ML18079A874

Opposes OL for Facility.Nuclear Power Is Not Safe.Region Will Not Suffer Power Shortage W/O Facility.Safety Should Be First Concern to Those Entrusted W/Health & Safety of Public

ML18079A874
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	06/25/1979
From:	ZITZER P COMMITTEE FOR APPLICATION OF NUREMBERG PRINCIPLES
To:	IGNE E G Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards
References
NUDOCS 7908300050
Download: ML18079A874 (6)

Text

CHAIRMAN Bill Garner, Esq. Scottsboro, AL MEMBERS Dr. John W. Gofman San Francisco, CA Dr. Chauncey Kepford State College, PA Dr. Bruce von Zellen DeKalb, IL Dr. Judith J ohnsurd State College, PA Sidney !. Goodman. PE Paramus, NJ Helen Mills Atlanta, GA Marilyn Shineflug DeKalb, IL Larry Bogart Allendale, NJ Virginia Southard Harrisburg, PA Anna Mayo New York, NY Phillis Zitzer Salford, PA c9imittee for Application of e Nuremberg Principles

• to U.S. Nuclear Power Production Route 4, Box 332 **Scottsboro, Alabama 35768 *Telephone 205/259-5770 OOCY,E.i [i\.1 r.;JER PROD. & UTJU. fl\C. "'J Mr. Elipio G

• Igne Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 June.25, 1979 Rei Issuance of Opera.ting License for Salem 2, Docket 50-273

Dear Mr. Igne,

It is our understanding that many nuclear utilities are pressuring the NRC. to "expedite licensing proceedings" because of ""pressing reasons" to bring new plants on line; despite the fact that nwnerous safety and health related investigations relating to the TMI accident ba.ve not been completed.

Harold Denton recently said, "Our* major concern is that we don't permit a plant. to go into operation and thereby forclose an imper-* tant lesson learned from TMI". In view of the fact that the safety hearings for Unit 2 were not completed before it was allowed to start opera.ting, and that fuel-cycle-emissions for Radon-222 as well as the likelihood of an aircraft era.sh into the reactoz ha.ve yet. to be addressed, we urge a. complete mora.tori'l,llll on all licensing activities.

Such glaring violations of the NRC's responsibility to protect the :public health and safety are intolerable and inexcusable.

The AEC safety evaluation of TMI Unit 2, dated Sept. 5, 1969 said the following," Hydrogen gas would be produced as a consequence of a *1oss-of-coola.nt a.ccident"."We are currently reviewing the problem of hydrogen production and several methods for control of the hrdxogen cent:r:a.tion for all reactors, and have not yet established.

the methods which will be acce:ptabie.""We conclude that the (utility comj;anies) com-. mitment to study other means of controlling the hydrogen.

provides sonable assura.nce that an acceptable method. of controlling the hydrogen concentration

• • • can be established prior to the operation of TMI 2." A September*

1976 safety analysis four;d. TiiiI 2's emergency core-cooling system to be "consistent with the (NRC) gi.rldelines".

I need not remind you.of the results of this pi.per solution to a. most serious problem, and the fact that the accident is still underway at TMI -it is operating in a.. completely experimental.

mode.

1.-.--I . -........ '" On June21, 1979, the NRC Commissioners were told that>they will never know how much radiation escaped from TMI because the* levels exceeded the abilities of the plant instruments to measure them.(Phila Inquirer, 6/22/79) "Al1 the radiation moniters in the vent stack -where as much as 80 percent of the radiation escaped -went off scale the morning of the accident," said NRC aide Albert Gibson. "The trouble with these moniters is they were never contemplated for use* in monitering accidents like Three Mile Island", "So we don't really know what went up there? ... asked Commissioner Victor Gilinski. "That's correct," replied Gibson *. Gibson said that most of the radiation that escaped through the vent stack escaped through open relief valves and leaking pipes and valves. Until this time, NRC had thought that most of the escaped radiation was gas that had bubbled out of tamina. ted wa. ter on the floor of the auxillary building alongside the reactor *. Gibson told the Commissioners that radiation readings were'"extremely high" throughout the auxiliary building, forcing an evacuation of the building the morning of the accident. "The ra.daition moniters were all off scale," Gibson said. "One set of readings were greater than 1,000 rems per hour. We don"t know how much because the licensee didn't have instruments that measured more than 1,000."-Addi tiona.l safety questions are rais.ed by the lack of a second contair.ment .isolation system. that could have reduced or even prevented releases from the prillla.ry cooling water transferred to the auxillary building, and the manner in which TMI was excused from installing such a system because it-was "grandfathered" when NRC changed regulatory requirements.

NRC's response to investigations by the House Government Operations Committee ard a recent GAO report on emergency preparedness have resulted in a. rule ma.king proceeding being initiated.

