ML20246C141

Forwards Jt Shaff Expressing Concern Re Design Flaw in Containment Sys at Plant.Observations or Comments to Assist in Preparation of Response Requested

ML20246C141
Person / Time
Site:	Quad Cities
Issue date:	07/20/1989
From:	Tauke T HOUSE OF REP.
To:	Carr K NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20246C121	List: ML20246C115 ML20246C122 ML20246C132 ML20246C141
References
NUDOCS 8908240225
Download: ML20246C141 (4)

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+, *to Dwinect,lowA J ENERGY AND COMMERCE HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMEPf7 TE CO UNICATIONS AND TRANSPORTATION AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS EDUCATION AND LABOR HUMAN RESOURCES- RANKING CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES u'aoa'Tr utusta POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION SELECT COMMITTEE ON AGING RETIREMENT INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT-July 20, 1989. N ME ER

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Mr.=Kenneth M. Carr Cnairman

. Nuclear' Regulatory Commission 1717 H Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Mr. Chairman:

I recently received the enclosed letter from one of my constituents, Mr. John T. Shaff of Camanche, Iowa, regarding the Commonwealth Edison plant at Cordova, Illinois. Any observations or comments you might care to share with me as I prepare a response would be. greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your assistance.

Best' wishes.

ince ly, Tom Tanke Member ~of Congress TT/es Enclosure 8908240225 spost7

{DR ADOCK 05000254 PDC COMMUNICATIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE OFFICE INDICATED.

D 22 4 RAveun Nouse oerica suitsias D 69s Cantaat Avsaus D 3271 Anuan Dawa D 11e sourn sicono staarv WAsnineron. DC 20515 Duauous,IA 52001 P.O. Box 2310 CunTom. IA 52732 (202)225-2911 .{319)557-7740 CsoAn RArios. lA 52406 (319)242-6180 (319)373-1379

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.y v John T. Shaff~---- - _

RR 1, Box 193 -U L l Camanche, I' OWE'52730~-

(319) 522-2554 W. J _ _f

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,c July _ 1 1, 1989  ;

~ ., m " q EThe' Honorable Tom Tauke -

2244 Rayburn-Office Buiiding 1 .. ,_.

Washington, D.C. 20515 -

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Dear Congressman Taukes _2(_l _

- m u _.,

Enclosed is a. copy of an article-printed in the Cl i nton Heral d July 6, 1989. You may remember our conversations of early this year on this' subject. 'Since I live approximately three miles from the Commonwealth Edison plant at Cordova, Illinois, I am upset that

- action is not being taken NOtt to remedy what is obviously'a design flaw in the containment system of this facility.

According to the article the NRC staff recommended that the act i on be taken on all' such pl ants as soon as possi bl e or pract i cal .

With th i s recommendat i on one woul d wonder if the NRC members are-more interested in utility companies or in the common good of_the public.

1There'have been numerous articles that would 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 suggest that it is more a healthy,-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.

I am wri t i ng thi s l e t ter al so to Senator Grassley and to Senator Harken in the hope that the three of you can ei'ther yourselves or 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 is. wiped out by a nuclear disaster, the roots of my family on this farm date back to 1837.

Very truly yours, ri' John T. Sh ff r

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. .' 8 f _t 4 .A 97 m:. " John T. Shaff W W3- RR.1, Box 193 sc ~Camanche, Iowa 52730 l (319) 522-2554 July 11, 1989 L

f Mr..Cordell Reed Senior'Vice President

- Commonweal th Edi son Company Post Office Box 767 l Chicago, Illinois'60690-

Dear Mr.-Reed:

We~briefly. met at the visitors center of the Quad Cities Nucl ear Pl an t January 4, 1989.at a SALP report meeting. After the meeting you and I visited about the plant in general and particularly.

