ML19318A735

Responds to 800221 Ltr to President Carter.Decisive Action Needs to Be Taken to Effectively Use Nuclear Power to Help Give Us Added Measure of Energy Independence & Improve Domestic Economic Situation

ML19318A735
Person / Time
Site:	West Valley Demonstration Project
Issue date:	05/07/1980
From:	Wahlquist E ENERGY, DEPT. OF
To:	Lord M AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
References
16367, NUDOCS 8006240094
Download: ML19318A735 (4)

Text

.~,

".6 ..s;w%

ld- ' n b.~ '

• N. % d 5 0 .~it-n 1 t.Q):L w P b (z.

, 2*'

.n

'[0*Qhi}y..). (, /

G RAY 20 mpf {7 i

{\}J$

. ng%* -'9{..

. .m

' u. s' m.

c4f.*r R RECEIVED

~. % -n nys

-: Department of Energy e \9; 5*"

• e ENEiw' ' .- w~ 1

-Washington, D.C. 2050$A N- D$./

T/g_ in7 . s . MAY 91980 )

'- 1 ALBANY, N.Y.

Mr. MichacT Lord ,.

'PD 1 Alder Bottom Road {s

, 3

'Conewahgo Valley, New York 14726 j*f {yg~ h ([) ,')'g gl j;

.w 9

< .h

Dear Mr. Lord:

.Eccause your letter to'the Pranident pertains in part to v. ark uponsored by the Dapartment of Energy (DOE), it has been referred to us for reply. Va appreciate your opposition to the use of nuclear po cer and your views on tha

-cituatica at the Nucleat Fuel Servicca fncility at Wst Valley, New YorP.

Ua uich t.o peint out that your oppositio1 to nuclear power is not consistent wit h .idnini.st ration policy. The i::portant role that nuclear energy v.ust piny in U.S. pouer generation was reaf firued by President Certer in his responne to the findings of the Ecneny Conmission (copy cncloced) uhen he

-said, " Nuclear pcuer han a future in ' the United Stateu- it is an option that we nuot keep open." Uc need to take decisive action soon if na are -

to effectively use nuclear poner to help give the United States an added tscacure of energy indepcadence and the reby inprove the doncatic economic situation.

The DOE hns neither operational nor regulatory control over the Euc1 car Fuel

-< ' Services facility which is licensed by the State of New York undar the States Agreement Program of the Euclear Regulatory Commissica. for this

. reason, 'ua .are forun: ding copies of your letter to officiais of the State of Nea York and the Nuclear Regulatory Canaission for their consideration.

Thank you for your' interest in these natters. -

1. - g . Sincerely, Original c; at.c 3 7 N .

larl J. runic ^ ;3t g WXCD /[p Y

% USRC Earl J. Uahlquist, Acting Director

[5# "i"i"i " f """"C""""' 8"PP rt i'/ ; . } A.Q. 2Ff " " 0 Q

. Office of Nuclear Masta Management

1. y%s .wi g

i nclosure p [s, ce's: Jg\

Mr.MT. K. DcDocr ~ -

=Ucw York State Energy Office

' Mr. - Richard Cunningham, Director;

~

~

')ivinica of Fuel' Cycle and Material . Safety  ?

~

THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS - ,

-POOR QUAL.lTY PAGES n s. M i g ls 006240.0Y g

,, -3 l

.I ..

9

~

.. Fichaal Lord D

Z u'r$ 7 t..d r . ,.s s: ~.r-

.Lin >O

';'C %

s . s'.).7 , 1P7'.

. Jua Pres. S r:- .- Car cr u .. a.

u.o ...~.;..,. ,,.. .

p.,a p g .: .~. .,.,. ..

7 1 s.i %+ h.%- *.C+'- e e**w

• r I.cy3 4 .,

e, n. ..

m .. .- d- ,,a.. - -

6.m. - *- a-

• c .

- - . . ~-

>~---.--- -

. "- '" ." , u.".'--=s~".,~, u"..-

• h. ' ~a~ 'u r"."-.....~~.~.

H.": "u".

~ ~

- t u .~ , ~ 1 t .". ., n . . .'.. .". ".-- . --

.. .. . -~ .-.

