Re: Dateline NBC TMI story - A different evaluation

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@EARTHLINK.NET>]

> Sure there was confusion, but the enviro groups and the anti-nukes did

> their best to enhance it.  



Seems that all groups do this. If you have a pint of view, you're 

going to do whatever it takes to support that view. When the 

contrary occurs, you're going to use it as well. Seems there are 

many here on Radsafe that do this. I guess it can't be all that bad a 

strategy. Right!



> Moreover, what disaster that has occurred has not been immediately

> followed by confusion and confusion of responsibility, to be followed

> right away by finger-pointing and blame?



Immediate confusion can be expected. After a week? I don't think 

so. No matter what you say Ruth, the process that occurred at TMI 

was flawed. Period. You can't re-write history here. The problems 

were real, the confusion was due to lack of appropriate training, 

lack of appropriate and detailed procedures, accountability for 

communications not determined before-hand, and an apparent lack 

of general understanding of the very instrumentation the plant staff 

were using to make decisions. Power plants had always conducted 

emergency planning drills. My first one as a utility employee was in 

1975. For all practical purposes, it was a joke. In the corporate 

offices, sitting in the Exec. VP's office, there were 6 of us. We had 

2 graphs of met data and dose curves to make decisions on. The 

only thing that was actually accomplished ws, that we had a drill, 

and took credit for it. If you don't believe my impression of what we 

all did back then, there are many other power reactor workers here 

on Radsafe who can attest to the fact that emergency planning, for 

all practical purposes, was for show only. The other problem was, 

from management's perspective, why spend $$$ on emergency 

planning, when nothing was going to happen. We can't increase 

the cost to the customer .. god forbid! The regulators went along 

with this charade. TMI opened up a lot of eyes. The industry is 

better for it, as has been tested in the few Emergency 

Classifications that have occurred during the past few years. There 

are REAL plans, REAL procedures and a REAL emergency 

planning staff designated.



Over-reaction? I think not. Were the scathing Lessons Learned 

published also a figment of the anti's perception? How many tens 

of millions do you think were spent on hardware, software and 

facility upgrades due to TMI? SIGNIFICANT. No, those who say 

there were problems aren't over-reacting. We're simply telling it like 

it was. No matter how hard you try, you simply can not re-write the 

history books. The documentation of what happened is too 

extensive, and, it is quite accurate.





**************************************************************************

Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	

Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	

ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    

ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc.			E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 				                           

ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue  		E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com          	          

Costa Mesa, CA 92626



Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/scperle

ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com

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