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 United-States including the Quad Cities facility. I would 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 inced through Ron Higgins, the onsight NRC inspector, that-the facility is managed qui.te 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,

, p 1 -'

M ,

7 John T. Shaff i

Copies: Congressman Tom Tauke Senator Charles Grassley Senator Tom Harken Governor Terry Branstad

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q'.o' w

g g ' As a further precaution, the commis-

[ gb N g-sion. ordered its staff to speed up im-plementation of,an existing NRC re-On Oy. ,

quirement that;.a. Mark I plant ,be.

capable of withstanding a totalloss of g

n(1ke, pIOna electrical power without overheating ,i thereactor. s Gnge nhe Kenneth Boley, a nuclear expert for the Pubhc Citizen environmental group, said the NRC 'was " buying

~ WASHINGTON (AP)- The Nuclear time" for the nuclear industry by pro.

Regulatory Comminion rejected a staff recommendation that protective misingfurtherstudy. . .

Plant owners generally opposed a containment shells'on 24 commercial blanket requirement for v im-nuclear power reactors be modified to lessen the risk of rupture in,the event provements to the MarkI containment system, saying"they.would not ap;'-

of asevereaccident. . c t ,

preciably reduce the risk of rupture.

. The commission said there was no need for a blanliet requirement ior the .Of the 24 reactors with Mark I con- ..

taimnents, four are not operating. 'I changes, although it ordered a plant- i

~

They are Philadelphia Electric Co.'s by-plant study of whether hard pipe Peach Bottom No. 3, and the Ten- I vents should be added to the contain- nessee Valley ' Authority's Browns 3 ment buildings, known as Mark I and Ferry No. 2,No. 2 and No. 3. 1 made byGeneralElectric Co. ..

I The remaining plants in the study, The vents would . relieve . severe 'I theirlocationandowners are:

pressure that ,would build.up if the ] Brunswick, two ' reactors it  ;

reactof core wefe dam' aged'A containC Southport, N.C., Carolina Power & ' l ment failure could Icad to the releasef ' 13ght Co.; Cooper, Brownsville, Neb.,

of dadgerous amounts olIisdioictivity .?

Nebraska Publicl Power District;.

intotheatruosphere.4 : Iw ' l Dresden, two reactors at Morris, Ill., -

Anti-nucleargroups have urged the : 4 Commonwealth Edison Co.; Quad NRC to shut down plants with Mark I -

Cities, twoleactors at CordovaTIW containment buildings, saying theys .

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Commonwealth Edison and Iowa Gas-pose too great,a risk to public health

~

& Electric Co.; .

andsafety. . *

Duane Arnold, Palo, kowa, Iowa .

TheiNRC staff enriier thisfyear' '

recommended' requiring the: changes Electric Light & Power Co.; Fermi 2, atall24 plants-aboutaquarterof the Laguna Beach, Mich., Detroit Edison ~

" Co.; Nine' Mile Point 1,tScriba, N.Y., e nation'sn'uclearpowerstations.

New York Power Authority; James A. n

.The commission' rejected <that ap-Fitzpatick,Scriba,(N.YO, Niagara' proach Wednesday, but said it would MohawkPowerCorp.;EdwinI. Hatch, 4 require the hard pipe vents-at any.

plant deemedby NRC analyststo need two reactors at BaxleyfGa., Georgia .

~

PowerCo.;

them.ilt said,the case-by-case ap- . Hope Creek',ialeiii,N J., Public Ser; proach should settle the question ior all vice Electric & Gas Co.;' Millstone 1, 24plantswithinthreeyears, r Waterford, Comi., Northeast Utilities;

The 24 plants were selected because .

Monticello, ..Monticello,i:Minn. \ Nor- 2 their containment buildings are believ ' them States Power Co.; Oyster Creek, ed'to:be more vulnerable'to rupture

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during a severe reactor accident than . Toms River, N.Jc, GPU Nuclear Corp;p"~i and ' Vermont Yankee l"Vernon,'Vt.i other containment sygtems. ;.... . . Vennont Yan' kee Nuclear Po'wer Corpf*

Me commtuion also'said it would. t ' 3,.

./ . - ,

hpiodvents at'an'y plants that voluni '<

r tarily.choss to install thein.' Few are expected to do it v61unta'rilyd

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