ML20210K631

Forwards F James Expressing Concerns on Safety of Facility,For Response

ML20210K631
Person / Time
Site:	Fermi
Issue date:	02/13/1986
From:	Kammerer C NRC
To:	Levin C SENATE
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NUDOCS 8604280407
Download: ML20210K631 (22)

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r6RNLEVIN COMMITTEES:

"' # 0*N ARMED SERVICES o

GOVERNVENTAL AFFAIRS SMALL BUSINESS

'2Cnifeb Siafes Sen f, W ASHINGTON. D.C. 20510 .

February 13, 1986 Mr. Carlton Kammerer ,

1717 H Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Mr. Kammerer:

Enclosed is correspondence from Fred James of Monroe, Michigan. I would appreciate your looking into this matter for j me. Please address any correspondence to Kay DeKuiper of my  !

staff.

l Thank you for your cooperation.

Best wishes.

l Sincerely, a

Carl Levin CL/kdg Enclosure DR P L H

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• ~ December 28, 1985 (ch* =

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, te The Honorable Donald Riegle, Senator i II The Honorable Carl Levin, Senator ' ]

The Honorable John Dingell, Congressman Gentlemen: ~

i I have enclosed newspaper clippings and some of my own

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• remarks concerning Fermi II.

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I sincerely believe, and there are many others who share i this belief, that confidence in the safety of Fermi II has been constantly and . seriously eroded by Detroit Edison's ll- reluctance to inform the'NRC and the NRC's attitude that ll the public is an annoyance that simply must be tolerated.

i. There are too many critical unanswered questions concerning l' this facility, and it may be the only.way to resolve these

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issues is through a Congressional' investigation where L witnesses must testify under oath, r

We hope and pray that such an investigation will be held..

Ver trul yours, Yb j

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, 2834 N. Otter Creek i Monroe, MI 48161 I -

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. a  ; l COMMENTS ON FERMI Presented to Monroe County Board of Commissioners on 12-10-85 It seems that in 10 years the NRC has not been able to close the i

credibility gap that haunted its predecessor, the AEC. In January 1975, the NRC was split off from the AEC to " ensure i

public health & safety". According to the Kemeny Commission appointed by the President to investigate TMI, the NRC is still promotional and has a complacent attitude toward health and safety. This is not to say the inspectors are not competent and are not doing their jobs. It means that the NRC top management has given the nuclear industry carte blanche to circumscribe public access, including state and local governments. There doesn't seem to be anyone looking out for the health and welfare of the people. There is a nagging feeling on the part of many in this area that Detroit Edison is not competent to operate Fermi in a safe and economically sound manner. Costs have skyrocketed and will probably be over 4 billion when and if this facility goes on line. Edison claims that interest costs alone are 1 million per day. How many days have been lost due to malfunction of the diesel generators?

My understanding'is that 3 of the 4 emergency generators have malfunctioned. Now, 3 out of 4 good ones is not bad, but 3 out of 4 bad ones is not good. Diesel generators have been around about as long as anyone in this room. They are not a new, exotic development. If Detroit Edison cannot operate diesel generators, how in the world can they operate a nuclear generator?

According to the report we heard tonight, after days and possibly weeks of investigation, the NRC still doesn't know whether Edison used the correct lubricant in these generators.

Where are the quality control records? These generators were allegedly built by Fairbanks-Morse, a competent and reliable company, who must have specified the lubricant. Does it take all this time to identify the lubricant, have it analyzed, and '.

determine responsibility? If Fairbanks-Morse is liable, should they not pay the 1 to 1-1/2 million dollars per day that Edison says it is losing because of delay? Who will pay for this -

mal-mis or nonfeasance of responsibility? The customers, the rate payers? '

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i Page 2 COMMENTS ON FERMI q 12-10-85 Monroe County has about as many toxic waste sites as any County ]

in the Country. These sites represent at least 1 to 3 generations of accumulated crud that we can't afford to clean up. Now Detroit Edison proposes to store, on site, spent plutonium, probably the most fiendish waste over compounded by  ;

man Nobody knows how long this waste will need to be stored. So l

l here we are creating waste from a process that is not needed, '

leaving it to our children, grandchildren, and probably their' grandchildren to clean up. We can't even afford to clean up the waste from-current or previous generations. This doesn't make sense! ,

l This " Mistake by the Lake" called Permi is a diabolical, fiendish threat. It is also an economic disaster. The entire project cries for a Congressional investigation with those responsible testifying under oath.

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l Fred James 2834 N. Otter Creek Monroe, MI 48161 l

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The Honorable Jccry Dsetnik g'

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• Tho Honorebis Norracn Schinkle 4-e ' -

Tho Honorable Williera D. Ford -

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- The Honorable Donald W. Riegle. Jr. 7

'f The Honorable Car-1 Levin ' #

The Honorable John Dinoell The Honorable Jarnes Bl anchard l

Recent disclosures indicate that the threat of meltdown at Three Mile Island witn its catastrophic consecuence to life, env,ironment, and ecology was f ar- greater- than the public was led to believe. Thiu leads to one of two conclusions:

1.- Monitoring systeros are inad:eauat e or:

2. The oublic was deliberately ceceived by Lise voerators and/or the NRC.

.. This disclosure tends to erochasi e the nuclear cower-industries' lousv record on uafetv. and the NRC's failure '

. to i rn oos e ' a n'd enforce cafe utandardu .

Failure and incidents have been well docurnent ed and ar e on the increase. (Bulletin of A t orni c Ecientists. Union of Concerned Scientists, Critical Mass, and others). It is becorning rnore and raore aooarent that tne NRC is rnore of an advocacy group than a regulatory corntnission.

Those of us living.in the shadow of Ferrai are ex t rernel y frightened by the threat of an accident at this olant.

since we could be " wiped out" physically and financially.

In spite of Edison and NRC assurances, we have lost confidence and feel that a special, indepencent aanel.

State oR Federal, should be apoointed to investigate charges of irregularity and non-conforraance before this facility is permitted to operate or load fuel. The risk is

• too great and is not covered by insurance.

Why risk the lives and property of the people in this area ,

when the plant is not needed in the first- olace ano wall l never.oay for itself?  ;

1 Enclosed is a cooy'of a recent letter to the Monroe Evensng I News that seems to " hit the nail on the head". l Ve'y tr3)y 7 yours,

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. A December 28, 1985 The Honorable Donald Riegle, Senator The Honorable Carl Levin, Senator -

The Honorable John Dingell, Congress man -

Gentlemen:

I have enclosed remarks newspaper concerning Fermi II.clippings and some of my own -

I sincerely believe, this belief, been that confidence in the safety of constantly Fer iand there are reluctance to and seriously eroded by Detroit Edison's m II has the public is an annoyance thatinform the NRC's the NRC attitude and that There are this facility,too many critical unanswsimply must be tolerated.

and it witnesses mustissues may be the is through only way to resolve theseered ques a Congressional testify under oath. investigation where We hope and pray that such an investigation 7 erg t/ rul yours, will be held. .

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Fr J es

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2834 U.

Otter Creek Monroe, MI 48161 t . -

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July 20, 198$

The Honorablo Frank J. Kelley Attorney General State of Michigan Lansing, MI h8913 1

Dear Mr. Kelley:

People in this area are concerned, as I am sure you are, with Detroit FAison's Fermi II nuclear power plant. There have been many documented instances of " shoddy'- workmanship and ma115tnction at this plant, which make ~ it a veritable threat to the area.

These circumstances certainly indicate that a full-scale emergency evacuation drill should be held before full power operation. A full-scale drill has never been held, and schools and school children ,

have never been involved. It seems to me that the inclusion of I the schools and children would be an imperative in any exercise.

It also seems to me that the law is quite clear that a full-scale exercise must be held before " full power licensing."

I have enclosed information highlighting the confusion on the part of County officials who don't seem to be able to decide whether they are working for the .public or for Detroit Edison.

Edison's claim that a full-scale exercise requires too much time -

and planning is an indictment in itself. What would they do in a real emergency?

Is there any way that your office can intervene in this matter?

Very truly yo rs, kh Fred W. J es 283h N. Otter Creek Monroe, MI h8161 a

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• May 25, 1983 TO THOSE CONCERNED: .

Studies and reports (enclosed) certainly indicate that nuclear power i_s a dream gone swry. Costs of plants have skyrocketed and the dangers poced by these plants have made it necessary to pile safeguards upon safe 6uards in effotta to protect people from the disastrous potential nonociated with malfunction of planta and personnel.

