ML20212H607
| ML20212H607 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 01/15/1987 |
| From: | Stello V NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Hatch O SENATE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20212H611 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8701270359 | |
| Download: ML20212H607 (5) | |
Text
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JRN 151997 The Honorable Orrin Hatch United State:, Senate
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Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Hatch:
This letter is in response to the questions raised by one of your constituents, Mr. Jeff Seertsen, with regard to the March 1979 accident at Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 2 (TMI-2).
Mr. Seertsen, after reading a recent magazine article on the subject, expressed his concern over the health effects reportedly experienced by local residents following the TMI-2 accident. He expressed additional concern that these people were not being honestly informed about the cause of the reported health effects, suggesting that "there seems to have been a cover-up of some kind."
The imoncts of the TMI-2 accident, including health effects, have been assessed in several studies conducted by various groups.
Shortly after the accident, an Ad Hoc Interagency Dose Assessment Group was formed to evaluate the radio-logical data and estimate the population doses and associated health impacts.
This group, made up of representatives from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, concluded that the physical health effects resulting from the accident would be negligible, based on the small doses of radiation received by the public surrounding TMI. Specifically, the group estimated that, as a result of accident radiation releases, one additional fatal cancer may develop in the population residing within 50 miles of the site, compared with approximately 325,000 fatal cancers normally predicted to occur in the same population.
In October 1979, the Kemeny Commission, a multi-disciplined group appointed by President Carter, independently issued the same conclusion regarding the health impacts of the TMI-2 accident, i.e., that the off-site radiation doses to the public were so low that the resulting health effects would be negligible.
This corclusion was also reached in an investigation performed by the NRC's Office of Inspection and Enforcement, issued in August 1979, and in a February 1980 report of Pennsylvania Governor Thornburgh's Commission on Three Mile Island. More recently (September 1985), the Pennsylvania Department of Health published a preliminary report as part of an ongoing epidemiological study of cancer incidence in the vicinity of TMI. The report concluded that the data reviewed do not present evidence of an increased risk of developing cancer by local residents.
Environmental sampling and monitoring to detect radiological effluents from TMI continue to be performed by the EPA, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the h 2{go 50 0
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The Honorable Orrin Hatch,
licensee, General Public Utilities Nuclear Corporation. No significant acci-dental releases of radiation from TMI have been detected since those monitored during the 1979 accident.
The NRC has continued to respond to public concerns about the TMI accident.
In April 1979, shortly after the accident, the NRC conducted a public whole body counting program to determine whether any local residents had accumulated significant amounts of radioactivity. No radioactivity was identified in ar.y member of the public which could have resulted from the radioactive materials released during the accident.
In addition to the whole body counting program, the NRC has issued several documents concerning the accident and the subse-quent cleanup of TMI-2 for public information. The NRC maintains an augmented technical staff at the TMI site, and this staff frequently responds to public inquiries covering a wide range of TMI-related topics. Also, in October 1980, the NRC established an Advisory Panel for the Decontamination of TMI-2, made up of citizens, scientists, and state and local officials, to provide input to the Commission on major activities associated with the TMI-2 cleanup and health effects issues related to the accident.
Currently, this Panel meets approxi-mately eight times a year in Harrisburg and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and local citizens frequently participate in the meetings.
In summary, several groups have studied the TMI accident independently and have concluded that no significant impacts to the physical health of residents surrounding the TMI site resulted from the accident. The diverse responsi-bilities and composition of these groups and their involvement in public health issues assure that the facts concerning public health issues will continue to be evaluated and made known to the public. The NRC continues to be responsive to citizen concerns by providing public information in documents and in periodic meetings in the TMI area.
I trust that this letter is responsive to your constituent's request.
Sincerely, (Simed) T. A, Rehm b
0 Victor Stello, Jr.
Executive Director for Operations See previous concurrences."
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- Dated:
Distribution of letter to The Honorable Orrin Hatch in response to questions raised by one of his constituents, Mr. Jeff Seertsen, with regard to the March 1979 accident at TMI-2.
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DUE: 01/13/87 EDO CONTROL: 002427 DOC DT: UNDATED SEN. ORRIN HATCH FINAL REPLY:
TO:
CHAIRMAN ZECH FOR SIGNATURE OF:
GREEN SECY NO: 861348 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DESC:
ROUTING:
ENCLOSES LTR FROM JEFF SURTSEN RE TMI MURt.EY DATE: 12/24/86 ASSIGNED TO: NRR CONTACT: DENTON
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t SPECI AL IN'3TRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
RETURN INCOMING WITH REPLY NRR RECEIVED:
DEC. 29, 1 86
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET
. PAPER NUMBER:-
CRC-86-1348 LOGGING DATE: Dec 23 86-ACTION OFFICE:
EDO AUTHOR:
O. Hatch--Const Ref AFFILIATION:
U.S. SENATE LETTER DATE:
Dec 23 86 FILE CODE: ID&R-5 TMI 1
SUBJECT:
Health hazards surrounding TMI 1 ACTION:
Direct Reply DISTRIBUTION:
OCA to Ack SPECIAL HANDLING: None NOTES:
Jeff Seerton DATE DUE:-
Jan 12 87 SIGNATURE:
DATE SIGNED:
AFFILIATION:
Rec'd 01f. EDO Date _ l2 1 *Y '
Time l2 0b EDO 002427