ML20071L882

Testimony of RW Carlisle Re Potential Hazards of Nuclear accidents.Long-range Educ in Nuclear Radiation Should Be Implemented.Robots Should Be Developed to Dismantle Plant After Meltdown

ML20071L882
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	05/20/1983
From:	Carlisle R AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:
References
NUDOCS 8305310002
Download: ML20071L882 (3)

Text

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,Ch o Ricird W Ca rlisle, P rofessional Engineer ,,. ', . L 'L _ f ' ,,,

602 State Street, 0;densourg. N.Y. 13669 (315) 393-0335,' .

also 10 Hunters Lane, Elmsford, N.Y.10523 (914) 592-9026 ,-

.s T o: Secreta ry, U. S. Nuclea r Regulatory Commission, Wa shington, D.C. 20555;

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Subject:

Testimony before the Commission concerning closing of-the

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/S Indian Point Nucicar Power facilities Date 20 Ma'y 1933/

- -QQ The author is writing as a Concerned Citizen, with no commercial ties / .

His education and experience a re summarized after the principal content of the paper.

Any scientists I have known, as well a s myself, consider the potential hazards of a nuclear power plant to be in an entirely different and lower category than those of even the lowest-power atomic bombs.

Any nuclear pov er plant utilizes a steel containment building so thick and ruggee as to sustain any possible internal explosion. At 3 Mile Island, for example, a hydrogen-oxygen explosion occurred which had no exterior effect.

Radioactive ga ses were g,enerated, but no significant leakage to the outside air occurred. No local people were in jeoperdy and no evacuation wa s necessary.

Officials of the power authorities involved have advised that people local to the power plants merely stay indoors with their windows closed and their air conditions turned off. They should listen to the radio for instructions.

And they should not hop into their cars and tak'e off, because that would result in ma ssive highway congestion; and people in cars would be more susceptible to radioactive ga s than those within buildings. I a gree with this. And I further suggest that basements of hospitals be equipped to receive patients and staff in the rare event of a nuclear accident getting out of control. This applies pa rticula rly to the Franklin D. Rosevelt Veteran's Hospital located south of the nuclea r plants.

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Carlisle testimony page 2 Any closure of the Indian Point plants would have a " snow-ball" effect in that residents near other plants will take alarm and also demand closure of those plants. The net effect on oil consumption would be extremely expensive.

And much greater use of coal would involve further problems with acid rain.

It is suggested that the solution to fear from nuclear radiation be sought in long-range education- from childhood to advanced age. An effort is being made at Indian Point by Con Ed to maintain a public information center, with some exhibits directed to school child:an. But it is not open Sunday, when most people a re off duty, nor in fact on Monday. Everyone should be taught to understand a dosimeter. Those living in the vicinity of nuclear plants could wear a radiation deteector, like employees in nuclear fuel factories and the like. The range of intensity-and-time radiation which is dangerous is not a definitive quantity, and data dlould be made a.vailable for public understanding. For instance ,

routine X-rays for check of lung problems are going out of fashion, but patients with cancer are treated with radiation to suppress the di:sease.

There is a real hazard for personnel entering a containment building afte r a melt-down. For that situation I suggest that robots be developed to do the work of dismantling a plant. Certain com}ianies are specializing in robot design., and it might be to the advantage of the nuclear industry if the 1

Federal Government a ssisted in financing such development.

The disposal of radioactive waste is a major problem . It is being worked on. I shall not presume to offer suggestions as it is out of my field.

l Re spectfully submitted, f l Ld W 'v kC l

Carlisle testimony page 3 Education and experience of Richard W. Carlisle, P.E.

He attended City College of New York, M.I.T. and U. of Pittsburg, receiving degrees in Science and Engineering from each one.

He attended evening classes in atomic theory at U. of Pennsylvania , 1931 He wa s a research enginee r at Westinghouse Electric Co. , Radio Corporation of Ame rica , Sonotone Corporation, University Loudspeakers, Inc. and Dyna Magnetic Devices, Inc.

He was a member of the Regional Plan Association of New York circa 1950.

He attended courses at Manhattan College circa 1968 prepared by the Department of Defense, on protection from fall-out, the construction and air-conditioning of protective shelters. He is a Certified Fallout Shelter Analjst,15, f TT0027068, He has been active as a Civil Defense volunteer and as such has studied the use of radial and peripheral highways around centers of population.

He is familiar with the jamming of highways during WW II in the two situations of trying to evacuate Warsaw during the Nazi bombing and trying to leave Paiis during the Nazi advance.

He has been a member of the Civil Defense Research Association (1953) and the National Institute for Disa ster Mobilization (1955).

He is currently engaged in Civil Engineering and the development of acoustical de vice s .

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