It would appear that the simple process of boiling vater is not simple at all when accomplished in an atom umasher. We are viA411y concerned, as we know you are, for the health and well-being of people and the environment.

I Another detriment of nuclear energy is its increased costs to comsumers and rato payers.--Anywhere between twice and three times as much as electric #ty produced by other means. These increased costs will make it much more difficult for Michigan to complete with other states for industrial and commercial enterprises.

Consumers Power and Detroit Edison have " zilch" bond ratings. Here in s Monrce County, Detroit Edison had to "go to the trough" of EDC for a bailout. Why a company with a Guaranteed return needs this kind'of help escapes reason but it has neverthless happened. They are so overcapitalized that they are financially unsound.

We hope you share all of our concerns about the critical state of our i energy resources, and that your concerns can be translated to positive action through legislation to control the "helter-skelter" push toward nuclear power.

In the words of Hyman Rickover (father of our nuclear navy), nuclear power plants should be phased out and made illegal.

Very truly yours, j J , 'e %d Jean James 2834 N. O r Creek Monroe, MI h8161 l

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September 13, 1982 Monroe Evening News Letters to the Editor ,

Your recent editorial "From the Local Scene" indicted the Monroe Evening News for its failure to inform the public 10 years ago of the dangers involved in nuclear fission. It is the responsibility of the media to inform the citizens. If people are ignorant, you certainly must share the responsibility. It is the duty of the press to assure that the public be informed. You failed! .

Going back prior to 1961, Glen T. Seaborg, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, characterized plutonium as " fiendishly a toxic" to human health. If the Monroe Svening News reported this information and related it to Fermi, it must have been buried in '

the advertising section. Since that time, there have been uncounted, reliable scientific studies and reports to the Atomic Energy Commission, later to become the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Most of these reports were suppressed and only lately have become available under the " Freedom of Information Act". Now certain information is available, and it is the responsibility of the Monroe Evening News to inform the public of the " fiendish threat" that Fermi presents to this area. It is unfortunate about the 2.35 billioM that Edison has supposedly spent to bring this facility "on stream". I have m" life's savings invested in my home, and no one has the ri..t to_make me move because Detroit Edison made:the mistake of building a .

dangerous nuclear energy producing facility that is not needed and which will triple the price of electricity. Current scientific Leasibility studies indicat'e there will be no permanent nuclear waste disposal sites until at least 1995 In your editorial (8th paragraph), you have bared t-a facts:

" plant costs have risen out of sight"; " energy coni ption far below forecasts; "the nation has seen some of the pusblems of nuclear power". All of the information and data to make intelligent decisionc was available to Detroit Edison. They either " goofed" or assumed that with the help of the media, and that certainly includes the Monroe Evening News, they could ram this monstrosity down the throats of the citizens of this area.

It is c'eminiscent of the early days of the railroads, when Big-Jim Hill made the historic comment, "The public be damned."

We are most emphatic in our rejection of the last paragraph of your editorial in which you comment that an emergency evacuation g, plan as complete and workable as possible within practical  :

limits should be developed. When you equate the health of the- I people and environmental impact of a nuclear holcaust with '

" practical limits", you are being obscenely cynical. o 4' fN f-su i;z- , z -sc5' M

Page 2 Monroe Evening News Letters to the Editor September 13, 1982 By your own admission, this plant is not needed. It does pose a threat to the area, a very definite and catastrophic threat, and an emergency evacuation plan within practical limits" is not acceptable.

Your only defense of this plant is the 2.35 billion invested.

This is a nondefense!

You recently editorialized that th'e majority.of the people in the area are opposed to this plant's operation. Thia is hypothetical speculation, but I would propose a referendum on the issue. If the people of this area feel that the plant should not start up until safety issues have been resolved, then it should not be put in operation. If this cannot be done, it is a denial of the rights of a democratic society, ve truly yodrs,

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. -NRC wendors dgan gjpgEsen/H7w run Form i?

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~ lt invokes federal regulations which Mr. Keppler's letter was meant to elicit By CHARLES SLAT allow the NRC to seek information in from the utility its plans for coping with Evening News staff writer determining whether a plant license the problems that have affheted the nLTheC Nuclear Regulatory' Com needs to be modified, suspended or plant.

t mission is seriously questianing Detroit revoked. "We want the licensee to start looking l

. Edison's ability to operate its Enrico The utility has 30 days to respond to at these as a systems approach rather l IFermi 2 nuclear plant in Frenchtown Mr. Keppler's letter, which demands than dealing with them as individual I

, Township because of the many pro that the company document the ade- problems," he said.

y blems which have plagued the facility. quacy of its management systems and lie said it was not yet clear whether RIn a sternly worded letter to the structure that have contributed to the Mr. Keppler's letter to the utility would utility, NRC regional administrator plant s problems; adequacy of training delay the plant's restart schedule.

} James Keppler said, "The diversity of for personnel, and changes needed to Edison spokesman Martin L. Bufalini

• problems at the plant and the functional a said the letter didn't come as a surprise l

" areas involved with these problems ons. dssure comph,ance with NRC to the regula -

utility. .

' indicate to the NRC that the present Mr. Keppler also demanded that the In a private meetin with' Mr l'

management systems have been inef- utility furn.sh the NRC with m action Keppler in November, t e NRC in'-

fective." . plan to assure the read,iness of the plant . dicated to Edison Chairman Walter J.

Carthy that it might detaand such

" "If left uncorrected and if current $a te an e hutd r. inc e rly

,* trends blems may continue, developsignificant at the Fermisafety 2 may pro October be ready and ititby to restart is mi projected the utilit[ m ormahon.. Althoul 1 facility, Mr.Kepplerwrote. neffectiveness in management, Mr. 1 Janua Buf

!! The letter recites the litany of ro- The the company to r ing kind o lo o e blems that have occurred at the pfant outline RC also i wants,t the act,ons i will take tog ex[ence in the utility."

this year, including a premature

• improve regulatory and operational IIe sa.di various steps already have performance during and after start-up start-up of the reactor on 'Jul 2 periodic equipment failures, struefural andtestingprocedures."

, problems andlapses in security. NRC spokesman Jan Strasma said - see FERMI, Page 8A ,

Fermi (cyni.)f l

'- - - been taken by the utility to address l the concerns the NRC has expressed. "The. company . will'~

work together with the NRC to assure that the plant will operate safely and reliably,"he said.

. Mr. Keppler's letter pointed out;.

that Fermi 2 has " experienced' numerous events involving opera-f tional errors and degradation of -

plant equipment." Ile faulted thel utilit 's nuclear operations: group and ts engineering, maintenance and ecuritydivisions. 1 Mr. Strasma said the letter is meant to improve the operation of the plant, but is not related to two ongoing NRC investigations inB the July 2 premature criticality and the utility's and NRC's han, dlingof theincident.

Edison was granted a full-pows operating license for Fermi 2 g July 10 before the NR

' cality. Since then, and in the wak-of other plant problems, the utilit has been restricted to operati the raled plant power. at below [5 perc i ,

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Opdtbe ieve power shortage pred,ict, ions' ~ j w -- . .

apparently not been talking to the industries Extending the operating lives of existin y BySCOTTDENMAN a g i they exyect to use that power. A coalition of plants is anoth g and ALAN NOGEE - 19 of me largest in the U.S. - including Electric and Babcock and Wilcox ' both:

Genera 1 Motors, D o w C h e m i e a 1, advertise their plant life-extension programs '

n cThere(t o'again: the electric utilit Anheuser-Busch and others - testified at the as costing only one-third to one-fifth as much L g,

g ,,dustg n abo t,imy,nd g b f over the lasf decade than the utility in differentstory.

k same Senate hearings, - but . told - a veryj as building new plan

,a These industries calculate that even if aboutpowershortages? Because utilities are Jdustry? a

• In 1775,'theie was Doisald Cook

• head of. electric demand were to grow 50 perce ,

b akin 'on " Meet the Press" "By 1980' there

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will hbethe throu plenty 1990s.of Using electne , capacity assum tions excess they arecapacity.

joining with Busmesses citizen groups largetomd small demandi t that utilities pay for thegr past forecasting i hre w 11 be a power shorta egenerating in the U'Sthat will make your hair curi.

