ML18283B863
| 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 FROM CONTROL NUMBER FILE LOCATION Sen. Edward W. Brooke (Hass.)
9 0 DATE OF DOCUMENT ACTION COMPLETION DEADLINE 11/21/75 12/18/75 TO i ACTION PROCESSING DAT ES PREPARE FOR SIGNATURE OF:
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,e Acknowledged '2/2/75 Choirrnon CA, NRC Interior Reply Director of Regufotion-Finof Omitted" DESCRIPTION Ltr Zloriginol, Q Copy, '. Q Other REMARKS e
Encloses ltr fn Dennis H. Brown urging a full congressional Return enclosure w/reply' investigation of the Browns Perry fire to Attn: Harsha eeark-envelope
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REFERRED TO-DATE IS NOTIFICATION TO THE JCAE RECOMMENDEO?
- auth f/acf:ion 12/5/75
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Cyst Hanauer te Rusche Case .
Docket Piles 50-259 PDR 50<<260
- .= 50-296 DO NOT DETACH THIS COPY DIRECTOR OF REGULATION Form HQ-32 (I-73)
= *COMMUNICATIONSCONTROL ~ USA EC
November 21, 1975 Respectfully referred to:
Director, Office of Congressional Liaison Nuclear Regulatory Commission Because of the desire of this office to be responsive to all inquiries and communications, your consideration of the attached is
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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.
35~ 0 h
Form ga Please reply attention Marsha.
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32 Magnolia Street Massachusetts
'rlington, 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 public j 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: .
the nuclear'cores" one hour a
.'t stop thenuclear"reaction an'd 'could."not provide cool'ing. waterfor melt-down one 'point the'watei':fel3. to a'levelI that within 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:
thO emeigencg'ituation, 'a melt>>'down:"was a"'real possibility.
law-."'-'uiing The plant personnel'id" not'otify .the ..loca3.:Civil'Def ense director as required'to'egin evacuation:'It 'is'oubtful:that'an evacuation updated'ince 1972. "'
could have beIen"done ef ficiently"'anyway ': I~
'asthe.plan'.
had'not': bee'n" r': ., ~
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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 X urge you to initiate this action no'w." my'enator, Sincerely, Dennis H. Brown