ML20238F313

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Testimony of RW Ingram on Seacoast Anti-Pollution League Contentions 8 & 8A Re Town of North Hampton.* Certificate of Svc Encl.Related Correspondence
ML20238F313
Person / Time
Site: Seabrook  NextEra Energy icon.png
Issue date: 09/11/1987
From: Ingram R
NORTH HAMPTON, NH, SEACOAST ANTI-POLLUTION LEAGUE
To:
Shared Package
ML20238F199 List:
References
OL, NUDOCS 8709160072
Download: ML20238F313 (7)


Text

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UNITED STATES 0F AMERICA

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, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i

BEFORE THE ATOMIC' SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD TESTIMONY OF RICHARD W. INGRAM

'ON SAPL. CONTENTIONS 8 AND 8A RELATIVE TO THE TOWN OF NORTH HAMPTON 1

Q: Please state ydur name and position in the Town of North Hampton.-

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A: My name is Richard W. Ingram. I reside on Walnut Avenu'e'in' North Hampton and am currently one of three Selectmen serving that town. In addition

=to my current position as Selectmen, I have previously served the Town of North Hampton as a member of the Municipal Budget Committee and the Town's'P.lanning Board, which I also chaired.

Q: Do you consider yourself familiar with the Town of North Hampton and the surrounding area?

i A: Yes, I have resided-in North Hampton, and other towns in the seacoast' area for twenty-four years. Since I have grown up in the seacoast area, and am familiar with the resources of the Town of North Hampton through my position'as a Selectmen, I feel that I am qualified to speak to the issue at hand.

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Q: What is the purpose of your testimony?

i A: My testimony is intended to address the issues of the adequacy of manpower to carry out the plan which is alleged to be the plan of the Town of North Hampton in the event of a nuclear emergency at Seabrook Station. These plans have been presented in this proceeding as Volume 19 of the New Hampshire Radiological Emergency Response Plan.

Q: Has the Town of North Hampton adopted these plans?

A: No, the Town of North Hampton has, up to this point in time, chosen not to participate with the implementation of plans it views to be flawed and inadequate.

Q: Will your testimony expand on the areas in which the town feels the plans are inadequate?

A: Yes. My testimony will specifically address our concerns as to where the plans are inadequate in terms of the assumptions made regarding the availability of manpower and the viability of the procedures proposed.

Q: What are some of your concerns regarding the adequacy of the manpower considered in these plans?

A: My immediate concern as a Selectmart of the Town of North Hampton are the plans which specifically affect No.tth Hampton. However, since these plans are part of a larger whole, for North Hampton's plans to prove adequate, they must presume an overall adequacy of resources and

L thoughtful integration with the plans of other towns within the ten mile I

zone. In general, it appears that the overall plans prepared to deal )

j with a radiological emergency at Seabrook Station are both optimistic in )

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terms of tae resources available from state, local and private sources, )

and unrealistic in terms of the expectations placed on the ability of j these people to perform their roles in a quick and efficient evacuation  !

of the affected area.

I Q: What are some of your specific concerns with the plans designed for North Hampton?

A: They are several. For instance, as I have stated earlier, there are three Selectmen who have been elected to serve the Town of North Hampton. In the event of a radiological emergency, the Selectmen have overall responsibility to coordinate the emergency procedures of the Town of North Hampton. These procedures vary in complexity depending on the nature of the event at Seabrook Station. The plans state that the Town of North Hampton has elected to be notified should an " unusual event" occur at Seabrook Station. While I am unaware as to how or when this election was made, presuming the statement made in the plans is accurate, this means town officials will be notified whenever there is any reportable occurrence at the plant.

Since the office of Selectmen a a part-time, and essentially volunteer,  !

position, it is not unusual for all three of the Selectmen to be unavailable at any one time. We all have our full-time careers which take priority in our daily activities and which may keep us from performing any of our assigned role in the event of a radiological

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. accident. : 0f the three Selectmen currently serving, two work in-

.. Massachusetts.< Takenito an extreme, one.could envision the situatida where,11n the: event offa severe accident, two 'of. the three S' electmen

.would have to drive north into the ten mile zone, past the plant;in order to' reach North'Hampton and-carry out their assigned eme'rgency function, h

Q: 'Are:there other concerns regarding the adequacy of.the manpower' ' I' available in' North Hampton?

y A: Yes, while the Town:of. North Hampton is fortunate to have competent and-dedicated' town employees, only a fraction of those. included in the p1'n's a

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. manpower availability estimates are on duty at any one time. In addition, some town employees live outside of the Town of North Hampton and presumably would be subject to the evacuation procedures for their town of residence in the event of emergency, effectively.taking them out of service for the~ Town of North Hampton. Any employees who were outside of the Town of North Hampton at the time of an event at Seabrook Station, would be required to go against the general flow of the evacuation to reach North Hampton and perform their duties.

-Q: 'Do you have any other specific manpower concerns?

A: Yes. The manpower requirements state that five state police officers-would be assigned to North Hampton to assist with the orderly flow of traffic through the key intersections identified in North Hampton. Since this represents what must be nearly an entire shift of officers from the nearest State Police barracks, if other towns in the evacuation zone l

1 require similar commitments of state police manpower, it would appear that there would not be sufficient state police personnel to meet the demands of the plans.

