ML101230125

E-mail from E. Hayden of USNRC to N. Sheehan and D. Lew of USNRC Regarding Key Messages TMI Contamination Event

ML101230125
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	11/22/2009
From:	Hayden E Office of Public Affairs
To:	David Lew, Neil Sheehan Office of Public Affairs Region I, Division Reactor Projects I
References
FOIA/PA-2010-0118
Download: ML101230125 (3)

Text

Lew, David From: Hayden, Elizabeth Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2009 4:27 PM To: Sheehan, Neil; Lew, David

Subject:

Re: KEY MESSAGES RE: TMI Contamination Event Thanks. Agree we need to say what we are doing next.

From: Sheehan, Neil To: Hayden, Elizabeth; Lew, David Sent: Sun Nov 22 16:21:08 2009

Subject:

Re: KEY MESSAGES RE: TMI Contamination Event

Beth, I did not receive these previously.

On the whole, they're good. I would just refine them to address the following:

Precedent: Have there been any similar events at other plant and, if so, how many workers were involved and how much contamination did they receive?

Penalties: Will TMI receive additional NRC scrutiny as a result of this? Is any enforcement action possible?

Contaminations; I would include specifics on the number of workers contaminated and the rate of contamination. I would also include context of exposure limits and rates, i.e., average American receives 360 millirems per year and annual occupational dose limit is 5 rems.

A bullet on what happens next, so that we are forward-looking on this.

Neil Neil Sheehan NRC Public Affairs Officer Sent from NRC Blackberry From: Hayden, Elizabeth To: Sheehan, Neil Sent: Sun Nov 22 15:36:10 2009 0Phr

Subject:

Fw: KEY MESSAGES RE: TMI Contamination Event Latest set of tps From: Lew, David To: Hayden, Elizabeth Sent: Sun Nov 22 14:53:31 2009

Subject:

RE: KEY MESSAGES RE: TMI Contamination Event

Beth, 1

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The workers had to exit (evacuate) the containment building when the alarms were received. As required, they have to be monitored when they exit the containment building. Some were contaminated, so they were decontaminated, sent for a whole body count to assess dose exposure, and then sent home.

Dave From: Hayden, Elizabeth Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2009 2:49 PM To: Lew, David

Subject:

Re: KEY MESSAGES RE: TMI Contamination Event Were workers evacuted or sent home?

From: Lew, David To: Screnci, Diane; White, John; Nimitz, Ronald; Brand, Javier Cc: McNamara, Nancy; Collins, Sam; Clifford, James; Barber, Scott; Bellamy, Ronald; Powell, Amy; Roberts, Darrell; Hayden, Elizabeth; HOO Hoc Sent: Sun Nov 22 13:17:33 2009

Subject:

KEY MESSAGES RE: TMI Contamination Event Key Messages

" On November 21, 2009, an airborne contamination event occurred inside the containment building (also known as the reactor building) at Three Mile Island (TM I).

" The event had no affect on public health and safety.

" No contamination was found outside the containment building.

" Approximately 150 workers were evacuated from the containment building and processed through the licensee's portal radiation monitors.

" Workers that were not able to clear the portal monitors were decontaminated and proceeded to be whole body counted.

• Some workers received unplanned occupational dose exposures. However, based on information provided by the licensee, the level of dose received was within a small fraction of the NRC's regulatory limit.

" The NRC has dispatched technical experts to independently review and confirm the licensee's technical assessment.

• The licensee continues to investigate the cause of the event.

• The NRC's resident inspector is onsite and is monitoring the licensee's ongoing activities.

• The NRC has been responding to media questions and plans a press briefing today at the TMI training center.

2

David C. Lew Director,Division of ReactorProjects USNRC, Region I 610-337-5229 3