• The head oi c ns capacity by the end of the errors and construction mismanagement.

the Atomic Industrial Forum pronounced the century. In Arkansas, Reynolds Aluminum refused a next year that "unless the electric utility , ,

And there is a wealth of inexpensive to pay its July electric bill to protest a 36q f

aiternatives to new plant construction should percent rate increase at the Grand Gulf t

)% ndsystems plants operate of this coemtry are able to construct currenti ... the nuclear-fueledplanned, the U.S. wiba'erce Power wds grow faster than expected.

nuclear plant. In Kansas, more than 700 l blickouts, vol age reductions or rotatin The least expensive place for utilities to small- to, medium-size businesses organized.,

boutages as a result of serious shortages o "mine" new electric supplies is in the homes along with consumer groups, to fight a '

and businesses of their own customers. For proposed 95 percent rate hike to pay for the ;

H clectric power by or in the 1980s."

h And 'just two days before the historic example, in 1983, Ilouston Lighting & Power W olf Creek nuclear plant - a

1. partial mcltdown at Three Mile Island in began giving rebates to customers for stockholders pick up companies two aluminum most of thesaid; tab I 1979, there was William McCollum, Kentucky,d they woul close down before paying a 7

( dent of the Edison Electric EI),

Institute (kresi- " punt imase for an unneeded nw coal j

'! environmental, pleading witheconomic government to roll back *"fhg ngffOn#S plant - and forced their utility to default on ;

and licensing reg- its a'nstadonloans %d.

@f between1982and1984.ulations'to' prevent serious power shortages uflllffes sflll, h0Ve O in the coming years power companies will -

fblfd MOre be asking for more than $25 billion in rate i Inste:d of power shortages, we are now hikes to pay for just the nuclear plants under lut. Des ite .

~'thefaced with an expensive cancellatior, of 113 nuclear power p fants - after geneTOfing COpOCIfy. constructi,on much easier in the timeU.S. They collecting forwill these haveplantsa

'h L b aving spent $35 billion on their construction.the. nOn nation's fn, ey con USestill utilities Onhave if regulators a third _ believe that the"plants are mgn ggpacity (

n they can fbe bOffeSf dOy Of E tbe(e uni are consibr ekck aPaaty.

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' electric' demand is at its very peak. Every J ear for the last decade, the utilities have fhe Summer"" In order to turn prophecy into destiny, Iyhad to' lower their long-term forecasts of . utilities across the country are cutting back P electrid growth, as actual demand failed to purchasing more efficient air conditioners." on c nservation programs and are promot-t meet predictedievels. The cost of saving electricity through the ing increased use of electrici,ty throu ad I But now they're at it again. Just last year, rebate program is on[i t mers.1.1They cents wantfor each,legislation to repeal campai d that kilowatt-hour (kwh). ompare that to the allowing independent generators to receive J[without Charlesnuclear and

" civilization would Dougherty other new powerof regress.' At recent^ EEI plants, costadmonishe of generating power from a new nuclear fair prices for their power. They are also:

plantatmorethan20 cents perkwh.

" a ma , c$ s Une m i ci n th p ,etn C1o ia the or$hwestand$c enness an m ng a nw can be ap lied to lightin heatin theircomin f are now well-worn

, the blackouts refrain,are"the blackouts coming!" Valley l motors a$d a m riad oblectrich Power plant, while tax credits for industria -

? Sherwood mith, current EEI chairman and devices. Amory Lovins of the Itocky Moun energysourcesarephasedout.

l Utility executives are addicted to gambit A a director of the industry's propaganda arm tain Institute recently calculated that ng i fortunes on their wild predictions M the U.S. Committee for Energy Aware enough electricity could be saved in ust the future demand. Who would not be, knowing Iness - echoed almost to the letter the dire Chicago area - at a cost of less tif'an two predictions;of his predecessor a decade cents per kwh - to equal the output of nearly covered their bad bets:that rate It s time for fearh:ri fivelarge nucicar plants. egislaton y puH N pW

'" The Wall Street Journal reported in June mua a In addition, man independent firms are " d tell the power compantes to ante up that " utilities say.this summer's brownouts now generating ekctricit using renewable h**# #

1 will escalate ~to severe shortages m the sources - such as wind and small hydro ~~-

The , predicted brownouts did not I

,199Ca.".

occur, however, desp,te i scorching heat a processing known as cogeneration.'Inpower Scott Denman- is and usingdisrefor exxutive industrial of thew

! waves pushing electric demand to record California, there has been such a glut of Sa/e Energy Communication CounciS e levelsin severalregions. cogenerators and small power producers (SECCl AlanNo But what of the future? The utilities argue that the state's utility commission Actionhas and hadpresident to . E d that we still need new SET Their commentary is provided by support industrial growth. power But they haveplants contracts. to order utihties to suspenda ;. accepting new AESCME.apublicem

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EITERS TOTHE EDITOR //g // .fA Bf  ;

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NRC concerns about the Fermi plant are way too late j dd See l

... BOW mUCb CrlflCOf will expire before it is ever nee e . (Monro Your recent editorial (Dec.12) "The troubled Fermi plant" was rather late. It is +r .

• L believe power shortage predictions."1 past tim? for the Nuclear Regulatory Com-mission to become involved. Where have inTOrmOflon 15 fne ' " ' '" "

I L,hg NRC withholding Ond voIh* *Nh ed thiS facbit areo)"rab importance to the healih and sa ety of the le gt pr r hin[ o b I h W C On corner of m lati e probl n s at FermiYonfi m t c i" " ^

nOf felling the NRC?" [gogle _ "d of the southe long-stated conviction that the NRC is more _

promotional than regulatory. Another item: Regar' ding the Dec.13 ,

lt can also be said of the Monroe County 1 Board of Commissioners that they were no't technical fix are now labeled " generic," editorial entitled " Figures on using what authority they had 'to compel which is a convenient ploy for leaving editorial safety comment neither go to the the "original Dec.1 bottom line," ,

Edison to confront the problems at Fermi. issues unresolved? showing that the average farmer worked a,11 Why the big rush to okav an inadequate, it is the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's year for an mcome of less than $:.0.000. This untested evacuation plan?'Whj the big rush legal responsibility to ensure the safe tiller of the soil toiled for the tax collector, l 13 grant authority for EDC and industrial operation of nuclea'r plants. Ilow could the the chemical and fertihzer compames, the )

revenue bonds? NRC legally authorize Fermi to go to 75 banks, the machinery manufacturer, the The NRC has given the public, whom they percent of power when they cou!In't evenlefeed and seed producers, etc., ar.d wound up consider a nuisance, a limited amount of handle 5 percent? There aie many without even a decent wage for his labor and information, but how much critical in- who think this plant is unsafe, inn t iat not one dime of mcome on his equity of ;

formation is the NRC withhold"g and how neither the NRC nor Detroit Edison has met $267,000. 1 much is Edison not telling the NRC? Ilow their responsibilities for safety. There is also S.L. Lowry many safety issues that might require a the feeling that this plant is not needed and Romulus l

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& l brmi: Safety is more important than the cost f actor Your itorial in the Feb. I "From the local ble burden from being strapped to the backs of Evening News. Fermt will be extinct before it is ScIne" "Stop Fermi"- seems to me to have ratepayers. Ne!ther the NRC nor the PSC ever needed.

comp ely missed the mark. You impress me (Pitblic Service Commission) is doing the job of Fermi is a totally unacceptable threat. 'the as being more concerned with Detroit Edison's prc tecting the orjinary citizen. Sandia Lab report of October,1983, com- '

13.37 billion investment than you are with the You may have been correct in saying that the missioned by the Department of Energy, con-h:alth and well being of the people in the area, emergency evacuation plan was "not a cluded that a worst-case accident at Fermi 2 the environment and the ecology. charade." Actually, it was probably more of a could kill 8.000 persons, injure .H9.000 more in a Gov. Blanchard did a neat little " side-step," f arce, and The Monroc Evening News seems to 7(kmile radius, and cause 11*.6 billion in pro-and you said quite rightly that the authority for be its most vocal apologist. Ilow ludicrous that Perty damage.

