ML083110749
| ML083110749 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Indian Point  |
| Issue date: | 11/06/2008 |
| From: | Annette Vietti-Cook NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| SECY RAS | |
| References | |
| 50-247-LR, 50-286-LR, RAS E-192 | |
| Download: ML083110749 (7) | |
Text
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION COMMISSIONERS:
Dale E. Klein, Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko Peter B. Lyons Kristine L. Svinicki In the Matter of ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC.
(Indian Point Nuclear Generating Units 2 and 3)
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Docket Nos. 50-247-LR, 50-286-LR CLI-08-27 MEMORANDUM AND ORDER This proceeding concerns the application of Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy) to renew the licenses for Indian Point Nuclear Generating Units 2 and 3. Before us is an appeal, filed jointly by Nancy Burton and Connecticut Residents Opposed to Relicensing of Indian Point (collectively, CRORIP).1 CRORIP appeals two companion decisions of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board in this matter: first, the Boards denial of a petition filed by CRORIP pursuant to 10 C.F.R. § 2.335; and second, the Boards denial of CRORIPs petition to intervene and request for hearing.2 We deny CRORIPs appeal.
1 Notice of Appeal (Aug. 11, 2008)(CRORIP Appeal). Both the NRC staff and Entergy filed answers opposing the CRORIP Appeal. NRC Staffs Answer in Opposition to CRORIPS Appeal from LBP-08-13 and the Licensing Boards Order (Denying CRORIPs 10 C.F.R.
§ 2.335 Petition) (Aug. 21, 2008); Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Answer Opposing Appeal of Connecticut Residents Opposed to Relicensing of Indian Point (Aug. 21, 2008).
2 Order (Denying CRORIPs 10 C.F.R. § 2.335 Petition)(unpublished)(July 31, 2008)(Waiver Order); LBP-08-13, 68 NRC __ (July 31, 2008), slip op. at 3, 5, 221-24. The Board held that, while CRORIP established standing, its sole proposed contention fell outside the scope of the license renewal proceeding and was therefore inadmissible.
As a general matter, a board ruling denying a waiver request is interlocutory in nature, and therefore not appealable until the board has issued a final decision resolving the case.3 Here, however, the Boards denial of CRORIPs waiver request is inextricably intertwined with its decision, in LBP-08-13, to wholly deny CRORIPs intervention petition - a decision which CRORIP may appeal immediately.4 Pursuant to Section 2.335, CRORIP sought a waiver of NRC regulations adopting NUREG-1437, the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (May 1996) (GEIS), with regard to, first, the exclusion from site-specific analysis of occupational and public radiation exposures during the license renewal term,5 and second, the NRCs use of the Reference Man dose models to calculate permissible levels of radiation exposure.6 CRORIPs single proposed contention, in turn, argued that Entergys license renewal application did not adequately account for the health risks to local populations from the cumulative effects of radiation exposure from routine and accidental releases of radiation from the plant7 - in effect, challenging the same rules that CRORIP sought to waive in its Section 2.335 petition.
3 Louisiana Energy Services (Claiborne Enrichment Center), CLI-95-7, 41 NRC 383, 384 (1995). Section 2.335 (formerly 10 C.F.R. § 2.758) itself provides for immediate certification to the Commission only when the board finds a prima facie case in favor of a waiver. Id.; 10 C.F.R. § 2.335(d).
4 10 C.F.R. § 2.311. See LBP-08-13, 68 NRC __, slip op. at 229 (noting that the Boards decision is subject to appeal in accordance with Section 2.311).
5 Waiver Order, slip op. at 4-6. See Connecticut Residents Opposed to Relicensing of Indian Point and its Designated Representatives 10 C.F.R. § 2.335 Petition (Dec. 10, 2007) (Waiver Petition), at 6-7.
6 Waiver Order, slip op. at 6-7. See Waiver Petition at 1,7. See generally 10 C.F.R.
§§ 51.95(c); 51.53(c)(3)(i); 10 C.F.R. Part 51, Subpt. A, App. B, Table B-1.
