ML20235E038

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Comments on 861110 Issue of Inside NRC, Staff Undercut by Lack of Commission Support on Containment Fixes. Believes It Unfortunate That Clear & Strong Support Not Received for Efforts to Obtain Improvements in Performance
ML20235E038
Person / Time
Issue date: 11/24/1986
From: Asselstine J
NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
To: Harold Denton
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML20235D912 List:
References
FOIA-87-10 NUDOCS 8707100394
Download: ML20235E038 (1)


Text

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y i UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION W ASHIN GTON, D.C. 20555

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November 24, 1986

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OFFICF OF THE COMMISSIONER p MEMORANDUM FOR: Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM: James K. Asselstine .E -

SUBJECT:

GE CONTAINMENT PROGRAM The November 10, 1986 issue of Inside NRC has a page one story entitled,

" Staff Undercut by Lack of Comission 5iipport on Containment Fixes." I believe it unfortunate that you did not receive clear and strong support for your effnrts to obtain improvements in the performance of the most vulnerable containments. I fully support your five element program to seek some assurance that the Mark I containments would not fail early in the event of a core neltdown as a step in the right direction. As you know, other countries have or are planning to provide greater protection s of the public health and safety and the environment than that called for !

in the proposed five element programs. I am at a loss to explain why .

other countries believe their citizens and their countries deserve more i protection from nuclear power than this Agency seems to believe U.S.

citizens deserve.

At last week's meeting with NUMARC, the NUMARC representatives, requested that the Commission defer issuance of the five element Mark I program until NUMARC has provided its views on the subject, estimated to be April, 1987 or later. I do not support such a delay. I continue to support the staff's plan to develop a generic letter requiring the five elements as the nost expeditious means of bringing about some improvement in the severe accident vulnerabilities of the Mark I containments. In addition, I~ould w urge the staff to consider further improvements beyond those in the five elenent progran and to undertake a broader scope review of containment performance for all containment types, cc: Chairman Zech Commissioner Roberts -

Commissioner Bernthal Commissioner Carr EDO SECY OGC

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