[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 230 (Thursday, December 1, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-29552]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 1, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-160; License No. R-97]

 

Neely Nuclear Research Reactor; Receipt of Petition for 
Director's Decision Under 10 CFR 2.206

    Notice is hereby given that by Petition dated October 23, 1994, Ms. 
Pamela Blockey-O'Brien requested that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC) take action with regard to the Neely Nuclear Research Reactor. 
The Petition requests that the NRC revoke the license of the Neely 
Nuclear Research Reactor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, shut 
down this reactor and its support facilities, and remove all 
radioactive materials and contamination offsite to a government-created 
``National Sacrifice area'' such as the Savannah River or Oak Ridge 
facilities. The Petition also requests that the NRC withdraw all 
license authority nationwide involving the discharging or dumping of 
any quantity of radioactive material to all the sewers or waters in the 
United States or oceans of the world, and withdraw all licenses to all 
nuclear facilities, including nuclear power plants (NPPs) which operate 
under as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) principles. Finally, the 
Petition requests both that the NRC modify every license issued to 
transporters of radioactive materials and builders of NPPs so that 
these parties must put 2-foot high letters on everything transported or 
built stating ``DANGER-RADIOACTIVE'' and in slightly smaller letters 
``there is no safe level of radiation, any exposure can effect 
health,'' and prohibit the transportation of radioactive material by 
mail.
    The Petition asserts as bases for the request to shut down and 
decontaminate the research reactor at the Georgia Institute of 
Technology that (1) a water flume comes out of the ground 
``destabilizing the reactor and the ground in some way;'' (2) 
``(r)adiation levels in soil and vegetation climb markedly in GA EPD 
documents'' around the reactor; (3) there is no record of air 
monitoring ever having been done; (4) heavy rainfall causes water to 
back up in the sewer and drainage lines causing flooding of the reactor 
parking lot and campus, as well as causing sinkholes, ``puff-ups'' on 
campus ground, and welded-shut manhole covers to be blown off; (5) 
radioactive contaminants have been routinely discharged into the 
sanitary sewer from the research reactor's wastewater holding tank; (6) 
should the research reactor be further destabilized, the reactor and 
the tank holding cobalt-60 could ``break apart,'' causing radioactive 
contaminants to ``drain into groundwater/down sewers/into the runoff 
ditch;'' (7) the reactor is in an earthquake zone; (8) there is 
absolutely no reason to keep the reactor operating; (9) security at the 
reactor is extremely lax; and (10) in case of an accident or terrorist 
attack, evacuation of the campus and downtown Atlanta would be 
impossible both now and during the Olympics.
    The Petition asserts as the bases for the request to withdraw all 
license authority nationwide involving the discharging or dumping of 
any quantity of radioactive material to all the sewers or waters in the 
United States, and to withdraw all licenses to all nuclear facilities, 
including NPPs, which operate under ALARA principles, that there is no 
safe level of radiation and that the NRC's new sewage dumping 
guidelines are totally inadequate. The Petition does not assert any 
bases for the requests on the labeling and mailing of radioactive 
materials.
    The Petition has been referred to the Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206. As provided by Section 2.206, the 
Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation will take 
appropriate action on the specific issues raised by the Petition in a 
reasonable time.
    A copy of the Petition is available for inspection at the 
Commission's Public Document Room at 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20555.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22nd day of November, 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
William T. Russell,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-29552 Filed 11-30-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M