1, , ,;, _ .u, u. .:a. ., . .,... . : . . a. : , .,->,-e. . . , . . Aw .7.4.~., a or.i. ," '

• 1. ' .; '. x" " ~' ' ~ ~. *. '. . . 9 m. .m. - . . r. .+~~. ". .,. ". e~,: - x" ". .' ,. n x ' ' . . - , . T ' " .~ .~ ,

nuclcar po.or has pr w2n to b? incredibly expensiva. Plant constvuct-ion badguts centinue to ba ovavrun , fuel production coats. han risen so nuch that su.c.cliars are brea.c vu their contracts.?uel ren. roccscin*> . -

. origimlly thou,@.t to b2 abic to rechin umnita and plutonitri , and as a first step to nuclear waste disposal, is a flop. Even with the re-

,w. e cn-. . u, -

- o ..,- -- -

-a .- .-.. _ , ..- t

-.....m s v.,... ._C

. .. .,' . . . .. - - .... . . . . . l. e * .

.> e *w.,,- ....,.m.;. a

- . . ~

. to operate an a va. ...aolo businuss3 in acu , lor.c .n.sao a.

Energy sources are falling far short of predictions from twenty and ten years ago.Popuhtion is less than expected and conservation pract-ices implemnt.ed by busin2ss and the genaral public are paying off.

Also mns cihar cheaper'scurces of enarcy ;-:n.:ratica a": be ca ain--

available.Much h2.a haating, which takes a sinuable anannt of our total energy budget, can be accenplishad by pa33irc solcr haatin;, even in t'r col bst, clinas.

Alcohol loss very prarlicin; for vehicle pomr. J.nd other foras

. of el" c tr.i c ' u~en.a.

. .. ..- '.8 ac.b.

.i.n...a. .c o . .d . w- . "

- -- .N. . .' .i n D . .*. . . .~.4.

. . . ., , s+_.".

c Hs, tidal pmar, wind pomr,ctc.,(not shale).-

t e

a

r. .

.~.;

r 2.

Mu ch, . . .., . + . . .',

. t".. "'on t in" idio ts .'m..t."-ial i.. '. ". a..

-. . . . v.. c.' "..~ d . .

. .,. ..4, a n ..

. y o 2- . ..,,1

.. . . v . ..a

~ ~%.

,, , 4 . . . .u .,-u... , , .. m~m .,., -n u-n ,. .:

c. . _..-., _

Liraita on exua u a wra cer, then lo>rared, an 1 lowred.. .licito chould

-ba s e. '.. .s. . " . . .- _ _ . . _ " . . , .<x'~*.,*'.'.l'v...~".,b...r'""._.1 b . .

..o".~....'".<.~..%.... b ot. .

. . . 4. --

.. .....,....6...1

. .. . .. ~ ~ ~ - ..

u - s vso,- . . .e, ,- e. , . -

g. v . *s. r ,

^ , =

.. m g - .* . :_

.* ~ ..

y. n - -

.. . ....~..m...

.. - s..3,.

, . ,.. _. .. : a.,.1, , %.

w

. .- . . .m. ..

.I .,, - s ... ..1.o.. d at F"ab'u ~  %. h., n'b. "v..c ..> .'. . . . u" ..~~...3 ,N.~ e.' . ,,.1

. 2. .- .'

aly r, for al .u. two . rears. If U?S of EcatValley, ?.T, is typical of  ;

-.,,,m,- e

.-,. :- v., . i a. , , . . , .

c... u u .- - #. ~%. a. , a .~

.. . > --:. a , ..

%. . . . j... ,,, ca. s.,,.....-

- ..s a,, 1 4

tha papalatic.n at 1crge ia at stab. En,alo .aes of UF3, temporary work j

c. .s 4.a 2 .a .:. a cu. , ... -

.. n-,a a. c.e q. .. . .g. 1,.,. u.,<.. a. re ciocn .

,3..,.

- u. 5 .a ..-..

1,

a. u ...,. u.

c rau-ou a.ata..on .

