ML101930057

G20100433/LTR-10-0316/EDATS: SECY-2010-0358 - Ltr. Scott Portzline Gulf Oil Spill and Reactor Safety

ML101930057
Person / Time
Site:	Salem, Crystal River
Issue date:	06/14/2010
From:	Cohen N, Gunter P, Portzline S Beyond Nuclear, Three Mile Island Alert, UNPLUG Salem Campaign
To:	Annette Vietti-Cook NRC/SECY
References
EDATS: SECY-2010-0353, G20100433, LTR-10-0316, SECY-2010-0353
Download: ML101930057 (7)

Text

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EDO Principal Principal Correspondence Correspondence Control Control FROM:

FROM: DUE: 08/16/10 EDO CONTROL: G20100433 G20100433 DOC DT: 06/14/10 FINAL REPLY:

REPLY:

Scott Portzline Scott Three Three Mile Island Alert Mile Island Alert I

Paul Gunter Gunter Beyond Nuclear Nuclear Norm Cohen Norm Cohen Unplug Salem Salem TO:

TO:

Vietti-Cook, Vietti-Cook, SECY FOR SIGNATURE SIGNATURE OF : **-GRN

• • -GRN **

• • CRC NO: 10-0316 Leeds, NRR Leeds, DESC:

DESC: ROUTING:

ROUTING:

Gulf Oil Spill Spill and Reactor Reactor Safety Borchardt Borchardt (EDATS: SECY-2010-0358)

(EDATS: SECY-2010-0358) Weber Weber Virgilio Ash Ash Mamish Mamish OGC/GC DATE: 07/09/10 Wiggins, Wiggins, NSIR Collins, Collins, RIV ASSIGNED TO:TO: CONTACT:

CONTACT: Reyes, RII Reyes, RII Dapas, RI Dapas, RI NRR NRR Leeds Leeds Burns, Burns, OGC OGC Kotzalas, OEDO Kotzalas, INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS REMARKS:

EDATS Number: SECY-2010-0358 SECY-2010-0358 Source: SECYSECY General Infrmaio Genera Information', ",' , '.," . ">

Assigned To: NRR Assigned OEDO Due Date: 8/2/2010 II :00 PM 11:00 Other Assignees:

Other Assignees: SECY Due Date: 8/2/2010 II SECY 11:00

00 PM

Subject:

Gulf Oil Spill and Reactor Safety

==

Description:==

==

Description:==

CC Routing: NSIR; RegionIV; Regionll; Regionl; RegionlV; RegionII; Regionl; OGC ADAMS Accession ADAMS Accession Numbers - Incoming:

Incoming: NONE NONE Response/Package:

Response/Package: NONE NONE

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Cross Reference Reference Number: G20 G20100433, 100433, LTR-10-0316 L TR-I 0-0316 Staff Initiated:

Initiated: NONO Related Task: Recurring Item: NO Recurring NO EDATS File Routing: EDA TS Agency Lesson Learned: NO NO OEDO Monthly Report Item: NO NO PoesI nhiratio Process,lnformation ." . t  : ** " * * '.' -; * ." .... r;  : .'. "--

Action Type: Letter Priority: Medium Sensitivity: None Sensitivity:

Signature Level: NRR Signature Urgency: NO NO Approval Level: No Approval Approval Required Required OEDO Concurrence:

Concurrence: NO NO OCM Concurrence:

Concurrence: NO NO Concurrence: NO OCA Concurrence: NO Special Instructions:

Special Instructions:

Docu ment Information ' " J

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Originator Name: S.

Originator S. Portzline, P. Gunter, N. Cohen Date of Incoming: 6/14/2010 6114/20 I 0 Originating Organization:

Originating Organization: Three Three Mile Island Document Received by SECY Date: 7/9/2010 7/9/20 10 Alert,Beyond Nuclear,Unplug Salem Alert,Beyond Nuclear,Unplug Addressee: Annette Annette Vietti-Cook, SECY Date Response Requested Originator: NONE Requested by Originator: NONE Received: Letter Incoming Task Received: Letter Page 11 of Page of I1

OFFICE OF THE THE SECRETARY SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL CORRESPONDENCE TICKET CONTROL TICKET Date Printed:

Date Printed:Jui Jul 09, 09, 2010 2010 12:18 12:18 PAPER NUMBER: LTR- 10-0316 LTR-IO-0316 LOGGING 07/09/2010 LOGGING DATE: 07/09/2010 ACTION OFFICE: EDO AUTHOR: Scott Portzline AFFILIATION:

AFFILIATION: PA ADDRESSEE: Annette Vietti-Cook

SUBJECT:

Gulf oil spill and reactor safety ACTION: Direct Reply Reply DISTRIBUTION: RF...

