ML20136H383

Intervenor Exhibit I-TMIA-9,consisting of 790328-29 Chronology of Util Corporate Communications Re 790328 TMI-2 Event

ML20136H383
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	11/19/1984
From:	AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:
References
SP-I-TMIA-009, SP-I-TMIA-9, NUDOCS 8508200286
Download: ML20136H383 (11)

Text

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• ' - HARQ1 28, 1979 gjg 7:15 A.M. John C. Herbein, Vice-President-Ceneration, telephoned Blaine F. Fabian'to advise there had been an event at

'IMI-2 about 0400. He advised that the unit was off line because a feedwater pump failed in the secondary loop causing the turbine to trip which, in turn, caused

a. trip in the reactor. As a result of the notification, they mutually drafted. a statement for response to gueries as follows:

"The nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island Unit 1 was shutdown as prescribed when a malfunction ,

related to a feedwater pump occurred about 4:00 a.m. , Wednesfay Otarca za). ~h: -- H ra unit was systematically shut down and will be I out of service for about a week while equipment is checked and repairs made."

7:30 A.M. Walter Creitz. informed by George Treffer through , Carol Quillen that the reactor of THI Unit 2 tripped and high levels of radiation are being measured in the containment building and a general emergency had been declared.

7:40 A.M. Blaine Fabian communicates the message to Walter Creitz that he received from Jack Herbein. ' --

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,- 8:00 A.M. Waltsr Craitz . in c:nv;rcatisn with C; rgo Kundsr cnd C ry

. M1116 :- 10 c da awtro of tho two etnditi ns f:r which o general emergency should be declared. They say that an

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T' 8 rem reading in containment or a measure of a release at the boundry are the conditions for a general emergency. ,

There appears to be a leak in the steam generator between the primary and secondary loops. Health Physics personnel measure no radiation beyond background at the boundry.

8:05 A.M. Blaine Fabian called together the members of the Communications Services Department to avail them of -

information and responsive statement. Media calls were being received at this time and that response used. (In a matter of minutes all phones were . .

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receiving media calls from all areas.)

8:30 A.M. Blaine Fabian goes to W. M. Creitz office to. compare information. While Communications Service personnel respond to queries using prepared statement. Creitz and Fabian answered queries received in the President's office f rom media and government officals.

9:00 A.M. The following communciation from Robert Arnold.to '

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W. B. Murray was dictated. to W. M. Creitz's secretary r Mr. Arnold gave this message to Mr. Murray this morning:

1- At 4:00 A.M. this morning there was a malfunction of main feedwater valves which' caused the main feed pumps to trip interrupting the flow to secondary side of steam generator.

• . 9:00 A.M. (.Continutd)

Loss af ccd resulted in a high przasuro incid:nt in tha reactor coolant system lifting' safety valves in the reactor .

ar-coolant system which discharged to a drain tank in the reactor building. The buildup of pressure in the drain .

tank caused the drain tank release system to actuate discharge reactor coolant into the basement of the reactor building as designed. The reactor coolant water discharged into the reactor building contained same radioactive gas. ,

This actuated a radiation monitor in the reactor building which by procedura caused the plant staff to declare a site emergency. During the transient there apparently was a slight leak in one of the steam generators from the primary side to the secondary side. The reactor coolant water that

. leaked from the primary to the secondary side also contained some radioactive gas which was eventually released from the (j({

main condenser to the atmosphere. Due to the combination .

of circumstances, the plant staff notified the State Police and the Civil Defense of the problem and the possibility of a general emergency.

The steam generator that had the leak has been isolated and the plant staff is returning the plant to normal condition.

• caq P.S. . Hr. Arnold's direct dial outside number is 201-335-0562 All safety 'systees worked as designed.

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I 9100 A.M. (Co tinu d)

- Jcck H:rbain is informed that ha ch:uld raturn immedictcly from from Reserve Duty by Walter Creitz. Blaine Fabian returned

%. u g-to his office to learn of variations in information being available to personnel and asked Howard geldoaridge to 1

- i accompany George Troffer to Generation Division to clarify f I

the information.

9:15 A.M. Gary Miller in a phone conversation to George Troffer's office, where Richard Klingsman and Howard geldoaridge accompanied Troffer, Gary states that there has been no .

1 release to the environment; measurements are being i taken at the boundry and by a helicopter. There has been no over-exposure to any person, and, since plant j J

• integrity is involved, he cannot back, off from a

" general emergency" to a " site emergency."

(complete text of the phone conversation is found in Attachment L

Walter Creits reviewed the status of the TMI 2  ;

accident with Bob Arnold. This call was interrupted i by a return call from Herman M. Dieckamp.

l 9:30 A.M. Walter Creits advised Mr. Dieckamp of his understanding ,

of the status of Unit 2 based on the.

information he had

- received from Jack Herbein, Gary Miller, George Kunder, l

u. I and Bob Arnold.

b Ne also ind,1cated to Mr. Dieckamp, Mr. Arnold's concern

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of possible damage to the fuel assembly. '

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10:00 A.M. An upd ted Ctstement is draf ted for rolce:a and recp:nco ta g p

• queries. It is Attachment 10:30 A.M. Having learned in Mr. Creitz's office that there may have A

been a radioactive release to the environment, Blaine 1

Fabian returned to his office to advise personnel answering queries. Again, there seemed a discrepancy

, i and he and George Trof fer went to Mr. Creita's office 1

to determine what the latest situation is. With no direction to changes Communications Service personnel continued to offer no confirmation of any release.

Personnel f rom other departments volunteer and are recruited to assit in answering phone calls from the media and customers. Many of the helpers are d" able only to respond with prepared answers.

