ML041180245

G20040284/LTR-04-0249 - Raymond Shadis Ltr Re 2.206 Petition to Address Degraded Spent Fuel Storage at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station

ML041180245
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee
Issue date:	03/23/2004
From:	Shadis R New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution
To:	Travers W NRC/EDO
Shared Package
ML041210999	List: ML041180245
References
2.206, G20040284, LTR-04-0249
Download: ML041180245 (6)

Text

EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM: DUE: 05/28/04 EDO CONTROL: G20040284 DOC DT: 03/23/04 FINAL REPLY:

Raymond Shadis New England Coalition TO:

Travers, EDO FOR SIGNATURE OF : ** GRN ** CRC NO: 04-0249 Dyer, NRR DESC: ROUTING:

2.206 - Degraded Spent Fuel Storage at Vermont Travers Yankee Nuclear Power Station Norry Paperiello Kane Collins Dean DATE: 04/23/04 Burns Miller, RI ASSIGNED TO: CONTACT: Cyr, OGC Skay, NRR NRR Dyer Goldberg, OGC SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

T'h'1 s: sects I7 E-I s: SGcy'or

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET DatePrinted:Apr 22,2004 16:59 PAPER NUMBER: LTR-04-0249 LOGGING DATE: 04/22/2004 ACTION OFFICE: EDO AUTHOR: Mr. Raymond Shadis (New England Coalition)

AFFILIATION:

ADDRESSEE: William Travers

SUBJECT:

2.206 Petition to address degraded spent fuel storage at Vermont Yankee NPP ACTION: Appropriate DISTRIBUTION: RF LETTER DATE: 04/23/2004 ACKNOWLEDGED No SPECIAL HANDLING:

NOTES:

FILE LOCATION: ADAMS DATE DUE: DATE SIGNED:

'I

- zEDO -- G20040284

- _-.I -_

r New'England Coalition N . T MA

• I C!i. NYT rPsST0I* OFi ICl KPOX 545. 13R A TT[ E.B() R . vF:RMON r 0)5302 fill Nuclear Pollution By U.S .Mail, PAX, and by e-mail March 23, 2Q04' Dr. William Travers Executive Director for Operations U.S. Nuclcar Rcgulatory Comrnmission AXfBN: Documcnt Control Desk 11555 Rockvillc Pikc Rockville. MD 20852 SUBTJECT: REQUEST FOR EXPEDITED NRC ACTION UNDER 10 CFR 2.206 TO ADDRESS DEGRADED SPENT FUEL STORAGE AT VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION Dear Dr. Travers.

As you arc aware, an NRC resident inspector has discovcred that two irradiated nuclear fuel pin scgmcnts are missing from an assigned storage canistcr in the spent fuel pool at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. The licensee is unable to account for rhesc missing segments and, according to an article published in the Rutland Herald, March 22, 2004, the licensee cannot veriry the location of the remaining length (some 10 fect) of fuel pin or its condition.

New England Coalition, a non-profit membership organization incorporated in the Statc of Vermont. now requests under provisions set forth in the Code ofFederal Regulations (10 CFR 2.206) that the U.S. Nuclear Rcgulatory Commission act imrn.cdintclv to restore licensee control of spent fuel inventory at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in Vcrnon, Vermont.

Specifically, New England Coalition requests, for the above statcd reasons and on the basis of information set lbrth below, that until such time as the licenscc has rcndcrcd an accurate and NRC verified account of thc location, disposition, and condition of all irradiatecl fuel, including fuel currently loaded in the reactor core, US NRC order a halt to all fuel movement at Vcrmont Yankee.

NIEC 2.206 March 22. 2004 I'age 2 Ncw England Coalition asserts. upon inormnation and bclief that the licensee is prcsently storing substantial quantitics of damaged, leaking, and/or broken fuel; that damaged Fuel may have becn loadcd during Refueling Outage 23.

New England Coalition asserts, upon information and belief, gained in part from anonymous whistlcblowcr sources, that significant fuel damagc, including burst fucl pins, was cvidenced at Vermont Yankee in/or about the 1992 timnc framc.

Therelbre. if, and when, thc licensc now finds fuel pin segments in somc unplanned storagc location or on the bottom or the spent fucl pool, it will be impossible to tell with ccrtainty, absent a complete and accutrarc inventory, ifwhat is found is what is missing From the canister or if it is from any number of other failed or broken fucl pins.

