ML20211N476

Responds to W O'Donnell Concerns Re Health Effects of Living in Vicinity of Plant.Independent Groups Concluded That Impact of TMI-2 Accident on Physical Health of Local Residents Negligible.Radiation Monitoring Continuing

ML20211N476
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	02/20/1987
From:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Heinz J SENATE
Shared Package
ML20211N481	List: ML20211N476 ML20211N485
References
NUDOCS 8703020082
Download: ML20211N476 (5)

Text

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FTB 2 9 WW The Honorable John Heinz United States Senator 9456 Federal Building Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106

Dear Senator Heinz:

This letter is in response to the concerns expressed by one of your constit-tuents, Mr. William O'Donnell, with regard to health effects that he and his family have experienced, which he attrJbutes to living in the vicinity of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station 1T_MJP. In a letter addressed to Senator Edward Kennedy, Mr. O'Donnell stated that the public is not being informed of significant releases of radiation from the TMI site.

There are two reactors at the TMI site. Cleanup operations at the accident-damaged Unit 2 reactor are continuing, and the undamaged Unit I reactor has been operating normally since its return to service in late 1985. Shortly after the March 1979 accident at Unit 2, several independent groups were formed to evaluate the radiological impacts of the accident on the health of local residents. These groups included the multi-disciplined Kemeny Commission appointed by President Carter, Pennsylvania Governor Thornburgh's Commission on TMI, a Federal interagency group made up of representatives from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),

and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, an independent Special Inquiry Group appointed by the NRC, and the NRC's own Office of Inspection and Enforcement. These groups independently issued the same conclusion regarding the health impacts of the TMI-2 accident: the off-site radiation doses to the public were so low that the resulting health effects would be negligible. More recently (September 1985), the Pennsylvania Department of Health published a preliminary report as part of an ongoing epidemiological study of cancer inci-dence in the vicinity of TMI. The report concluded that the data reviewed do not present evidence of an increased risk of developing cancer for local residents.

Environmental releases from TMI continue to be carefully monitored by the NRC, EPA, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the licensee, General Public Utilities Nuclear Corporation. No significant accidental releases of radiation from TMI have been detected since the 1979 accident and the small quantities of radio-active effluents routinely released during the cleanup of Unit 2 and the normal operation of Unit I have been well below regulatory limits.

The NRC has made a substantial effort to provide information to the public on the THI-2 accident and subsequent cleanup operations. Several documents have been issued and distributed to citizens in the TMI area in response to public concerns. The NRC currently maintains an augmented technical staff at the TMI site and this staff frequently responds to public inquiries covering a wide range of TMI-related topics. The primary mechanism for interaction between 0703020002 870220 \

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The Honorable John Heinz the NRC and the public on TMI-2 issues has been through the Commission's Advisory Panel on the Decontamination of TMI-2 established in October 1980.

This panel, made up of citizens, scientists and state and local officials, provides input to the Commission on major TMI-2 cleanup activities and health effects issues. The panel periodically conducts its meetings in the TMI area and routinely provides an opportunity for public participation during these meetings.

In summary, several independent groups have concluded that the impact of the TMI-2 accident on the physical health of local residents will be negligible.

Continuous radiation monitoring around the TMI site since early 1979 by several organizations has not indicated any releases of radioactivity above regulatory limits. Based on this, the NRC staff cannot support any linkage between the health problems described in Mr. O'Donnell's letter and activities at the Three Mile Island site. The NRC plans to continue to keep the public informed of the offsite radiological releases by making the results of studies available to the public and meeting with them periodically through locally held Advisory Panel i meetings.

I trust that this letter is responsive to your constituent's request.

Sincerely, tw) T. A, name ictor Stello, Jr.

Executive Director for Operations l

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QM]g h / I I

Office: TC/PBT Q/PBTil D t D/ E00-Concurrees: RH mlWTra$rs FMi ia er HD on VStello Date: 2/ 87 '2/ 17/87 2/ /7/87 [ /87 2/g /87 2//7/87 l

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a Dated:

Distribution of letter to The Honorable John Heinz in response to questions raised by one of his constituents, Mr. William O'Donnell, with regard to health effects he believes he and his family have experienced as a result of living in the vicinity of TMI.

(Forward all copies for dispatch to P-202)

Docket File 50-320 TMI/ Site file TMI/Beth file NRC PDR Local PDR MBridgers (ED0#002497)

EDO r/f TMurley liDenton/RVollmer MPasnik

.RHall MSchaaf/JMullin PPAS OGC DMossburg/ Toms (w/ ticket & incoming)

SECY No. CRC-87-0072 0CA 1

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1. pnee -'o UNITE 3 STATES

/ 7,,g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION f a WASHINGTON, D. C. 20666 h

_ 'g [ k EJ EDO PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL erjAU:n k'N FROM:

ozglg9 .h#f,, , btldj til 'l' DUE: 02/4-F/ 87- EDO CONTROL: 002497 DOC DT 12/19/86 SEN. JOHN HEINI FINAL REPLY:

TO:

OCA FOR SIGNATURE OF: ** GREEN ** SECY NO: 87-72 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DESC:

ROUTING:

ENCLOSES LETTER FROM WILLIAM O'DONNELL CONCERNING MllRLEY PROBLEMS WITH LIVING AROUND TMI SITE DATE: 01/28/87 ASSIGNED TO: NRR CONTACT: DENTON

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SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

REPLY TO PHILADELPHIA,[PA OFFICE.

MARK ENVELOPE ATTN: SK1P IRVINE.

I NRR RECEIVED: ,1/29/87_

ACTION: ,,DPLB MIRMILIA'.? ~ ' -

NRR ROUTING: DENTON/VOLLMER PPAS MOSSBURG

7 .

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER: CRC-87-0072 LOGGING DATE: Jan 27 87 ACTION OFFICE: eeA E$

AUTHOR: J. Heinz--Const Ref AFFILIATION: U.S. SENATE LETTER DATE: Dec 19 86 FILE CODE: C&R-2 BP

SUBJECT:

Continuing probens of residents around TMI ACTION: Direct Reply DISTRIBUTION: OCA to Ack SPECIAL HANDLING: None NOTES: William O'Donnell DATE DUE: Feb 10 87 SIGNATURE: . DATE SIGNED:

AFFILIATION:

C='d Gif. E00 Date /'d8'?2 Time l 'Y 5'r W

t EDO

- 002497