( kh' 11:00 A.M. Mr. Creita talked to Bob Arn'ald af ter becoming . aware of

• i measured radiation above background. Bob informed Walter (

that he had dispatched or was in the process of sending personnel to the island to assist. Bob felt that at I this time he could be more ef fective by remaining at .

Mountain Lakes. . ,.

11:30 A.M. Walter Creits attempts to cent et Governor Thornburgh's

- office. The Covernor was not available and Mr. Creitz

( ' talked to the Lt. Governor, William Scranton, regarding -

the measurement of radiation. ,

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Blein2 Tcbisn cnd W31 tor Cr0itz informed by Ge:pg2 Traffer 3 11:45 A.M. ,

that measurement of radiation.at boundry and observation

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center are above background.

12:00 Noon Walter Creits and Blaine recognize a difference in information given by NRC and Met-Ed.

First change in reports given to callers based on information received by George Troffer at 11:15. Fabian works with Creitz and Henry Robidoux to draft an updated statement.

Scranton's office called Mr. Creita requesting the presence of an official f rom generation to meet with the I.t. Governor at 2:00 P.M.

Mr. Creits arranged for Jack Herbein to conduct the briefing.

• Creits and Herbein agreed that before going to Harrisburg,

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3_ Jack should make a statement to the press at the Observation Center. He should proceed from there to Scranton's office.

12:15 P.M. Henry Robidoux takes prepared statement to Communications Services Department personnel for use in answering queries.

Media are asking more complex questions than Het-Ed e

personnel are able to answer.

Much time spent in responding to calls. "; ,

1:00 P.M. .

A press conference is suggested and agreed upon for Friday.

4 Fabian begins to make arrangements for a press conference.

George Trof fer spends part of the af ternoon speaking on the phone to congressional sides of Walker and Schweiker and one

• • 1:00 P.M. (Continu d) 1ccc1 rcprsecntctivo, Congrassman Ertel. Ha infer:a them of the trip, release, possibic core damage and g

the level of radiation.

About this time, a " Wall Street Journal" reporter showed ,

up in Met-Ed headquarters and George Troffer confer with him. He stayed well into the evening observing the acitivity.

2:00 P.M. Continue attempts to draft a more complete statement, but phone calls were so numerous it was never accomplished.

George Trof far is receiving information f rom Terry Mackey who at first is stationed at the plant gate but later moves inside the plant. This information which is not very specific in nature is passed on to Walter,Creitz and

(,, Blaine Fabian. Information concetning radiation measurements are also forwarded. .

3:00 P.M. Walter Creitz made a statement indicating that reading of two to three millirems are being obtained at the plant boundry. Normal reading are .01 millirem.

Creitz continues to answer phone queries and Fabian i

continues to work on preparations for the news ,

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conference planned for March 29.

Plans are being made for the manning of phones af ter 5 p.m It is necessary to move personnel to an area of centralized l phones that also has the ability to accept media ' personally

. 1 wh'ile containing them in one convenient area of the building.

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Arrangements are made for a teleph'one operator to be on duty, all night.

4 00 U.M. Ulcitcr cad C::rga racnive o vsry complcto briofing en  !

r dictirn f rom Michtal Buring. Fchicn continu:s to -

, arrange for the next day's press conference. Arrangements -

f are made for Generation Division to provide four technical personnel to assist Communications Services people in -

l answering media questions.

5:00 P.M. Information being received by George Troffer continues to be very sketchy and without good sequence. . .

5:30 P.M. Moving offices from Communication to Consumer Services.

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7:15 P.Ms. Arrangements were confirmed with Mr. Creitz for' taping 1C of " Good Horning America" and live brosdcast of "Today" from WTPA studios in Harrisburg.

Walter Creit leaves for TMI for personal briefing and to  !

8:40 P.M.

stay at the Host Inn to prepare for the " Good Horning America" taping at 5:15 A.M. The "Today" show was telecastat7:00 A.M. .

10:00'P.M. George 'Troffer says publicly that radiation is 10 times I the normal rate-in the containment building. The NRC says

t. that it is 1000 times normal.

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Descrepancy could be caused by change in the situation or by problems with the instruments.

11:00 P.M. Walter talks to some reparters et the Obsorvatien C:ntsr.

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• Questions are very general, s'uch as, when will the unit

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u' '- be operational, how much radiation was released, etc.  ;

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MARCH 29. 1979 i j i, 4:00 A.M. Walter Creitz briefed by Geor;;e Kunder and Joe Logan.

i 5:00 A.M. Walter tapes " Good Horning America" at WIPA Studio, Harrisburg - Broadcast is Attachment #4. ,

Walter Creits appears on the "Today" program originated 7:00 A.M.

I at WTPA Studio, Harrisburg - Attachment #5.

. i 10:00 A.M. A press conference was held in the Antec Room of the Hershey N tor Lodge (Convention Center) with Walter Creits and .

} Jack Herbein as the spokesmen.*, .

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m l[. (, 12:00 P.M. Pros a Hershey Motor Lodge room, Walter Creitz telephoned j' ,

the Chairman of the Public Utility Commission and Jack Herbein i .,

telephoned the Lt. Governor. Both advised the respective

officials of the plant status and Herbein arra,nged for P the Lt. Governor to tour the Three Mile Island plant. l i

f He also arranged for a representative of the Lt. Governor i to attend a special 1400 briefing for Congressman Gary Hart's subcomunittee members.

2:00 P.M. Lt. Governor Scranton visits and tours Three Mile Island .

plant.

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Decision made to establish news operation at Hershey Motor Lodge. ,

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. J.; i f- 4:00 P.M.. A second briefing was held for other local congressmen, -

including Walker and Goodling, and others with same persons conducting the briefing. Group toured THI plant.

Rooms 603 and 605 assigned for news operation an'd work begun to establish such an operation. ~ Work continued into morning hours.

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