Failure of the licensee to maintain control over stored irnadiated fuel increases the risk of: unnecessary contamination, increased decommissioning costs, increased generation of low-level waste, increased raidioactive plant cfflucnts, thefi or diversion and unnecessary worker radiation exposure.

Additionally, NRC tolerance of such poor Jicensee practices, as exhibited by thc loss of fuel pin scgmcnts, encourages poor., and possibly unsafe, licensee practices in general.

Of primary intcrest, is that US NRC takes immediate and dccisivc action. If in your opinion, prompt action cannot be taken through the 10 CFR 2.206 process, then New En-land Coalition urges that the NRC cxercise its statutory discretion to halt further fiucl movement and to supervise a thorough irradiated fluel inventory prior to screening New England Coalition's letter for acceptance into the 2.206 process.

New England Coalition now eagerly awaits a response.

Raymond Shadis StafrTechnical Advisor New England Coalition Post Office Box 98 Edgecoomb, Maine 04556 shadisaprexar.com Cc: Chairman Nils J. Dia7 US NRC US Senator Patrick Leahy UJS Senator James Jcifords US Represcntativc Bernie Sanders Governor James Douglas

. - 1- 1 - I-- - - - - - - - -d I Cathy Jaeaers - NEC VYNPS Spent Fuel 2.206 PR.doc Page 1 1 I Cathy Jaeaers NEC VYNPS Spent Fuel 2.206 PR.doc

- Pane 1 I VT New England Coalition

. NH . ME . MA . RI . CT . NY -

POST OFFICE BOX 545, BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT o5302 on Nuclear Pollution March 22, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Raymond Shadis - 207-882-7801 Peter Alexander - 802-257-0336 Environmental group petitions NRC for an immediate halt to nuclear fuel movement activities at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station.

"Missing irradiatedfuelshould raiseredflag," warns New England Coalition The Brattleboro (VT)-based New England Coalition sent a formal request to the NRC's Executive Director for Operations today warning that the search for missing nuclear fuel pin segments at Vermont Yankee may be confused by other broken, misplaced, or scattered fuel at the 33 year-old plant. The New England Coalition asked that the federal regulators move expeditiously to halt all movement of fuel until a comprehensive search, identification, and accounting of all irradiated nuclear fuel takes place. The group asks that NRC certify that all fuel is accounted for and properly stored.

fuel movement is permitted.

'There is no difference between the fuel pin segments that arc missing and the high level nuclear waste for which the Yucca Mountain National Repository is being prepared,"

said Peter Alexander, NEC Executive Director, " This is deadly material which is supposed to be sequestered from the human environment for thousands of years."

Raymond Shadis, NEC's Technical Advisor, said that fuel failures; leaking fuel rods, and fragile broken fuel rods would be occurring more frequently under Vermont Yankee's proposed extended power uprate. Shadis represented the Coalition in opposing the uprate before the Vermont Public Service Board in hearings that concluded January

15. New England Coalition has consistently advocated that an NRC Independent Safety Assessment be performed at Vermont Yankee before any consideration is given to uprate.

The call for an ISA, patterned on an assessment performed at Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station in 1996, was recently endorsed by a resolution of the New Hampshire Senate. A similar resolution passed the Vermont Senate by a unanimous vote.

ATTACHMENT: NEC FORMAL REQUEST TO NRC END

l =

V-l New England Coalition

. N1 .. Ml.' MA . NY l_

P'0(.T (.)FF IC. I-,'X 5£45. H H ATTI 1iiI4I-R.

H VEKRM Q NT 0 530 WI Nuclear Pollution Office of the Secretary U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission AITN: Document Control Desk 1-301-415-1672 This FAX of Three Pages, including this one, is a 10CFR 2.206 Petition and a letter requesting expedited action. It is intended for:

Dr. William Travers Executive Director for Operations with a copy to:

Nils S. Diaz, Chairman Plcase distribute accordingly, Thank You, Raymond Shadis Staff Tcchnical Advisor New Engyland Coalition Post Office Box 98 Edgecomb, Maine 04556 207-882-7801 shad is(ai)prexar.corn