ML041750542
| ML041750542 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Catawba  |
| Issue date: | 06/23/2004 |
| From: | Martin R NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2 |
| To: | |
| Martin R, NRR/DLPM, 415-1493 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ml041750568 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML041750542 (7) | |
Text
June 23, 2004 LICENSEE: Duke Energy Corporation FACILITY: Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF MEETING ON MAY 14, 2004, WITH DUKE ENERGY ON MIXED OXIDE FUEL Representatives of the Duke Energy Corporation (Duke), met with members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff on May 14, 2004, in Dukes OJ Miller Auditorium located at 526 South Church Street, Charlotte, North Carolina. The meeting addressed issues related to Dukes application dated February 27, 2003, as supplemented, to use mixed oxide (MOX) lead test assemblies (LTAs) at the Catawba Nuclear Station (Catawba).
The NRC staff began the meeting by noting that it is a Category I meeting wherein the public is invited to observe and will have one or more opportunities to communicate with the NRC staff after the business portion of the meeting. The NRC staff circulated an attendance sign-up sheet and the list of attendees is provided in Enclosure 1.
The NRC staff provided background on the purpose of the MOX program by referring to Dukes submittal of February 27, 2003, Attachment 5, Section 5.4, wherein Duke quotes the Department of Energy (DOE) as stating the following:
The fundamental purpose of the program is to ensure that plutonium produced for nuclear weapons and declared excess to national security needs (now and in the future) is never again used for nuclear weapons.
The NRC staff emphasized that it is a separate Federal agency from the DOE and that NRCs role in this matter is to ensure that if MOX is to be used at Catawba, that it meets the applicable NRC regulatory requirements for the safe operation of Catawba and protection of the environment.
The issues addressed in this meeting were also discussed with Duke in a meeting between the NRC staff and Duke that was held on April 23, 2004. The summary of that meeting may be found at ADAMS Accession Number ML041230011. The subject of that meeting was to discuss the planned inclusion by Duke of eight Westinghouse Next Generation Fuel (NGF)
LTAs in the Catawba reactor core that would also include the four MOX LTAs. The NRC staffs letter to Duke dated April 30, 2004, provided an initial identification of additional information that would be needed by the NRC staff to review the NGF fuel.
CONTACT: R.E. MARTIN, NRR 301-415-1493 rem@nrc.gov
Based on an examination on May 12-14, 2004, of the Duke engineering design files that are located in Dukes offices at 526 South Church Street, the NRC staff identified specific documents and areas of information that were requested to be submitted to the NRC on the Catawba docket. Subsequent to the May 14, 2004, meeting, these areas were described in detail in a letter issued by the NRC staff on May 19, 2004 (ADAMS Accession Number ML041400201). Duke responded to that request in its letter dated June 17, 2004.
Several members of the public provided comments expressing opposition to nuclear power in general and to the use of MOX fuel at Catawba.
Mr. Louis Zeller of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) expressed interest in learning more about the issues in the NRC staff letter dated April 30, 2004. He questioned the purpose of the meeting and asked how it serves the publics interest when the issue could have been handled via e-mail or phone calls. He stated that BREDL is challenging the use of MOX in 2005. He indicated that MOX fuel manufacturing not representing reprocessing is a myth and indicated that it could be used to build nuclear weapons instead. He stated that MOX presents an unacceptable risk to health and safety of the public. He indicated that he expected to be provided with the documents that the NRC staff is requesting Duke to provide.
Additional comments and questions addressed the use of weapons grade plutonium during heightened security risks, whether accident consequences would be worse for new fuel versus old fuel and the transportation of MOX fuel.
The NRC staff referred to its recently issued Safety Evaluation and its Supplement No. 1 for answers to several of these comments. These documents are located at ADAMS Accession Numbers ML040970046 and ML041260544, respectively.
Several comments addressed a nearby tract of land, said to be owned by Duke, that was said to be in the process of being sold. This issue is addressed by a letter provided by David E.
McCauley to the NRC staff at the meeting. A copy of the letter is provided in Enclosure 2.
/RA/
Robert E. Martin, Senior Project Manager,Section 1 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-413 and 50-414
Enclosures:
- 1. List of Meeting Participants
- 2. David E. McCauley Letter cc w/encls: See next page
Duke Energy Corporation Several comments addressed a nearby tract of land, said to be owned by Duke, that was said to be in the process of being sold. This issue is addressed by a letter provided by David E.
McCauley to the NRC staff at the meeting. A copy of the letter is provided in Enclosure 2.
