ML20246C132

Forwards Jt Shaff Expressing Concern Re Design Flaw in Plant Containment Sys.Info or Comments Re Concern Requested

ML20246C132
Person / Time
Site:	Quad Cities
Issue date:	07/26/1989
From:	Harkin T SENATE
To:	Bradburne J NRC OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS (GPA)
Shared Package
ML20246C121	List: ML20246C115 ML20246C122 ML20246C132 ML20246C141
References
NUDOCS 8908240223
Download: ML20246C132 (6)

Text

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AGRICULTURE

-ao-s hited States $tnate SMALL BUSINESS 7, ,

WASHINGTON, DC 20510 July 26, 1989 John C. Bradburne, Jr.

j; ' Director,. Congressional Affairs.172A L Nuclear Regulatory Commission One White Flint North Building-11555.Rockville Pike

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Rockville, Maryland 20852

Dear Mr. Bradburne:

I have been contacted by John' T. Shaff, regarding

' difficulties .he is experiencing with the Commonwealth Edison Plant in Cordova, Illinois. For your reference, enclosed is a copy of the correspondence Mr. Shaff.sent to me. .

At .this. time, -I would like to express my interest in this matter. Any further information or comments you may be in a-position to - provide concerning this matter would be greatly appreciated. Please respond to Kathleen Flaherty in my Davenport

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. office at the address printed below.

Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to your timely response.

l Sincerely, Tom Harkin United States Senator TH/rkf Enclosure l

I 8908240223 890817 l PDR ADOCK 05000254 i H ppc j STATE OFFICES.

FOURTH AND JACKSON STS. 307 FEDERAL BLDG. 210 WALNUT ST. BOX 74884 131 E. 4TH ST.

901 BADGEROW BUILDING BOX H ROOM 733 FEDERAL BLDG. LINDALE MALL 3148 FE.DERAL DLDG.

SlOUX CITY. IA 51101 COUNCIL BLUFFS,IA 51502 DES MolNES. IA 50309 CEDAR RAPIDS,IA52407-4684 DAVENPORT,lA $2001 (712)252-1550 ' (712)325-5533 (515) 264-4t,74 (319 393-6374 (319)322-1338

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. ' ' J *? it John T. Shaff

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< 'I Camanche, Iowa,52730 L (319) 522-2554

.. e July 11,'1989 <

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. The! Honorable: Tom Harken h N I 4

-X;U.S.LS enate . ,

d, ' Washington,.D.C. 20510

[ Dear"SenatorHarken Enclosed is~a copy,of an article' printed-in the Clinton Herald Jul y 6, l1989. SinceJI Ilve approximately three. miles from the-

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Commonwealth Edison plant at Cordova,. Illinois,.! am-upset that-y action;is not being taken.NOW to remedy what is obviously a design; fl aw in the. containment system of.this facility..

According to the' article _the NRC staff recommended that the action be taken' on a11Esuch pl ants as. Soon as possible or. pract i cal .

With this recommendation'one would wonder if.the NRC members =are more-

. interested in utili ty' companies or in the common good of the public..

, =There have" been numerous ar t i'cl es that woul d insinuate that the'NRC-members have the utilities in mind'more:than anyone else.

I have read"that President Bush's nominee to the NRC thought that people had an unreasonable ' fear of atomic energy, I would

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suggest~that.it i s more a . heal thy, reasonable fear based on the'

record of.a few companies and the inaction of the NRC in' matters such=

-as the one-outlined in the enclosed' article.

l ' am wr i t i ng th i s l e t ter al so to Senatorc Grassl ey and to Congressman-Tauke in the hope that the three of you can either you'rselveslor with other senators and representatives join in a bipartisan effort to force the NRC into action on this matter.

As a. farmer'I cannot easily move to another region if this area r- _is-wiped.out by a nuclear disaster, the roots-of my family on thi's f arm date: back' to 1837.

