ML19029A418

11/17/1976 Letter Inadequate Consideration of Overpressurization Protection

ML19029A418
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	11/17/1976
From:	Roth W US SEN (Senate)
To:	Anders W NRC/Chairman
References
Download: ML19029A418 (7)

Text

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,, .. *- * ::*W-!U..l~M_V:"ROTH, JR. COMMITTEES:

• r c'e..<wARE ' FINANCE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS 4327 ClltKSEH SENATE OFl'ICE SUILDINQ TEUl'HON~ 202-224-2441 WASHINGTON, C.C. 20510 November 17, 1976 The Honorable WilJiam A. Anders Cha.i.rma.n Nuclear Regulatory Commission

... **;. Washington, D.C. 20555

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Dear Chairman Anders :

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Enclosed is a letter which I recently received

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..;j her letter is self-explanatory, i

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I In v:Lew of the serious nature of the charges made

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. .j by Ms. Berryhill, I would appreciate your providing me

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. :. _:~ In addition, I can find no record of hav:Lng received

. *1 a reply to my letter of August 27, 1976 concerning Ms*

• __ ,,:, Berryhill's charge that Salem I was licensed in the absence

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.. -. ; .....: of an agreement of* cooperation with the local fire company.

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• .: ..;_j I trust I will receive a reply in the near future.

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.*i William V. Roth, Jr *

u. S. Senate WVR/bd i I

Enclosure /

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Fr~ Berryhill 26l~Grendon Drive Herita~e Park W1lmington, De. 1980~ l

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November 5th 1976 Slo 'AA.6~ 27\J\ 6tr<<l 19eoa.

---s-en~Tilliancv;-Roth, Jr*

Federal Bldg. . *

• Wilmington, De. 19899

Dear Senator Roth:

My sincere congr.atulation on your re-election, I am looking forward to a continuatio,n of your good record concerning the nuclear power

. issues. During. the campaign however, events took place which I feel are of interest to you.

Hr. Ronald Fluegge a. reactor engineer *resigned from the NRC. His _res igna-tion deals specifically w1-th Salem I, which.is now fueled and has a license to test at 1% capapity. As reported in Nucleonics Week of .

Oct. 28th, Fluegge_i~ most concerned with the pl"essurized water re-actor (PWR) vessel overpressurizatiori phenomenon and the way technical issues* like this ar_e suppres_sed by t.he NRC. *

• Flugge .says there was* a vessel overpressurization incident at Indian .

- Point 2 on Sept~ -12 and another at Indian Point 3 on Sept*. 30th. Ther~*

was a near-incident at Salem 1 on Sept-~ 24 and this was a case of re-pressing facts. He. charges that although the NRG knew about the generic

• overpressurisation problem ( it _sent a letter to PllR owners on August

• 11th *asking for their ideas) it went ahead with issuing an operating

'license to Salem I-in late July or early August.

• Fluegge alleges that he prepared a overpressurization section of the safety evaluation report on Salem I prior to license issuance but was told to. take 1 t out of the final document in case 1 t held up, 0 the licensing and led to new public hearings. *(Please see my letter to the NRG of August 23rd i~ which I stated that license w~s fraudulantly obtained because of :failure to secure the co-operation of f 1re and resque squad which is an_~RC requirement. Such a letter was then

• obtained from the Mayor of Lower Alloway Creek without the knowledge and notification of the Fire Chief.) License was then received at the same time the u.s.court of Appeals In. Washington issued a moratorium.

on further licensing of nuclear power plants.

Mr. Fluegge also state*d that there are about *21 colleagues in technical X"eview at the ~C who have _simila_r concerns and misgivings, although they do not all intend to resign. They are basically upset about the overzealousness on NRC' s part to smooth out the licensing process. *

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Afte*~- p1,Jrsutng the ansas to the above charges &ave now b.een suplied the following "facts" from Mr *. Abraham of the NRC, a tape of which was aired on WJIC at 9:30 AM on November 4th at .Salem N.J.

On September 15th (not 24th, it takes* 10 days for the rep9rts to reach the NRC) there was an accidental valve closing causing rising pressure.

On September 20th a feedline broke indica~ing overpressurizat1on.

Mr. Abraham said he did not know ( and did not seem to want to find out) about charges of suppression of facts prior to issuance of license.

