ML20245D639
| ML20245D639 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Seabrook  |
| Issue date: | 09/12/1988 |
| From: | Bradburne J NRC OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS (GPA) |
| To: | Udall M HOUSE OF REP., INTERIOR & INSULAR AFFAIRS |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20245D530 | List: |
| References | |
| CCS, NUDOCS 8809160145 | |
| Download: ML20245D639 (4) | |
Text
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The Honorable Morris K. Udall, chairman
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Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
On July 19, 1988 Chairman Zech responded to certain questions Jubmitted by Congressman Mavroules for the record of the April 26, 1988 Subcommittee hearing on bills to reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
In response to question 1, relating to an allegation that Mr. Stello stated to FEMA at
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a meeting in January 1988 that NRC would " wage total war on FEMA" unless it withdrew its opposition to the emergency evacuation plan for Seabrook, Chairman Zech indicated that he asked the staff to write to you under separate cover concerning information on this matter developed during the adjudicatory process.
Attached is the NRC Staff's response to the question takirig into account the information provided during Atomic Safety and Licensing Board hearings held in connection with assessing the adequacy of emergency planning for the Seabrook facility.
Sincerely, John C. Bradburne, Director Congressional Affairs Office of Governmental and Public Affairs
Enclosure:
As Stated cc w/ enclosure:
Rep. Manuel Lujan 1N ccn ycio9blHfMr FULLTEXT ASCll SCAN w
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RESPONSE TO QUESTION FROM CONGRESSMAN MAVROULES QUESTION 1 Are you aware of a statement that the NRC's top safety officer Victor Stello made to FEMA in January of this year that the NRC would " wage total war on FEMA" unless it withdrew its opposition to the emergency evacuation plan for the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant?
ANSWER An allegation to this affect was made my Mr. Edward Thomas, an official of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Region I Office (Boston, MA), in a deposition taken in April 1988 in connection with the hearing before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board considering the adequacy of emergency plans for the Seabrook facility. This account was reiterated by Mr. Thomas at the ASLB hearing in June 1988.
Mr. Thomas' statement was a hearsay account of a meeting between FEMA and NRC officials in Washington, D.C. on January 19, 1988. Mr. Thomas did not attend the meeting but based his statement on an account of a meeting h.
j received from another FEMA employee who had attended the meeting.
The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board presiding over the hearing relating i
to the Seabrook operating license application permitted extensive direct l
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and cross examination on this matter during hearings held in Concord New This Hampshire on May 25, 26, and 27 and June 14, 15, and 16, 1988.
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- included questioning of Mr. Thomas, Mr. William Cumming (the person that Mr. Thomas indicated told him of the meeting), and the three principal senior FEMA officials who attended the meeting -- Mr. Grant Peterson, FEMA's Associate Director for State and Local Programs and Support, Mr.
David McLoughlin, Deputy Associate Director For State and Local Programs and Support, and Mr. Richard Krimm Assistant Associate Director for the Office of Natural and Technological. Hazards, State and Local Programs and Support.
In substance, these individuals testified that during the January 19, 1988 meeting, Mr. Peterson had inquired of Mr. Stello how he would react if i
FEMA took the position that shelters were required for the Seabrook area beach population because such shelters are required by NRC regulations.
According to these witnesses Mr. Stello responded that only NRC, not FEMA, should interpret NRC regulations; that NRC regulations do not require that I
shelters be provided; and that if FEMA took the position that shelters were required based on NRC regulations, the NRC would go to war over that issue. Mr Peterson testified that he responded that they could both take
" rough, tough, and iiard to bluff" positions but that would not advance a resolution of the issue and at that point there had been some laughter among the participants in the meeting. He testified that FEMA participants went into a caucus and upon returning asked that Mr. Stello Mr.
provide the stated interpretation of NRC regulations in writing.
Peterson further testified that the meeting had been amicable, that he had perceived no intimidation or duress in Mr. Stello's remark and that he had interpreted the remark to mean that if FEMA held to its interpretation of MAVROULES/0GC 09/09/88
-6 3-the NRC's regulations, the NRC would seek to. resolve that matter through legal channels.
The FEMA witnesses disagreed with the substance of Mr. Thomas' hearsay account of the January meeting in general and with his account of Mr.
Stello's remark. They indicated that Mr. Stello had not threatened war if FEMA refused to change its position on the adequacy of the New Hampshire's-emergency plans for the Seabrnnk area beach population.
Further, they testified that NRC officials had not attempted to get FEMA to change its position on the adequac" of plans for the beach population or with respect to any of the 30 plan inadequacies and 55 exercise deficiencies which had been identified by FEMA and its Regional Assistance Committee (RAC), of which the NRC is a member agency.
It is worth noting that many of.the plan inadequacies were identified in the first instance by the NRC's RAC representative and were adopted by the RAC and by FEMA.
In addition, FEMA witnesses (Mr. McLoughlin) testified that FEMA had determined before the January 19, 1988 meeting that FEMA's initial position on the beach shelter issue (which had found the beach provisions inadequate) was flawed and should be revised, j
The NRC officials who attended the January 19, 1988 meeting agree with the substance of the three FEMA officials' testimony concerning the meeting, although they do not recall the specific reference to " war" which had been attributed to Mr. Stello; at the same time they have no reason to doubt f
the testimony of the three senior FEMA officials in this regard.
MAVROULES/0GC 09/09/88 j
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September 12,1988
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The Honorable Morris K. Udall, Chairman Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment I
Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs U.S. House of Representatives Washington,'D.C. 20515 Deer Mr. Chairman:
On July 19, 1988 Chairman Zech responded to certain questions submitted by Congressman Mavroules for the record of the April 26, 1988. Subcommittee hearing on bills to reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
In response to question 1, relating to an allegation that Mr. Stello stated to FEMA at a meeting in January 1988 that NRC would " wage total war on FEMA" unless it withdrew its opposition to the emergency evacuation plan for Seabrook, Chairman Zech indicated that he asked the staff to write to you under sepa' rate cover concerning information on this matter developed during the adjudicatory process.
Attached is the NRC Staff's response to the question taking into account the information provided during Atomic Safety and Licensing' Board hearings held in connection with assessing the adequacy of emergency planning _for the Seabrook facility.
Sincerely,
. /
Nl c,y / r John C. Bradburne, Director Congressional Affairs Office of Governmental and Public Affairs
Enclosure:
As Stated DISTRIBUTION:
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September 6, 1988 The Honorable Morris K. Udail, Chairman Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment
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Committee'on Interior and the Environe:nt U.S. House ofsFepresentatives
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Washington, D.C'.s20515
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Dear Mr. Chairman
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On July 19, 1988 Chairman' Zech responded t[certain questions submitted by Congressman Mavroules for the record of the April 26, 1988 Subcommittee hearing on bills to reform the Nuclear Regdlatory Commission.
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question 1, relating to an allegation t ht Mr. Stello stated to FEMA at a meeting in January 1988 that NRC woulf'" wage total war on FEMA" unless it withdrew its opposition to the emerp ncy evacuation plan for Seabrook, Chairman Zech indicated that he asked the staff'to write to you under separate cover concerning information on this matter developed during the adjudicatory process.
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j Attached in the NRCJtaff's response to the question taking into account the information developed during Atomic Safety and Licensing Board hearings held in connection with assessing the adequacy of emergency planning for the Seabrook facility.
Sincerely,
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John C. Bradburne
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