ML20209B147

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Responds to Re Proposed Emergency Planning Rule That Commission Recently Published for Public Comment.Ltr to Be Placed in Rulemaking Record & Carefully Considered. Record of 870226 Press Release Encl
ML20209B147
Person / Time
Issue date: 04/02/1987
From: Roberts T
NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
To: Babbitt B, Bumpers D, Gregg J, Simpson A, Towns E
AMERICAN HORIZONS, INC., HOUSE OF REP., SENATE, SENATE, ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC WORKS
Shared Package
ML20209A941 List:
References
FRN-52FR6980, RULE-PR-50 NUDOCS 8704280372
Download: ML20209B147 (7)


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CHAIRMAN April 2, 1987 The Honorable Dale Bumpers United States Senate

-Washington, D. C.

20510

Dear Senator Bumpers:

Thank you for your letter of March 3, 1987 regarding the proposed emergency planning rule which the Commission recently published for public comment.

Your letter will be placed in the rulemaking record and given careful consideration, along with the other comments that are received.

I am enclosing a copy of the Press Release concerning the Commission's vote to seek public comment on the proposal.

Thank you for your contribution to the Commission's resolution of this important issue.

Sincerel 1

Thomas M. Roberts Acting Chairman

Enclosure:

Press Release 8704280372 870422 PDR COMMS NRCC CDRRESPONDENCE PDR

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%,+.***gh CHAIRMAN April 2, 1987 The Honorable Alan K. Simpson Subcommittee on Nuclear Regulation Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, D. C.

20510

Dear Senator Simpson:

Thank you for your letter of March 3, 1987 regarding the proposed emergency planning rule which the Commission recently published for public comment.

Your letter will be placed in the rulemaking record and given careful consideration, along with the other comments that are received.

Thank you for your contribution to the Commission's resolution of this important issue.

Sincerel y

omas M. Roberts Acting Chairman

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CHAIRMAN April-2, 1987 The Honorable Judd Gregg United States House of Representatives Washington, D. C.

20515 l

Dear Congressman Gregg:

Thank you for your letter of March.3, 1987 regarding the proposed emergency planning rule which the Commission recently published for publie-comment.

Your letter will be placed in-the rulemaking record and given careful consideration, along with-the other comments that are received.

I am enclosing a copy of the Press Release concerning the Commission's vote to seek public comment on the proposal.

Thank you for your contribution to the Commission's resolution-of this important issue.

Sin erel Thomas M. Roberts Acting Chairman

Enclosure:

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CHAIRMAN April 2, 1987 The Honorable Edolphus Towns United States House of Representatives Washington, D. C.

20515

Dear Congressman Towns:

Thank you for your letter of March 3, 1987 regarding the proposed emergency planning rule which the Commission recently published for public comment.

Your letter will be placed in the rulemaking record and given careful consideration, along with the other comments that are received.

I am enclosing a copy of the Press Release concerning the Commission's vote to seek public comment on the proposal.

Thank you for your contribution to the Commission's resolution of this important issue.

Sincerely, omas M. Roberts Acting Chairman

Enclosure:

Press Release l

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%s*****gl' CHAIRMAN April 2, 1987 The Honorable Bruce Babbitt American Horizons 1660 L Street, N.W.,

Suite 810 Washington, D. C.

20036

Dear Governor Babbitt:

Thank you for your letter of March 3, 1987 regarding the proposed emergency planning rule which the Commission recently published for public comment.

Your letter will be placed in the rulemaking record and given careful consideration, along with the other comments that are received.

I am enclosing a copy of the Press Release concerning the Commission's vote to seek public comment on the proposal.

Thank you for your contribution to the Commission's resolution of this important issue.

Sincerely, o

omas M. Roberts Acting Chairman

Enclosure:

Press Release i

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UNITED STATES

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Washington, D.C. 20liti5 No.

87-32 FOR IMMEDI.*TE RELEASE Tel.

492-7715 (Thursday, February 26, 1987) i NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONERS VOTE TO SEEK PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSED CHANGE IN EMERGENCY PLANNING RULE Chairman Lando Zech of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced today that the Commission has voted to seek public comment on a proposed change in its rule involving offsite planning for emergencies at nuclear power plants.

The vote to j

publish the proposal for comment was 4-1 with Commissioner James Asselstine dissenting.

The comment period will be for 60 days af ter publication in the Federal Register.

The proposal from the NRC staff specifically deals with situations where a state or local government chooses not to participate in the emergency planning process.

In his February 24 presentation to the Commission, the NRC General Counsel noted that the proposed rule change would add specific criteria applicable only in the circumstance where a State and/or local government will not participate in offsite t

emergency planning.

Chairman Zech said in a statement today:

"On February 24, 1987, the Commission heard from a number of Governors and Members of Congress concerning the proposed change in the emergency planning rules.

The Commission majority, with Commissioner Asselstine dissenting, has concluded that we should publish the proposed rule for public comment so that we may receive the benefit of the broadest possible spectrum of comment on the proposed rule."

"We note that with very few exceptions the comments we received dealt with the substance of the rule rather than the question of whether we should solicit further public comment on the rule.

We believe that the General Counsel and st'aff should analyze those substantive comments as part of our review during the public comment period."

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i "It is clear to us that the issue raised is one of national importance on which there are strongly held views.

We believe the Commission has the authority and obligation to face this controversial issue squarely and in the most responsible manner possible.

It seems to us the best way to do so is to publish the proposed rule for a 60-day public comment period."

"In view of the comments received at the February 24th meeting, we believe it is of primary importance to emphasize that, whether this proposed rule is ever enacted or not, public safety -- and not economics -- will always be the Commission's primary consideration in deciding whether to license a nuclear power plant.

If we were to approve the rule, it should be recognized that, if a state or local government refused to participate in emergency planning, the Commission must still find with reasonable assurance that the public health and safety can be protected before issuing a. full power license.

We reemphasize that the preferred course is to have state and local participation in emergency planning."

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