ML20100F531
| ML20100F531 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/21/2020 |
| From: | Michael Mahoney Plant Licensing Branch II |
| To: | Markley M Plant Licensing Branch II |
| Ed Miller - NRR/DORL 301-415-2481 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML20100F531 (4) | |
Text
April 21, 2020 MEMORANDUM TO:
Michael T. Markley, Chief Plant Licensing Branch II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Michael Mahoney, Project Manager /RA/
Plant Licensing Branch II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF APRIL 2, 2020, PUBLIC MEETING WITH NUCLEAR INDUSTRY TO DISCUSS COVID-19 REGULATORY IMPACTS On April 2, 2020, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a public teleconference with representatives from the nuclear industry, including the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), NextEra and Entergy. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss NRC letters issued on March 28, 2020, to NEI, Entergy, and NextEra (ML20087P237), which describe a process for licensees to request exemptions if licensees encounter challenges meeting work hour control requirements in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 26.205(d)(1) through (7), resulting from the COVID-19 public health emergency. The meeting notice can be found in Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at Accession No. ML20090E056 and additional information related to the meeting can be found in ADAMS at Accession No. ML20092J126.
At the start of the meeting, the NRC staff stated that the meeting was an information gathering dialogue only, and as always for NRC public meetings, no regulatory decisions will be made.
Additionally, NRC stated that none of the information provided in the meeting should be taken to be a request by any licensee or a decision by the NRC. In accordance with NRC letters dated March 28, 2020, the NRC staff stated that an email to the facilitys NRC project manager from a senior level licensee manager with decision-making authority with a copy to the NRC Document Control Desk is an acceptable format for an written exemption request(s).
After the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Director, Ho Nieh made opening remarks, the meeting was turned over to Jennifer Uhle of Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), Ron Gaston of Entergy, and Steve Catron of NextEra to make opening remarks.
After opening remarks, Ho Nieh explained the general provisions and intent of the letters March 28, 2020 letters issued to NEI, Entergy and NextEra.
Jim Danna, Branch Chief, Plant Licensing Branch I, Division of Operating Reactors, NRR, explained the process (temporary staff guidance, ADAMS Accession ML20092J126) which was developed by the NRC staff to review the expected 10 CFR Part 26 exemption requests.
Tom Basso of NEI and George Gellrich of Exelon asked questions to the NRC related to the following:
Clarification on entry criteria by which a station could submit for the exemption to 10 CFR 26.205(d)(1)-(7), as provided by the subject letter.
Clarity on the statement in the letter a licensees staffing levels are affected by the COVID-19 PHE.
Nuclear stations that may need to deviate from the exemption letter dated March 28, 2020, intend to include a statement regarding deviations a justification it in the email request.
Nuclear stations intention of starting the 60-day period exemption allowance time upon implementation of the exemption.
Circumstances of the use of waivers as described in 10 CFR 26.207.
No regulatory decisions were made in the meeting.
During the public question and answer session of the meeting, NRC staff addressed questions on the following topics:
Work site protocol for on-site workers during refueling outages.
Licensees requirement to register and track refueling workers.
Work week for refueling workers based on the March 28, 2020 letter, which now extends shifts for 16 hours1.851852e-4 days <br />0.00444 hours <br />2.645503e-5 weeks <br />6.088e-6 months <br /> per day and up to 86 hours9.953704e-4 days <br />0.0239 hours <br />1.421958e-4 weeks <br />3.2723e-5 months <br /> for any 7-day period.
Use of super crews at nuclear power plants and whether they are included in licensees pandemic plans.
Status of super crews, related commuting to the sites verses being sequestered at the sites.
NRC requirements related to super crews.
Licensee deviations from the 5 criteria in the March 28, 2020 letter.
Potential impacts, due to staffing reductions, to not performing all maintenance or inspections during upcoming refueling outages.
Social distancing implementation at nuclear power plants.
NRCs COVID-19 response coordination with HHS and DHS.
Enclosure:
List of Attendees
- via e-mail OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/PM NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/LA NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/BC NAME MMahoney*
KGoldstein*
MMarkley*
DATE 04/15/2020 04/15/2020 04/20/2020 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/PM NAME MMahoney*
DATE 04/21/2020
List of Attendees April 2, 2020, Public Meeting with the Nuclear Industry Regarding COVID-19 Regulatory Impacts Name Organization Ho Nieh NRC Mirela Gavrilas NRC Mohamed Shams NRC Scott Burnell NRC Ed Miller NRC Craig Erlanger NRC Chris Miller NRC David Desaulniers NRC Shana Helton NRC Sabrina Atack NRC Juan Peralta NRC Michael Markley NRC Michael Mahoney NRC Nathan Sanfilippo NRC Todd Keene NRC Molly Keefe-Forsyth NRC Robert Krsek NRC Jennifer Uhle NEI Thomas Basso NEI Ron Gaston Entergy George Gellrich Exelon Steve Catron NextEra Eric Epstein Individual Steven Dolley Platts Barbara Warren Citizens Environmental Coalition Paul Gunter Beyond Nuclear