RF ... SECY to Ack LETTER DATE: 06/14/2010 06114/2010 ACKNOWLEDGED ACKNOWLEDGED No SPECIAL HANDLING:

HANDLING: Made publicly available in ADAMS via EDO/DPC Made NOTES:

FILE LOCATION:

LOCATION: ADAMS DATE DUE: 08/02/2010

. 08/02/2010* DATE SIGNED:

SIGNED:

EDO EDO --

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June 2010 June 14, 2010 u.s. Nuclear Regulatory U.S. Regulatory Commission Commission One White Flint North 11555 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, Rockville, MD 20852-2738 20852-2738 Re: Gulf oil spill and reactor safety Secretary of the NRC, Dear Secretary We are looking for assurances that the proper assurances that proper federal and state agencies are working working in a coordinated coordinated and comprehensive comprehensive effort to prevent safety problems problems at coastal nuclear plants which could be caused by the Gulf oil spill. Thus far, there there has been no guidance guidance from the Nuclear Regulatory Regulatory Commission to its reactor reg,etor licensees. The NRC has not yet designated an officer officer or aa task force to handle handle a response plan for this event. Therefore, Therefore, as concerned citizens we would like to to know what is being done. The process process should be made publicly transparent transparent to allay concerns.

Additionally, we want to be assured assured that surface and submerged submerged oil plumes are are being monitored before they near near aa reactor site. If If oil contaminated water were to to infiltrate the water intake damage to safety systems could result.

intake system, serious damage Nuclear Nuclear plants have procedures procedures to shut down in in advance advance of water water contamination contamination events to prevent such damage.

damage. Of course this relies upon proper tracking of the the plumes.

Such a shut-down eventevent did happen on the Delaware River in NovemberNovember 2004 2004 when an oil tanker spilled 265,000 gallons of crude oil near Philadelphia Philadelphia PA. TheThe Salem Salem NJ nuclear plant shutdown shutdown its reactors for nearly two weeks as a precaution against the submerged precaution submerged oil.

In that event, the Coast Guard did not have the phone number for the nuclear In nuclear plant and instead mistakenly mistakenly called the Unplug Salem nuclearnuclear watchdog chairman chairman at his home in in the middle middle of the night.

We would like to be certain that no one is caught off guard.

We would like to know:

• Who is monitoring monitoring the sub-surface plumes?

sub-surface oil plumes?

• monitoring resources Can special monitoring resources be set up at the Crystal River nuclear nuclear plant, and potentially reactors on the Atlantic Coast of Florida? Florida?

• • nuclear plants protecting How are nuclear protecting themselves themselves from the oil, chemical dispersants and dissolved methane now in dissolved methane in the sea water?

• • What guidance is the NRC providing?providing?

• • Has the NRC-asked NRC-asked for assistance assistance from NOAA's National Ocean Service Service behavior and movement of the oil, chemicals to specifically monitor the behavior chemicals and methane near the nuclearnuclear plants?

plants?

• • What federal and state agencies agencies are involved in in a a coordinated effort?

effort?

Scott Portzline -Three Mile Island Alert, Harrisburg Harrisburg PA Paul Gunter - Beyond Nuclear, Takoma Park MD MD Norm Cohen - Unplug Salem, NJ Scott .Portzline, Portzline, Security Paul Gunter, Director Norm Cohen Coordinator, Consultant to TMI Alert, Consultant Reactor Oversight Project UNPLUG Salem Campaign, UNPLUG Campaign, 3715 N N 3'd Street 3 rd Street Beyond Nuclear, Beyond Nuclear, 321 Bar Avenue, 321 Bar Avenue, Harrisburg PA 17110 Harrisburg 6930 Carroll Avenue Suite 400. 400 Linwood NJ 08221 Tel. 717 232-8863 Takoma Park, MD 20912 Tel. 609-601-8583 609-601-8583 Tel. 301 270 Tel. 301 2209 2702209 Cc:

u.s.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Regulatory Commission National Oceanic Oceanic and Atmospheric One White Flint North Administration Administration 11555 I 1555 Rockville Rockville Pike Office of Response and Restoration Rockville, MD 20852-2738 20852-2738 1305 East-West East-West Highway Highway Silver Spring, Maryland 2091020910 u.s. Department U.S. Department of Homeland SecuritySecurity U.S. Coast Guard Guard Headquarters Headquarters U.S. Department Department of Homeland Homeland Security Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Commandant, Washington, DC 20528 Washington, 2100 2 I 00 Second Street, SW Stop 77101 I0 I Washington, Dc 20593-7 Washington, Dc 20593-710 I 101

, ".

