CLI-06-26, Commission Order (CLI-06-26)
| ML062830327 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee, Pilgrim File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 10/10/2006 |
| From: | Annette Vietti-Cook NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| Giitter, R L | |
| References | |
| 50-271-LR, 50-293-LR, RAS 12346, RAS 12347, CLI-06-26 | |
| Download: ML062830327 (7) | |
Text
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION COMMISSIONERS DOCKETED 10/10/06 Dale E. Klein, Chairman SERVED 10/10/06 Edward McGaffigan, Jr.
Jeffrey S. Merrifield Gregory B. Jaczko Peter B. Lyons
)
In the Matter of
)
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC. )
Docket No. 50-293-LR
)
(Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station)
)
)
)
In the Matter of
)
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR VERMONT
)
YANKEE, LLC, and
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC. )
Docket No. 50-271-LR
)
(Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station)
)
)
CLI-06-26 ORDER In these license renewal proceedings, the Massachusetts Attorney General (Massachusetts AG) has filed a request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene. The hearing requests included a Petition for Backfit Order. By these petitions, the Massachusetts AG requests the Commission to initiate proceedings to change the current storage configuration in the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station and Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station spent fuel pools. In June 2006, the Secretary of the Commission referred the Massachusetts AGs hearing requests to the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, without any reference
2 1 See Memorandum (June 6, 2006)(re: Requests for Hearing With Respect to the License Renewal Application for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station); Memorandum (June 7, 2006)(re: Requests for Hearing with Respect to the License Renewal Application for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station).
2 See, e.g., Mass AGs Reply to Entergys and NRC Staffs Responses to Hearing Request and Petition to Intervene with Respect to Pilgrim License Renewal Proceeding (June 29, 2006) at 3. Mass AGs Reply to Entergys and NRC Staffs Responses to Hearing Request and Petition to Intervene with Respect to Vermont Yankee License Renewal Proceeding (June 30, 2006) at 3.
3 See Massachusetts AGs Request for a Hearing and Petition for Leave to Intervene with Respect to Entergy Nuclear Operations Inc.s Application for Renewal of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant Operating License and Petition for Backfit Order Requiring New Design Features to Protect Against Spent Fuel Pool Accidents (May 26, 2006) at 50; Massachusetts AGs Request for Hearing and Petition for Leave to Intervene with Respect to Entergy Nuclear Operations Inc.s Application for Renewal of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant Operating License and Petition for Backfit Order Requiring New Design Features to Protect Against Spent Fuel Pool Accidents (May 30, 2006) at 49.
to or distinction drawn for a Petition for a Backfit Order.1 The Licensing Boards in these proceedings do not appear to contemplate taking action on the backfit petitions, and counsel for the Massachusetts AG seemingly believes that the backfit petitions remain pending before the Commission.2 Our rules governing adjudicatory proceedings, found in 10 C.F.R. Part 2, do not provide for the filing of a Petition for Backfit Order with the Commission. The Massachusetts AGs petitions take issue with the current storage configuration in the Pilgrim and Vermont Yankee spent fuel pools, configurations authorized by earlier license amendments. The petitions request the Commission to require each of the spent fuel pools to return to its original low-density storage configuration and [to] us[e] dry storage for any excess fuel.3 The action that the Massachusetts AG effectively seeks in each case - an order modifying the license based upon an alleged potential hazardous condition in the current spent fuel pool - amounts to a request for agency enforcement action, a request not suitable for a license renewal adjudication
3 4 Section 2.206 allows any person to file a request to institute a proceeding pursuant to § 2.202 to modify, suspend, or revoke a license, or for any other action as may be proper.
Section 2.206 specifies that such requests must be filed with the NRCs Executive Director of Operations, who will refer the request to the appropriate NRC office director.
5 We note that the Massachusetts AG recently filed a petition for rulemaking, raising related spent fuel pool arguments under the National Environmental Policy Act.
but perhaps suitable for consideration under 10 C.F.R. § 2.206.4 Accordingly, the Commission denies the Massachusetts AGs petitions for backfit order.
If the Massachusetts AG wishes to pursue this matter, he may file a request for NRC action under section 2.206, pursuant to the requirements outlined in that section.5 IT IS SO ORDERED.
For the Commission
/RA/
Annette L. Vietti-Cook Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day of October 2006.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of
)
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC. )
Docket No. 50-293-LR
)
)
(Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station)
)
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing COMMISSION ORDER (CLI-06-26) have been served upon the following persons by electronic mail this date, followed by deposit of paper copies in the U.S. mail, first class, and NRC internal mail.
Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Administrative Judge Ann Marshall Young, Chair Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop - T-3 F23 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: AMY@nrc.gov Administrative Judge Richard F. Cole Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop - T-3 F23 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: RFC1@nrc.gov Administrative Judge Paul B. Abramson Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop - T-3 F23 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: pba@nrc.gov Susan L. Uttal, Esq.
Marian L. Zobler, Esq.
Office of the General Counsel Mail Stop - O-15 D21 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: slu@nrc.gov E-mail: mlz@nrc.gov E-mail: OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov Diane Curran, Esq.
Harmon Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg, L.L.P.
1726 M. Street N. W., Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20036 E-mail: dcurran@harmoncurran.com
2 Docket No. 50-293-LR COMMISSION ORDER (CLI-06-26)
Matthew Brock, Assistant Attorney General Environmental Protection Division Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place Boston, MA 02108 E-mail: matthew.brock@ago.state.ma.us Terence A. Burke, Esq.
Entergy Nuclear 1340 Echelon Parkway Mail Stop M-ECH-62 Jackson, MS 39213 E-mail: tburke@entergy.com Molly H. Bartlett, Esq.
52 Crooked Lane Duxbury, MA 02332 E-mail: mollyhbartlett@hotmail.com David R. Lewis, Esq.
Paul A. Gaukler, Esq.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP 2300 N Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037-1128 E-mail: david.lewis@pillsburylaw.com; paul.gaukler@pillsburylaw.com Mary E. Lampert, Director of Pilgrim Watch 148 Washington Street Duxbury, MA 02332 E-mail: lampert@adelphia.net Sheila Slocum Hollis, Esq.
Town of Plymouth MA Duane Morris, LLP 1667 K. Street, N.W.
Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20006 E-mail: sshollis@duanemorris.com www.duanemorris.com Mark D. Sylvia Town Manager Town Managers Office 11 Lincoln Street Plymouth, MA 02360 E-mail: msylvia@townhall.plymouth.ma.us
[Original signed by Evangeline S. Ngbea]
Office of the Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 10th day of October 2006
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of
)
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC.
)
Docket No. 50-271-LR
)
(Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station)
)
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing COMMISSION ORDER (CLI-06-26) have been served upon the following persons by electronic mail this date, followed by deposit of paper copies in the U.S. mail, first class, and NRC internal mail.
Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: ocaamail@nrc.gov Administrative Judge Alex S. Karlin, Chair Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop - T-3 F23 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: ask2@nrc.gov Administrative Judge Richard E. Wardwell Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop - T-3 F23 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: rew@nrc.gov Administrative Judge Thomas S. Elleman Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel 5207 Creedmoor Rd., #101 Raleigh, NC 27612 E-mail: elleman@eos.ncsu.edu Mitzi A. Young, Esq.
Steven C. Hamrick, Esq.
Office of the General Counsel Mail Stop - O-15 D21 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: may@nrc.gov; sch1@nrc.gov Ronald A. Shems, Esq.
Karen Tyler, Esq.
Shems Dunkiel Kassel & Saunders, PLLC 91 College Street Burlington, VT 05401 E-mail: rshems@sdkslaw.com; ktyler@sdkslaw.com
2 Docket No. 50-271-LR COMMISSION ORDER (CLI-06-26)
Sarah Hofmann, Esq.
Director for Public Advocacy Department of Public Service 112 State Street - Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620-2601 E-mail: sarah.hofmann@state.vt.us Anthony Z. Roisman, Esq.
National Legal Scholars Law Firm 84 East Thetford Rd.
Lyme, NH 03768 E-mail: aroisman@nationallegalscholars.com Matthew Brock, Esq.
Assistant Attorney General Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General Environmental Protection Division One Ashburton Place, Room 1813 Boston, MA 02108-1598 E-mail: matthew.brock@ago.state.ma.us Diane Curran, Esq.
Harmon, Curran, Spielberg,
& Eisenberg, L.L.P.
1726 M Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 E-mail: dcurran@harmoncurran.com Callie B. Newton, Chair Gail MacArthur Lucy Gratwick Town of Marlboro SelectBoard P.O. Box 518 Marlboro, VT 05344 E-mail: cbnewton@sover.net Dan MacArthur, Director Town of Marlboro Emergency Management P.O. Box 30 Marlboro, VT 05344 E-mail: dmacarthur@igc.org David R. Lewis, Esq.
Matias F. Travieso-Diaz, Esq.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP 2300 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20037-1128 E-mail: david.lewis@pillsburylaw.com; matias.travieso-diaz@pillsburylaw.com
[Original signed by Evangeline S. Ngbea]
Office of the Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day of October 2006