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9 <br />Memo to Interested Persons <br />From Mary MacDowell, Reseazch Coordinator <br />Chatham County <br />10/6/98 <br />pc~c~adr~ <br />oa z s ~~ea D <br />RE: Harris Plant Fuel Pool Expansion Request <br />Attached is information to help local citizens and government representatives evaluate <br />safety concerns regarding high-level radioactive waste pool expansion in the Triangle. <br />Two of the last chapters of a book on high level waste management safety, titled Nucleaz <br />Waste Disposal Crisis by David Lochbaum aze enclosed. Lochbaum is a nucleaz safety <br />engineer who worked for nuclear power companies for a number of yeazs before joining a <br />consulting firm. He published this book in 1996. Then about a yeaz ago, he joined the <br />staff of the Union of Concerned Scientists to concentrate on advancing nucleaz safety at <br />all power plants in the US. <br />The fuel pool expansion license amendment request is expected to be submitted in <br />November and then after publication in the Federal Register will be allowed comments <br />from the public or local and state governments for 30 days only in a formal proceeding <br />under NRC rules. Therefore, if you aze interested in learning more or commenting, there <br />is not a lot of time before such decisions must be made. Pages from the federal register <br />outlining their process are attached. <br />Also attached is a summary of a 1996 report we have requested that evaluated Spent Fuel <br />Cooling (AEOD/596-02) by the NRC Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational <br />Data which was formed after the Three Mile Island accident to learn from and prevent <br />accidents and the precursors of possible accidents. It concludes that the loss of pool <br />coolant greater than 1 foot has occurred at a rate of about 1 per 100 reactor years. This is <br />disquieting when one considers that the Harris plant will operate for about 30 more yeazs, <br />and then a 20 year extension is desired by CPBtL and the NRC has decided that pools can <br />safely operate for 30 yeazs after their operations cease. This leaves us with 80 yeazs and <br />8 chances out of 10 that the fuel pool level will drop at some time. It also states that the <br />primary cause of these events has been human error, which unfortunately cannot be <br />engineered out. So far these events have not resulted in a radiation release as far as we <br />know, but they illustrate the vulnerability of the storage system. <br />Pools were designed for short term storage of about 1/3 of a reactor core load of fuel and <br />are now being pressed into service for 8 or more times that amount for an indefinite <br />period, because of the uncertainty of access to a permanent disposal site. CP&L's <br />purpose in opening these two new fuel pools is primarily for shipments of activated fuel <br />rods from their 3 plants in Wilmington, NC and Hartsville, SC. <br />I will be out of town until October 20, but my part-time office assistant may be able to <br />field questions or get you in touch with someone who can. Please leave a message at <br />542-4878. <br />i "~~ <br />C:\Documents\Cover letter for Lochbaum chapters.doc <br />Check our web-site at: http:l/chathampslac.home.mindspring.com <br />