Fermi is the province of the Nuclear Regulatory the evacuation tests didn't even include school The plant will never pay for itself and should ,

?ommission. However, the NRC might more children. be abandoned.

oppropriately be labled the NAC, an acronym I live outside the so-called Emergency Plan- S L. towry j for " Nuclear Advocacy Commission." ning 7Anc, but the 10-mile limit in this case is a Margaret St.  ;

Authority and responsibility are not syn- purely arbitrary figure. In Western Europe, Romulus Enymous terms, and the governor should still be where they have had more experience with hld responsible for Fermi. Editor's note: Afichael Afauer of Detroit I nukes, the figure is 40 kilometers, or 25 miles, Edison responds: "That is not uhat the Sandla I When he evaded the issue by referring to the which puts me well within range of Fermi 2. report said, but more importantly, we believe l

%RC, he ignored the lessons of Three Mile Let's f ace it! Fermi is not needed. The claim everyonein Monroe:S aware of Detroff Edison's i Island and, more recently, Consumers Power's that it is, is a to'. ally contrived scenario by commitment to safety hrst at Fermi 2. As to the l Midland fiasco, where Attorney General Frank Detroit Edison, the NRC, the oligarchy and the need for the plant, independent studies, as well l Kelley had to step in to keep this insurmounta- local plutocracy, which includes The Monroe as our ou n, ha ve shown the nced for fermi. "

Formi's new license: It's time to move and mourn No matter where Monroe rated in the new nipotentlawoftheland, the NRC. release had taken place on July 8 that Edison Itnd McNally " Places Rated Almanac," the As for me, I shall look for a new home. I shall didn't deny it.) (Editor's note: An Edison kesman said at the July 9 meeting of the Nuclear B R:gulatory lictnse Fermi, Commission, sent the city plungmgincancer its decispn machine wear my black in one's armband.

neighborhood is And causeI shall mourn. A s[unty Board of Commissione downward, in my opimon; and little bottom- for mourning

• radioactive steam had leaked into the con-f the r tainment building at Fermi the day before. The fmseen,atings Pine begins tolook Blutf, beautiful to Arkansas, me. sight-I shall mourn the '3cceptable" deaths each event was so insignificant that it was not year of Vermi s ' safe operation. I shall mourn considered " reportable" by NRC standards, he l Of course you think the NRC " acted pro- the final capitulation of the five county com- fold countyollicials.) '

perly." Not,such a surprising opinion, I guess, missioners who voted "no" at the July 9 ,

from you, smce you also state m your July 12 meeting. tWe knew they would cave in, but it's I shall mourn the continuing ugly build-up in '

I editorial that the nuclear " Industry's (safety) always hard to watch commissioners who don't Frenchtown of the worst poisons known to man, record is excellent." If you were better m- Irnow what " commission" means vote on vital radwaste. And it may be that I shall mourn for formed I'd worry more about your judgment. I issucs.) I shall mourn the secret emissions of you.

don't think I can ever learn, as you obviously radioactive poisons into our air and water. (It Shirley M.Steinman lave, not to question the lordgodom- was interesting that when it was said that such a Frenchtown

o But Edison had requested of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission an exemption from the federal rule re . e EVENING NEWS / Tuesday, July 2. Itss quiring such an exercise within a year prior 10 full power operation.

Fermi groups The last full exercise was June 26, 1984 and without an exemption, Edi,on wouid have io nave anoine, eXpl Gin full-scalc exercise.

County Civii preparedness Director- Jon R. Eckert said he Vote ChOngeS .

i favored such an exercise to see how the new cia Preparedness building Two county advisory committees and its communications equipment which approved and then killed re- functioned. But he, too. said he was commendations that Detroit Edisc: unaware of how it might impact the Co. have a full scale emergency drill operationdateof theplant.

prior to full power operation of its Such an exercise, invol ing both nuclear plant say their initial de' state and h> cal governments. is a cisions facts-were made without all the tough scheduling matter and Edison officials feared it would take many in a letter to committee members months to meantime, plant plan and schedule.

costs In the would climb Monday, Frenchtown Township Supervisor Ray Noble said he did not by $40 million a month, they saki.

understand that his motion "That's an inordinate penalty for our approved by the county's Fermi Re-- customers to bear just to test com-view Committee - would impact on munications here or paper flow in the !ull power licensing of the plant. thi, building," Edison Wayne-

"llis mction was not intended, in Monroe Division Manager Maurice any way. to delay the licensing of the L. Vermeulen told committee mem-bers.

Fermi 2 plant," explained township treasurer Jacqueline Housseio who After listening to Edison's argu-appeared before a joint committee ments both privately and publicly, meeting Monday on behalf of Mr. both committees on Monday Noble, who was undergoing surgery. withdrew their recommenstions to the county board.

Linda Grabetz a Berlin Township trustee and Fermi 2 Committee member, also said she did not know Nuclear critics attending the Mint

.he group s recommendation could meeting were furious. "I've nner

,a ny impact on the nuclear plant seen so much behind the scenes work

~

E being done," said Michael Keegan of the Safe Energy Coalition. "I'm not Berlin Township Supervisor flow- saying people were bought off, but it

'rd Lambrix also called the com- sure as hel! looks like it." he told nittee actions the result of a "little commi: tee members.

iit of a misunderstanding. I think all

>f us are interested in the safety of Monroe resident John M. Spillso-he citizens of Monroe County and all was equally upset, saying the issue at jf us want an exercise but I know I stake was self-determination of citi' lidn't reahze that we'd hold back tens. lle suggested there ba s hea.'ing Edison from applying for a full power on the issue involving all icense. Southeastern Michigan residents to Monroe Fire Chief Raymond let them decide whether the cost of a delay for an exercise was worth it to

< solcau also said that he was unaware them as ratepayers.

he committee recommendations alight cause problems for Edison. lie County Commissioner Frank P.

said his mterest only was in making Kuron, a strident Edison critic, was sure the new Civil Preparedness . the only member of the committees building and its equipment worked refusing to vote to withdraw the and that emergency workers were recommendation. "If they're going to adequately trained. run this county, then Ict them run this The county Civil Preparedness Ad- county," he sal:1, referring to Edison, visory Committee and Fermi 2 "but I'm not going to help them.

Committee passed recommendations lie had urged the committees to let late last week suggesting that the their recommendations flow to Mcnroe County Board of Com- county commissioners for a decision.

missioners request a full scale -,

emergency exercise before the plant was authorized to operate at full

)ower.

d m m n_ _ .._ ___

=

mer--===="--

N / Farmi ic:nt.)

! 0 < ' achieved until1986,he said.

y Won i See e nut Commissioner erank P. Kuron also saw benefits in Mrs. Navarre's proposal. "You don't give a kid a 1

I

, driver's license and then next year

'Eqs I LE e a E

y test him out on the road," he said, arguing for a drill prior to full-power ,

Monroe County commissioners decided authorization. l Tt$csdiy night not to demand that an Commissioner Donald F. Arnold evacu; tion drill be held before Detroit contended that only the federal gov-  ;

Edimn's Enrico Fermi 2 nuclear plant ernment would determine when a gets 'feceral approval to operate at higher full-scale exercise would be held, not powcrlevels. the county. lie also said holding up l

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission thelicense for Fermi 2 for a couple of today was to consider authorizing full- )

power operation for the plant which now is limited to operating at 5 percent of its

,ated p .!.iewegperp.es. Student evacuateiona#

Commissioner Dorothy B. Navarre's a yy 7. . f.g [

proposal for a local evacuation drill was re)ccted in a 5 3 vote. Commissioner Richard L. Reed was absent.

O JOMeMOn WOrr ,

Should an evacuation be ordered in prepared. And if you're going to have "I think it's very important that such a Frenchtown Township, where will the a plan, have a plan that works." Supt.

drill is held before Detroit Edison has the school children go? Egan said today,

' plant's restriction lifted end it goes to full lie will be meeting with OCP of-power," Mrs. Navarre said before th That locus o)ucstion a specialand othersforwill meeting thebe the ficials to work on details of the plan

' vot3- public to be held in Jefferin Schools before it is presented to the general Commissioner Dwight J. DuRocher District in September. public in September.he said.

agreed, saying such a drill would better The board also questioned cleanu test the county's recently completed Civ The evacuation plan was rt of a l

,v Preparedness building and its re board of education meetingfhursday procedures should a radioactive lea l emergency equipment. night with representatives of the contaminate dt.st particles in the air.

Office of Civil Preparedness. Mr. Hay said the dust could simply But Maurice L. Vermeulen. Edison, Wayne-Monroe division manager, argu David Kay and Richard Rod met be washed off and the health de-partment woteld monitor the area that the county could exerc se g with the board to discuss a list of until safe IcVels were reached. Ile emergency response at any time and me concerns the board members had on utility would cooperate. an evacuation plan for the school said the state would be liabic for the district should an accident happen at cleanup costs if the governor ordered lie said Mrs. Navarre's motion need not the Enrico Fermi 2 Nuclear Power an evacuation of the area.

be linked ta NRC authorization of full Plant- lie also said the concern about N.

wer for the plant and reminded the at d that a licensing delay could cost the After a length discussion, the Dixic llwy. would have to be brought

- utility $40 millionmonth!y. board agreed tohofd a public meetingup to the Monroe County Road on the evacuation planin September. Commission.