For Immediate Immediate Release: June 14, 2010 ."

14,2010

Contact:

Scott Portzline, Three Mile Island Alert, 717-232-8863 Paul Gunter, Beyond Nuclear, 301-523-0201, 301-455-5655 301-523-0201, 301-455-5655 Norm Cohen, Cohen, Unplug Salem Campaign, 609-335-8176 609-335-8176 Nuclear Nuclear Watchdog Watchdog Groups Raise Reactor Reactor Safety Concerns Concerns over the Gulf Oil Spill Nuclear power watchdog groups are calling for an across-the-board across-the-board and transparent transparent analysis of all critical actions actions which will be necessary to prevent damage to coastal reactors reactors posed by the threat of contaminated contaminated water. In a letter to the US Nuclear Nuclear Regulatory Regulatory Commission, the US Coast Guard, the National Oceanic Oceanic and Atmospheric Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Homeland Administration Homeland Security, the watchdog groups ask for assurances assurances that comprehensive comprehensive guidance from federal federal agencies is being provided to reactor licensees. They are also calling calling for the constant constant monitoring mon,itoring of the oil plumes.

If surface or submerged submerged oil contaminated water were to infiltrate infiltrate the water intake system serious damage damage to safety systems could result. Nuclear Nuclear plants have procedures to shut shut down.

down, in advance advance of water contamination contamination events to prevent such damage. Such a shut-down event did happen on the Delaware Delaware River in November 2004 when when an oil tanker tanker spilled 265,000 gallons of crude oil near Philadelphia Philadelphia PA. The Salem NJ nuclear nuclear plant plant shutdown its reactors reactors for nearly two weeks as a precaution precaution against the submerged submerged oil.

The unprecedented unprecedented nature of this problem is especially-concerning especially-concerning because there are now now "thousands "thousands of sma!ler smaller spills,,1 spills"' which must be accounted for. The ever-changingever-changing currents in the Gulf create a very difficult situation for the tracking of the plumes compared compared to thethe Delaware River spill.

Furthermore, BP states that the underwater Furthermore, underwater oil plumes don't ex'ist, exist, contrary contrary to independent scientists' scientists' analysis. This type of confusion must be resolved with an accountable accountable federal agency and a notification process for the encroachment encroachment of underwater underwater and surface surface oil plumes to coastal waters, especially especially near nuclear power plants.

"BP is disputing that underwater underwater oil plumes are spreading throughout the Gulf region," region,"

said Paul Gunter, Director of the Reactor Oversight Oversight Project Project for the Takoma Takoma Park, MD based organization Beyond Nuclear. "It based organization "It is vital that an NRC safety analysis be made public before coastal public before coastal reactors take in billions of gallons of oil-contaminated oil-contaminated water."

1I As described described by Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen in a June 7th 7th 2010 conference.

20 I 0 press conference,

" ;.

Scott Portzline of Three Three Mile Island Alert, Harrisburg Harrisburg PPA "I have not seen any A said, "I any communiques communiques or guidance from the NRC alertingalerting the plants unprecedented nature plants to the unprecedented of the threat posed by the multiple sub-surface sub-surface oil plumes. Therefore, reactor operators might be caught off guard if they are relying on their prior limited experience experience with oil slicks.""

slicks.

An additional concern is that chemical chemical dispersants dispersants and elevated elevated methane methane gas levels in the Gulf sea water might cause problems with reactor safety systems. Consequently, a full and transparent transparent accounting accounting of all factors must be acted upon.

Norm Cohen, Cohen, Coordinator Coordinator for the Unplug Salem Campaign said, "We "We are urging the the NRC to clearly clearly document what actions and contingency contingency plans it will employ employ in response response to this crisis. We want to know how the various response interacting right response agencies are interacting right now."

now."

The letter containing containing the concerns concerns and questions questions for the federal agencies agencies is attached.

Note: link - Overhead photo of Crvstal River nuclear nower pla11t intake canals.

In September September 2009 the plant was temporarily temporarily shutdown shutdown to replace aging steam generators. During the repairs, workers discovered discovered a crack in the concrete containment building. The reactor remains shutdown.

containment

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