244 



The reliability of the Government agencies, is to conform to the 

 statutes, and the intent of the statute, and you said you were respon- 

 sible for the regulation of nuclear atomic powerplants. 



Mr. Eamet. Yes. 



Mr. Keith. I have in my constituency a nuclear powerplant, and 

 I am naturally concerned about how thoroughly it is being moni- 

 tored and regulated and how much statutory authority there is, to 

 make certain that the plant does not get constructed in an area where 

 it could be a contaminant, either with atomic or other radioactive fall- 

 out, and also in terms of thermal pollution. 



Is it your agency that is responsible for monitoring, first anticipat- 

 ing any possible hazard, and then monitoring the operation? 



Mr. Ramet. Of the nuclear powerplant ? 



Mr. KJEiTH. Yes. 



Mr. Ramey. Yes, sir. 



Mr, Keith. Would you briefly describe how the public is protected 

 in the authorizing of a site, and the design, and operation of the 

 plant ? 



Mr. Ramey. That is a 



Mr. Keith. That is a big thing. 



I would like you to give us a quick appraisal that will reassure the 

 members of this committee and our constituencies. 



Mr. Ramey. The Commission under the Atomic Energy Commission 

 Act is responsible for issuing rules and regulations concerning the 

 use of radioactive materials and it has issued quite a number to regu- 

 late the safety and site selection of nuclear powerplants. 



It is also responsible for listening to individual complaints. 



We have a separate regulatory organization under Mr. Price liere 

 as Director of Regulation through which the Commission regulates 

 the site selection, the design, the construction, and the operation of 

 these plants. 



In establisliiiig its regulations, the Commission is implementing 

 radiation standards which have been issued by the Federal Radiation 

 Council, and which will now be issued by the Environmental Protec- 

 tion Agency. 



The Commission has issued regulations that essentially cover both 

 the design and the site for nuclear powerplants. The regulations, gov- 

 erning the suitability of sites, from a radiological standpoint, also 

 factor in population density, meteorological conditions, and so forth. 



When a utility, called an applicant, under the Commission's regu- 

 lations files an application to construct a nuclear powerplant, the 

 application has to be submitted with a great deal of factual mate- 

 rial, and it is usually about 12 inches thick. Copies of these applica- 

 tions have in the past, and are at present, sent to Federal and State 

 agencies that have an interest in them, and their comments are solic- 

 ited. Included are agencies such as the Fish and Wildlife Services, 

 and also the Geological Survey, both of which are in the Department 

 of Interior. The Commission gets their comments on the radiological 

 aspects of the proposed plant, and its relationship to the environment. 



More recently, under the National Environmental Policy Act, we 

 required the utilities to submit, not only this application and safety 

 analysis, but also an environmental report. 