Edison has requested and is likely toe receive an exempti n from a federal entation for emergency workers in-ry , Commission approved Detroit side the to-mile limit has been pre-fu e le exercise withi a year prior to Edison Co.'s full power license for ull- ower authorization. The last such. Fermi 2. The plant should reach 75 pared and will be given beginning percent ca acity by October and full today.

exercise for Fermi 2 was held in June.

1984 and Edison will have missed the capacity a te Jan.l. Other members of the public will i ablon window b' a couple of weeks il Board members said they are have the opportunity to see the film fhe NR grants fu -power authorization concerned that N. Dixie liwy, with and presentation tater.he said.

today.

)

just two lanes will be inadequate for in other action Thursday night, the  ;

Edison has s d to hold an getting buses in and out of the board approved a resolution to bor- l ncy exercgi ct 2 in conjunction beach-area community, row $5.8 million against anticipated f em.{he with county. The tiriting corresp nds They pointed out that Jefferson tax collections. Virtually all school with a scheduled maintenance shutdown does not have enough buses to districts borrow money before the all'crm12. evacuate all students at once and start of the school year in cover Thomas Randazzo, Edison's supervisor buses are su posed to be coming expenses until the tax collections of Radiological Emergency Response from Mnson onsolidated Schon's in begin cominginin January.

Preparedness, said the reactor onl: would Eric to pick up students. , ,

range between 45 and 70 percent of power Supt.Egan said he is concerned the solution authorizing a loan of $8.5 during tests between now and then ,if the buses won't be able to get into the million. That was the amount on the ,

NRC grams fulbpower authorization. I ti read by board secretary liigher operating levels would not be corgun ty when all other vehicles lie added the students are supposed But when board member Alan See g g ,p ,9, y - to be taken to Mason at first, which Knowles questioned that amount,

, might confuse parents trying to drive Assistant Supt. Ermii Jones finally to the school to pick up their own retrieved from his office the original

. children. board authorization to borrow. The "Of course i don't think this will 58.5 was a typographical error, he ever happen. But we have to be said. ,,

hu O h ,V a isp 4% WF G f d G 66 it d d b % v c ed as- w pw -w w ==  !

Detri4 Edison Co. has agreed to keep its is maintained at a level, slowed or brought failed to recognize Enrico Ferthl 2 nuclear plant at low power to a stop. criticalat that time.,the reactor had gone until'it investigates a plant operator's Instead of withdrawing the rods in The NRC issued a letter Tuesday con-crror that caused the reactor to start rotation a little at a time as Edison firming Edison's agreement that the plant faster than planned during tests July 2, the procedures stipulate, the operator would remain below 5 percent power until Nuclear Regulatory Commission says' withdrew 11 rods continuously. Afler the incident was thoroughly evaluated "If And the NRC also wants to know why it noticing that power levels were rising these guys screwed up, we want them to took nearly two weeks before its regional faster than expected. he reinserted the look at their training and make sure this office in Chicago learned of the incident. rods shutting the reactor down. thing won't happen again," htr. Strasma Edison says it informed the NRC inspector Ilis suPCrior, a plant shift supervisor, said.

at the Fermi plant of the incident the day it reviewed the prob 1em and determined lllat hlr. Strasma said the plant operator happened" " criticality" had not been achieved and clearly violated the utility's operating The utility says .ti w.d keep the reactor the start.up test was resumed and carried d "If the violate their ro-below 5 percent of pov er pending a July 23 out correctly, Mr. Strasma said. Qre. , th t's a violation of our rules, he report on the matter to the NRC. The plant Ilut a subsequent review of the incident added. lie said he was not sure if Edison is now operating at about 2 percent power. by a Detroit Edison reactor engineer would be subject to penalties because of Acurding to NRC spokesman Jan concluded that the reactor had, in fact, the incident.

Strasua. shortly after midnight July 2 a reached criticality during the incident and He said Edison has had a good record in plant operator began wXhdrawing control the shift supervisor erred in his evalua. tin ts plar o o d j rods to brin,g the reactor to ',' criticality" - tion, M r. St rasma said. ah ngandI a self-sustamed nuclear cham reaction. Our concerns are two-fold," M r. problems inherent in the training program Control rods, mechanically inserted and Strasma said. "First, the operator failed that contributed to the operator's error, withdrawn from the nuclear core, act like to follow procedures, therefore the reactor lie said the NRC also is concerned about '

the brakes on a car. As they are went critical sooner than expected. The I withdrawn, nuclear fission hegins and second concern involves the review pro-accclerates. As they are reinserted, powcr cess in that the shift supervisor apparently soo FERMI, Pogo 10A

• ITh1I (cont.)

Ferm,i shuts reactor =mme ,

looking at the circumstances of this after numo foi s#g p[,f, e and why it took them so long to tell

" " " >>d.

lie said the incident was not a 3- F factor in the N RC's July 10 Detroit Edison's Enrico Ferm! 2 nuclear lie said the reactor could still operate authorization of full-power operation reactor was shut down Tuesday after one with only one of the pumps functioning and for the plant because the NRC re-of two massive pumps that feed water to he added that there are also back-up gional office was unaware of the the reactor failed. feedwater pump systems. incident.

Work crews wearing protective gear to When asked whether some reports that a Edison spokesman Bert lieffner guard against radiation are disassembling pump bearing btiaed out were true, Mr. acknewledged that the plant "will not the huge pump to determine what caused IIcifner said the utility would not go above 4 percent power until we the failure, the utility said today. speculate on the cause of the pump failure, resolve this because we want to know what happened."

But Edison spokesman Bert lieffner Nc ar Reg ao o But he added,"At no time was the called the trouble "a mechanical problem, not a safety problem.

g , m(ss q ( o reported that the pump failed during lie said there were no indicatiens that surveillance testing and there was " dam-there would be a prolonged delay in the age to the thrust bearing housing." lie said plant's testing schedule as a result of the it is still unclear what caused the damage pump problem. and failure.

The feedwater pumps, as they are lie said the NRC also is trying to called, are crucial to the cooling of the determine the ver,acity of reports that reactor and its production of electricity. some radioactive water leaked from the They feed cooler water into the reactor cooling system when the pump failed. But vessel where the nuclear fuel rods are he pointed out that if there were a leak located

• directly associated with the pump failure, As the water swirls among the heated it would have been inside the reactor rods, some of it forms into steam, which is containment building.

used to power the turbine generators. The l rest of it is carried away to be cooled and The Fermi 2 planthasbeen operathg at recycled through the reactor once again. below 5 percent of its power while plant j The whole process also helps to maintain systems are tested.

h temperature stability of the nuclear ,;. ,y g g, l power, its power level is being restricted Mr. Heffner said the pump shut itself pending the outcome of an NRC investiga-down during testing and since the plant tion into a July 2 incident in which the l was only a day away from a three-day reactor powered up faster than expected.

maintenance shutdown which was to begin apparently because of a plant operator's l

Wednesday, the reactor was also shut failure to follaw correct procedures re-down. gardin g the movements of control rods.

g3 My

~*- * "

'. -'ur---

f

de il 12 U %=s o ted 6 d & e Iml4$ $ hh N $ h k N $ h I M E D Dad d O. 40 %# II I fn a meeting punctuated by announce- with all concerned. As if to underscore you're guilty or not of a cover-up. you're j

' ment of another plant problem, Detroit that, Mr. McCarthy was informed during accused of a cover-up." Mr. Kuron told Edison Co/s two top executives admitted the meeting of a radioactive steam Icak him.

Tuesday that even they were ill-informed that had occurred Tuesday on the second Mr. McCarthy acknowledged that. but about a July . 2 faster-than-expected floor of the turbine building between the added, "If I had known about it, it would start-up of their Fermi 2 nuclear plant east bypass valve and condenser. have been reported."

reactor. lie said the leak was isolated promptly Mr. Kuron also questioned him about an During a luncheon meeting designed to but switchover to the west bypass valve asbestos problem in plant cooling towers patch tnings up with Monroe County produced a brief spike which puded the he had heard of. Mr. McCarthy said he c:mmissioners, Edison Chairman Walter reactor from 4 percent to 5.7 percent of would look into it J. McCarthy Jr. and President Charles M. power. Mrs. Navarre asked why Edisor did not lleidel said they first learned of the July 2 The incident has been reported to the think it necessary to have a 100-percent, incident about two weeks after it happened NRC. 100-hour " warranty run" of the plant As the meeting continued, Mr. licidel before getting a rate increase to pay for o miss ono! cla s to also explained that Edison has refocused I ermi 2.

