ML020390362
| ML020390362 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Washington Public Power Supply System |
| Issue date: | 01/30/2002 |
| From: | Joseph Sebrosky NRC/NRR/NRLPO |
| To: | Parrish J Energy Northwest |
| Sebrosky J, NRC/NRR/NRLPO, 415-1132 | |
| References | |
| TAC MB1804 | |
| Download: ML020390362 (8) | |
Text
January 30, 2002 Mr. J. V. Parrish Chief Executive Officer Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Mail Drop 1023 Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968
SUBJECT:
ENERGY NORTHWEST NUCLEAR PROJECT NO. 1 (WNP-1) - ORDER EXTENDING CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION DATE (TAC NO. MB1804)
Dear Mr. Parrish:
In response to Energy Northwests letter dated April 9, 2001, requesting an extension of the completion date for the construction of WNP-1, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an Order extending the construction completion date of Construction Permit No. CPPR-134 from June 1, 2001, to June 1, 2011. In addition, the permit holders name has been updated from the Washington Public Power Supply System to Energy Northwest.
Copies of the Order and the staffs safety evaluation supporting your request are enclosed.
The Order has been sent to the Office of the Federal Register for publication. The Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact was published in the Federal Register on January 30, 2002 (67 FR 4475).
Sincerely,
/RA/
Joseph M. Sebrosky, Senior Project Manager New Reactor Licensing Project Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-460
Enclosures:
- 1. Order
- 2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encl: See next page
January 30, 2002 Mr. J. V. Parrish Chief Executive Officer Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Mail Drop 1023 Energy Northwest P.O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968
SUBJECT:
ENERGY NORTHWEST NUCLEAR PROJECT NO. 1 (WNP-1) - ORDER EXTENDING CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION DATE (TAC NO. MB1804)
Dear Mr. Parrish:
In response to Energy Northwests letter dated April 9, 2001, requesting an extension of the completion date for the construction of WNP-1, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an Order extending the construction completion date of Construction Permit No. CPPR-134 from June 1, 2001, to June 1, 2011. In addition, the permit holders name has been updated from the Washington Public Power Supply System to Energy Northwest.
Copies of the Order and the staffs safety evaluation supporting your request are enclosed.
The Order has been sent to the Office of the Federal Register for publication. The Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact was published in the Federal Register on January 30, 2002 (67 FR 4475).
Sincerely,
/RA/
Joseph M. Sebrosky, Senior Project Manager New Reactor Licensing Project Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-460
Enclosures:
- 1. Order
- 2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION: OGC ACRS TBergman, EDO PUBLIC WJones, RIV NRLPO R/F VDricks SCollins/JJohnson SECY MGamberoni GHill (2)
BClayton JSebrosky JLyons EHylton (Hardcopy)
Accession Number *See previous concurrence OFFICE PM:NRLPO Tech Editor LA DD:NRLPO D:NRLPO NAME JSebrosky PKleene EHylton *MGamberoni *JLyons DATE 1/30/02 5/18/01 1/30/02 12/17/01 12/18/01 OFFICE OGC NRR:ADIP NRR:D NAME *AHodgon *RBorchardt SCollins DATE 1/14/02 1/24/02 1/30/02 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
7590-01-P UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of )
)
ENERGY NORTHWEST )
) Docket No. 50-460 (Nuclear Project No. 1) )
ORDER Energy Northwest (formerly Washington Public Power Supply, permittee) is the current holder of Construction Permit No. CPPR-134, issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on December 23, 1975, for construction of Nuclear Project No. 1 (WNP-1).
The facility is presently in a deferred construction status at the permittees site at the U.S.
Department of Energys Hanford Reservation in Benton County, Washington, approximately eight miles north of Richland, Washington.
On April 9, 2001, the permittee submitted a request pursuant to Section 50.55(b) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Section 50.55(b)) that the completion date for WNP-1 be extended from June 1, 2001, to June 1, 2011. In addition, the permittee requested the NRC to update the permit to reflect an administrative change in the permit holders name from the Washington Public Power Supply System to Energy Northwest. The permittee requested this extension for WNP-1 for the following reasons, as stated in its application:
Increased electrical load in the Pacific Northwest has underscored the need for a flexible range of power generation options and alternatives to meet the regions growing base-load power supply needs. Furthermore, in response to the energy crisis in the Western United States, some of our stakeholders have requested that we conduct a viability study on the completion of the facility. Until the viability study is completed and decisions on generating options to meet future load forecasts are finalized, maintaining WNP-1 as a deferred facility is consistent with our commitment to maintain potential generating resources.
Energy Northwest also stated that the extension request is consistent with Section A.2 of Generic Letter (GL) 87-15, "Policy Statement on Deferred Plants." The NRCs Policy Statement on Deferred Plants addresses extension of construction permits for plants in a deferred status and states that the staff will consider such extensions in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55(b). Section 50.55(b) does not specify any limit on the length of an extension the staff may grant, but states that [u]pon good cause shown the Commission will extend the completion date for a reasonable period of time. The staff has concluded that the permitees stated bases for the requested extension represent good cause, and are reasonable.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that extending the construction completion date will have no significant impact on the environment.
The NRC staff has prepared an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact which was published in the Federal Register on January 30, 2002 (67 FR 4475).
For further details with respect to this action, see the application dated April 9, 2001, and the NRC staffs letter and safety evaluation of the request for extension of the construction permit, dated January 30, 2002. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRCs Public Document Room, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland, and are accessible electronically through the ADAMS public Electronic Reading Room link at the NRC Web site (http://www.nrc.gov).
