ML043060585

Y020040208 - Sally Shaw Ltr. Re. Entergy - Vermont Yankee Nuclear Reactor

ML043060585
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	11/19/2004
From:	Holden C NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD1
To:	Shaw S - No Known Affiliation
Skay D, NRR/DLPM, 415-1322
Shared Package
ML043060586	List: ML043010309 ML043060585
References
TAC MC4916, Y020040208
Download: ML043060585 (4)

Text

November 19, 2004 Sally Shaw 100 River Road Gill, MA 01354

Dear Ms. Shaw:

I am responding on behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to your letter dated October 12, 2004, regarding the engineering inspection performed at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Vermont Yankee). You requested that the NRC release the inspection report to the public and allow sufficient time for perusal before holding a public meeting.

We greatly appreciate your interest in the results of the engineering inspection and understand your desire to provide meaningful comment at the public meeting. The NRC strives to conduct our work in an environment where we balance the openness of our regulatory processes, through the flow of information to interested stakeholders, with the orderly conduct of government business. The NRC has publicly released a summary of the preliminary findings of the engineering inspection. The summary is available on the NRCs Vermont Yankee webpage at The NRC staff is working with State and local officials to reschedule the public meeting originally set for November 9 in Vernon, Vermont. Local officials advised the NRC that a larger-than-anticipated audience made them unable to support the public meeting to discuss the inspection results. Because another location could not be located in time to adequately notify the public, the public meeting was postponed. Information on the date and location for the rescheduled meeting will be posted on the NRCs Vermont Yankee webpage. The public will have the opportunity to ask questions or make statements to the NRC staff regarding the inspections during the meeting.

In your letter, you express concern that the NRC did not fulfill certain requests of members of the public and government officials; in particular, the request for an independent safety assessment (ISA) as was performed at Maine Yankee. The NRC decided to conduct the assessment at Maine Yankee because we had significant concerns with conformance to license requirements; a situation that does not exist currently at VY. The NRC concluded that the improved engineering inspection performed at Vermont Yankee, along with the detailed technical review and inspections prescribed by the reactor oversight process, is the most effective method of determining whether Vermont Yankee could safely operate under current and uprated power conditions. To ensure the independence of the team, the NRC selected contractors and NRC staff that had not performed inspections for the NRC at Vermont Yankee within the last two years. In addition, an observer from the State of Vermont accompanied the team.

S. Shaw Throughout our review of the extended power uprate requested by Entergy, the NRC has worked hard to ensure that our external stakeholders (which includes the public, state and local governments, and Congress) are fully informed of our actions, and to ensure that we respond to their suggestions. Each request has been, and will continue to be, carefully evaluated in accordance with our practices, regulations, and statutory authority, and balanced against our responsibility to implement the reviews and inspections that support our safety mission.

I hope this letter satisfactorily addresses your concerns.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Cornelius F. Holden, Jr., Director Project Directorate I Division of Licensing and Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

S. Shaw Throughout our review of the extended power uprate requested by Entergy, the NRC has worked hard to ensure that our external stakeholders (which includes the public, state and local governments, and Congress) are fully informed of our actions, and to ensure that we respond to their suggestions. Each request has been, and will continue to be, carefully evaluated in accordance with our practices, regulations, and statutory authority, and balanced against our responsibility to implement the reviews and inspections that support our safety mission.

I hope this letter satisfactorily addresses your concerns.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Cornelius F. Holden, Jr., Director Project Directorate I Division of Licensing and Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation DISTRIBUTION: Y020040208 PUBLIC PDI-2 R/F JDyer BSheron RBorchardt CCarpenter CHolden REnnis DSkay JStang LCox AHowe CAnderson, RGN-I NRR Mail Room (020040208)

CRaynor GMatakas, RGN-1 VBucci, OIG BPoole, OGC ADAMS Accession Numbers: Package: ML043060586 Incoming: ML043010309 Response: ML043060585 OFFICE PDI-1:PM PDI-2:LA VY:SC OGC PDI:D NAME DSkay CRaynor AHowe BPoole CHolden DATE 11/19/04 11/16/04 11/17/04 11/17/04 11/19/04 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY