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MONTHYEARML0408403392004-03-10010 March 2004
G20040203/LTR-04-0163 - Note from Meryl Wells Re Independent Safety Assessment at Vermont Yankee
Project stage: Request
ML0414602752004-05-28028 May 2004
G20040203/LTR-04-0163 - Ms. Meryl Wells Ltr. Re. Regarding Vermont Yankee Independent Safety Asssessment
Project stage: Other
2004-03-10
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Category:Letter
MONTHYEARBVY 24-005, Report of Investigation Pursuant to 10 CFR 20, Appendix G2024-01-30030 January 2024
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BVY 24-004, Report of Investigation Pursuant to 10 CFR 20, Appendix G2024-01-23023 January 2024
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BVY 24-003, Nuclear Onsite Property Damage Insurance2024-01-0404 January 2024
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BVY 24-001, Pre-Notice of Disbursement from Decommissioning Trust2024-01-0202 January 2024
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BVY 23-030, Report of Investigation Pursuant to 10 CFR 20, Appendix G2023-12-20020 December 2023
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BVY 23-029, Proof of Financial Protection2023-12-12012 December 2023
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BVY 23-027, Report of Investigation Pursuant to 10 CFR 20, Appendix G2023-11-21021 November 2023
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BVY 23-026, Report of Investigation Pursuant to 10 CFR 20, Appendix G2023-11-13013 November 2023
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IR 05000271/20230012023-08-15015 August 2023
Northstar Nuclear Decommissioning Company, Llc., Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station, - NRC Inspection Report 05000271/2023001
BVY 23-021, Report of Investigation Pursuant to 10 CFR 20, Appendix G2023-08-0202 August 2023
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BVY 23-020, Pre-Notice of Disbursement from Decommissioning Trust2023-08-0202 August 2023
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BVY 23-019, Update to 2022 Radiological Effluent Release Report2023-07-24024 July 2023
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BVY 23-018, Update to Nuclear Onsite Property Damage Insurance2023-07-12012 July 2023
Update to Nuclear Onsite Property Damage Insurance
BVY 23-017, Pre-Notice of Disbursement from Decommissioning Trust2023-06-29029 June 2023
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BVY 23-015, Report of Investigation Pursuant to 1O CFR 20, Appendix G2023-06-0505 June 2023
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BVY 23-016, 10 CFR 72.48 Report2023-06-0505 June 2023
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BVY 23-014, Pre-Notice of Disbursement from Decommissioning Trust2023-05-31031 May 2023
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BVY 23-013, 2022 Radiological Environmental Operating Report2023-05-10010 May 2023
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BVY 23-011, 2022 Radiological Effluent Release Report2023-05-10010 May 2023
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BVY 23-007, Report of Investigation Pursuant to 10 CFR 20, Appendix G2023-03-29029 March 2023
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BVY 23-006, Status of Decommissioning and Spent Fuel Management Fund for Year Ending 20222023-03-29029 March 2023
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BVY 23-005, Nuclear Onsite Property Damage Insurance2023-03-13013 March 2023
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BVY 23-004, Pre-Notice of Disbursement from Decommissioning Trust2023-03-0202 March 2023
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BVY 22-030, Documentary Evidence of Performance Bond2022-12-30030 December 2022
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IR 05000271/20224012022-12-15015 December 2022
NRC Inspection Report No. 05000271/2022401, Northstar Nuclear Decommissioning Company, LLC, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station, Vernon, Vermont (Letter Only)
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BVY 22-027, Bvy 22-027; Pre-Notice of Disbursement from Decommissioning Trust for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station2022-11-11011 November 2022
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BVY 22-025, Pre-Notice of Disbursement from Decommissioning Trust2022-10-0404 October 2022
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BVY 22-022, Report of Investigation Pursuant to 10 CFR 20, Appendix G2022-08-22022 August 2022
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BVY 22-021, Report of Investigation Pursuant to 10 CFR 20, Appendix G2022-08-16016 August 2022
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BVY 22-020, Pre-Notice of Disbursement from Decommissioning Trust2022-08-0101 August 2022
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IR 05000271/20220012022-08-0101 August 2022
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2024-01-04
[Table view] |
Text
May 28, 2004 Ms. Meryl Wells P.O. Box 46 Colrain, MA 01340
Dear Ms. Wells:
I am responding on behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to your letter to NRC Chairman, Mr. Nils Diaz, dated March 10, 2004, regarding the request by Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC, and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy) to amend the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Vermont Yankee) license to increase the power level of the facility by 20%. In that letter, you requested that the NRC conduct an independent safety assessment of the Vermont Yankee plant.