7 LBP-08-13, 68 NRC __, slip op. at 222-23, citing Connecticut Residents Opposed to Relicensing of Indian Point and its Designated Representatives Petition to Intervene and Request for Hearing (Dec. 11, 2007), at 4-5.
When considering whether to undertake pendent appellate review of otherwise non-appealable issues, the Commission, in the interest of efficiency and looking to analogous rulings by federal appeals courts, has expressed a willingness to take up otherwise unappealable issues that are inextricably intertwined with appealable issues.8 We believe that the CRORIP Appeal presents an appropriate occasion to exercise pendent jurisdiction. The two decisions are so closely related that, in order to decide the immediately appealable challenge to the Boards decision in LBP-08-13, we must necessarily consider the validity of the Boards Waiver Order. We find that CRORIPs challenges to both decisions are appropriately considered simultaneously.9 We further find the Boards decisions regarding CRORIPs waiver request and intervention petition to be comprehensive and well-reasoned. The CRORIP Appeal fails to demonstrate that either of the Boards rulings was in error. For the reasons the Board has given, we therefore deny the CRORIP Appeal and affirm the Waiver Order and the Boards denial of CRORIPs intervention petition in LBP-08-13.
For the Commission (NRC SEAL)
/RA/
Annette L. Vietti-Cook Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of November, 2008.
8 See Sequoyah Fuels Corp. (Gore, Oklahoma Site Decommissioning), CLI-01-2, 53 NRC 9, 19-20 (2001) (declining to exercise pendent jurisdiction where (among other things) the challenged interlocutory issues were not inextricably intertwined with the two immediately appealable issues), citing Gilda Marx, Inc. v. Wildwood Exercise, Inc., 85 F.3d 675, 679 (D.C. Cir. 1996).
9 See Gilda Marx, 85 F.3d at 679.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of
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ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC.
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Docket Nos. 50-247-LR
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50-286-LR
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(Indian Point Nuclear Generating Station,
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Units 2 and 3)
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing COMMISSION MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (CLI-08-27) have been served upon the following persons by U.S. mail, first class, or through NRC internal distribution.
Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: ocaamail.resource@nrc.gov U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of the Secretary of the Commission Mail Stop O-16C1 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Hearing Docket E-mail: hearingdocket@nrc.gov U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop T-3F23 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Administrative Judge Lawrence G. McDade, Chair E-mail: lawrence.mcdade@nrc.gov Administrative Judge Richard E. Wardwell E-mail: richard.wardwell@nrc.gov Administrative Judge Kaye D. Lathrop 190 Cedar Lane E.
Ridgway, CO 81432 E-mail: kaye.lathrop@nrc.gov Zachary S. Kahn, Law Clerk E-mail: zachary.khan@nrc.gov U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of the General Counsel Mail Stop O-15D21 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Sherwin E. Turk, Esq.
Beth N. Mizuno, Esq.
David E. Roth, Esq.
Jessica A. Bielecki, Esq.
Marcia J. Simon, Esq.
Karl Farrar, Esq.
Brian Newell, Paralegal E-mail:
set@nrc.gov bnm1@nrc.gov der@nrc.gov jab2@nrc.gov mjs5@nrc.gov klf@nrc.gov bpn1@nrc.gov
2 Docket Nos. 50-247-LR and 50-286-LR COMMISSION MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (CLI-08-27)
William C. Dennis, Esq.
Assistant General Counsel Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Email: wdennis@entergy.com Andrew M. Cuomo, Attorney General John J. Sipos, Assistant Attorney General Mylan L. Denerstein Deputy Assistant Attorney General Division of Social Justice Janice A. Dean Assistant Attorney General Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York The Capitol State Street Albany, New York 12224 E-mail: john.sipos@oag.state.ny.us Mylan.Denerstein@oag.state.ny.us Kathryn M. Sutton, Esq.
Paul M. Bessette, Esq.
Martin J. ONeill, Esq.