/RA/
Robert E. Martin, Senior Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-413 and 50-414
Enclosures:
- 1. List of Meeting Participants
- 2. David E. McCauley Letter cc w/encls: See next page Distribution: See next page Meeting Notice: ML041280510 Meeting Summary: ML041750542 Package: ML041750568 : ML041750542 Enclosure 2: ML041680143 NRC-001 OFC PDII-1/PM PDII-1/LA (A) PDII-1/SC (A)
NAME RMartin DClarke SCoffin DATE 6/21/04 6/15/04 6/23/04 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
DISTRIBUTION FOR THE
SUMMARY
OF MEETING ON MAY 14, 2004, WITH DUKE ENERGY Dated:
DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC PDII-1 Reading BSheron RidsNrrDlpm (TMarsh/ELeeds)
RidsNrrDlpmLpdii (EHackett)
RidsNrrDlpmLpdii-1 (JNakoski)
RidsNrrPMRMartin RidsNrrLADClarke RidsOgcRpMailCenter RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter TMensah (NRR/PMAS)
RidsEdoMailCenter (TJKim)
RidsRgn2MailCenter (VMcCree)
UShoop TAttard RLandry FAkstulewicz DBrown RidsNrrDssaSrxb (JWermiel)
RidsNrrPMSPeters SUttal AFernandez MBupp LWert (RGN-II/DRP/RPB3)
RHaag (RGN-II/DRP/RPB5)
TMensah KJohnson OPA D.Screrci PMNS
ATTENDEES LIST May 14, 2004 MEETING WITH DUKE ENERGY NAME ORGANIZATION Bob Martin NRC Ralph Landry NRC Undine Shoop NRC Tony Attard NRC Tom Geer Duke Power Mike Cash Duke Power Gregg Swindlehurst Duke Power Ron Gribble Duke Power Mr. McCauley Catawba Nuclear Neighbors Dave McCauley Catawba Nuclear Neighbors Gilda Bocock Westinghouse Louis Zeller Blue Ridge Environmental Sherry Lorenz Public/Concerned Citizens Al Boshers Duke Power Stanley J. Hayes Duke Power Kenny Epperson Duke Power Dave Koontz Duke Power Todd Ames Catawba Nuclear Neighbors Rose Cummings Duke Power Enclosure 1
Catawba Nuclear Station cc:
Lee Keller, Manager North Carolina Electric Membership Corp.
Regulatory Compliance P. O. Box 27306 Duke Energy Corporation Raleigh, North Carolina 27611 4800 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Senior Resident Inspector U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Ms. Lisa F. Vaughn 4830 Concord Road Duke Energy Corporation York, South Carolina 29745 Mail Code - PB05E 422 South Church Street Henry Porter, Assistant Director P.O. Box 1244 Division of Waste Management Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1244 Bureau of Land and Waste Management Dept. of Health and Environmental Control Anne Cottingham, Esquire 2600 Bull Street Winston and Strawn Columbia, South Carolina 29201-1708 1400 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Mr. R. L. Gill, Jr., Manager Nuclear Regulatory Issues North Carolina Municipal Power and Industry Affairs Agency Number 1 Duke Energy Corporation 1427 Meadowwood Boulevard 526 South Church Street P. O. Box 29513 Mail Stop EC05P Raleigh, North Carolina 27626 Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 County Manager of York County Saluda River Electric York County Courthouse P. O. Box 929 York, South Carolina 29745 Laurens, South Carolina 29360 Piedmont Municipal Power Agency Mr. Peter R. Harden, IV, Vice President 121 Village Drive Customer Relations and Sales Greer, South Carolina 29651 Westinghouse Electric Company 6000 Fairview Road Ms. Karen E. Long 12th Floor Assistant Attorney General Charlotte, North Carolina 28210 North Carolina Department of Justice P. O. Box 629 Mary Olson Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 Director of the Southeast Office Nuclear Information and Resource Service NCEM REP Program Manager 729 Haywood Road, 1-A 4713 Mail Service Center P. O. Box 7586 Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4713 Asheville, North Carolina 28802
Catawba Nuclear Station cc:
Mr. T. Richard Puryear Owners Group (NCEMC)
Duke Energy Corporation 4800 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Richard M. Fry, Director Division of Radiation Protection N. C. Dept. of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources 3825 Barrett Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27609-7721 Diane Curran Harmon, Curran, Spielberg &
Eisenberg, LLP 1726 M Street, N.W.
Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 D. M. Jamil Vice President Catawba Nuclear Station Duke Energy Corporation 4800 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745-9635