ML20235F379
| ML20235F379 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Seabrook  |
| Issue date: | 09/24/1987 |
| From: | Smith I Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel |
| To: | |
| References | |
| CON-#387-4462 82-471-02-OL, 82-471-2-OL, OL, NUDOCS 8709290071 | |
| Download: ML20235F379 (4) | |
Text
--_
hd3 h$fpfc[U BD 9/24/87 j
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
'87 SEP 25 20:29 ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD YhNkh{E
'd gkt;tsg Before Administrative Judges:
Ivan W. Smith, Chainnan Gustave A. Linenberger, Jr.
SERVED SEP 2 51987 In the Matter of
)
Docket Nos. 50-443-OL 50-444-OL PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY (ASLBPNo. 82-471-02-0L) 0F NEW HAMPSHIRE, et al.,
(Offsite Emergency Planning)
(Seabrook Station, Units 1 and 2)
September 24, 1987 MEMORANDUM (Concerning Public Appearances At Hearing)
The evidentiary hearing on the adequacy of offsite emergency planning for the Seabrook Nuclear Station is scheduled to begin at Concord, New Hampshire on October 5, 1987. The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board previously announced that it would not receive oral limited appearance statements from members of the general public during
,,this' session of the hearing. Ne have since received many requests from the public and off4cials of the affected government agencies requesting that members of the"g'eneral public be heard.
It is apparent that there is considerable misunderstand *ng about the reasons for the Board's action.
In August 1983 the Board accepted statements from many members of the public on the very issue to be heard beginning October 5.
Those 8709290073 g7o994
{DR ADOCK 05000443 PDR y
Ii 4 QS: O'A CS 'l]? E sessions took place over three days in as many towns. A review of the
,gans$[ipt of those sessions indicates that every person wishing to be heard had that opportunity except for one night in Seabrook, New Hampshire, when time ran out at 10:50 P.M.
a Again, in Septenber 1986, the Licensing Board assigned to onsite emergency planning issues, on three days, heard. oral statements from many members of the public. Virtually all of those statements were on the subject of emergency plans. Judge Harbour has been a member of the Licensing Board for the entire period and was present during all of the many public appearance statements. The transcripts of those statements are being reviewed by the present Board.
As might be expected, many members of the public share common Consequently their statements tended to have a common thread.
concerns.
The statements are nevertheless valuable to the Board because they reveal how deeply felt and widespread are those concerns. However, the Board is required by law to make its findings on the basis of the evidentiary record. The public statements do not constitute the hard The time has
, evidence the Board needs for a responsible decision.
arrived for the Boa,rd to consider the evidence presented by the parties.
Statements frofthe public are also valuable in that they may suggest additional areas where' the evidentiary record should be developed. Therefore the Board wishes to assure that important information available only from the public is not overlooked.
p 6 Therefore, we shall continue to invite written statements from the public.
Each member of the Board is comitted to reviewing every written statement submitted. Statements may be mailed to the Board in care of the Secretary, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D. C.
20555, or delivered to the Board at the hearing.
Furthermore the Board has provided for'the direct personal appearaace of the representatives of the public who are in the best position and have the authority to explain public concerns. Fourteen towns within the ten-mile radius emergency planning zone were granted full-participant status by the Board permitting each to introduce and to confront evidence at the evidentiary hearing and to make their arguments on the issues. Nine of the towns have not been active in the proceeding.- Recently the Board extended a special invitation to the inactive towns and other admitted government agencies to become active again. All have been invited to express their views through their representatives in person at the hearings even if they wish to remain otherwise inactive.
'In ac'dition, the Board, by the publication of this memorandum, is l
extending an invit(tion to all other towns and government agencies in j
1 the emergency planning zone to send official representatives to the hearing to express orally their views on the issues.
Finally, the Board, through the efforts of the two United States l
l Senators from New Hampshire, and as guests of the New Hampshire House of
)
i I
l l
i
!L- --
i
4 4
1 4
(
4-i 1
'l Representatives, has been provided the largest space available for the hearing so that the maximum public observation may be possible.
FOR THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD gll Avan W. Smith, Chaiman ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE Bethesda, Maryland September 24, 1987 L
I 8 68 4
- e f
f
\\