"We're confident we have the best operator training on day to-day plant Mr. McCarthy said by the time most techmcal people available, but we're a conditions lie said much of the traming plants reach 75 percent of full power, they little bit like babes m the woods on this operators previously received "had to do have demonstrated they can run properly.

whole issue of communication, M r. w th things we had to do in an Ihte-making custom in Michigan has been lleidelsaid. emergency." that a utility could recover the costs of the The two utility officials detailec the lie indicated this back to-basics plant through a rate increase once the events of July 2 and the tollowing days . An approach may reduce the potential for plant reached 75 percent power, he said.

operator inadvertently had brought the events similar to that experienced July 2. Commissioner Donald F. Arnold said the reactor to a self-sustamed cham reacten The meeting Tuesday followed a written utility has a tough job ahead in educating because he followed the wrong proceduret request from commissioners to Mr. Mc. the public about nuclear power. And he on controi rod movements. Carthy that he explain the July 2 events said he was working with Edison on It was concluded after a long staff and notification delays. developing a household calendar which analysis that during the event the reactor would contain information exploring the

t. tr. Mc rt sal had reached the point of a self-sustained Ahthe out various Iacelsof nuchr.__ -*

chain reaction, the utility officials said. missioner Dorothy B. Navarre - to be rwardCMn.'Navarre callebY Since the NitC learned of the incident, it " completely justifiable. Our corporate' meeting "an exercise in futility." She has restricted Detroit Edison to operating policy is to keep you informed," he said. [ explamed that the Edison officials spent so much time with their opening remarks at below 5 percent power.

Board Vice Chairman Frank P. Kuron k there was little time for give-and take. "It Mr. lleidel said the company has worked told Mr. McCa:4hy the incident "gave thd just seems to me that they didn't want to on improving its lines of communications anti-nuclear people a field day. Whether hear what we wanted to ask," she said.

E 1

~

j- / V Detroit Edisoin efe(,nds . ermi costs plant's cost because of mismanagement and Edison also argues that the Fermi 2 plant By DAVID EVERETT Cost overruns. has avoided the major problems of other i Free Press sraff writer Costs at Detroit Edison's $3.075 billion But in its formal response, submitted plants, including Consumers Power Co.'s Fermi 2 nuclear plant are reasonable and Friday, Edison argues that many of the cost Midland project.

should be made part of the utility's electrical increases at the plant were caused by things The Fermi 2 plant was announced in 1969 rates,the company argues in a major report. It could not control - especially economic as a $229 million project. Edison plans to "I Y' "I' begin operating the plant late this year or Responding to state criticism of some Tile PSC REPORT, for instance, recom- early next year. The PSC is expected to i Fermi 2 costs, Edison officials say in their mended that $130 million of Fermi's cost be decide at about the same time on Edison's report that the nuclear plant "has been rejected t;,cause of delays in Fermi's opera- rate requests, managed prudently and reasonably." tion past 1983. But the utility says much of The company wants to raise typical resi-The staff of the state Public Service the delay was caused by the 1979 Three Mile dential electrical bills by $13 a month to pay Commission, which will decide how much of island nuclear accident.

"The resulting delays w:re . . . similar to for Fermi 2 and the coal fired Belle River Fermi's cost will be added to rates, recom-mended in February that the commission the delays experienced by other nuclear plant.The PSC staff recomrendation would cut that increase by about a dollar a month.

reject $365 million, or 12 percent, of the projects," the utility says.

I

-w -

as.arop "fM *'TW"" y r -mwi_. , ,

~

~

I k . - . .a.. . p .s,.) N"W- A .- -v -<

Jay cnd which'w;re tbsent.

school en Willow Rd. In Wayne - ministrators in both Monroe and

- / County-Only in the rhost seri:us situttion, A rport hava chinged since review of  !

mys Mr.=Kay, would evacuati:n cf Tha routs c lled f:r in the pl n is the plans begin 20 months ago and students tand the public) be im- 1-275 north to Will-Carleton Rd., west ple I sted on the plans are no plem:nted. (Evacuation may be re- to Waltz Rd., north to Willow Rd. and (ger with the same district or in the quested by the county board of west to Milan. same positions, v or may orde an va a po ftu ts fror t I att s Ne rtisno s in the p ns

- - Catholic Schools. Supt. Egan said he belleves Airport is As the plans stand today: In all Monroe's plan calls for students to responsible for St. Charles but the schools, parents are not to drive to be bused'in three waves to Custer school is not included io the document the school to pick up their children Elementary School - the only already approved by the Airport should an evacuation be ordered. Monroe Schools building outside the board

• Stud:nts may be picked up later at 10-mile primary radius. From that Monroe Schools Supt. William P.

specific locations - Erie Mason for transfer point, the students will be Chambertln said his district has the J fferson students. Milan for Airport moved to Bedford Schools. second draft in hand and he expects it students and Bedford for Monroe The district would begin busing wdl be officially presented to the stud:nts. students in schools closest to the board of education before Fermi Specific auxiliary plans for each Fermi plant. Monroe buses also begins full operation.

district still are to be worked out. In would transport students from Jefferson Schools administration En evacuation, each district would Monroe Catholic Central, St. Mary also has the second draft in the need L3 set up an alternate ad- Academy, St. Mary's, St. John's and works. Iloard memters individually ministritive location: for Monroe, St. Michael's Catholic Elementary have seen the plan and Supt. Egan th11 would be Custer Elementary Schools and lloly Ghost, Trinity and said he, too, plans to present the plan Sct.ool. Jefferson has yet to choose a Zion Lutheran Schools. formally in the ncar future.

plic2 and Al port must change its Terry Lake, transportation site - the one listed in the plan is the director Ior Monroe Schools. The Jefferson board will consider a related matter in a meeting Thurs-homa of the district's former estimates completed the in evacuation could op' two hours under be day night when representatives from superintendent. timum conditions, the OCP show slides of training Airport's plan, the only one to be In Jefferson district, students procedures for emergency workers, tppr:ved so f ar by the district's That meeting begins about 8 p.m.

board cf education, calls for pupils in would be bused down I 75 to Mason after an hour-long discussion of cur-til buildings to be bused eventually to Consolidated Schools in Erie. Buses riculum.

Mil n Area Schools. They will get from Mason wouid be needed to th:re via a transfer point in Lincoln augment the evacuation - Jefferson Consolidated Schools' junior high hasn't got enough to transport all students at once.

That scenario is one reason Jef-ferson Supt. James Egan has doubts the plan willwork.

lie explains that of 18,000 people t living in the school district,13,500 live in the thoreline communities from Estral Beach to State Park Sub-division. Most of those people will be traveling south on N.Dtxte Hwy.if an evacuationisordered, llow, then, he asks, are buses from 14ason supposed to come north on N.

Dixie to pick up students? "I don't know how those buses are going to get in here. People will be pouring out of here."

Although he rejects the idea that evacuation ever will happen, he has suggestions for several phases of the operation. Of traffic congestion on N.

Dixic liwy.,"We think the answer is widening Dixie," he said. >

But a change to widen the two-lane road won'tbe partof the planuntilN.

Dixie actually is widened. "1 have to deal with realities," said Mr. Kay, planner trainer with OCP,who works with the bulky emergency response plan for the county, Mr. Kay said he is constantly reviewing and updating the hundreds of provisions in the county plan, of which the school plans are a division.  ;

Although it was adopted by the '

county board as recently as De-cember, already there have been 72 pages of changes,he said.

The Monroe Evening News -

Continuing a trodutoon of community serv ce begun in 1825 e Onroe Evening Nem -

• n en F875 .

20 W. Forst St., P.O. 60x 1 U6 Montoe MI 49 61. tel 242 8100 Cont.nu.ng ae rode of communay service begu ST E PH E N T. GR AY.vke pres / editor ~

GR ATT AN GR AY presicient/geft mgr ^

ge r GR ATI At4 GR AY. pubtrsher TOM HUL5K for EORGE STON E R d /mhtg re for 51EPHE N T . GR AY. editor JAME5 f. CALLOWAY. bus. ness enanag'ee ROY E. H AMLtN. monoging editor GE ORGE W. STONE R. odvertising manager DAti O GR ADY. editoriot page ed.10r The troubled Fermi plant The litany of start-up problems at <loes not conform to NilC rules, and Detroit Edison's Ferm 2 nuclear an engineering study is required to From the locaI scene any time along the way, when there power plant north of Monroe is determine proportions-the need for corrections.