A few days after the second incident I .received a call from Mr. Wally Judd f'rom. the News Journal asking me if I had heard about a "leak" in Salem and that he had some calls indicating that there mtght have been such an accident. I told him that this was highly Unlikely at this stage of' plant operation but that I was concerned about a much greater danger. The NRC had just requested. the use of recycled plutonium in mixed oxide fuel. without license modification, and that I was anxiously awaiting Dr. Paulsen.a decision from the .peparttnen!; of Environmental Protection of New Jersey~ -

The following is conject~re on my part:

I had forgotten the "Leak" rumour until yesterday when the news reports came in about an unusual amoun:e of dead ducks being found in Lower Delaware at :aornbi>Jy Hooks *. Thls mysterious duck kill is being attributed to botulism~ However, hun~ers are being instructed to sunject the ducks to rigorous washing before eating. For botulism ?

Hope Creek I and I I are not yet constructed and could be stopped. Do we really have to look forward to having to live within 20 miles of ,

four nuclear reactors? Dr. Ra.lph Lapp a strong nuclear advocate says they should be built in remote areas - they are not. Dr. Theodore Teller a strong nuclear advocate says they St1ould be buil.t underground - they are not.

No reply is necessary, the above is intended to be only 1nf'ormative; To be the groundwork however, for all the help we need should DP&L announce before the end of the year, to build yet another nuclear power plant in our back yards.

• S 1ncerely */J.

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Chairman cc: Senator Joseph R. Biden Rep'c; William J. Hughes, N.J.

Rep. Pierre s. DuPont Mr. Thomas Evans Rep. Joseph P.Ambrosino Mr. Wally Judd News Journal Co.

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D1m ..-:, iew NU\cl~~r* *.Energy .

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I truth in Its original scientific form, without political cen- -If the

• R program fizzles, as now seems likely, I \

s0rship. We have summarized the highlights, therefore, the nation w have no alternative but to enforce energy of the secret General Accounting Office report.

It deals with liquid metal fast breeder reactors, which conservation on the public. This would introduce the !

strict, regula ed use of energy. For alternate energy ~\ ~

the technicians know by the initials LMFBR. The study,

• characteristic of scientific research, is cautious. But sources, sue as fusion, solar energy, sea wave generators, d energy and shale oil, are either inade- ... r

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these clear conclusions can be drawn: quate or a generation away.

-The development of the fast breeder has been im- -As evidence that the nuclear program is stalling, the peded by bureaucratic balkanization. There has been report declares: Only four new reactor plants (of any absolutely no government coordination worth noting. kind) were ordered in 1975 and only one plant was ~\

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More than 100 separate agencies, committees and other "*.ordered during the first six months of 1976. Since the entities have a voice in the development.  : beginning of 1974, orders for over 200 reactors were

-Federal nuclear experts have grossly misled the

• deferred and nearly 30 were cancelled.

public about th~ risks. The report contends that the safe- '.. Public opposition to nuclear plants has gathered sup-ty of the fast.breeder is highly speculative.

-Its financing by private industry, contrary to official

.... port in many states. Not only environmental but finan-cial obstacles have blocked construction. t~

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statements, probably will prove impossible. The The fast breeder, meanwhile, is so experimental that technology has already cost a hefty $2.8 billion. even a small, 380-megawatt test plant cannot be ready' -

-Government planners are concentrating almost ex-. before 1983. And no single, commercial-sized reactor has ..

• elusively' on the fast breeder, with an all-the-eggs-jn- been tested or even desiqned in U1e U.S., the study points' ~

one-basket abandon. Yet it not only may never work, but out. '

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the economic fuel reprocessing may never be achieved.

Theoretically, the fast breeder should produce more fuel than it uses. But a failure to achieve reprocessing would Nor has anyone *yet coordinated the four factors needed to process fast breeders ..... building the plant,.

producing the fuel, reprocessing the used plutonium and

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.~ ~ i eliminate it as a cheap energy source. disposing of the lethal wastes. . ~ ~ I

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• -Even if the fast breeders overcome all the obstacles * ' The nuclear development ls snarled almost beyond

. and become operative, it will cost an estimated $153 hope in a maze of agencies and committees, with conflic- i billion to build the same energy capacity that could* be  : ting jurisdiction. Declares the report dismally: On  !"

constructed for $128 billion with conventional reactors and $95 billion with coal-fired power plants.

