ML042460441

G20040597/LTR-04-0559 - Sen. John F. Kerry Ltr Re Proposed Power Rate Increase at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Leland Stevens, Philip Maddern and Ann Banash, Town of Gill, Massachusetts)

ML042460441
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	08/19/2004
From:	Kerry J US SEN (Senate)
To:	Rathbun D Office of Congressional Affairs
Shared Package
ML042590348	List: ML042460441 ML042530168
References
G20040597, LTR-04-0559
Download: ML042460441 (5)

Text

- S EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM: DUE: 09/23/04 EDO CONTROL: G20040597 DOC DT: 08/19/04 FINAL REPLY:

Senator John F. Kerry Rathbun, OCA FOR SIGNATURE OF  : ** GRN ** CRC NO: 04-0559 Reyes, EDO DESC: ROUTING:

Proposed Power Rate Increase at Vermont Yankee Reyes Nuclear Power Station (Leland Stevens, Philip Virgilio Maddern and Ann Banash, Town of Gill, Kane Massachusetts) Merschoff Norry Dean DATE: 09/01/04 Burns/Cyr Miller, RI ASSIGNED TO: CONTACT: Rathbun, OCA NRR Dyer SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed:Sep 01, 2004 10:16 PAPER NUMBER: LTR-04-0559 LOGGING DATE: 08/30/2004 ACTION OFFICE: EDO AUTHOR: SEN John Kerry AFFILIATION: SEN ADDRESSEE: Dennis Rathbun

SUBJECT:

Express concerns about the proposed power rate increase at Vermont Yankee nuclear power station.

ACTION: Signature of EDO DISTRIBUTION: OCA to Ack LETTER DATE: 08/19/2004 ACKNOWLEDGED No SPECIAL HANDLING:

NOTES:

FILE LOCATION: ADAMS DATE DUE: 09/23/2004 DATE SIGNED:

EDO -.- G20040 5 9 7

A-L COMMITTEES:

' JOHN KERRY MASSACHUSETTS COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION FINANCE WUnitNd GTOitch2050nat1 FOREIGN RELATIONS SMALL BUSINESS WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2102 One Bowdoin Square Tenth Floor Boston, MA 02114 (617) 565-8519 August 19, 2004 Dennis K. Rathbun Director, Office of Congressional Affairs Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001

Dear Mr. Rathbun,

I am forwarding to you a copy of a correspondence from the Gill, Massachusetts Select Board expressing concerns about the proposed power rate increase at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station.

It is the desire of this office to be responsive to all inquiries and communications. I respectfully ask for your assistance in resolving the issues outlined in the attached correspondence.

Please convey a copy of your response to the issues raised in the Board's correspondence to Tyke Crowley of my Boston office.

I thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

United States Senator

Enclosures:

The Gill Select Board's Letter JFK/fbc -= . m - -I PLEASERESPONDTO:

0 304 RUSSELLSENATEOFFICEBUILDING DONE BOWDOIN SQUARE 0222 MILLIKEN PLACE DONE FINANCIAL PLAZA 390 MADISON PLACE WASHINGTON. DC 20510 BOSTON, MA 02114 SUITE 311 SPRINGFIELD, MA 01103 SUITE205 1202)224-2742 (617) 565-8519 FALLRIVER,MA 02722 (413) 785-4610 WORCESTER, MA 01608 (508) 677-0522 (508) 831-7380 9onil: Iohn-kenyEkenysenate gov vw httplwwwisenate gov/-kerryl PRINTED ONRECYCLED PAPER

RECEWED AUS 1 32004 TOWN OF GILLE M A S B A 0 R U 8E T T S

. S.

US Senator John F. Kerry -

I Bowdoin-Squ-are - - - -

Boston, MA 02114 11 August 2004 . ..

RE: Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant - -

Dear Most Honorable Senator Kerry,

The Board of Selectmen is Wvriting on behalf of the Town of Gill to plead for filing of a formal

• intervention by Massachusetts Attorhey General Thomas Reilly iniregard to thed rooosed power rate increase at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power'Station; This rate inrea'se"T'epresents a license-amendment and is thusiubject to..legal intervention. Our appeal is basdd on the assumption that the state represefts .the'iiiterests'of itfscitizens and,,therefore theobiigation to

-- intervene in this process. - -  ;. .  ; -. . -.. ,

The filing deadline for intervener status 'imst be completed by late Augsut. The design review that-is currently in.process should be made available to mnterveners and interested parties, however will not even be complete by the end of August'> An extensio6:o'f this filing deadline has been requested by the governor of Vermont'and theirfe'deral delegation, but'has not yet been- granted. We would therefore aIso'ask that Attorney General Reilly join'inh.their'petition for a time extension. . .; .

• The basis of the intervention is public health and safety.his~power uprat6 requested would represent the largest expansion in nuclear generation inNew Er'igland since the building of the Seabrook plant in the latel970's. The Vernon Nuclear Power Station is thirty-three years old and has operated longer than any other plant in New England, This reason alone should eliminate it as a candidate for a 20% increase in power output, however additional statistics provide even further evidence. Please allow us to demonstrate: J .- - - - - . , _ -

The "over-pressure" operating mode proposed for the plant under uprated conditions is against in the NRC's own guidelines. NRC's own guidelines explicitly recommend against relying on elevated pressure in the containment. The" proposed

.mode-of operation will increase the likelihood that the emergency core cooling system

-will not-work properly in the event of an emergency, which increases the probability of a radioactive.release to the surrounding countryside.

The assessment process underway has not identified the criteria against which the plant is to be assessed. This is totally unacceptable to the Massachusetts public at risk.

• The NRC is excluding "independent " observers from the review process. The public-cannbt be assured of an objective evaluation process unless truly independent observers are allowed to participate.

• The plant after uprate has NOT been demonstrated to be in compliance with today's standards. This uprate should be blocked until compliance with today's standards can be demonstrated; anything else should not be acceptable.

• Recently there have been a series of "accidents" or "events" at the Vernon Nuclear Station. This includes the discovery of cracks in a key component, the misplacement of n'ucleaFrfuel, aatransformer'fire, and several problems with the - -

emergency notification system, including inadvertent disconnection of the emergency alarm system. These "events", bring into question the effectiveness of current plant operation and management and further undermines the public's confidence in the safety of -thefacility.

M a community within the ten-mile evacuation zone of the power station, the As Town of Gill's property and the health.of its residents are very much at-risk in'the event of an accident resulting in a.release of radioactivity., .

. In the event of an accident at the.Vernon Nuclear Power Station, Massachusetts is actually more at risk than Vermont. This is due largely to its location east and dowrnwind of the plant. .  :;-; . - -

The-Gill Select Board feels-strongly that there is more than enough information available that__

clearly shows a definite immediate need for action and therefore urges you to intervene in all ways possible in this"miatter on behalf of Massachusetts' citizens. Time is of the essence.

It is also our intent t6 f6rward similar requests for.public support in this matter to Attorney General Reilly, State Representatives Stephen Kulik and Christopher Donelan', Seriators Stanley Rosenberg and Stephen Brewer, US Congretsrnan John Olver and US Senator Edward Kennedy. We will also be communicating our)conicerns to other.adjacent Massachusetts commnunities,i encouraging them in-similar action to provide.for the health and safety of our residents. .  :-

Gill Select Board Leland E. Stevens, Chai . .. f Philip W. Maddern / i Ann H. Bana 4 .; 1

. .. , . - .1

. . I . Z

. .I . . -

325 Main Road, Gill MA 01376 Telephone 413-863-9347

• Fax 413-863-7775 www.gillmass.org