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the latest completion date for Construction Permit No. CPPR-134 is extended from June 1, 2001, to June 1, 2011, and that the permit holders name be changed from Washington Public Power Supply System to Energy Northwest.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of January 2002.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
Jon R. Johnson, Acting Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATING TO REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF CONSTRUCTION PERMIT NO. CPPR-134 ENERGY NORTHWEST NUCLEAR PROJECT NO. 1 (WNP-1)
DOCKET NO. 50-460
1.0 INTRODUCTION
A construction permit was issued to Washington Public Power Supply System (permittee) on December 23, 1975, authorizing construction of Nuclear Project No. 1 (WNP-1) in Benton County, Washington. Currently, Construction Permit No. CPPR-134 specifies June 1, 2001, as the latest date for completion of WNP-1.
Pursuant to Section 50.55(b) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 50.55(b)),
the permittee requested that this date be extended to June 1, 2011. The permittees request for this construction permit extension is contained in its letter dated April 9, 2001. The permittee also requested that the permit be updated to reflect an administrative change in the permit holders name from the Washington Public Power Supply System to Energy Northwest.
2.0 DISCUSSION The permittees letter of April 9, 2001, gave the following reasons for the construction permit extension request:
In accordance with 10 CFR 50.55(b), good cause now exists to extend the construction permit latest completion date. Increased electrical load in the Pacific Northwest has underscored the need for a flexible range of power generation options and alternatives to meet the regions growing base-load power supply needs. Furthermore, in response to the energy crisis in the Western United States, some of our stakeholders have requested that we conduct a viability study on the completion of the facility. Until the viability study is completed and decisions on generating options to meet future load forecasts are finalized, maintaining WNP-1 as a deferred facility is consistent with our commitment to maintain potential generating resources.
Energy Northwest also stated that the extension request is consistent with Section A.2 of Generic Letter (GL) 87-15, Policy Statement on Deferred Plants. The NRCs Policy Statement on Deferred Plants addresses extension of construction permits for plants in deferred status and states that the staff will consider such extensions in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55(b).
Section 50.55(b) does not specify any limit on the duration of an extension that the staff may grant, but states that [u]pon good cause shown the Commission will extend the completion
date for a reasonable period of time. The staff has concluded that the permitees stated bases for the requested duration of the extension are reasonable and that good cause has been shown for the extension requested by the permittee.
In a May 3, 2001, meeting, documented in a meeting summary dated May 17, 2001, the permittee stated that it considered the plant to be in a terminated status. However, the permittee stated that some preventative maintenance activities were being performed and that the dry climate in the area is conducive to a long-term layup of the plant. Section B.2 of the Policy Statement on Deferred Plants discusses measures that should be considered for reactivation or transfer of ownership of terminated plants. The permittee will have to address this section of the Policy Statement if construction of the plant resumes.
In its April 9, 2001, letter Energy Northwest also requested that the permit be updated to reflect an administrative change in the permit holders name from the Washington Public Power Supply System to Energy Northwest. Energy Northwest stated the following about this request:
The change in the corporate name from the Washington Public Power Supply System to Energy Northwest is purely administrative in nature. The legal corporate status of the construction permit holder has not changed.
Because the legal corporate status of the construction permit holder has not changed, the staff agrees that changing the permit holders name is purely administrative.
3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.21, 51.32, and 51.35, an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact has been prepared and published in the Federal Register on January 30, 2002 (67 FR 4475). Accordingly, based upon the environmental assessment, the staff has determined that extending the construction completion dates will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
Based on the review of the permittees request, the NRC staff concludes that the factors discussed above constitute good cause for delaying the completion of construction under 10 CFR 50.55(b).
4.0 CONCLUSION
The staff finds that there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by extension of the construction completion date. Good cause exists for issuance of an order extending the completion date. Accordingly, the staff has concluded that the action does not involve a significant hazards consideration and that, based upon the foregoing evaluation, issuance of an order extending the latest completion date for construction of WNP-1 is reasonable and should be authorized. The latest completion date for WNP-1 should be extended to June 1, 2011.
Principal Contributor: Joseph M. Sebrosky, NRR Date: January 30, 2002
Washington Nuclear Project No. 1 cc:
Mr. Greg O. Smith (Mail Drop 927M) Mr. Rodney L. Webring (Mail Drop PE08)
Vice President, Generation Vice President, Operations Support/PIO Energy Northwest Energy Northwest P. O. Box 968 P. O. Box 968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Mr. Albert E. Mouncer (Mail Drop 1396) Thomas C. Poindexter, Esq.
Chief Counsel Winston & Strawn Energy Northwest 1400 L Street, N.W.
P.O. Box 968 Washington, DC 20005-3502 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Mr. Bob Nichols Chairman Executive Policy Division Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council Office of the Governor P. O. Box 43172 P.O. Box 43113 Olympia, WA 98504-3172 Olympia, WA 98504-3113 Mr. D. W. Coleman (Mail Drop PE20) Ms. Lynn Albin Manager, Regulatory Affairs Washington State Department of Health Energy Northwest P.O. Box 7827 P.O. Box 968 Olympia, WA 98504-7827 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Nina Bell, Rep.
Regional Administrator, Region IV Northwest Environmental Advocates U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 133 South West 2nd Harris Tower & Pavilion Suite 302 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Portland, OR 97204 Arlington, TX 76011-8064 David A. Repka, Esq.
Chairman Winston & Strawn Benton County Board of Commissioners 1400 L St., NW P.O. Box 69 Washington, DC 20005 Prosser, WA 99350-0190 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 69 Richland, WA 99352-0069