This, like many of the problems Fermi 2 - In the current r und of debate might have been a chance of influer and discussion cing the design, construction or saf et-reaching Fortunately, this week ,s signs show encountered already, means more 8n c nfexf book-length over the Detroit preparations.

that Monroe County residents are delays in operation of the plant-That translates into higher costs E so Enri oFe m12 lant,it seems But there seemed little reason t not the only ones conce4 aed. ings ave een argotten. protest,in 1969, the plant's estimat(

Edward Greenman, from the pushing Edison still further into a debt to finanee completion. Granted, Monroe County soon will cost was a tenth of the preser.

federal Nuclear Regulatory Com. nuclear power estimate of 52.35 billion. The be; o available forecasts of ,electrici; mission's regional' office near Assuming are broughtthe problems under control and eventually the have a full-fledged,ts shores. if the

+ Pl ant operatmg on i consumption showed Edison wou.

3 Chicago, discussed some of his Pl ant gow into operation, that final stages of construction and agency's coecrns about the plant with t'he Monroe County Board ofsoutheastern means electricity bills will across "On3irg go as expected. And face a,ty m the 80s and 9 s.

Michigan rise granted, a nuclear . power plant is n:ition experience with nucle-capaci,s Commissioners Tuesday. That wasface-to-face com. even antici.higher g odreasoniormtelhgentconcern.

than alread Powerhad been good.

NRC's .first.ththecountyboard. pa d. But much of the current discussion Now, however, plant costs hr y munication wi '

e ajternatives - that the plant seems to lack a sense of context. It'srisen out of sight, energy consun-Thts suggests Fermi s mountmg might prove inoperable due to .

lant has been under con-1982; the for a full decade. For most tionis far below the forecasts, andn q record of problems concerns the ceaseless techmcal problems, or struction nation seen some of the problems feds as much as it does Monroe limp along for years with limited of that decade, there's been a deep nuclear power. It's temptmg to bla o silence among county residents and Edison for building the plant - r County residents. What's more, Mr.Greenman's  ! east as intimidating. Southeast concerns sounded commere al , peration officials on the issiles cf nuclear - are at reass'iringly similar to those of Michigan s economic future does ; safety. Even when nuclear-plant neces7ty

~

that it appears more ri.tv and 1

~

thanit did10 years ago.

local laymen who have viewed need astron,omical electric protests elsewhere in the country i Edison's struggles with growing notrates or another crippled utility. j made headlines, Monroe County said But general optimism at concern. He mentioned several of For Edison, the incentive to bring little. nuclear y wer and waste,M eng the plant's numerous equipment And,during that decadc, the county blame

[e[e$v*e$*sh'a e of 11 &

problems and the disturbing the plant on line and to insure thatit cheerfully thrived is safe ison the financial Not tremendous. only is residents bonanza provided by the construction Monroe County and number of human errors. the company s financial and who didn't object to the p Of course, starting anyth,mg as techmcal reputation on the hne; so project. Thousands of county rest- i e als'hev could have. And fixing complex as a nuclear power plaat is its future. For Monrne County i dents and thousands of non-residents whent j worked on the plant.Their paychecks blame is' pointless anyway, now is bound to unearth some problems. residents, as Edison customers and I bolstered the economy. Their taxes the plantis nearly finished.

] Most Monroe County residents no neighbors of, the plant, those two j have supported schoob and govern-l, doubt are willing to dismiss a ooJectives also are important, al. ment. Edison's property taxes helped Realistically, only one elemer; certain number as inevitable, but thoughin reverse order.  !

to finance unprecedented growth in the project still canbe influenced-at some point one bagins to wonder. emergency evacuation plan. '.

Apparently the NRC, with its correct As Edison and the NRC work to localgovernmentbudgets.

the plant's problems, the Against that backdrop, the recent plan should be as complete workable as possible, withm its greater knowledge of nuclear plantconstruction and operation, watch, hope and pay. But this ' Protests ofisconcern county by can do little the Monroe ous more practicalthan limits. If the cl..

reaching that point,too, week's signs of new urgency at the County Board of Commissioners ap- local tempest over nuclear 1 The !atest worry at the plant, also Pear rather less poignant. The time to helps to achieve that goal. it x-~s rnacinv hv the NRC. NRC and _-_--a of closer communication e r - . - ,- o protest was in .1969. when Edison m,,* wM nurcose.

.~-.~,...n,.

tod at Edison, countv oinmst er delays banas oe County commissioners - notifyingthe NRC. gDj "If we give away this trump card lying solely on Edison for informs-xause they were illinformed Commissioner Frank P. Kuron said now, the Fermi 2 committee will be tion.

'["(Yrie "j t -h the county might be better off asking left with no cards at all," he said.

" lie said the county needs more cial Robert Paoletti, an Edison finan-analyst, confirm,ed 51r. Arnold's e

2esday night of delaying a $200 k!kCitsnd f he p icte t at e statements. There s no question r emergency sirens and more trammg a county bond issue the utility federal agencI's analysis of the for emergency workers as well as that if we need the money, we'll go to  !

luested. events at Fermi 2 will be nothing but other aid from Edison. lie also said whatever source there is to get it," he 5 coard eventually approved the a big whitewash. he had serious questions about said.

issue unanimously, but some During the county board's regular communications with the utility. l{e said the utility only recently

.ssioners are still fuming at the Tuesday night meeting. Mr. huron arranged a $250 million short-term also suggested the county table a But County Board Chairman Rich- loan through a consortium of insur-missioner Dorothy B. Navarre resolution authorizing the issuance of ard E. Petticrew said he saw the bond ance companies.

6.'11 r k the board in the near $200 million in tax free industrial issue as a separate matter. Com- Fred James, a county resident, A. DeSloover to .pprove letters to the revenue bonds. He said the delay missioner Frank it levels of the utility and the could be used as a bargaining chip agreed, saying the board , expects asked board members to delay the Edison to act m good faith m all its bond issue until they determine in- [

r si guvirnment asking for full with the utility, not only over the dealingswith theboard. dependently if the utility really needs ntions of Edison's delay in recent Fermi problem but in other the benefits of the tax-free financing. .

. ing the county board and Fermi-related matters. Commissioner Donald F. Arnold argued that if the utility didn't get the Edison has explained - and com- ,

!sfe pa ed pow r-up o The utility commonly uses county l

ctor on July a' bondingpower to finance power pant financ,ing nism,it would through the county mecha-getit elsewhere. missioners generally agree - that the tax free bond issue would save work because they command a lower said she'll draft "a reasonable interest rate from bond purchasers. However, Michael Keegan, a the company and, presumably, its member of the Safe Energy Coali, ratepayers as much as $180 million in rm letter" to Edison Chairman Mr. Kuron said tabling of the bon- tion, it.sisted that the bond issue was interest charges it would otherwise

-r J. McCarthy asking for ex-tions. She also will compose one ' ding resolution would give the an opportunity for the board to put incur over 30 years if it had to '

g U.S. Rep. John D. Dingell, board's Fermi 2 committee more systems in place that would keep it arrange financing using its own cor-informed about Fermi 2 without re- porate bonds. }

en, ton, to investigate delays in leverage in dealing with the utility. ,

suan miWMUMg NRC refuses Ng py g to let Edison -

5Es5

.W m M_ aa. S s.in s. gin 8W e nii c.- s gkan . r

.a

w e_s

. -a e = , = , --e= mcrea e power at Fermi -

"Eesges2

Ey]a ;E,EoS$gjyEEEy$g3o E = g , { $y3o$juc 1 { $$ - c * "s y S

o-x a

$Ic Ea 3 h $N55 gg$..g eZ o E E ~. gg- oj Pe een power. fallure to close a valve in the plant's The NRC met for four hours in Chica o e ntainment line which may have been Yc $E -

Tuesday to consider Edison's request fa pen since its installation June 20. NRC 1

x C $ o 5,$[E o %~~.?

