ML20235G566
| ML20235G566 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/06/1987 |
| From: | Murley T Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Fox J PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20235G568 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8707140297 | |
| Download: ML20235G566 (6) | |
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JUL 0 61987 i
The Honorable Jon D. Fox Pennsylvania House of Representatives i
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120-0028
Dear Mr. Fox:
In your letter dated May 14, 1987, you suggested that a public monitoring system, l
consisting of closed-circuit television cameras, be installed in nuclear generating plants as a more stringent safety precaution for the protection of the public and the environment. The monitoring system could be viewed by interested and environ-mentally conscious members of society who desire firsthand knowledge about their local nuclear plants.
Your suggestion has been interpreted to mean the application of a television monitoring system to the nuclear plant contro'1 room. As discussed below, we believe there are several drawbacks to this concept.
A nuclear power plant control room is usually very large, containing literally thousands of controls and displays. Unless many remotely controlled zoom-lens-cameras were installed, it would be virtually impossible to gather any meaningful
'information from the control room. Several cameras with wide-angle lenses could allow an observer to see the general activity level in the control room. However, the activity level of a control room is not a good representative measure of how well a plant is being tended.
For example, control rooms are very active during transients, including shutdown and start-up, and are relatively quiet when the -
plant is at full power. Most of the operator's activities consist of keeping watch, recording information, assessing the information to detect unusual trends, and monitoring plant behavior while routine tests are being conducted. Consequent-ly, the level of activity depends not only on the plant status or power level, but on other factors such as whether maintenance or surveillance testing is in progress.
Other factors also must be considered.
In addition to the operators in the control room, there are supervisors in offices, workers at other operating stations in the 4
plant, and operators who routinely patrol the operating spaces. Their attentive-ness and proper conduct of work is similarly expected, but placing cameras in the control room and other spaces involves questions regarding impact on personnel as well as plant security.
The use of television surveillance in the control rooms of nuclear power plants could set an undesirable precedent. We believe that the recent incident of ope -
tor inattentiveness at the Peach Bottom plant was an isolated occurrence and is riot representative of the way the majority of plants are operated. The vast majority of operators are highly professional, dedicated, and responsible individuals. We believe that the introduction of television surveillance to control rooms would have an adverse affect on operator's morale, which in turn would t,e' detrimental to safe operations.
To subject ;hese people to the constant monitoring of the general public is an extreme measure which we believe is unnecessary and undeserved.
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d The Honorable Jon D. Fox To protect against malevolent acts, NRC regulations require licensees to limit access to equipment and areas, such as the control room, which are important to the ability to safely shutdown the facility. Likewise, licensees irre required to limit access to information about this equipment and these areas to persons with an established need to know. Providing such information to the general public would be contrary to this goal and to our regulations.
We share your convictions regarding the pursuit of measures to assure that stringent safety precautions are adopted as necessary for protection of the public and the environment.
In particular, considerable NRC resources are currently devoted to the analysis and evaluation of events at operating nuclear plants to ensure they are fully understood with regard to cause, the proper corrective action is undertaken, and that expedited notification is made to other nuclear plants that
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could also be similarly affected. These activities, of course, are in addition to the NRC's ongoing inspection program.
I trust the above information is responsive to your concerns.
Sincerely, Original signed by, Tho-nr W. Murley j
Thomas E. Murley, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 9
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,,DUE:-06/09/87-EDO CONTROL: 002886 DOCEDT: 05/14/87
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. REP. JON D. FOX:
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P ps FOR: SIGNATURE. OF4 GREEN SECY NO:"87-590-MURLEY-DESC:-
ROUTING:
RECOMMENDATION FOR'MORE STRINGENT' SAFETY-M'URRAY
- PRECAUTIONS'AT NUCLEAR PLANTS SUCH.AS CLOSED RUSSELL, RI CIRCUIT
- TELEVIEIGN' CAMERAS KAMMERER
- DATE: E05/26/87 ASSIGNED TO:'NRR
-CONTACT: MURLEY
~SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS'OR REMARKS:
NRRRECEIVED:.y%S:PARTLOpfM.y, MAY,. 27,,31987:,
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER:
CRC-87-0590 LOGGING DATE: May 20 87 ACTION OFFICE:
EDO AUTHOR:
J.D.
Fox AFFILIATION:
PA, STATE REPRESENTATIVES LETTER DATE:
May 14 87 FILE CODE:
SUBJECT:
Recommendation for safety precautions at nuclear power plants ACTION:
Direct Reply
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DISTRIBUTION:
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DATE DUE:
Jun 4.87 SIGNATURE:
DATE SIGNED:
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