ML24018A015
| ML24018A015 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Diablo Canyon  |
| Issue date: | 01/29/2024 |
| From: | Harris B NRC/NRR/DNRL/NLRP |
| To: | Gerfen P Pacific Gas & Electric Co |
| References | |
| Download: ML24018A015 (5) | |
Text
Ms. Paula Gerfen Senior Vice President, Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer Pacific Gas and Electric Company Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant P.O. Box 56 Mail Code 104/6 Avila Beach, CA 93424
SUBJECT:
DIABLO CANYON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION REVIEW SCHEDULE LETTER
Dear Ms. Gerfen:
By letter dated November 7, 2023 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Package Accession No. ML23311A154), Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) submitted an application for the renewal of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-80 and DPR-82 for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant (DCPP), Units 1 and 2 to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). By letter dated November 14, 2023 (ML23293A105), and Federal Register Notice dated November 20, 2023 (88 FR 80780), the NRC noticed the receipt and availability of this application.
On December 19, 2023 (ML23341A004), the NRC staff determined that the application contained sufficient information for the agency to formally docket the application and begin its safety and environmental reviews and stated that it was in the process of formulating its review schedule and resource estimates. By letter dated January 17, 2024 (ML24017A322), PG&E requested that the NRC avoid scheduling any [license renewal application] review activities during the upcoming Unit 2 refueling outage.
This letter forwards the NRC staffs review schedule for the DCPP license renewal application (LRA) (Enclosure). The NRC staff will follow established review procedures and the enclosed schedule to complete the reviews required by Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Parts 51, Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions, and 54, Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Power Plants. Based on the information provided in the LRA, the NRC staff has estimated that the review of the LRA will take approximately 16,500 hours0.00579 days <br />0.139 hours <br />8.267196e-4 weeks <br />1.9025e-4 months <br /> to complete. The schedule for the review accommodates PG&Es January 17, request. This requires the NRC staff to delay scheduling critical safety review activities, such as early audits, until after the Unit 2 refueling outage which impacts the overall schedule. The environmental review schedule is not impacted by PG&Es request. The NRC staff anticipates that opportunities may exist to streamline the review. For example, the NRC staff will appropriately account for its prior review of the initial license renewal application filed by PG&E in 2009 that was subsequently withdrawn. However, the NRC staff will need input from PG&E during this review to fully understand any changes that have occurred in the intervening period to support its regulatory decision. Finally, if there are emergent complexities or challenges in the review that would cause changes to the initial forecasted completion date or significant changes in the forecasted hours, the reasons for the January 26, 2024 P. Gerfen
changes, along with the new estimates, will be communicated via separate correspondence.
Milestones for hearing activities that may be needed are not included in the enclosed schedule or the estimated hours because these dates, if needed, would be established by the Commission or the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board and new resource considerations would need to be developed.
The review schedule also relies on your responses to the NRC staffs requests for additional information, if needed, being of high quality and provided in a timely manner. A timely response is defined as 30 days from the date of the request, or within such other time as may be specified in the request in accordance with 10 CFR 2.108, Denial of application for failure to supply information. You should also be prepared to provide high quality support in a timely and organized manner during technical audits determined to be necessary by the NRC staff. Delays in the NRC staffs receipt of necessary information could result in changes to the schedule for evaluating and processing the LRA, up to and including the denial of the LRA in accordance with the NRCs regulations. The NRC staff requests that you inform it in writing as early as possible should potential delays arise in your support of the schedule. The NRC staffs goal is to complete the review of the LRA in 20 months provided that PG&E fully addresses the staffs information needs in a timely manner.
If you have any questions on this matter, please contact Mr. Brian Harris, Senior Project Manager for the safety review of the LRA, by email at Brian.Harris2@nrc.gov or Ms. Kimberly Conway, Project Manager for the environmental review, by email at Kimberly.Conway@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Brian K. Harris, Senior Project Manager License Renewal Projects Branch Division of New and Renewed Licenses Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-275 and 50-323
Enclosure:
Review Schedule cc w/encl: Listserv Signed by Harris, Brian on 01/26/24
ML24018A015 OFFICE NRR/DNRL/NLRP/PM NRR/ DNRL/NLIB/LA NRR/DNRL/NLRP/BC NAME BHarris SGreen LGibson DATE 01/16/2024 01/18/2024 01/23/2024 OFFICE OGC NRR/DNRL/NLRP/PM NAME JWachutka BHarris DATE 1/25/2024
DIABLO CANYON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION REVIEW SCHEDULE
Milestone Scheduled Actual Receive License Renewal Application (LRA) 11/23 11/7/23 Publish Federal Register Notice (FRN) - LRA Availability 11/23 11/20/23 Publish FRN - Docketing Acceptance/Rejection and 12/23 12/19/23 Opportunity for Hearing Publish FRN - Notice of Intent to Prepare an 01/24/24 01/24/24 Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct Scoping hearing Public Meeting - Overview of License Renewal Process 02/01/24 and Environmental Scoping (Virtual) 02/08/24 (In-Person)
Environmental Scoping Period Ends 2/23/24 Deadline for Filing Hearing Requests and Petitions for Leave 03/04/24 to Intervene Issue Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 10/24 (SEIS) for Public Comment Public Meeting - Draft SEIS Meeting, if Needed 10/24 End of Draft SEIS Comment Period 11/24 Issue Safety Evaluation Report (SER) 06/25
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FRN Published - 06/25 Availability of Final SEIS Issue Final SEIS 06/25 Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) Full 07/25 Committee Meeting Decision - Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 08/25
Enclosure