ML100960206
| ML100960206 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Diablo Canyon  |
| Issue date: | 07/06/2010 |
| From: | Leeds E Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Becker R Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility |
| Green Kimberly NRR/DLR/RPB2 415-1627 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML100960188 | List: |
| References | |
| G20100072, LTR-10-0042, SECY-2010-0085, SECY-2010-0314, TAC ME3301 | |
| Download: ML100960206 (6) | |
Text
July 6, 2010 Ms. Rochelle Becker Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility P.O. Box 1328 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
Dear Ms. Becker:
On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your letter of February 2, 2010. In the time since I received your letter, my staff has worked closely with staff in NRCs Region IV office to respond to your concerns. In order to better inform the local public about the NRCs continuing safety oversight, the staff plans to hold a public meeting in California in September to further discuss the NRCs role and actions regarding seismic issues.
In your letter, you requested that the NRC staff halt its review of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 (DCPP) license renewal application until State-requested seismic studies have been completed. The State, in this case, has separate requirements for seismic evaluations that stem from State laws and regulatory oversight for issues like electric grid reliability, electric ratemaking, and coastal land management. The NRC staff has coordinated with the State on issues related to its jurisdiction and will continue to do so.
At this time, it is not necessary for the NRC staff to delay the reviews it recently began of the license renewal application submitted by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for DCPP. PG&E submitted its application for the license renewal of DCPP in November 2009, within the timeframe allowed under NRC rules. The NRC staff then evaluated the application and found that it met the standards necessary to begin a formal review of the application. The NRCs safety and environmental review processes take a minimum of 22 months to complete.
It is important to note that this license renewal review will not affect the ongoing safety oversight process within which the NRC staff will continue to address seismic issues. The NRC staff is involved on a daily basis in monitoring and inspecting the operations at DCPP. By addressing seismic issues within the agencys continuing safety oversight of the power plant, the NRC staff is able to quickly respond to new information, as the agency demonstrated when it monitored the response by PG&E to the discovery of the Shoreline Fault.
Should information at any time now or in the future, regardless of whether the NRC is performing a license renewal review, show that there is a basis to question the continued safe operation of DCPP, the NRC will take the appropriate actions as part of the agencys ongoing safety oversight. The NRC staff will continue to monitor assessments of the Shoreline Fault and other seismic issues around DCPP and ensure that the power plants safety systems remain capable of safely shutting the plant down in case of a seismic event.
Finally, your letter raised concerns about the NRCs openness and transparency in terms of the staffs outreach efforts during the DCPP license renewal review and during the ongoing update of NUREG-1437, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, also known as the GEIS. Regarding public outreach during the DCPP license renewal review, the NRC has held a total of four public meeting sessions on two different dates to answer the publics questions and to receive public comments about environmental issues.
During these public meetings, the NRC staff presented information about license renewal and supplemented this information with a variety of background materials. I understand that members of your organization were able to participate in the meetings, and I also understand that the NRC staff made special accommodations so that you could present your comments by video during one of the environmental scoping sessions. Regarding the update to NUREG-1437, the NRC staff held public meetings as part of an ongoing public rulemaking process to update existing NRC guidance. During this process, NRC staff scheduled one meeting in each of NRCs four regions, as well as a webinar meeting from NRC headquarters.
The NRC staff scheduled an additional public meeting in California to respond to stakeholder interest in the NUREG-1437 revision process.
I appreciate your time and interest in contacting the NRC. The NRC staff will contact you to ensure that your organization can be represented at the upcoming public meeting on seismic issues. The NRC staff will also contact representatives from the State of California regarding the upcoming meeting, to ensure that they are able to attend. Should you have additional questions about the DCPP license renewal review process or concerns about the oversight of the plants safe operation, I invite you to contact Mr. David Wrona, Chief of Renewal Projects Branch 2 in the Division of License Renewal, at 301-415-2292.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Eric J. Leeds, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc: See next page
Finally, your letter raised concerns about the NRCs openness and transparency in terms of the staffs outreach efforts during the DCPP license renewal review and during the ongoing update of NUREG-1437, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, also known as the GEIS. Regarding public outreach during the DCPP license renewal review, the NRC has held a total of four public meeting sessions on two different dates to answer the publics questions and to receive public comments about environmental issues.
During these public meetings, the NRC staff presented information about license renewal and supplemented this information with a variety of background materials. I understand that members of your organization were able to participate in the meetings, and I also understand that the NRC staff made special accommodations so that you could present your comments by video during one of the environmental scoping sessions. Regarding the update to NUREG-1437, the NRC staff held public meetings as part of an ongoing public rulemaking process to update existing NRC guidance. During this process, NRC staff scheduled one meeting in each of NRCs four regions, as well as a webinar meeting from NRC headquarters.
The NRC staff scheduled an additional public meeting in California to respond to stakeholder interest in the NUREG-1437 revision process.
I appreciate your time and interest in contacting the NRC. The NRC staff will contact you to ensure that your organization can be represented at the upcoming public meeting on seismic issues. The NRC staff will also contact representatives from the State of California regarding the upcoming meeting, to ensure that they are able to attend. Should you have additional questions about the DCPP license renewal review process or concerns about the oversight of the plants safe operation, I invite you to contact Mr. David Wrona, Chief of Renewal Projects Branch 2 in the Division of License Renewal, at 301-415-2292.
