ML20203F214

Responds to 860319 Request for Info on Constituent Gm Cochran Inquiry Re Federal Govt & Commonwealth of PA Involvement in Payment for Cleanup & Waste Storage.Doe Funds Expended for Data Collection for R&D Program

ML20203F214
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	04/18/1986
From:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Levin C SENATE
Shared Package
ML20203F220	List: ML20203F214 ML20203F230
References
NUDOCS 8604250084
Download: ML20203F214 (5)

Text

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' % ...* AMI13 M6 The Honorable Carl Levin United States Senate Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Levin:

As requested in your March 19, 1986 letter, we are providing information in response to the two questions posed by Mr. G. Mick Cochran. The two questions posed by Mr. Cochran are, "Why are the Federal Government and two State Governments involved in paying for the TMI cleanup?" and "Where is the waste being stored that is removed from this site?"

After the March 28, 1979 accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2), a number of federal agencies recognized that there was a significant amount of valuable information that could be obtained during the course of the cleanup. The overall responsibility for directing a research and development (R&D) program was given to the Department of Energy's Office of Light Water Reactor Safety and Technology.

The principal focus of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission involvement with the THI-2 cleanup has been to provide regulatory oversight to assure that cleanup activities are conducted safely and expeditiously.

The expenditure of Federal monies, managed by the Department of Energy, is designed to accomplish three objectives:

understand what happened during the accident apply this understanding to the resolution of current technical issues transfer the findings of the R&D program to the public, nuclear industry and other governmental agencies.

Federal monies have been expended to facilitate various phases of the cleanup, allowing the collection of data necessary for the overall R&D program. Some specific activities utilizing federal funds include evaluation of the accident by collecting and analyzing samples from the core and other reactor systems, visual and acoustic inspections of the damaged core, development of the shipping cask to be used to safely transport the core debris, and development of a boring machine for use in obtaining stratified samples of the damaged core.

In July 1981, Pennsylvania Governor Richard Thornburgh proposed a comprehensive cost-sharing plan that became the framework for funding the cleanup. Two of the sources of funds identified in the Thornburgh Plan were the States of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Inhabitants of both states are serviced by the holding company responsible for the operation of Three Mile Island Unit 2. The holding company, General Public Utilies Nuclear Corporation, is headquartered in G604250084 DR 860418 d ADOCK 05000320 PDR

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Parsippany, NJ, and its service area includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

State funds, provided thrcugh State appropriations, are being used to directly offset costs for the cleanup. Both states have a strong interest in assuring that the cleanup of TMI-2 proceeds safely and expeditiously.

With regard to your question on radioactive wastes generated by the clearup, solid wastes with low concentrations of radioactivity are routinely . hipped from TMI-2 to a commercial low-level waste burial site at Richland, Washington.

Wastes in this category typically consist of contaminated clothing, equipment, trash, or waste generated during decontamination or processing activities. High-level wastes, consisting of the damaged nuclear fuel and irradiated structural core components, are currently being removed from the reactor vessel in specially designed canisters. The canisters are temporarily stored at TMI-2; shipment of these high-level wastes is expected to begin in mid-1986. These wastes will be stored underwater at a DOE facility at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory until a Federal high-level waste repository is licensed.

I hope that this information is responsive to your request; please contact this office if you have any further questions.

Sincerely, m-a ) r. A n,h.,

J J Victor Stello, Jr.

Executive Director for Operations Distribution Central Files NRC PDR VStello SECY % "'i >

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o-Mr. G. Mick Cochran Parsippany, NJ, and its service area includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

State funds, provided through State appropriations, are being used to directly offset costs for the cleanup. Both states have a strong interest in assuring that the cleanup of TMI-2 proceeds safely and expeditiously.

With regard to your question on radioactive wastes generated by the cleanup, solid wastes with low concentrations of radioactivity are routinely shipped from TMI-2 to a commercial low-level waste burial site at Richland, Washington.

Wastes in this category typically consist of con aminated clothing, equipment, trash, or waste generated during decontaminati or processing activities. High-level wastes, consisting of the damaged nucle fuel and irradiated structural core components, are currently being removed,pfrom the reactor vessel in specially designed canisters. The canisters are tergararily stored at TMI-2; shipment of these high-level wastes is'qxpected td begin in mid-1986. These wastes willbestoredunderwaterataDOEfaptlityattheIdahoNatioralEngineering Laboratory until a Federal high tave waste repository is licensed.

I hope that this information is r sive to your request; please contact this office if you have any further esticey/p s

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Victor Stello, Jr.

Executtve Director for Operations

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3 ..;'g UNITED STATES n NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. 20666 E

s.....'l ACTOCN EDO PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL FROM: DUE: 04/14/86 EDO CONTROL: 001600 DOC DT: 03/19/86 SEN. CARL LEVIN FINAL REPLY:

TO:

CARLTON KAMMERER FOR SIGNATURE OF ** GREEN ** SECY NO: 86-292 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DESC: ROUTING:

ENCLOSES LETTER FROM O. MICK COCHRAN RE TMI MitRLEY CLEANUP GCUNNINGHAM DATE: 03/31/86 ASSIGNED TO: NRR CONTACT: DENTON SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

MARK ENVELOPE ATTN: KAY DEKUIPER hjNY NRR RECElVED: APRIL l 1986 ..

ACTION: E DPL-8:MlRAGLIA. D. ,

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NRR ROUTING: DENT 0ll/EISENHUT PPAS MOSSBURG t

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l OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY i

CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER:

CRC-86-0292 LOGGING DATE: Mar 27 86 l

ACTION OFFICE: .QDA- C9 0 AUTHOR: C. Levin j AFFILIATION: U.S. HOUSE--OF-REPRESEIPPNFIV 0 DME LETTER DATE: Mar 1,4f86 FILE CODE: ID&R-5 TMI-y 2.

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SUBJECT:

Req information on the c)tanup cost at TMI and the i storage of waste I ACTION: Direct Reply DISTRIBUTION: OCA to Ack

{ SPECIAL HANDLING: None l

l NOTES:

DATE DUE: Apr 7 86 SIENATURE: . DATE SIGNED:

! AFFILIATION:

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Rec'd Off. EDO Date i l # 4 ..

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