This is the stand.am method to deal with a licensing deficiency*

while allowing facilities to continue to operate and b:a licensed, despite an unresolved*

problem. Chairman Hendrie's admission of the need for improvement in emergency planning comes a little too late to be of much comfort to most of us. For 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />, starting Friday, March 30, 1979, County and State officials in Pa. were suddenly faced with hastily preparing evacuation plans for a 5,. then 10, then 20-mile area around TMI on the basis of ever-changing advice from NRC officials.

To this day, state officials still do not know what NRC's reasons for evafZUB.tion were. Salem 2 Despite* the urgent requests*

from Public Service Electric and Gas Co. for an-opi.rating license for Salem 2, there are "adequate" supplies available from the PJM Grid. System*. Frank D. Haines, Chief of Power Supply Planning Branch of the nomic Regulatory Administration, has said that the. region.li!ll not suffer a power shortage even without TMI 1 & 2,_ as well as Salem 2, and that current reserves are about 27% above what is needed. (Phila. Bulletin 6/15/79) The*ACRS is continuing to make recommendations to the NRC resulting from its stud.las on TMI. PWR Licensees.have been advised to design proposals and schedules for instrumentation to. measure fluid level l'n reactor vessels. This and many ther proposals must be considered for ALL reactors J safety must be the firs.t cern to those-entrusted with the health and safety of the public. We wish to reemphasize cur strong opposition to the Salem 2 -Reactor, as outlined in our letter of 1/18/79. Nuclear power is not safe and the radioactive waste continues to grow. The inability to dispose safely the already exist-1?1.g wastes make it imperative that we "limit the problem" by ceasing to use nuclear energy unt!J:_ ar.d unless pe:rma.nent.

waste disposal for the full period of toxicity been demonstrated to work. The Committee for the Application of theNuremburg Principle to US. Nuclear Production was formed out of a necessity to implement the principles of div:i.dua.l responsibility of the Nuremburg Principle to those in our government c-:>ri.ducting random, premeditated murder* in the planning and execution of the nuclear power program. Life threatening experimentation on citizens without their consent, and willful causing of disease, death, and deformity within a large number of peo--ple over a long period of time are crimes against hUirani ty. Scuni public policy cannot permit government(as well as non-governmental agencies) to deprive human beil'lgs.

of their lives in omer to obtain energy for other human beings. cca Commissioners Hendrie Gilinskii Bradf o:rd Ahearne Kennedy *congressman Udall W Uliam Hughes. Peter Kostma.yer Sincerely, Phyllis Zitzer Box 207 Sa.lfo:rd, Pa *. 18957 215-287-7459

-'-----_.,_ UNITED STATES. OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of ) ) PUELIC SERVICE ELECTRIC AND GAS ) COMPANY ) (Salem Nuclear Generating Unit 1) ) Station,) ) ) ) Docket No. (s) 50-272 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that I have this day served the forego:U"lg document(s) upon each person designated on the official service list compiled by the Office of the Secretary of the Conm1ission in this proceeding in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.712 of 10 CFR Part 2 -Rules of Practice, of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1 s Rules and Regulations.

Dated at Washington, D.C. this f1Cb day of 197j_. Secretary of the Com=nission 0 **-. ...I :** . 1 r:.--:* !:._::.: .. ;**::::-:I o*.-.**----_-1

.-

-*: ---------1

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• J UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of PDBLIC ELECTRIC Af.ll) GAS ) ) ) ) ) (Salen Nuclea:r-Generating Station,)

Unit 1) ) Garv L.

Esq. 1815 Jefferson Street Hadison, 53711 '1r, Frederick J. Shon SERVICE LIST Sa£ety and Licensing Board U.S. Nuclear ?,egulatory Commission

'.fashin11:ton, D. C. 20555 Dr. James C. Lamb, III 313 Woodhaven Road Chapel Hill, :forth Carolina 2 7 514 Alan S. Rosenthal, Esq., Chairman Atowic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board U.S. :*iuclear

?,egule.tory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Jr. Lc.wre:cce

"?.. '!uc.rles Kendal-at-Lon-z1rnod, A?t. 51 Kennett Pennsylvania 19348 C. ::arrar, Esq.

Safety and Licensing Appeal Board U.S.*

Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555 Counsel for Staff U.S.

?,ezulc.to::-y Cou:nission D.C. 20555

3.

Jr., LSq. Conner, oo:-e an>-----* --... r::::::.

• Board and parties continued:-**

June D. MacArtor, Esq.* Deputy Attorney General Tatnall Building *P. o. Box 1401 Dover, Delaware 19901 Carl Valore, Jr., Esq. Valore, McAllister, Aron and Westmoreland, P.A. 535 Tilton Road Northfield, New Jersey 08225

• 50-272