ML20151H078

Informs That Environ Policy Council Issued 810902 Press Release on Occupational Radiation Exposures in 1980 at Lwrs.Points of Clarification Listed

ML20151H078
Person / Time
Site:	Oyster Creek
Issue date:	09/03/1981
From:	Kreger W Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML20151G994	List: ML20151H075 ML20151H078 ML20151K442 ML20151K590 ML20155G802 ML20155G850 ML20155G860 ML20155G917 ML20155G941 NUREG-0600, Responds to 880503 Request for Info Re Radiation Exposure at Plant During Yrs 1980 & 1983,including SALP for Same period.NUREG-0713 & Other Repts on Radiation Exposure Available in PDR
References
NUDOCS 8109290028
Download: ML20151H078 (2)

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MD:0PMDUM FOR: Harold R. Denton, Director Office of fluclcar Reactor P.egulation FROM: William E. Y,reger, Assistant Director for Radiation Protection, DSI

SUBJECT:

FRESS RELEASE 03 OCCUPATIONAL RADI ATION EXPOSU?ES IN 1930 FOR LWRs The Environmental Policy Council (EPC) (Robert Alvarez) issued a press reler.se on 9/2/81 on the issue of occupational radiation exposures in 1930 at LlRs. It quoted the data presented in the May 28, 1931 nemorandum fron Cheles Hinson to ne, t.-hich was attached to the Comission Information paper, "Unusually High Occupational Radiation Doses Reported for Power Reactors Operating in 1930" (SECY-81 517, August 28, 1981). As a result of the release, Public Affairs had ne talk to Ed Roby of UP, and Joanne Onang of the 1.'ashington Post and Linda Cec is of RV,0 news service called me directly (I'm not sure all of

, these car,e through Public Affairs).

I r:ade the following points:

1. The collective exposure increase is caused primarily by the need to tackfit safety items, partly industr'y identified, or to repair steam generators.

2. The activities are pursued under the ALAPA concept whereby individual exposures were both within regulatory (safe) limits and minimized by ALAPA procedures and practices.

3 The individual exposure average did not go up significantly so that individual risk did not rise. Radiation worker risk is relatively low arong industrial occupations.

4 The 3-10 cancers (54,000 person rem in 1980) used in the EPC release is reasonably accurate, but should be characterized as potentia _1_ cancers, and, in accordance with NAS-NRC BEIR report, should not exclude zero cancers as a possible outcome of the exposures.

5 He would expect new plants coming on line to bring the average exposures '

down because they were designed with nore "ALAPA" features.

6. The exposures in older plants in 1982, after two years of tackfit 'activ-ities, should go back down to "nomal" levels experienced in years prior to 1930 Industry is beginning to understand the buildup of activated fY .

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• 11arold R. Denton .

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corrosion products (CRUD) and should soon be able to prevent the gradual increase in radiation levels in such plants, thus adding an additional control on the previously gradual rise in annual collective occupational radiation exposure per reactor at operating Ll!Rs.

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!!illiam E. Kreger, Ass stant Director for Rcdiation Protection Division of Syste:as Integration cc: P.a t t t o n FCcngel DCollins CHinson JFouchard

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