ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

February 14, 1972

In the Matter of the Application

of COMMONWEALTH EDISON COMPANY

for a Permit for Dresden Unit 3 

)

PCB

70—21

at Dresden Nuclear Power Station

Mr. William E. Eaken appeared for the Illinois Pollution Control

Board

Messrs. Arthur C. Gehr and John Rowe appeared for Commonwealth

Edison Company

Messrs. Lawrence D. Spears and Alan Sugarman appeared for the

Environmental Law Society

Opinion of the Board (by Mr. R.J. Kissel):

On November 23, 1971, the Board revised the Permit previously

granted to Edison to operate Dresden Unit 3. One of the provisions

of the revised Permit required that Edison complete the installation

of a catalytic recombiner and eight charcoal beds, as outlined in

the record of the proceedings, by April 1, 1973. See Paragraph 4(a)

of the revised Permit, dated November 23, 1971. On February 2, 1972

Edison filed a motion to clarify the November 23 order by changing

the date on which the catalytic recombiner and eight charcoal beds

had to be completed to June 1, 1973. Edison points out that the

basis of the Board’s order on November 23 was the Company’s advanced

anticipated completion date, which was testified to in the record

as being June 1, 1973. See the testimony of Mr. Roveke, page 186,

transcript of October 19, 1971.

While we would like Edison to expedite the completion of the

control equipment, we must agree with them that the testimony in the

record supports the position taken in their motion to clarify the

Board1s order. The insertion of the April 1, 1973 date was merely

a clerical error in drafting of the order, and therefore, we will

modify the order by deleting the April 1 date in Paragraph 4(a) and

inserting the June 1 date.

I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Pollution Control Board,

certify that the Board adopted t~’ie above Opinion this /j/ day of

February, 1972, by a vote of 4-1.

Mr. Dumelle dissents.

&u_~

‘9~~i

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~29

ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

February 14, 1972

In the Matter of the Application

of COMMONWEALTH EDISON COMPANY 

)

PCB 70-21

for a Permit for Dresden Unit 3

at Dresden Nuclear Power Station

Dissenting Opinion of Mr. Dumelle

My dissent on the modifica1E~ionof the permit is based on the

ground that it is really both moot and premature.

It is moot because the transmittal letter spoke of oral

arguments before the Appellate Court on February 8 and that date

was past when this was granted. It is premature because it

logically follows after a determination by this Board on whether

or not to hear from Dr. Edward Radford on the General Electric

nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Morris, Illinois. Dr. Radford

has alleged people dosages of 680 mr per year now being inflicted

upon those residents within one mile of the three Dresden reactors.

If he is even partially correct in his radiation estimates then

this Board should immediately order a speedup of the off-gas

system construction not from the 27 months now lengthened to 30

months) of the permit but to a much shorter period. And a power

reduction, in my view, is also called for, if Dr. Radford is

right, especially at the ancient Dresden I plant with its short

stack and consequently more potent radiation effects.

I would point out that my Board-approved amendment (December 9,

1971) to the Quad-Cities permit changed the date for completion of

the off—gas system there to conform to the 27—month period now

scrapped for Dresden. See permit (p. 12, November 15, 1971 “Sep-

tember 1, 1973” compared to opinion of same date, p. 2 “December

1973” and minutes of motions made at November 15, 1971 Board meeting.)

Will the Board now change the completion dates for the sister

units at Quad-Cities to give them a 30 month period also? I hope

not.

These off—gas treatment systems were available and in use

in Germany some five years before the Board’s December 1970 Dresden

hearings. Had Edison been following the AEC stricture on radia-

tion dosages of ‘as low as practicable” these treatment systems

would have been designed, ordered constructed and on—line today.

3

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630

The people around Dresden and around Quad—Cities (if it operates

before off—gas treatment is on-line) are paying or may pay the

price for Edison’s delay.

The newspaper story today (February 24, 1972) telling of

Governor Richard B. Ogilvie’s February 14 (the date of this

action) request to the Illinois Commerce Commission to investi-

gate the “incidents” at the Dresden reactors is recognition of

the great dangers to the public which may result from improper

design or operation of Dresden. The off-gas treatment system

adds a measure of safety to these nuclear plants and ought to be

built and installed just as fast as humanly possible.

/

Jacob D. Dumelle

Board Member

I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution

Control Board, hereby certify the above Dissenting Opinion was

submitted on the 24th day of February, 1972.

1.

/ /

t—~~1/

‘Christan L. Moffett,~CIer1~

Illinois Pollution Control Board

3 — 631