There vtu an attempS to uarn and instruct e:r.alo.'iaes> but there i.13 ' '

also a sort of unspobn bravado among suparvisory and hourly personal ; k et 1 j nd o.f. t',Tok ,. 1.5 m..,

s .88 u, 8 2 4

• 4 <b.  :,c.'^2.--_.4...,. 8 4 4 ' i

._,.k.. 4 . -.,

.w.. .3 .P. .

.>  %. . . . ' S.n. .e-..-. -.

O .i b.L . ,.2.i n.,g. w w-n .I. 4.,, { h.,. .-c.c.

. g 7.e.u.iv, * .s .

I' rp%.11 1>1g..sv 1 b_.s ),

. ... .- G1 p. 1.,.,.t, -. -

n a<.r -

s ( v,. 4, ,.

. , ;1 .-

o.c. p,.'r> C.1., . . .,., . u . .- s C v.., .,t _,

. - 4 muw , A , , u.

m ., ,

,..", t.* ~4 ,- <'.4..- " ~s b.b. ., ou'v u, . Aw ..,e. u.'.O. ru w aa- "uivt.. e" '.#. v i. ~-' ., a11 -

i, l

.i arc und t,ha Plant,, tha hwn and dciveway ind to be to"n up ar.d buried, a ,

d A= nvo r .,na t o .c.e re=nea w, x.t , no n.o t, call ana. i t. c, rr. .re n. raaloae a.vc v

liquid all the i..ty to the btudal site, where it nou cozes into the grarnd.

A t ra ct o. '+d.._l

. e,. t Tb' C.'s- + p . '. . 0. . .L t2. v o- -n..

. . - ' s.<,.'-

• ^ - ,.

'. nl'."s -I d~... . t b. . o....-

m r--

i a m3 c ., a 4f

..... , n ...,..a v.. e- s.. .., tm. .~. e t .. . 3 .,.., ..r.w. ,. . , u , , . . . . - 1.,.,., m , g, x. , n -.

. . .. . -- .~. - - - -

w

- I, 3,: c,... o' ' .- .~..s vL . ,,. 1.m,... ,t *v.'.J "s.m. o f del ~l , ~. > u.e n..

, t .d s .

. , A" s

+

.n.-.> l

.......c'vO-... h i i

froa t.?.r- Ple.n t , .~. .c..a. c ,.n'- .~...i". . ".. u". O , m 1"....~.'A... Cs"--~~~',' ...'.- .

c ra left Lthe Plant and caan. ti:nted public phcos and thai- ha es. R1d-4.>;-

. . . -. . c ,s.... _ ; ,, #. .t

. . . - . ., , .m.

s.. . . v. .., ; .. t. ~. -.-.m .. . u .... . e.i. , a pz. . . . s..su .:~a ,. _ m m.a iE0 '. [ -t.5 - Ce . ..' 0.% , 1 q'J.iO'.'D' b.: cat.M 0"2 3 07-!>. ECC3 Coq i.C. f . ' ]PO'JJ1d a

Y

w .x .>-

.O

.. leyels wore hir,h, hand and foot countera lnd to be attenuated to the p-ir.5, Lwhere they mre alnost useless. In the' Jnbs nu had to lay lead sheet s on thu floor to keep the radiation doun. Coveralls used,'to;ra'ic hot entrics often came back from the 2nundry stm con-

..a .i ated, ard inan,narienced personal used then without chac'" g. The abote are a few instances that coma tr nind cibht yean; after ny emple.y-nent, so mat -acsured that thore were rany ucra and mny worse accidents!

Eut the scricus problen lies. rany feet t= der graund in the carbon steel tanks with a desi c;t li!'c of fo.t.y yea-2, radia".etive , ante 30 hot  !

thennally that in is constantly bod Mg, and so hot radioactively that a fraction of the contents of those tanks seepine; into the aquifer could spell death to the Areal Tus 1, .nbe in these tanb and in the high a real ,

and' lou level area sights on the P]nnt grounds constitutogthreat to  %

Western How York State.

The radioactive waste situation at West Vally is very serious.

'to add to that problen by shipping in more vaste for storage repro-ccccing and/or burial is out of the question.

y spr 6 An .o l'ichael D. Iord cl/NDL

. O l

's

=  %*

e n.

,