PRINTER'S NO. 1959
No. 85 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY BRANDT, ITKIN, J. L. WRIGHT, GEIST, SEVENTY,
COLAFELLA, POTT, MADIGAN, WENGER, MERRY, JACKSON, VROON,
GRUPPO, SIEMINSKI, RASCO, JOHNSON AND REBER, JUNE 16, 1981
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FEDERAL-STATE RELATIONS, JUNE 16, 1981
In the House of Representatives, June 16, 1981
1 WHEREAS, On March 28, 1979 the worst accident in the history
2 of commercial nuclear generation occurred at the Three Mile
3 Island Unit II (TMI-2) nuclear reactor; and
4 WHEREAS, The Three Mile Island Unit 1 (TMI-1) nuclear
5 reactor, a separate undamaged nuclear reactor which occupies the
6 same site as TMI-2, was out of service for routine refueling at
7 the time of the accident; and
8 WHEREAS, TMI-1 was scheduled to return to service upon
9 completion of refueling; and
10 WHEREAS, On July 2, 1979, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
11 (NRC) ordered that TMI-1 remain in a cold shutdown condition
12 until further order of the Commission and further directed that
13 hearings be conducted prior to any restart of the facility; and
14 WHEREAS, Hearings on the start-up of TMI-1 began on October
15 15, 1980 by the NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB);
16 and
17 WHEREAS, Upon the submission of the ASLB's formal
1 recommendation on the restart issue to the NRC, the Commission
2 will make its ruling on this issue within 35 days; and
3 WHEREAS, The proceedings concerning the question of
4 restarting TMI-1 involve lengthy public hearings and could
5 suffer major delays; and
6 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania ratepayers serviced by TMI-1 are
7 paying approximately $9 million a month for energy to replace
8 the power lost at the undamaged facility; and
9 WHEREAS, While the base rate of the Metropolitan Edison
10 Company and the Pennsylvania Electric Company (the Pennsylvania
11 electric utilities having ownership in the TMI-1 facility) would
12 yield approximately $46 million in additional annual revenue if
13 TMI-1 is returned to service, the reduction in the energy clause
14 of both companies would total approximately $105 million
15 annually, thus amounting to a net decrease of $59 million for
16 the ratepayers of these companies; and
17 WHEREAS, If TMI-1 is returned to service, it would reduce the
18 monthly electric bills of Metropolitan Edison customers by about
19 10% and decrease the monthly electric bills of Pennsylvania
20 Electric customers by about 3.1%; and
21 WHEREAS, The restart of TMI-1 will also help every net buying
22 company and its ratepayers within the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-
23 Maryland (PJM) Interconnection since the power currently being
24 purchased to replace the electricity generated at TMI-1
25 displaces the low cost power that would have been available on
26 the Interconnection had TMI-1 been in-service; and
27 WHEREAS, Except for TMI-2, the TMI-1 facility is the only
28 Babcock and Wilcox designed pressurized water reactor facility
29 that the Commission has not allowed to return to service; and
30 WHEREAS, TMI-1 received its operating license on June 24,
19810H0085R1959 - 2 -
1 1974; went into commercial operation on September 2, 1974; and
2 has had a successful operating history; and
3 WHEREAS, On June 2, 1981, a simulated accident scenario was
4 conducted at TMI to test the response capabilities of both the
5 plant operators and local and State governmental officials to a
6 radiological emergency. During this mock emergency drill, the
7 plant operators and governmental officials adequately
8 demonstrated their ability to respond to a developing
9 radiological emergency; therefor be it
10 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
11 urges the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) to move
12 expeditiously on its hearing proceedings involving the
13 reactivation of Three-Mile Island Unit I nuclear reactor (TMI-1)
14 and submit its recommendation to the Nuclear Regulatory
15 Commission (NRC) as soon as possible; and be it further
16 RESOLVED, That if the ASLB's hearing proceedings find that
17 the reactivation of TMI-1 will not threaten public health and
18 safety and if the ASLB recommends authorizing resumption of
19 operation of this facility, then the General Assembly urges the
20 NRC to promptly rule that TMI-1 be restarted without undue
21 delay; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
23 each member of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board and to each
24 commissioner of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
F16L82JR/19810H0085R1959 - 3 -