ML20245D096

Ack Receipt of Re Two Malfunctions of Emergency Response Alarm Sys for Facility Epz.Spurious Activation of Siren Does Not Constitute Unusual Event & Does Not Result in Notification of Emergency Response Personnel

ML20245D096
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee
Issue date:	10/28/1987
From:	Russell W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Ryan H HINSDALE, NH
Shared Package
ML20245D098	List: ML20245D096 ML20245D111
References
NUDOCS 8711040371
Download: ML20245D096 (4)

Text

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'o UNITED STATES '

8' n NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION j ,E REGION I

.$ M1 PARK AVENUE I KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19406

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OCT 2 81937 Mr. Harold W. Ryan, Chairman Board of Selectmen Town of Hinsdale.

Hinsdale, New Hampshire 03451 i

Dear Mr. Ryan:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is in receipt of your. letter dated 1 September 21, 1987 in which you expressed concerns related to two malfunctions-of the emergency response alarm system for the Vermont Yankee Emergency Planning Zone and that Hinsdale emergency response personnel were not' properly notified of the events.

1 Our investigation of your concerns has revealed that the malfunctions to which you refer were spurious activations of the Vernon, Vermont siren. In your letter you referred to these spurious activations as " unusual events". An Unusual Event, as defined in NRC regulations and the Vermont Yankee Emergency Plan is the lowest of four classes of events which require implementation of the utility's emergency plan. Spurious activation of a siren does not  ;

constitute an Unusual Event and will not result in implementation of the emergency plan with the resultant formal prompt notification of emergency response personnel in the state (s) and local governments. j Based upon the State of New Hampshire's review of routine tape recordings made j of communications with the Southwest Fire Mutual Aid Dispatch, it is apparent that the Vermont Yankee security force called at about 6:38 p.m. on September {

13, 1987, to notify the dispatch that the Vernon siren had been activated and q that it was not the result of plant events. By about 6:45 p.m. both the '

Hinsdale Fire Chief and Emergency Management Directo had called in to the  :

dispatch and had been notified that the siren activative was not the result of J an emergency at Vermont Yankee. It appears that al Mough your Emergency '

Management Director had been provided the necessary information, the concern is that it did not come through the expected emergency plan communication i channels frc,... the -state, which would be used in case of an implementation of l the New Hampshire Radiological Emergency Response Plan. l The need to quickly alleviate unnecessary concern of citizens is recognized in the case of inadvertent siren activation. Thus, in order to provide prompt notification to towns, and alleviate concerns as quickly as possible in case of future inadvertent activation of emergency alerting sirens, Vermont Yankee has indicated that they will notify the New Hampshire State Police as soon as i possible after they are made aware of an inadvertent activation of an alerting i siren. The state has agreed to transmit this information to inform the l emergency response personnel in the involved communities through the normal i emergency plan communication channels. 1

. 8711040371 071028  ;

I PDR ADOCK 05000271 F PDR I

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• l Harold W. Ryan, Chairman CT 2 8 1987' Thank'you for' bringing your ' concerns to our attention. If you have any i further questions'regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me

.or Mr. William J. Lazarus, Section Chief, Emergency Preparedness .Section at (215-337-5208). 1 Sincerely, s

h William T.' Russell '!'

Regional Administrator cc:

John R. Bonnett, Board of Selectmen Charles A. .Rosploch, Jr. , Board of Selectmen  !

Steven A. Clark, Board of Selectmen ~  !

Governor John Sununu .i Senator Warren Rudman Congressman Judd Gregg ..

State Senator'Clesson Blaisdell-State Representative Robert Delano NH Emergency Management Agency Uarren P. Murphy, Vice President and Manager of Operations, VYNPC FEMA Region I

.i Distribution:

EDO 003212  !

SECY-ll58 j Docket No. 50 271 i J.' Murray, OGC i Public Document Room (PDR)  !

local Public Document Room (LPDR)

Dave Matthews, NRR/PEPB i William Russell, RA, RI James Allan, DRA, RI Thomas Martin, DD/DRSS, RI  :

William Kane, DD/ORP '

. Ronald Bellamy, BC/EP&RP, RI William Lazarus, SC/EP, RI i

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R-  :  : UNITED STATES -

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, I WASHINGTON, D. C,20555 l

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i EDO PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENCE. CONTROL FROM: DUE: 10/23/87 EDO CONTROL:' 003212 '

DOC DT: 09/21/87

. HAROLD W. RYAN, . FINAL REPLY:

JOHN BONNETT & CHARLES ROSPLOCH, JR.

TOWN'OF HINSDALE, NEW HAMPSHIRE TO:

i CHAIRMAN 'i 1

FOR SIGNATURE 0F ** GREEN. ** SECY NO: 1158 I i

MURLEY

.DESC - ROUTING:

EXPRESSES CONCERNS'WITH COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS -RUSSELL -!

'WITH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE EMERGENCY AGENCY MURRAY PERTAININO TO NOTIFICATION OF EVENTS AT THE- 1 VERMONT YANKEE PLANT q

DATE: 10/07/87  !

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ASSIONED TO: NRR CONTACT: FU .. C Y~

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.SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

NRR RECEIVED- OCTOBER 8, 1987 ACTION: ?DR'EP: Lc~ ,,

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ACTION / 1 NRR ROUTING: M Y/SNIEZEK "I "^ r OR'S OFFICE S iR STECKI DUE TO NRR L gy 0j 7 -

SBURG j

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. s, N. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET  ;

PAPER NUMBER: CRC-87-1158 LOGGING DATE: Oct 6 87 ACTION OFFICE: EDO AUTHOR: H.W. Ryan, J R Bonnett, Rosplo AFFILIATION: NH (NEW HAMPSHIRE)

LETTER DATE: Sep 21 87 FILE CODE: ID&R-5 Vermont Yankee

SUBJECT:

Expresses concerns with communication problems with the N Hampshire Emergency Agency pertaining to notification of events at.the Vermont Yankee plant l . ACTION: Direct Reply DISTRIBUTION: Docket SPECIAL HANDLING: None NOTES:

DATE DUE:

. SIGNATURE: . DATE SIGNED:

AFFILIATION:

Refd05.EDO Date ld' I'S Time W -

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E DO --- 003212 1

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