/ *Capitol Hill alone, 33 committeeS, 65 subcommittees and one panel claim some jurisdiction over the Energy ~ ~~J' 'j

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Research and Development Administration **: ~enty nlne different federal agencies share respons1bili~y for recom~'nending comprehensive national energy poli~Y*

• This doesn't take into account the numerous ~r~vate The secret study all but rejects out of hand the two most optimistic schedules for the development of the LMFBR technology. Its conservative estimate is that only six fast breeders will be in operation by the year K t~~

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I utilities, financial houses, manufacturers and citizens . 2000.

The economic feasibility of these few plants won't be The LMFBR does h&ve comcustion

• groups tbat are also involved in the program. These fac- known until early in the next century. . ~*ac111ty e.nd can expJ.ode like tofs all add up to delay. .

• l r The possibility also remains that the problems of safe-* a glgant1c hydrogen bomb.

At'best It will take 13 years to build a commercia * ' ty, pollution and fuel reprocessing could block the fast reac~or, io years to get the !uel fa~~icated and 12 years ,. breeders altogether. -Res.a enclosed lett*:.11 ** wr :Lt ten to construct a fuel reprocessmg facility.

• The report, in part a model for setting national energy by a frenoh scientist to And at least 10 years will be needed to prepare a per-manei1t disposal dwnp in the remote Southwest where

. policy, pleads eloquently for a firm decision to coor-dinate efforts with goals. Otherwise, the United States "cr 1 t 1 ca. l Mas s

• the* deadly wastes can be safely buried and kept from might be compelled to return, at least part time, to contaminating the environment for . the necessary candles and bicycles.

thousnncl.s of years.

.e UNITED STATES OF A}IBRICA NUCLEAR REGlTLATORY COMHISSION In the Matter of )

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PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC AND GAS ) Docket Np. (s) .50-272 COMPANY ) 50-311

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(Salem Nuclear Generating )

Plant, Units 1 and 2) )

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CERTIFICATE or SERVICE I hereby certify that I have this day served th~ foregoing document(s) upon each person designated on the official service list compiled by the Office of the Secretary of the Com.'Tiission in this proceeding in accordance with the requireE;ents of Section 2. 712 of 10 CFR Part 2 -

Rules of Practice, of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Rules and

• Regulations. *

• Dated at '!_ashingt_on~. this

. . ;S!- day of ' .- _ U!. (!__,,! 197 ~-

OfficEt of the Secretary of the Comrnis' ion

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UNITED STATES OF AHERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY CONMISS ION In the Matter of )

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) Docket No. (s)

PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC AND 50-272

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GAS COMPANY )

50-311

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(Salem Nuclear Generating Plant, )

Units 1 and 2) )

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SERVICE LIST Edward Luton, Esq., Chairman David E. Kartalia, Esq.

Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Counsel for NRF Staff U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555 Washington, D. C. 20555 Dr. Emmeth A. Luebke Joseph B. Knotts, Jr., Esq.

Atomic Safety and Licensing Board J. Michael McGarry, Esq.

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Conner I,

& Knotts Washington, D. C. 20555 ' 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W.

Washington, D. C. 20006 Dr. Harry Foreman Box 395, Mayo Richard Fryling, Jr.*, Esq.

University of Minnesota Federick M. Broadfoot, Esq.

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 Public Service Electri~ and Gas Company Alan S. Rosenthal, Esq. 80 Park Place Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Newark, New Jersey 07101 Board U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mrs. W. S. McElmoyl Washington, D. C. 20555 205 Howard Avenue Woodstown, New Jersey 08098 Michael C. Farrar, Esq.

Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Mr. JohnK. Mustard Board Executive Secretary, CORP U. S. Nuclear Regulatory. Commission 305 High Street Washington, D. C. 20555 Moorestown, New Jersey 08057 Dr. Lawrence R. Quarles Honorable William Gural Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Deputy Attorney General Board State of New Jersey U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 101 Cormnerce Street Washington, D. C. 20555 Newark, New Jersey 07102

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50-272/311 Page 2 Honorable Joseph W. Ferraro, Jr.

Deputy Attorney General Room 208 101 Commerce Street Newark, New Jersey 07102 Miss Elizabeth Fogg, Librarian Salem Free Public Library 112 West Broadway Salem, New Jersey 08079