ML20205H579
| ML20205H579 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/08/1975 |
| From: | Harris J NRC OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (OPA) |
| To: | Feldmeir D AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9904080304 | |
| Download: ML20205H579 (2) | |
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Mr. Daryle M. Feldmeir, Editor Mi(L Chicago __ Daily flews 401 liorth Wabash Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60611
Dear Mr. Feldmeir:
The November 28 edition of the Daily llews_ carried two reports by Bob Warden of your staff on a study preparod by the Mitre Corporation under contract to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
One of tne reports--headlined "U.S. agency suppresses report on atomic industry protection"--contained two errors of fact which subsequently were called to Mr. Warden's attention by our office.
It is but one First, the Mitre study was not called for by Congress.
of about 25 reports which will be considered as inputs to a safeguards study initiated by the NRC as part of our analysis of factors relating to the wide-scale use of mixed oxide fuel in nuclear power reactors.
As part of this effort, and to bring to bear as broad a spectrum of thinking as possible, the NRC staff entered into contracts with a The number of outside organizations, including the Mitre Corporation.
reports of these organizations, which have been coming in over the last several weeks, are working papers and--along with staff views and in-formation from other sources--comprise inputs to that safeguards study.
It had been planned to Second, these reports were not " suppressed."
make the contractor reports public when the safeguards study was com-However, as a result of wide public interest evidenced by a number of requests, it was decided to put these reports in the 11RC's pleted.
Because of Public Document P.oom before the final study was completed.
the subject matter, they first were reviewed to assure that they con-The first 10 of these reports, tained no classified information.
including the Mitre report, were placed in the Public Document Room on November 28--the same day that Mr. Warden's reports appeared in the Mr. Warden could have ascertained this by contacting us So f ar as I can determine the Daily News _
Daily News.
before he wrote the story.
made no effort to contact the NRC before publishing Mr. Warden's s tories.
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-r Mr. Daryle M. Felameir I snould point out that there is an on-going related study that was This study concerns the need for, and feasibility mandated by Congress.
of, a security agency with responsibility for protecting nuclear mate-rials and facilities.
Again, input has been sought f rom a number of outside organizations and these contractor reports, af ter classifica-tion review, also are being placed in the Public Docu:nent Room on the same basis as those prepared in connection with the safeguards study.
We recognize the wide public interest in our efforts to provide adequate We are striving to protection for nuclear materials and f acilities.
make as much information available to the public as possible, consistent This approach, we feel, with the requirement to protect classified data.
Because much is is a. responsible carrying out of our regulatory task.
at stake in the complex issues which attach to regulating nuclear power, and this agency's credibility is an extremely critical f actor, we would hope the press would make every effort to assure accurate reporting on j
these matters.
f Sincerely,
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John A. Harris, Di rector Of fice of Public Af fairs b
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