ML20236T685
| ML20236T685 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/02/1997 |
| From: | Rathbun D NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA) |
| To: | Moseleybraun SENATE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20236T625 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-98-156 NUDOCS 9807280331 | |
| Download: ML20236T685 (1) | |
Text
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UNITE 3 STATES 8
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September 2, 1997 l
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The Honorable Carol Moseley-Braun United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Moseley-Braun:
This is to ackn dge receipt of your letter dated August 21,1997, regarding an inquiry from your constitue
- s. Adriane HughenKconcerning nuclear power plant safety.
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Please be assured that we are working on a response and a reply will forwarded to you as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
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Dennis K. Rat bun, Director Office of Congressional Affairs l
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September 23, 1997 T. Honorable Carol Moseley-Braun nited States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510-1303
Dear Senator Moseley-Braun:
I am responding to the letter you sent to Dennis K. Rathbun, dated August 21, 19g7, forwardiN a. letter from your constituent, Adriane Hughes.
In her letter, Ms. Hugies questions the safety of allowing nuclear power plants that are receiving additional regulatory oversight because of declining performance to continue to operate and suggests that it would be safer to use alternate energy resources.
The mission of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, the common defense and security, and the environment in the use of nuclear materials in the United States. The NRC's scope of responsibility includes regulation of commercial nuclear power reactors; nonpower research, test, and training reactors; fuel cycle facilities; medical, academic, and industrial use of nuclear materials; and the transport, storage, and disposal of nuclear materials and nuclear waste..Because our focus is on the safety of nuclear power plants, we are not in the position to address the safety of alternate power sources. The lead j
agency for issues related to alternate energy sources is the Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE's Dffice of Utility Technologies is responsible for help' ng industries develop renewable energy sources including solar, wind, hydropower, and geothermal energy, and encouraging electricity suppliers to choose renewable energy technology.
The NRC regards compliance with regulations, license conditions, and technical specifications as mandatory, and the agency is not reluctant to insist on compliance from any licensee. But we also recognize that plants will not operate trouble-free. For this reason, the NRC requires that substantial safety margins be designed into the construction of plants. To maintain this margin, the NRC requires licensees to establish measures to ensure that fai ures and nonconformances are promptly identified and corrected. The appropriate regulatory response to an identified deficiency can and should vary, depending on its safety significance. Therefore, the NRC would not necessarily exercise its authority to revoke or suspend a facility's license solely on the basis of a pattern of performance that warrants increased NRC monitoring.
Facilities that are operating today are operating because the NRC has determined that they meet an acceptable level of safety. Although we have found deficiencies at some plants, the conservatism provided by the multiple
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levels of design and operating requirements provides reasonable assurance that there is no undue risk to public health and safety.
In some cases, plants that are receiving increased NRC monitoring have entered extended shutdowns to identify and address the root causes for their problems and to implement 4?kk:CC /? - 2'n W_____________________
O C. Moseley-Braun,
corrective actions. Following discussions between the NRC and the licensee, a Confirmatory Action Letter may be issued that documents commitments made by a licensee that the plant remain shut down until specific corrective actions have been appropriately addressed and reviewed by the NRC.
I can assure you that if the NRC becomes' aware of information demonstrating that an undue risk to public health and safety exists, it will take prompt remedial action including the shutdown of operating facilities.
With respect to nuclear power plants in Illinois, the Commonwealth Edison Company (Comed) units at Dresden, Quad Cities, Byron, and Braidwood are operating satisfactorily. The Comed units at Zion and LaSalle and the Illinois Power unit at Clinton are currently shut down, and the NRC has issued Confirmatory Action Letters documenting the commitments made by the licensees that certain actions will be taken before any of these units are restarted.
The NRC has also established oversight panels for each of these facilities.
The oversight panels are responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of the licensee's restart plans through inspections and meetings with the licensees.
I appreciate your constituent's interest in this issue and hope that this letter is responsive to your request.
Sincerely, L. & eph Callan Executive Director for Operations l
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WASHINGTON, DC 20510-1303 s
y mass July 6, 1993 Mr. Dennis K. Rathbun Director, Office of Congressional Affairs Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555
Dear Mr. Rathbun:
I am enclosi.
a copy of an nquiry that I received from my constituents
- r. Carl Shie Due to this office's desire to be responsive to all communications, your consideration of the attached 10 requested.
Your findings and views, in duplicate form along with the return of this correspondence, will be appreciated.
If this matter takes longer than our office's allowed time frame of 30 days, we would appreciate you keeping us abreast of its status every 30 days from the date of our initial inquiry to your office, until this matter is resolved.
i Kindest Personal regards, Please respond tos l
The Office of Senator i
Carol Moseley-Braun
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230 S. Dearborn Boulevard i
Suite 3996 Chicago, IL 60604 ATTN: Carolyn Bay l
312/886-8024 Yours truly, l
Carol Moseley-B United States Se ator l
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March 26, 1993
Dear Senators Paul Simon,
Carol MOseley Braun,& Cong.Sid Yates:
I am writing under a different hat. This hat 1-hf[Jee Chairman of MichiganA2,the Mt. Pleasant Circle Association of South Haven, ed';/'d Our Association Subdivision is made up of 83 cottages on Lake Michigan about 125 miles members of my fathers organization the Workmen Circle.from Chicago. It was f Many immigrant fraternal organizations bought land for a Camp so that their children would be able to leave the city ahd enjoy the fresh air and Lake Michigan. The Workmen one of these.
circle was Adjacent to where the Camp was is the Mt. Pleasant Circle.-Many of the children and grand children of the original founders have cottages there. We have been going in the summer since we moved from Minneapolis when my fathers job with the Jewish Daily Forward was transferred to Chicaco. "he cchtr.pa hric today v 0 Lui1L o
. hen udugnter Nancy was two years cid. She often says that the only thing she wants from Marion and I is the cottage.
Our problem today is that the Palisades Atomic Energy Utility Plant, a division of Consumers Power is possibly endagering the life of Lake Michigan. They have no more room on land for the disposal of their uranium spent fuel rods and so they have built bunkers 150 to 200 years from the shcre line,
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18 -==372fs feet high, 10 feet vide medal baskets to receive the rods and
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cool them.
The cask which will hold the rods have not j%
by the Nrc BUT IF THOSE APPOINTEES ARE LIKE THE Reagan Bushbeen apprcved y 7 appointees of Osha and the NLRB one naturally is frightened.
~7 99 Frank Kelly Atty Gen 1.of Michigan, Our own Illinois Atty j
General Burris and the Lake Michigan Federation are fighting the
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! j Jenner and Block have volunteered their services on a pro move.
j bono basis but b ringing scientists and filing suits vill take monies. Our little Subdivision is going to give some money for
- - 2 the case.
d ;_j Almost all the cottage owners are from Illinois. There are a few who live there year around and one Judy Rudy Lozano who is from Indiana.
Could you have one of your St-f f check thi t situation ut ene see what could be done to prevent a tragedy from striking Lake Michigan. Our Subdivision is only 7 miles north of the Palisades Atomic Energy Plant.
Most since ely,
/i1 Carl ier
$fh copies to Jeremy Karpatkin,Geoffrey Taylor Gibbs & Jason Alderman.
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