Very truly yours, John T. Shaff

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I.* John T.-Shaff RR 1, Box 193 Camanche, I owa 52730 (319).522-2554 July 11, 1989 Mr. Ccedell Reed Senior Vice President Commonwealth Edison Company Post Of fice: Box 767 Chicago, Illino'is 60690

Dear Mr. Reed:

We briefly met at the visitors center c 7 the Quad Cities Nuclear Pl an t January 4, 1989 at a SALP report meeting. After the.

meeting you and I visited about the plant in general and part icul arly.

about the containment system of the plant. I live 3.1 miles.NNW of the plant.

Enclosed is an article dealing with containment systems of Mark I plants in the Un'ited States including the Quad Cities facility. I woul d like to know if any modifications of the containment system is in the works in light of this announcement and if not, why not?

I am very aware of the fine line that you have to tread between turning a. profit for stockholders and maintaining a safe facility for the people living in the area.

I al so am conv i nced through Ron Hi ggins, the onsight NRC inspector, that the facility is managed quite well and is not a prime candidate for a disaster. However, each year of' age that is added to the facility increases the chances for something to happen particularly if all maintenance and inspection people are not on their toes. For this reason I would hope that you can look at your containment and either feel assured it is very adequate for the needs or else make it'that way according to the NRC guidelines.

Again please send some information as to your stand on the containment issue.

Very truly yours,

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John T. Shaff Copies: Congressman Tom Tauke Senator Charles Grassl ey Senator Tom Harken Governor Terry Branstad i

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.-v-CNs a'further prehautiori,thE commis-

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i g' - sion ordered. Its staff 16 speed tip im-plementation of,an existing'NRC_re .

M, se . -N , -O# t'y r I; a i quirementithat t a; Mark I-plants bei.

capable of withstanding a 15talloss of; 7 nukeplanf,_ . , meedes power wieut overheaung- t .

okn. .e; nixed m .. . . . .

""u% % W t the Public Cituen' environmental

• group, said 'tlie' NRC"was' "titiying '

TWASHINGTON (AP)-The Nuclear- time" for the nuclear industry by pro-Regulatory Commission rejected a staff recominendation that protective misingfurtherstudy.,, , o

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f. Plant owners generally opposed a containment shells on 24 commercial ,

blanket . requirements for Viin- '

nuclear power reactors be modified to lessent' he iisk bf}upture in the event girovements to the MarkI contalmnent 5 of a sefirf a6cidint.U [ . ~l L , . . , system," sayhig Lthsy . W6uld fn6t/aF. 8

~The coinmission'said,there was no preciably reduce the risk of ruptureJ '

seed for a blanket feqtilreineht for the TOf the'24 reactors with Mark.I con '

i tainments,; foursare snot loperatini,.i, ...

changes,'although it ordered a plant-They are Philadelphia Flectric"Co/s' I.

tiy-plant study of whether hard pipe ; #

Peach Bottom No'. 3,'and the; Ten- 1, vents sh6uld be"added tolthe contain- nessee Valley / Authority's aBrowns'. I inent b611 din'gsl kn6wdiis Mark I and Ferry No.1,No.2 and No;3. W .!

made tiyGeheralElectricCo. ./L The' remaining plants in the study,e . I

' Tlie i vests {w'dsid ; relieve (severe .

pressure that 'kould build up,,1f.the theirlocation andownersare:T k4 IfI t Brunswick ~, , twol Ireactorsi St!

reiciof 6 ors Weff~ddiffigsdrA contahi@ Southport,' N.C.,' Carolina Power,&!@

could lead to the release $ '

inent failure;33isouhts 6f radiosctivityg

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I Oght Co.; Cooper, Brownsville, Neb.,

of dddherdh:: Nebraska Publicl Power District;i intotheatmosphde.YMlB # # 5 Dresden, two reactors at Morris, Bl.,4 fAnti-nuclear, groups,have. urged the .

NRC to shut down plants with Mark I(t : Commonwealth Edison l Co.; Quadi

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Citiesctwo' reactors at Cordova T

containment 4uilding5Nsaying they0

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pose t6o' great'a risk .to public health . Cor_nmonwealm Edison and Iowa Eas * *

"1 'O ' & Electric Co.; o. , . , . ,q / 4 andsafety.~.7,[,. , f.lthis , year.