Sincerely, Eric J. Leeds, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION: G20100072/LTR-10-0042/EDATS: SECY-2010-0314 See next page Accession Nos.: Pkg: ML100960188, Incoming ML100351177, Response: ML100960206 *via email OFFICE PM:RPB2:DLR LA:DLR OGC
- Tech Editor
- BC:RPB2:DLR NAME AStuyvenberg YEdmonds EWilliamson KAzariah-Kribbs DWrona (KGreen for)
DATE 04/07/10 04/07/10 04/06/10 04/06/10 06/17/10 OFFICE D:DLR D:NRR NAME BHolian ELeeds DATE 06/17/10 07/060 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Letter to R. Becker from E. Leeds dated July 6, 2010
SUBJECT:
DIABLO CANYON LICENSE RENEWAL DISTRIBUTION: G20100072/LTR-10-0042/EDATS: SECY-2010-0085 HARD COPY:
K. Green DLR RF EMAIL:
PUBLIC RidsEdoMailCenter Resource RidsOgcMailCenter Resource RidsRgn4MailCenter Resource RidsAslbpMailCenter Resource RidsNrrDlr Resource RidsNrrDlrRpb1 Resource RidsNrrDlrRpb2 Resource RidsNrrDlrRarb Resource RidsNrrDlrRapb Resource RidsNrrDlrRasb Resource RidsNrrDlrRerb Resource RidsNrrDlrRpob Resource NFerrer AStuyvenberg DWrona AWang MPeck, RIV TBrown, RI GMiller, RIV NOKeefe, RIV ICouret, OPA VDricks, OPA WMaier, RIV JWeil, OCA EWilliamson, OGC SUttal, OGC RRihm, EDO
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2 cc:
Chairman San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors 1055 Monterey Street, Suite D430 Room 370, County Government Center San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 Mr. James R. Becker, Site Vice President Pacific Gas & Electric Company Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant P.O. Box 3, Mail Station 104/6/601 Avila Beach, CA 93424 Ms. Jennifer Post, Esq.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company 77 Beale Street, Room 2496 Mail Code B30A San Francisco, CA 94120 Mr. Gary W. Butner, Chief Radiological Health Branch Division of Food, Drug & Radiation Safety California Department of Public Health P.O. Box 997414, MS-7610 Sacramento, California 95899-7414 Mr. Tony Brown NRC Resident Inspector Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant c/o U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 369 Avila Beach, CA 93424 Mr. Michael Peck NRC Senior Resident Inspector Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant c/o U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 369 Avila Beach, CA 93424 Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Texas Health Resources Tower 612 East Lamar Boulevard, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4125 Mr. Terence L. Grebel Manager, Regulatory Projects Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant P.O. Box 56 Avila Beach, CA 93424 Mr. Truman Burns Mr. Robert Kinosian California Public Utilities Commission 505 Van Ness, Room 4102 San Francisco, CA 94102 Mr. James D. Boyd, Commissioner California Energy Commission 1516 Ninth Street (MS 31)
Sacramento, CA 95814 Mr. Brian Hembacher Deputy Attorney General 300 South Spring Street, Suite 1702 Los Angeles, CA 90013 Ms. Susan Durbin 1300 I Street P.O. Box 944255 Sacramento, CA 94244-2550 Mr. Tom Luster CA Coastal Commission 45 Freemont Street, #2000 San Francisco, CA 94105 Mr. Mark Johnsson CA Coastal Commission 45 Freemont Street, #2000 San Francisco, CA 94105
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 cc:
Mr. Eric Green 505 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102-3214 Ms. Barbara Byron Senior Policy Advisor California Energy Commission 1516 9th Street, MS 36 Sacramento, CA 95814 Mr. Kevin Bell General Council California Energy Commission 1516 9th Street, MS 36 Sacramento, CA 95814 Ms. Rachel MacDonald Nuclear Policy Advisor California Energy Commission 1516 9th Street, MS 36 Sacramento, CA 95814 Mr. Bill Potter Senior Emergency Services Coordinator California Emergency Management Agency Radiological Preparedness Unit 3650 Schriever Avenue Mather, CA 95655 Mr. Michael Warren California Emergency Management Agency Radiological Preparedness Unit 3650 Schriever Avenue Mather, CA 95655 Mr. Chris Wills Supervising Geologist California Geological Survey 801 K Street, MS 12-32 Sacramento, CA 95814-3531 Mr. John G. Parrish, PhD State Geologist California Geological Survey 801 K Street, Suite 1200 Sacramento, CA 95814 Lieutenant Jim Epperson California Highway Patrol Commercial Vehicle Section 601B North 7th Street Sacramento, CA 95811 Mr. Peter Von Lagen, PhD, PG 895 Areovista Place, Suite 101 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Mr. Burton Chadwick, PhD, PG Core Regulatory Permitting Central Coast Water Board 895 Areovista Place, Suite 101 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Ms. Jane Swanson San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace P.O. Box 3608 San Luis Obispo, CA 93403 Ms. Rochelle Becker, Executive Director Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility P.O. Box 1328 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-1328 Mr. John T. Conway, Senior Vice President, Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 Pacific Gas & Electric Company 77 Beale Street, MC B32 San Francisco, CA 94105