Mauri T. Lemoncelli, Esq.
Counsel for Entergy Nuclear Operation, Inc.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 E-mail: ksutton@morganlewis.com pbessette@morganlewis.com martin.oneill@morganlewis.com mlemoncelli@morganlewis.com Joan Leary Matthews, Esq.
Senior Attorney for Special Projects New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway, 14th Floor Albany, New York 12233-5500 E-mail: jmatthe@gw.dec.state.ny.us Michael J. Delaney Vice President, Energy Department New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) 110 William Street New York, NY 10038 E-mail: mdelaney@nycedc.com Robert D. Snook, Esq.
Office of The Attorney General State of Connecticut 55 Elm Street P.O. Box 120 Hartford, CT 06141-0120 E-mail: robert.snook@po.state.ct.us
Docket Nos. 50-247-LR and 50-286-LR COMMISSION MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (CLI-08-27) 3 Arthur J. Kremer, Chairman New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (AREA) 347 Fifth Avenue, Suite 508 New York, NY 10016 E-mail: kkremer@area-alliance.org Stephen C. Filler, Board Member Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.
303 South Broadway, Suite 222 Tarrytown, NY 10591 E-mail: sfiller@nylawline.com Daniel E ONeill, Mayor James Siermarco, M.S.
Liaison to Indian Point Village of Buchanan Municipal Building 236 Tate Avenue Buchanan, NY 10511-1298 E-mail: vob@bestweb.net Manna Jo Greene, Environmental Director Hudson River Sloop Clearwater 112 Little Markey Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 E-mail: mannajo@clearwater.org Thomas F. Wood, Esq.
Town of Cortlandt Daniel Riesel, Esq.
Jessica Steinberg, J.D.
Counsel for the Town of Cortlandt Sive, Paget & Riesel, P.C.
460 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 E-mail: driesel@sprlaw.com jsteinberg@sprlaw.com Nancy Burton, Esq.
Connecticut Residents Opposed to Relicensing of Indian Point (CRORIP) 147 Cross Highway Redding Ridge, CT 06876 E-mail: NancyBurtonCT@aol.com Elise N. Zoli, Esq.
Goodwin Proctor, LLP Exchange Place 53 State Street Boston, MA 02109 E-mail: ezoli@goodwinprocter.com Justin D. Pruyne Assistant County Attorney, Litigation Bureau Of Counsel to Charlene M. Indelicato, Esq.
Westchester County Attorney 148 Martine Avenue, 6th Floor White Plains, NY 10601 E-mail: jdp3@westchestergov.com
4 Docket Nos. 50-247-LR and 50-286-LR COMMISSION MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (CLI-08-27)
FUSE USA John LeKay Heather Ellsworth Burns-DeMelo Remy Chevalier Bill Thomas Belinda J. Jaques 351 Dyckman Street Peekskill, New York 10566 E-mail: fuse_usa@yahoo.com Westchester Citizens Awareness Network (WestCan), Citizens Awareness Network, (CAN),
etc.
Susan H. Shapiro, Esq.
21 Pearlman Drive Spring Valley, NY 10977 E-mail: mbs@ourrocklandoffice.com Victor M. Tafur, Senior Attorney Philip Musegaas, Esq.
Riverkeeper, Inc.
828 South Broadway Tarrytown, NY 10591 E-mail: vtafur@riverkeeper.org phillip@riverkeeper.org Richard L. Brodsky Assemblyman 5 West Main Street Suite 205 Elmsford, NY 10523 E-mail: brodskr@assembly.state.ny.us richardbrodsky@msn.com Diane Curran, Esq.
Counsel for Riverkeeper, Inc.
Harmon, Curran, Spielberg,
& Eisenberg, LLP 1726 M. Street NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 E-mail: dcurran@harmoncurran.com Sarah L. Wagner, Esq.
Legislative Office Building, Room 422 Albany, NY 12248 E-mail: sarahwagneresq@gmail.com
[Original signed by Christine M. Pierpoint]
Office of the Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 6th day of November 2008