ML20211B718

Forwards from Constituent Ph Peeler Re Action Taken by NRC Granting Exemption to Util.Nrc Action Should Be re-examined Due to Recent Disaster in Soviet Union.Rept on Safety Precautions Requested

ML20211B718
Person / Time
Site:	Haddam Neck File:Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co icon.png
Issue date:	05/09/1986
From:	Dodd C SENATE
To:	Kammerer C NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA)
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ML20211B715	List: ML20211B712 ML20211B718
References
NUDOCS 8606110870
Download: ML20211B718 (3)

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• CHRlqTOPHEM J. DODD comecc7lcw 1 1

( . 3Cnifeb States Senate WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510 j Q

May 9, 1986 Carlton Kammerer Director, Office of Congressional Atfairs Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1717 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Mr. Kammerer:

l Attached is a copy of a letter I recently recei Ni from Mr. Philip H. Peeler, President of the United Ratail and Industrial Union in Wallingford, Connecticut. Ps you can see, Mr. Peeler is greatly concerned about act!.on taken by the NRC to grant a safety exemption to the Connecticut Yankee Power Plant in Haddam. Due to the recent disaster in the Soviet Union, Mr. Peeler feels the NRC action in l this instance should be reexamined.

Will you kindly provide me with some report en this case.

Obviously, I want to assure my constituent that safety l precautions at the Connecticut Yankee plant ' lave not i been compromised and your prompt attention to this matter l will be greatly appreciated.

With best regards, I am Sincer ,

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k WI560 HER J. I DD DO J\-~

United States Senator enclosures in reply: 60 Washington Street Hartford, CT 06106 attn: Mr. Ed Mann khj6110870860528 l H ADOCK 0D000213 PDR

UNITED RETAIL AND -

e INDUSTRIAL UNION

• • Tf+. c a.o Affiliated With R.W.D.S.U. A.F.L C !.o.

124 Hartford Turnpike South, P.O. Box 5817 Wallingford. Connecticut 06492 (203) 265-6707 LOCAL 282 s

PHluP H. PEELER President " g hhh.. '

RECENED" May 6, 1986 The Honorable Christopher J. Dodd U.S. Senator p 324 Senate Hart Office Building Wasington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Dodd:

In light of the recent disaster of the space shuttle here in our country and the disaster in the Soviet Union regarding Nuclear Power Plants, I am appalled and extremely concerned that the Senior Resident Inspector for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted a safety exemption to the Connecticut Yankee Power Plant in Haddam. I do not believe it is necessary for me to point out the consequences of a nuclear accident in our state. The enclosed illustration is most appropriate.

- Please let me know what action you plan on taking to prevent any relaxation on safety regulations or procedures at Connecticut Yankee.

Sincerely yours tilip 1. ee er -

President l

PHP: erg

Enclosures:

1. Article from Middletown Press, dated April 25, 1986.

2. Article on Swamps and Alligators.

P.S. This letter is also being sent to the following people: Senator Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., Congresswoman Nancy L.,, Johnson, and Congressman Sam Gojdenson.

1

'CD**

b Safhty scemption Granted Maee; .

. Start- p:U Procedures Are Underway

• - 'Ily LUCAS IIELD a set of two low-pressure turbines. April 23 and offered a solution in Start up operations began yester. Northeast Utilities, which operates which a different set of pumps would - '

day at the Connecticut Yankee nu. the plant, replaced one of.the turbines be used to perform the high pressure clear power plant af ter federal regu. with a back-up, and cut away sever1 9 recirculation cooling after an acci- '

lators granted 9perators a safety blades on another. dent involvoing a loss of coolant. .

exemption. .

.The cut will reduce the plant's elec- .However, the solution offered by ,

The plant's main reactor coolant trical output by about 2.6 percent NU is vulnerable to' what is called -

pumps were heate' d up yesterday, and from the normal 582 million watts . "singlefallure,"thatis,itdepends on the,plaat should go " critical" with down to about 567, said Linda Osiecki, two valves being in correct positions.

th; nuclear chain reaction beginning also a spokesman for the plant. If either are not, the solution will not The changes in the loyv. pressure work. '

M:nday. The plant should go "on. .

line" supplying electricity to state . turbine do not affect the plant's nu- Francis M. Akstulewicz said after transmission lines by the end of next clear operation,,according.to Patil an April 23 meeting that the NRC, for -

week, a spokesman said. Swetland, the senior resident in which he is project manager for Con-

• The start up operation signals an spector at the plant for the Nuclear ecticut Yankee, concluded the solue '

ending of what appears to have been a Regulatory Commission. tions would perform with reasonable' ,

rehtively trouble plagued outage for The most dramatic event which oc . assurance. . ,

refueling, a procesl; done about every curred 'during the outage was a licen.. "We had agreed in essence that the 10 months. .

see event report on March 25 which exemption was warranted," said Ak- -

The pressurized water reactor in told the Nuclear Regulatory Commis. stulewicz this week. .

Haddam Neck was taken out of serv- sion that operators had discovered

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The NRC is authorized to grant

, ice on Jan. 4, with the original sched- that failure of a certain section of exemptions which"areauthorized by '

ule calling for full power by March 25. pipe in the reactor's coolant system law, will not present an undue risk to

• The plant is scheduled to reach full could uncover the nuclear core of wa. the public health and safety, and are

~

power now on May 16, or about eight ter. consistent 'with the common defenst we:ks after first expected. Operators of a nuclear' plant at. and security," according to rules pub- ,

Anthony F. Nericcio, a spokesman tempt to keep the plant's core of ra.. lished in the Federal Register in De-fur the plant declined to characterize dioactive uranium covered with wa. cember. .

tha uutage as troublesome, but ter at all times to keep it cool.' The utilityis also working on a long egreed, "It's been a longei outage If the core overheats, inetal clad. term solution which will not violatt than we had orinally anticipated." ding whichsurrounds thenuclearfuel the NRC's single failure prohibitior .

Nericcio ascribed the delay to dam- could melt, releasing trapped, radlo when safety systems are involved.

age to several fuel assemblies as they active fission products inside,' accord- .

t were being lifted out of the reactor ing to the NRC. -

-I l vessel on Feb. 26, and to the fact "we had a great deal of valve work."

The licensee event report to the NRC said that certain smallbreaksin g*g ppgyg

.Vv t In addition, engineers discovered the reactor's piping "may result .in I indications of hairline cracks in a core uncovery." . O 1 i p.irt of the plant's non nuclear steam The report said that high pressure' hf Vd[QU@R ,

turbine where non radio' .tive steam recircu!ation of water around the re- ./ D heated by nuclear energy is used to ' actor's core could be disabled by a produce electricity. small break of a certain kind. Firefighters stood by this mornirg

• Engineers discovered the cracks in NU officials met with the NRC on at a rest stop on Interstate 91in Mid-

, ,dletdwn, where a sm-" .

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