. $ ec0 g o SS.c gg5 $5 Ea2**a2oa Ej o

begin operating the Frenchtown Township spokesman Jan Strasma said the main

- o ac"a 8 3j "o j 8e plant at 20 percent of fullpower problems at the plant have been training,

] *1+.-l:,y,p o a $2# jo2g

%,** u o=

E E.5 $3 ,8$ gjQo>,2 3a a Eg%ygEoa

~. E, $]U The plant was granted management and attention todetail. -

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y,8bEcE58 ul "They haven't made the transition from Dh  !$$3.$%3 h$ b ! ~ k6is5 c$ 0 license in July but the NRC has re It to operating below 5 percent since a JulI 2 incident.

c a testmg organization to an operating organization and I think our expectation is S ?! yifi-E1:iy g g g y n :i, b .*

' ] " '" "" I th by holding them to 5 percent power, we've i

withdre 11 on ro! r s continu y rather than a little at a time as procedures See FERMI 2. Page 12A

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'ews 2 Evening MONROE, MICH., MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23,1985 __

25 CENTS In a Fermi accident, where will students go ?

I

\

Even then, no plan is final. Details From there, the classifications of inci-ByDEBORAHSAUL children within that 10-mile zone. While dents increase in gravity to " alert," " site EveningNewsstaffwrder emergency response plans can cover ev- change constantly and annual reviews are emergency" and " general emergency."

crything from tornados to bomb threats, a required by the OCP. Should an incident occur, school School officials agree this is one plan t in kyard adds they'll likely never u:.e. They're happy g r[! But school' districts are responsible for superintendents will be communicating ,

making sure there are workable plans on with the OCP offices on S. Raisinville Rd. .

about that General emergency response plans are paper in case of emergency. "It doesn't where Dennis McCullough, administrative '

But re it covers an eventuality for: in case of a problem they at must the in various states of approval or review have to please the governor, it doesn't assistant for the Monroe County Interme-Ferral 2 auclear power plant, what within the Jefferson, Monroe and Airport have to please Peter Basclo (director of diate School District, will be ia cha

• districts. Plans have been designed by state emergency services), it doesn't have school coordination. He will alert willschoolsdowiththestudents? Energy Coasu1tants Inc., a to please the chairman of the county board Obviously, Jefferson Schools must be Pennsylvania-based company which in- of commissioners. The plan has to please .superintenc concerned with what actions to take in cludes officials caught up several years the school board of the particular district alert radio system as backup.

Superintendents have a long checklist of that is going to have to live with it. They're case of an incident at the plant. Twin agoin the Three MileIsland shutd Wn. 8 to be to administer it," the JCP's responsibilities keyed to the seriousness of cooling towers looming on the bortzon are evePresent rmW of Fermi's pm Through the count 's Office of Civil avid C. Kay said. the emergency. They would notify building sence. Preparedness, the nergy Consultants Basic plans given to the school districts ministrators pr,incipals and askand the parochial school ad-transportation But all the bM= in the Airport firm has supplied generic versions of exPl ain different levels of emergencies director to put bus drivers on standby.

"ommunity Schools district and all but one emergency response plans which the and different ways of responding.

4 the buildings in Monroe Public Schools school districts themselves must complete ~ Principals would make sure they had a

- plus all the parochial schools in those with details. In the least serious :ase, no public action list of which students were in school that districts - also lie within the 10-mile Only the Airport board has adopted the would be necessary and response might be prim 0ry emergency planning zon* (EPZ ). plan formally, voting on the second draft limited to the Fermi site. This is called an s FERMI, Pcge 16A

" unusual event."

There are nearly 15,000 school-age in January,1981

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(Ed. it. en dola/>ij),yer

. . . s p@rt,ing Fcrmi/Mcont.) .

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1. incident disappoints NRC  : B "a'=m"""i lie added that the utility has had, Nuclear Regulatory Commission of- He did not rule out the ibility that' more problems than regulators. 1 fici Is they're disappointed Detroit Edison would be subject to

' would expect at this' stage of.the; s or notice Edison failed to inform them sooner of of v olations. And though the utility has a testingprogram.; .. 4

. operator errors at its Enrico Fermi 2 license to operate the plant at full power, it "We'll be doing some additiona quclert plant July 2, but the federal still is being restricted to operating below inspections to take a look at the ,

gene says there may not have been any 5 percent power.

~

things they've said they're doing,. '

v ola ns of federal reporting require- including strengthening their shift.

Both NRC and utility spokesmen said, '!

however, that the plant is not yet ready to management and supervision so far, The f: ster-than+xpected start of a '

as operattoris are concerned, im+

bo proving some of their operational' nucle:r chain reaction at the plant July 2 hause f tes gdela s' i)was the focus of a three-hour meeting procedures and providing additionalt between the utility and NRC at the Mr. Strasma said Edison's contention training for plant operations on' Cgency's suburban Chicago offices Tues. during the meeting was that there was no I routine operations," Mr. Strasma-day, immediate reporting requirement for the - said 3 ' NRC spokesman Jan Strasma says the h"h,2 ut l eg'l na C mi tr Detroit Edison asked the NRC infirmition Edison presented during the - Tuesday for pumission to raise me  !

James) Keppler said he was disappointed

, session will be part of an NRC investiga-operatinglevel at the plant. .

tion which might be completed within a Edison spokesman Bert Heffner.  !

week orso. See FERMI, Poge 12A said, "The NRC is studying this:

hs vise Tcom,; ~ . . . .

' matter and a decision is expected.  ;

. shortly. We believe the plant will be -

Edison did not call it'o the attention ready to go above 5 percent power of tfie NRC sooner or highlight it as Mr. Ileffner also said control room within a week." l anissueinlicensing." , documents will be reviewed and re-Among those attending the regional vised to address human factors. meeting in Chicago were Monroe The NRC authorized full- r lle said some control room docu-operation of the plant July 10 The County Civil Preparedness Director ments could be made morelegible. Jon R. Eckert and county Com-NRC was only fully informed of the -

July 2 incident on July 15. lie also said the utility is reviewing micsloner Frank Kuron.

an t tening all reportin Also attending were Mary Johnston While there does not a p systems, th internal and externaf, l

reporting violation, dr. earStrasma to be a ' and Jennifer Puntenney of tbe antia I t# liminate any gray areas that may nuclear Safe Energy Coalition. Mr.

said, Mr. Keppler told the utility he ** ht'  !

expected the utility to have "an Kuron and Ms. Johnston both spoke l upfront and candid relationship" Mr. Strasma said that even if plant against the power-up. I with the NRC. test schedules called for the plant to l In the July 2 incident, a plant $1n w?e ou7d in ti n to!a Ene gy al$t n "Is ad th  !

operator erroneously withdrew 11 to authorize that* pending our own did not lift the restriction. In our l control rods continuously from the invesuga'lon'" opinion, they should have issued an j reactor core. Edison procedures call order to revoke their license for the l for withdrawing them a little at a Michael Barrett, a Monroe resident kind of problems that they've had. It }

time. Control rods, when withdrawn, and member of the anti-nuclear Safe should be shut down."

start a nuclearchain reaction' Energy Coalition, was upset about the revelations made during the Mr. lleffner said it must be noted Subsequently, a shift supervisor ~ ' NRC. Edison meeting' that Edison is "still in the testing determined wrongly that the reactor stage and there probably will be ,

had not achiever 1 a self-sustained "One of our deep concerns is that future mechanical and procedural chain reaction and authorized a re- there seems to be an error in train' problems that we will find.They will

.peatof thepower-upusingthecorrect ing." he said. "It is unthinkable that be reported to the NRC and cor-procedures, the utility would discover an error in rected' their trafning program while they are

.yr. Strasma said it was a parent operating the reactor." In July, a pump failure prompted ucsday that the training o opera- the utility to stop running the plant tors in rod-pulling did not correspond Among Edison personnel who met for 10 days,Mr.lleffner noted.

• to the procedures which had been with the NRC Tuesday were Dr.

Wayne 11. Jens, vice president of Edison told the NRC last week that established for Fermi the valve and pipe designed to check

. nuclear operations for the utility, and -

"To assure that similar lips in Edison President and Chief Operat. leaks of radioactive material from operat ng procedures do no occur, Ing OfficerCharles M. lleidel, the plant were left open and un-are putting even greater em- plugged from more lhan two months.

phasis on supervision and indepen. Mr. Heffner said the July 2 pro-blems shou!d not have a significant The NRC regional office will de-dent verification of operator ac. termine what enforcement action, if tions." said Edison spokesman Bert impact on the plant's operation schedule. The company still expects any,it will take against Edison.

lleffner.

As an exam le, he said, when an n2 C mme p"aum "We h h mps ho ha!

operator intenfs to take an action, he ye sM wim mese past em d sW e announces it, it is confirmed that it is Work on the 1,100-megawatt power ,

the safety and reliability o the an appropriate action, then he wi)) plant began in 1969 and its final cost . plant," Mr.Heffner said.

perform the action. estimate is $3.575 billion. Fermi 2 bas been rating at to Mr. Strasma said Edison con-l 5 pucut pown s ce June, e Pl ant, bu!]t at a cost of $3.6 billion, tended that the shift supervisor's has a gernrating capacity of 1,100 evaluation was not a black and white megawatts of electricity.

issue, but a judgment call based on the best information available at the time, s