Currently, the NRC staff is in the early stages of the review of the Vermont Yankee power uprate request. As such, we have not reached any conclusions concerning the acceptability of the proposed change. We believe that the extensive technical review performed by the NRC staff along with the ongoing NRC inspection program, provide assurance that any issues that could affect safe operation of the plant, related to the proposed power uprate, will be identified.
The NRC will not approve the Vermont Yankee uprate, or any proposed change to a plant license, unless the NRC staff can conclude that the proposed change will be executed in a manner that assures the publics health and safety.
I have enclosed a copy of the letter that we sent to the Vermont Public Service Board regarding its request for an independent engineering assessment that would provide the State of Vermont a level of assurance about plant reliability. This letter addresses the safety concerns you have raised. In response to the Public Service Boards concerns and many other requests that we have received, the NRC has taken a closer look at our proposed inspections and technical reviews to assure ourselves that they will identify any potential concerns for older plants, such as Vermont Yankee, operating at uprated power conditions. We have concluded that the detailed technical review, combined with the inspections prescribed by the reactor oversight process, as enhanced by a pilot engineering inspection, is the most effective method of informing our decision on whether Vermont Yankee could safely operate under uprated power conditions.
Regarding your concern that the plant's design criteria might not meet the current safety standards, Vermont Yankee was licensed in 1972 and many changes to the regulations have occurred subsequent to the initial licensing. The NRC frequently updates its regulations as a result of improvements to technology and based on operating experience. When requirements are changed, the NRC applies a rigorous evaluation standard to determine if the safety benefit of the new requirements justifies imposing the changes on existing licensees. For example, Vermont Yankee was designed and constructed based on the proposed General Design Criteria (GDC) published by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in 1967. The final GDC were made a part of the AEC's regulations in 1971. Each plant licensed before the final GDC were formally adopted, including Vermont Yankee, was evaluated by the AEC on a
Meryl Wells plant-specific basis, and was determined to be safe. The NRC determined that imposing the final GDC on plants with construction permits issued prior to 1971, would provide little or no safety benefit while requiring an extensive commitment of resources. In other cases, the NRC has imposed new regulations on nuclear facilities based on the substantial increase in safety that would be provided (e.g., environmental qualification of electrical equipment).
The NRC considers Vermont Yankee to be operated safely. The NRC continues to actively monitor Vermont Yankee, and all of our nationss nuclear power plants, and is prepared to take adequate measures to ensure the continued safety of the nuclear facilities.
Thank you for your interest in NRC activities. For current information on the NRC's review of the proposed power uprate, please see the Vermont Yankee webpage on the NRC's website at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/plant-specific-items/vermont-yankee-issues.html.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Cornelius F. Holden, Jr., Director Project Directorate I Division of Licensing and Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
Letter to the Vermont Public Service Board
Meryl Wells plant-specific basis, and was determined to be safe. The NRC determined that imposing the final GDC on plants with construction permits issued prior to 1971, would provide little or no safety benefit while requiring an extensive commitment of resources. In other cases, the NRC has imposed new regulations on nuclear facilities based on the substantial increase in safety that would be provided (e.g., environmental qualification of electrical equipment).
The NRC considers Vermont Yankee to be operated safely. The NRC continues to actively monitor Vermont Yankee, and all of our nationss nuclear power plants, and is prepared to take adequate measures to ensure the continued safety of the nuclear facilities.
Thank you for your interest in NRC activities. For current information on the NRC's review of the proposed power uprate, please see the Vermont Yankee webpage on the NRC's website at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/plant-specific-items/vermont-yankee-issues.html.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Cornelius F. Holden, Jr., Director Project Directorate I Division of Licensing and Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
Letter to the Vermont Public Service Board DISTRIBUTION: See next page ADAMS Accession Numbers:
Incoming: ML040840339 Response: ML041460275
Enclosure:
ML041170438 Package: ML041460299 NRR-106 OFFICE PDIV-1:PM PDI-1:PM PDI-2:LA VY:SC PDI:D NAME MThadani DSkay CRaynor AHowe CHolden DATE 5/27/04 5/27/04 5/27/04 5/26/04 5/27/04 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
DISTRIBUTION FOR G20040203 RESPONSE TO MERYL WELLS DATED: May 28, 2004 DISTRIBUTION:
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