on.

the disposal of the water and to receive prior approval from the tbc1 car Regulatory Cannission for a proposal to dispose of the water.

1he installation and testing of this recently purchased equipment is related to issues under review in the hearing,and information developed as a result of the purchase and testing of the equignent could be 4

used as a basis for requesting Stanary Dis}wsition. All parties should have access to all information to achieve a reasonable discussion of the issues.

In light of the above,Intervenor is respectfully subnittin6 this motion:

to request that the Presiding Judge order GPU tbclear to provide the information as listed herein.

Respectfully Suhnitted, hCLvCcD $

. Frances Skolnick 1

Attach:ents:

l Lancaster Intelligencer Jeumal article

! GPU tbc1 car Press Release fay. + cf L ~ # IC 3d N.

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> ' 4 March 17,1988 i No.10-88N process until 1990 or later -- af ter TNI-2 is placed in PDPS. GPU Nuclear first proposed evaporation as a means of disposing of the water in July 1986.

The proposal is to be reviewed by an NPC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board prior to being submitted to the NRC for approval. Kintner estimated the proposal would not reach the NRC before December 1988.

The evaporation is projected to produce a total average exposure to the public equal to one or two hours of natural background radiation over a period of one to two years. An environmental impact statement published u June 1987 by the NRC staff found evaporation to be environmentally acceptable.

GPU Nuclear, at its own risk, has authorized a vendor to begin design, fabrication, installation and testing of the evaporator system. The work is to take about nine months to complete. Work on the system is being started now with the expectation that NPC approval will be forthcoming and to minimize the lapse of time in disposing of the water. The water, which originated with the 1979 accident, has had most radioactive contaminants removed from it but remains slightly contaminated. '

Kintner said the GPU Nuclear is working with NRC researchers to develop a program to obtain data on core debris in the bottom of the reactor and on the structural material of the reactor itself. During the accident, approximately 20 tons of molten core material flowed into the bottom of the reactor vessel where it was contained.

Kintner said GPU Nuclear continued to project that total werker exposure from the cleanup would be significantly below earlier projections. The i

current projection is 6,000 man-rem, compared to an NRC estimate of 13,000 to 46,000 man-rem.

Frank Standerfer, Vice President and Director of TN!-2, reported that a l

l number of documents in support of POMS would be submitted to the NRC over the next month. These documents, like others that have been submitted to the NRC over the past year, are largely revisions made to existing documents to reflect improved plant conditions. They generally outline administrative and operational requirements of the plant's NRC license.

l The GPU System serves 1.7 million customers in an area covering half the land mass of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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TMI Put.s. - . .

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NEWSMAKERS For Boile$ . . ,. -

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1 Cwwww.d frorn Peee one GPU Nuclear 1 hat the process will

, have "no agmificant environmen-tal effects," there is still some .

public opposition to the project. i said Thomas Gerusky, a member ;

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. of a citizens' advison panel on '

TMI Orders Bod, er sm= the TMI cleanug and director of'~

While Gerusky said he had no problems with the plan, be said some area residents "were con-Before Plan Passes y4:vsaut.a,zme water in storage tanks. Other res-t WASHINGTON ( AP) - The instau and begin testing the evap. Idents have proposed sobdifying the water, perhaps by mixing it operator of the Three Mile Island oration system. with cement. and shipping it to a nuclear plant said Monday it is "This is very distressing to low level waste dum .

spending $800.000 to boil away 2.3million gallons of water contami Gerusky said is advisory group, the individuals which and organization meets periodically nated in the 1979 accident, even talking about safety and design with the the NRC eommissioners, ts though the method has yet to beapproved and up company is puttin public money hearings are fe[ng,to he'sttons. What it means is th for design, and probab y construc-n m ,, er o a months au a) g ng t te expected to plan na H rr stiu Pa s red the contract with P fic u esr Most of the water is left over A om Sa et and I ice Systems nc. o a ), . from the 1979 accident, while Board, which will then forwar

' Wa f es,aporator was a some has been used to decontami- the record to the NRC commis-

,.w 't the NRC (Nucle n te the plant. GPU Nuclear said sioners for their consideration.

the average additronal radiation He noted that the NRC staN C

ar ReEulatoU ommission) to[a exposure from the evaporation has given its blessinf the commi oration plan, but tha

$[iN's P ss$, t thaf.w Idnj w uld be about the sarne as "the sioners have withheld approval exposure from one to two hours of natural background radiation in pending public hearings.

man ordon Ton inTte ' the !!arrisburg area- Disposal of the water is art f phone interview,. Essentially, the process in- of the 31 billion cleanup of l

NRC spokeswoman Sue volves bothng the water into nije Island a During the acci-l Gagner said it was common for steam released from a 100 foot- dent, uranium fuel was allowed ta' 6

utthties to make major expendi- high stack, couectirg impurities -

l tures for equrpment before the and packaging them for shipment lecausin it, h vitalmaterial coolinbthat cos the core '

commission granted pern.ission to a low. level radioactive waste .:

for its use. dump. GPU Nuclear estimates begin GPU meftindu.elear announc

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But Kay Pickering, spokes- the evaporation will cost 87 mu ' plans in December 1986 to woman for Three Mile Island lion. Tomb said testing at ~ the Unit 2 in storag( inde plut would not use radioactive , locking the reactor J as alarr w he U cl r told the NRC at a meeting last wateDespite assurances from week that the company had au. .

active The NRCfue$'s i expected 1

- thorized the contractor to desien, une tw crotas ree. 2 a report next month on the "monitored storage"/

poses any threat to the 9

' ment, Michael Masnik of mission said Monday, n .-

' While there are no restart TMI 2, its twin t was not harmed in the and resumed operating 1985. .. . A;g A.

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