. Q: 'Do you have concerns other than those related to the adequacy of availabic manpower?

A: Yes. The road system in North Hampton, particularly the major roads which would be used in the event of an evacuation, is fairly simple.

While this simplicity may appear to be a blessing, it also has certain risks. If any one of these major egress roads was blocked, either due to an accident or some ether impediment, the alternatives for rerouting traffic away from the bottleneck are few. This lack of flexibility seems to weaken the assumptions behind the evacuation plans, since there are not specific provisions for resources to clear any impediment away.

Q: Doesr't the Town Highway Agent have responsibility for keeping the roads serviceable and free of impediment?

A: Yes, under the plan the Highway Agent does have this responsibility, but it is unrealistic to presume that the Highway Agent has the resources necessary to deal with situations which may occur. For example, if an evacuation was to occur during a snow storm, the highway agent does not have the equipment at his disposal to clear all of the roads within the Town of North Hampton. As a matter of fact, the major roads within the town, including those which would be utilized in the event of a general evacuation are state maintained roads, for which the town has no L_____________________

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< responsibility;and.has committed no resources, to maintain in any-A event.- The resources of the state to clear these roads-from the snow:

must' service an-areaLlarger.than merely the Town of. North Hampton. How-

..would~they prioritize their work in the event'of an emergency at Seabrook Station?

Q: What'about a vehicle accident blocking the road?

A: This is another situation'which.does not seem adequately provided for.

It is not hard to envision an accident occurring with the large volume of

. cars which would be on the roads in the event of a general evacuation, no

. matter how orderly. Any accident, no matter how minor, can'quickly' slow and even halt the. flow of traffic behind it.- The plans do not have specific provisions for the equipment'and manpower necessary to remoye any. such accidents from' the roadway, nor is it reasonable to expect that private contractors'will be available during a general evacuation to provide such equipment.

Q: Would you like to summarize your concerns?

A
-Yes, the Town of North Hampton has not participated in any evacuation planning since it feels that the plans presented as part of this process are inadequate, both'in terms of the availability of manpower, the viability of the' road system. These poorly conceived plans would place an additional burden on those who run the town and who are currently fully occupied keeping up with their responsibilities solely related to town affairs.

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0037 '- l CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE AND SERVICE LIST .a "B7 SEP 14 P4 :35 Jose Asst.Gn.Cnsl. Helen Hoyt. Chm.

  • Thomas Dignan , Esq.
  • Fed. ph . Flynnhigmt Emerg, . Agcy. Admn. Judge  : Ropes & Gray _

500 C.St. So. West Atomic Safety'&~Lic Brd. $$5' Franklin' 'St .

Washington, DC 20472 USNRC Boston, MA 02110 Washington, DC 20555 Offic'e of, Selectmen Dr. Jerry Harbour

  • Docketing & Serv. Sec.
  • Town of Hampton Falls Admin. Judge Office of the Secretary Hampton Falls, NH 03844 Atomic' Safety & Lic Brd. USNRC USNRC Washington, DC 20555 Washington, DC 20555 Sherwin E. Turk, Esq. # Jane Doughty Office of Exec. Legl. Dr.

Dr. Gustave A. Linenberger

  • Admin Judge SAPL USNRC Atomic Safety & Lic. Brd. 5 Market Street Washington, D.C.

20555 USNRC Portsmouth, NH 03801 '

Washington, DC 20555 Phi 11ip Ahrens, Esq. Paul McEachern, Esq. George Dana Bisbee, Esq.

Asst. Atty. General Matthew BInck, Esq. Attorney General's OFF.,

State House , Sta. #6 25 Maplewood Ave. State.of New Hampshire Augusta, ME '04333 P.O. Box 360 Concord, NH 03301 Portstrouth, MI 03801 Carol'Sneider, Esq., Asst.AG Diane Curran, Esq. William S. Lord One Ashburton Place, Harmon, Weiss Board of Selectrmn 19th Floor 20001 S Street NW Suite 430 Town Hall-Friend St.

Boston, MA 02108 Washingcon, DC 20009 Armsbury, MA 01913 Richard A. Hampe, Esq. Maynard Young, Chairman Sandra Gavutis New Hampshire Civil Delense Board of Selectmen Town of Kensington Agency 10 Central Road Box 1154 Hampe & McNicholas Rye, NH 03870 East Kingston , N.H. 03827 35 Pleasant St.

(bncord, MI 03301 Judith H. Mizner, Esq. Edward Thomas Mr. Robert Harrison Silverglate, Gertner, FDIA Pres. & Chief Exec. Officer Baker, Fine, Good & Mizner 442 J.W. McCormack (pOCH) PSCO 88 Broad Street Boston, MA 02109 P.O. Box 330 Boston, MA 02110 Manchester, NH 03105 Roberta Pevear State Rep.-Town of Hampt Falls Drinkwater Road Hampton Falls, NH 03844 Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel U.S. NRC Washington, D.C. 20555 m