• 5Duane Arnold, Palo, kow.sa,slowaOj i Thej NRC staff _ carlier '

Electric Light & Power Co.) Fermi 2, l 4 recommended fequiring,the', changes" ,

at all 24 plants- about a quarter of the Ligdna Beach,' Mich.; Detron Edison 41 Co.;~ Nihel Mile' Point !! Scriba; N.Y.J O

, natidn'sniiclearpowsistationL 1

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• l'New York PowEi Authsrity; James AC J hThe chmmission'rejicted,that Flapat(cR[Sdriba,RN Y.,9 Niagdia?

proach. Wednesday, but said it would MohawkPowerCorpd EdwinI.Hatchi s r5quife it'e hard pipe'venta-at any. ;

plant disrhed by NRC analysts to need I two reactors it"Baxley{Ga!,

~ "' - Georgia " ' "U PowerCE; .

tiiem.Dtisaid;the., case-by-case ap ,..

pioich should settle the question for alli. ' fHopd Cr'eeOSil5iii;N!J.;P'ublibSsfM "

vice1 Electric & Gas Cof; Millstoiie 1,

- 24plantswithidthree' years? " 7" Watirfoid, Conii.-, N6rtheast Utilities; ffThe 24 plants'wers selected because Monticello,Oldnti6 ells,\Miijl,9 Nor- 2 iheir $(ntainmeht buildings ars believL ;

thern States Power Co.;~ 0yster ". reek, ed fo';be more vulnerable to rupture ; Toms River, N.J.,GPU Nucleas t,arp.y -

' dieing a severe re'adt6rTaccident thanj hthschntainzg5pt syyt' dins. 'i and]Vdrmbnt Yankee,iVeinod,"Vt'.,4

' ti wou VermontYankbfNuclearPowerCorp.C I Ipp^he!coinzhission;als6'said'1

• T ro'telentiat'a'ny plant's that v'61un% 'N ' '4. :', ' ld '

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~ ~iarily;chbs'e to install them.~ Few are' ! ,

'eipected to do itibEhth~rilyMi .

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. UNITED STATES -

, EDO P inc o'rekp dence Control L " ***** , p

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FROM:= _[DUE: 08/11!89 EDO CONTROL:- 0004635-

/  : DOC'DT: 07/20/89.

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. Rap. Tom.Tauke y(_ / f-y,,

FINAL REPLY:

TO: j

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. Chairman'Carr FOR: SIGNATURE.0F: ** GRN ** CRC NO: 89-0691 Executive. Director.

DESC:. ROUTING:

ENCLOSES'. LETTERS FROM JOHN T. SHAFF.-RE FLAW.IN CONTAINMENT SYSTEM AT' COMMONWEALTH EDISON PLANTS DATE: 07/28/87-ASSIGNED.TO: CONTACTS NRR Murley II'J( r5

'SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

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NRR RECEIVED: JULY 28, 1989-

-ACTION:

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!NRR PASTING: MURLEY/SNIEZEK

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'CRUTCHFIELD GILLESPIE [

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'. CORRESPONDENCE ~ CONTROL TICKET-U

-PAPER? NUMBER:- ' CRC-89_-0691- IDGGING DATEi' JulL 28L89[

s iACTIONiOFFICE:/ iEDO AUTHOR:i T. ., Tauke-- Const! Ref.

' AFFILIATION: L

.'U.St HOUSE'OF.. REPRESENTATIVES <

LETTER

DATE: - Jul:20 89 ~ FILE, CODE:.

'.FlawLin' containment. system:atlCommonwealth Edison'.

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SUBJECT:

J plantse u

Direct, Reply eACTION: 7

.OCA'to:Ack, DSB

. DISTRIBUTION:5

, 'SPECIAL' HANDLING: . None -

' NOTES:- . John Shaff DATE)DNE: Aug.10'89:

SIGNATURE:. .- DATE SIGNED: '

AFFILIATION:'

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