ML18283B863

Forwarding Letter from Constituent Which Is Urging Full Congressional Investigation of Browns Ferry Fire

ML18283B863
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	11/21/1975
From:	Brooke E US SEN (Senate)
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML18283B863 (4)

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+Ir ee'OVCRRMCRT RRIRTIRC Ot'Flccr t 070 400 CONTROL NUMBER 9

0 DATE OF DOCUMENT 11/21/75 FROM Sen.

Edward W. Brooke (Hass.)

t FILE LOCATION ACTION COMPLETION DEADLINE

" 12/18/75 TO CA, NRC i

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,e ACTION PROCESSING DATES Acknowledged

'2/2/75 Interior Reply Finof PREPARE FOR SIGNATURE OF:

e Choirrnon Director of Regufotion-Omitted" DESCRIPTION Ltr Zloriginol, Q Copy, '.

Q Other Encloses ltr fn Dennis H. Brown urging a full investigation of the Browns Perry fire r

e congressional REMARKS e

Return enclosure w/reply' eeark-envelope to Attn: Harsha

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LPDR?

REFERRED TO-

auth f/acf:ion DO NOT DETACH THIS COPY DATE 12/5/75 IS NOTIFICATION TO THE JCAE RECOMMENDEO?

Cyst Hanauer Rusche Case Docket Piles 50-259 PDR 50<<260

.= 50-296 DIRECTOR OF REGULATION

= *COMMUNICATIONSCONTROL

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te Form HQ-32 (I-73)

~ USAEC

November 21, 1975 Respectfully referred to:

Director, Office of Congressional Liaison Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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Because of the desire of this office to be responsive to all inquiries and communications, your consideration of the attached is requested.

Xour findings and views, in duplicate form, along with return of the enclosure, will be appreciated by Ed.ward VT. Brooke U.S.S.

h Form ga Please reply attention Marsha.

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32 Magnolia Street

'rlington, Massachusetts 02174 2 Octooer 1975 Sen.

Edward W. Brooke U. S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Senator

Brooke, I have gust completed reading an investigative report titled, "The Incident at Brown's Ferry" by David Comey, a notable lawyer in the environmental area.

His paper was. an'insert in a recent issue of "Not Man Apart".

This country,. accqrding to Mr. Comey, nearly witnessed what.the AEC,(now.NRC) swore could never occurs

namely, a nuclear power plant melt down.

Mr. Comey' paper draws heavily from, official;. not yet publicj NRC and TVA reports.

The Brown's Ferry Nuclear power plant, located near Athenp, Georgia, experienced a serious. fire in its cable-spreader room last March.

Through the cable-spreader room (located below the control room) passes all the wire and, cable from.the control toom to all the nuclear power plant eau),pment.

It is through these 'cables that the plant operators can turn on.and off equipment ahd otherwise r'un 'the"plant"..'he fi're'lasted 16 hour1.851852e-4 days <br />0.00444 hours <br />2.645503e-5 weeks <br />6.088e-6 months <br />'s'!and=foi

-most of that'ime"cut 'off the'3.ant operatois" from: the nuclear

'power:.i plant.system.Thh operators cou3.d not in~ert:the.control-'rods-'to:

stop thenuclear"reaction an'd 'could."not provide cool'ing. waterfor the nuclear'cores".'t one 'point the'watei':fel3. to a'levelI that within one hour a melt-down would have begun.

They were lucky to have ex-tremely talented mechanics who gerry-rigged a cooling water system and, quite literally, saved lives.

The operators lost control of the relief valves and both containment vesse3,s seriously overpressured and could have'xploded.

I Besides'the operational. problems', "they.'did,,nqt: follow the:

law-."'-'uiing

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- emeigencg'ituation,

'a melt>>'down:"was a"'real possibility.

The plant personnel'id" not'otify.the..loca3.:Civil'Defense director as required'to'egin evacuation:'It 'is'oubtful:that'an evacuation could have beIen"done efficiently"'anyway 'asthe.plan'. had'not': bee'n" updated'ince 1972. "'

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And so it goes on, a comedy of errors that endangered thousands of lives.

The Brown's Perry incident raises.

some very serious ques-tions.

Are nuclear power plants designed and run safely?

Or are we playing with dynamite.

Every nuclear power plant in the country has a cable spreader seemingly inviting disaster.

Why has the HRq put' clamp on information about the incident?

Don'.t we live in a democratic society?

Xn my opinion the Brown'5 Ferry incident is serious enough to wairant a full fledged congressional investigation now.

As my'enator, X urge you to initiate this action no'w."

Sincerely, Dennis H. Brown