ML20235T734

Requests That EIS Documents Re Meltdown Prepared by Impartial Sources Be Made Available to Public.Observation of Plant Life Indicates Level of Contamination of General Environ Causing Widespread Severe Damage

ML20235T734
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island, Seabrook, 05000000
Issue date:	09/01/1987
From:	Piercebjorklun AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:	Zech L NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20235R855	List: ML20235R852 ML20235R856 ML20235T734
References
NUDOCS 8710130193
Download: ML20235T734 (2)

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Septemt'er 1,1987 Lando-Zech, Chairman-U.S. Nuclear _ Regulatory Commission

. Washington, D.C. 20555 Sir:

I_have read.with'inte' rest' portions-of'the documents from'the Federal Register'and other research regarding LOCA & ECCS failures, sent to me by Mr. Varga of your staff in response to my letter to you of May 30, 1987.

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I have not yet completed reading the extensive documentation but am writing to request your assistance regarding a rule adopted bytthe NRC on November 30, 1978 and shown on page 57159 of Federal Register

--Vol.-43,No.235intheclosingparagraphsofDocument(7590-01-M). 4 The decision states that no Environmental Impact Statement is required for a rule change involving LOCA or ECCS failure in_a large reactor.

L Yet LOCA (Loss of Coolant Accident) and ECCS (Emergency Core Cooling System) failure immediately precede meltdown.

-The decision-states that a rule change for LOCA & ECCS failure does "not' constitute a major Federal action significant1y'affecting the t quality of the human environment and as'such will not require the l preparation of an environmental impact statement (as required by)

Section'102-(2XC) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)."

My attention is drawn to the language of the rule which_ implies that because the change is procedural or technical in nature that the change i

is not subject to NEPA law. Admittedly the rule itself will not cause  !

i irreversible contamination. But the subject of the rule,'the. loss of I cooling neans and imminent major release of radioactive discharge into l the environment most definitely constitutes a " major Federal action affecting the human environment." The fact that the Federal government is'only providing an operating license based on rules designed to l prevent release of contamination does not obviate the need.for the government to state clearly what will happen if their preventive measures fail, ie, if their rules are inadequate.

j The decision further states that "the Commission cannot make a deter-mination at this time concerning the possible need for an environmental  !

impact statement."  !

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. My question to you is, has the'NRC ever decided that an Environmental Impact Statement for meltdown of large reactors was needed? If so, could you send me copies of those EIS documents?- If not, how has the

'NRC complied with the NEPA laws? .How could licensing and construction of reactors continue for twenty years'when'it was fully known that-meltdown of a single large reactor would result in release into the environment of. quantities of radio-active, debris and particulate equivalent to that discharged by detonation of 1000 Hiroshima bombs? ,

. .I am asking that you make public EIS documents for meltdown that'are

-prepared by impartial sources, not those in which. data-is manipulated to show no. adverse impact. The American people trust their government- ,

o to protect them. -There can be no greater breach of fiduciary trust.by elected.or appointed officials than that of government agencies mis-informing the people or the Congress, particularly when lives and irreparable environmental damage are at stake.

I am certain from observation of' plant life here and'in Mexico, that the level of contamination of the general environment'by toxins, radio-active particulate and gases and other polluting sources, has reached a critical threshold where anomalies in~ weather and weather patterns, precipitation of toxins' and radioactive particles is causing widespread severe damage. It is clear that continuing discharge of radioactive effluent from operating reactors and other sources must be curtailed.

Sincerely, ok&A -bi W

[ Patricia Pierce-Bjorklund 15 Spring Street Essex, MA 01929 617-768-7310

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