ML20235R856

Responds to Re EIS for Meltdown of Large Reactors & NRC Compliance W/Nepa.As Result of TMI-2 Accident on 790329,NRC Included Class 9 Accidents in Assessments in Fes Re Licensing of Plants

ML20235R856
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island, Seabrook, 05000000
Issue date:	09/30/1987
From:	Murley T Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Piercebjorklun AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
Shared Package
ML20235R855	List: ML20235R852 ML20235R856 ML20235T734
References
NUDOCS 8710080207
Download: ML20235R856 (4)

Text

- -

SEP 3 01987 Ms. Patricia Pierce-Bjorklund 15 Spring Street Essex, Massachusetts 01929

Dear Ms. Pierce-8jorklund:

I have been asked to respond to your letter of September 1,1987 to Chairman Zech, in which you raised a number of questions regarding an

" environmental impact statement for meltdown of large reactors" and NRC compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

In keeping with the NEPA, the NRC issued Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 51, which defines the environmental protection requirements applicable to NRC's domestic licensing and related regulatory functions. This regulation, which implements section 102(2) of the NEPA of 1969, as amended,  ;

requires the NRC to write environmental impact statements for the construction and operation of commercial nuclear reactors.

From the time the NRC implemented the NEPA until 1980, in preparing the Final Environmental Statement (FES) issued in connection with the licensing of a commercial nuclear power plant, the NRC staff considered various classes of accidents (from trivial incidents commonly referred to as Class 1 accidents to the design-basis accident referred to as a Class 8 accident). The March 29, l 1979 accident at Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear plant emphasized the need for changes in NRC policies regarding the consideration given to more severe kinds of low probability accidents in the environmental impact assessments required by the NEPA (refer to enclosed 45 FR 40101 published 6/13/80). These 1 accidents, which involve substantial physical deterioration of the fuel in the l l reactor core (including overheating to the point of melting) and deterioration l of the capability of the containment structure to perform its intended function of limiting the release of radioactive materials to the environment, are commonly referred to as Class 9 accidents (these are more severe than the Class 8 design-basis accident).

l Therefore, as a result of TMI, beginning i.n 1980, the NRC staff included the Class 9 accidents in its assessments in the FESS related to the licensing of commercial nuclear power plants. For your information because you have previotAly expressed an interest in the Seabrook plant, I have enclosed a copy of those pages in the Seabrook FES that deal with the Class 9 accidents.

I 1

I I

9- 3207 .

0, t& J Q 5

pd /;

w- w h c

%pV&.

F Q'p b' g

.f f

_- _ _ _ _ - _ = _ _ _ _ _ -_ _ _ _ _ .-_ _ _. _ -__ --__.

..- 4 Patricia Pierce-Bjorklund .. .

'The FES for a nuclear; power plant is available in the NRC'Public Document Room,-

1717 H Street, NW, Washington,'D.C. 20555 and at the Local-Public Document Room near the plant site.. The FES for the Seabrook plant was issued in December 1982, and the Exeter' Public Library (its' Local Public Document Room), 47 Front Street, Exeter, NH should have a copy available.

Sincerely, Original signed b) -

Thomas E. Murley, Director.

' Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation-

Enclosure:

45FR40101 DISTRIBUTION:

Docket File.

NRC PDR Local PDR EDO #003162 EDO R/F TMurley/JSneizek FMiraglia PDI-3 R/F SVarga (2)

BBoger VNerses MFairtile OGC-Bethesda GPA/CA (3)

SECY (3)

.RStarostecki JFunches JBlaha DMossburg

• See previous concurrence r

.b__lbb!__$________l_ ________! .

.____[ ___\_...f_ _ _ ___ _ _ -..

_ __! _I[_"$_8[ __!!$$_________!_ $!![.. ___: __ ________!__ __ .. _ _! - _$ __

DATE$09/ /87 09/' /87 $09/ /87  : 9/2 3/87 $ 9/e3/. ... d v

096 8/l7 $ 094.%/j37 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY / ./

{

_ . . - . _ _ - _ _ - ~ . - . _ .

7.# _ , _ ~ _ . ,

.' - " Ih 'o,'s. UNITED STATES

. g. , NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3 t WASHINGTON, D. C. 20566 '

i.> ,

L

'~

EDO PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL' FROM: DUE: 09/23/87 EDO CONTROLS 003162 DOC DT 09/01/87 PATRICIA PIERCE-BJORKLUND FINAL REPLY:

ESSEX, MA.

[

TO:

l.

L CHAIRMAN ZECH p 1

l. FOR SIONATURE OF ** GREEN ** SECY NO: 1071 f-

! MURLEY j

L- DESC: ROUTING:

CONCERNS RE LOCA AND ECCS FAILURES DATE: 09/09/87 ASSIONED TO: NRR CONTACT: MURLEY i SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

REF. EDO 2931 L

i

-e V

l I

9

_~ _ ._ -_ _-----__-__L --__-___--- . - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ __

3. j

, < /, . :-

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER: CRC-87-1071 LOGGING DATE: Sep 9 87 ACTION OFFICE: EDO AUTHOR: P. PIERCE-BJORKLUND AFFILIATION: MA (MASSACHUSETTS)

LETTER DATE: Sep 1 87 FILE CODE:

SUBJECT:

CONCERNS RE LOCA AND ECCS FAILURES ACTION: Direct Reply

. DISTRIBUTION:

S:i OIAL HANDLING: None NOTES:

1 DATE DUE: Sep 20 87  !

l SIGNATURE: . DATE SIGNED:

1 AFFILIATION:

l'  ;

)

i Red off.too Date 9-1-P7 um, - /.'s o IDO -- .003162