ML20197B604

Requests Rept of Attached 781018 Constituent Ltr Re Attempts by Hendrie of NRC to Suppress Potential Damaging Info Re Nuc Pwr Safety as Reported by Union of Concerned Scientists

ML20197B604
Person / Time
Site:	07000754, Vallecitos  File:GEH Hitachi icon.png
Issue date:	10/20/1978
From:	Hayakawa S SENATE
To:	Krammerer C NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
Shared Package
ML20197B610	List: ML20197B604 ML20197B691
References
NUDOCS 7811080039
Download: ML20197B604 (1)

Text

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To: Mr. Carlton C. Kammerer gp Director / ]l Ofrtoe of Congressional Affairs 4 Nuc1 sur Regulatory Commission # ' *J' O g 1717 H Street UW Washington, D.C. 20555 l Enclosure from: Dr. and Mrs. Hiram Wolch, 18313 Fepper Street, I

Castro Valley, CA 9-5h6 1 Re

• Valle citoc Nuclear Center I

l Please review the attached matter and provide me with a complete report, in duplicate and with the return of the enclosures,to the attention of Steve Johnson of my San Francisec' office ( 820 Fox Plaza, 1390 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 9h102). If you need more I information, or if you have 'any questions, please con-tact him at (bl5) 556-8686'.

I would appreciat'e'either a written response or a final reply within two weeks. l i

Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,  ;

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S.I. Hayakava Ur.ited States Senator SIH:sdj t

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9 j Dear Senator Hayakawa N4 Please read the attached letter which we have sent to the Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Joseph Hendrie.

The reprint reproduced on this page concerning Mr. Hendrie is taken frcm the August report of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

We don' t know what information Mr. Hendrie is trying to sup-press, but evidently it is information detrimental to vested nuclear power interests. Does Mr. Hendrie represent these interests or does he represent the interests of the people as a whole?

We wish that in addition to releasing information that might reveal shortcomings in nuclear safety standards, Mr. Hendrie and other preponents of nuclear power would reveal to us the information (which they surely possess?) which makes them so confident that radio-  !

active wastes can be safely disposed of for thousands of years; that nuclear power plants are safe not only during the 30 years of their productivity but the 200+ years after-UCS Request for wares, during which the poisonee stru=-

ture must be guardedt or even that i NRC Documents nuclear power a costs being con-sidered) is afforcable. We would BrinwOs Extraord. mary surety avereciate eeing able to share in the peace of mind such knowledge g Information would give us. i to Public Attention In the absence of suen assur-ances it would seem absolutely insane I

The union of Concerned Scientists routineiy uses the to build more and more nuclear power Freedom of Information Act (FOI A) to ootam gowwnment plants. We would like to believe that documents relatmg to nuclear issues and regulations, the people who are determining the fate Last montn the Chairman of the Nuctor Reguiatory of our children and grandchildren are t Commission. Joseon M Wendrie, attempted to supprus the sane and rational. t FOI A re6 ease of a memorandum he wrote in 1972. wnen he was an official of the Atomic Energy Commission. In that memorandum. Hendrie contended that a pian to solve an Please use your influence to important ructor istety pron 6.m "could weil bs the e'id of bring these and all facts concerning nuciar power /' The memorandum also stated that if the nuclear power into the open, including plan was adopted, it "would generally create more turmoil the serious shortcomings of the Rasmussen than i can stand thinking about." Report.

In 1972 wMn the memo was written,the government took no action. Earlier ind year, the NRC exempred 21 of the 70 Sincerely, reactors operstmg in the U.S. hem a government safety ruto reQuirmq b " sufficient margin of safety," becease of continueng ,

concern about me same prooieme that h.ad twen reiseti m the ongmal ciscussion. ,

UCS is critical of tt.e attempted suppression of the memo. r rendum and feeis that the nucient reguistory process has ban W. ad Ms. ma.m W,ar. -

perverted by offierals who are more mterested m preteetmg '

the riuclear ind6stN from criticism than from protectmg the public health and safety.

UCS wil l contmue to monitor the issue. C s,

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