ML053430141

E-Mail from Brenner to Dgram@Ap.Org, NRC VY Materials

ML053430141
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	06/27/2004
From:	Brenner E Office of Public Affairs
To:	- No Known Affiliation
References
FOIA/PA-2004-0369
Download: ML053430141 (2)

Text

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11 Page 1 not breriner - NHU( vy materials Page I hotlrer1ner NI-lUVYMaterials From: Eliot Brenner ,Qt let To: dgram@ap.org Date: Sun, Jun 27, 2004 6:29 AM

Subject:

NRC VY Materials David: I'm Diane's boss and I believe she told you I would be sending you some materials embargoed for wire movement until 9 a.m. Monday. I apologize in advance for the size of this message. I have attached the relevant files (a'release and the text our team will use,) but because they originally were in WordPerfect, not Word, I am also pasting them into the body of the email.

Please confirm receipt of these with a call to me at( also, my text pager (I am in New I rinht n A

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eat~k 1s ti3 Here goes. .A It.-, P NC 6B No.04-079 June 28, 2004

• • • EMBARGOED FOR WIRE MOVEMENT UNTIL 9 A.M. JUNE 28***

1161*

hk-NRC UPDATES VERMONT PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD ON STATUS OF VERMONT YANKEE UPRATE REVIEW MONTPELIER, Vt. - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) informed the Vermont Public Service Board Monday it will only approve the request by the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant to produce higher levels of electricity if the agency finds that the plant can operate safely at that level.

During the discussions, agency officials also detailed the additional safety inspections due at Vermont Yankee in August as part of a new pilot program to enhance engineering inspections of the nation's operating nuclear reactors.

"The expanded engineering inspection will provide additional confirmation, beyond the routine inspection program, of the Vermont Yankee plant design as we consider whether or not we should approve the power uprate," Bill Ruland, the NRC power uprate manager, told the Board.

"Entergy must provide sufficient justification to prove to us that safety is maintained," Ruland said. "They aren't there yet."

Ruland and two other senior NRC officials appeared before the Board to outline the process to be used in the additional engineering inspections. They emphasized that the inspection is focused on safety, but noted that in certain cases, safety issues can also involve reliability issues. The uprate review is expected to last through January 2005.

NRC officials also said that Vermonters and others interested in the uprate issue will have several opportunities to comment either in writing, or in person at meetings, including at the conclusion of the inspection.

Also speaking before the Board was Stuart Richards, chief of the Inspection Program Branch of the NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. He said the new inspection program will make its debut at Vermont Yankee in August, and run at least three weeks. He said the program will later be used at three additional reactors. The amount of time devoted to the examination is a significant increase beyond the current engineering inspection process.

Brian Holian, the NRC manager responsible for inspection oversight at the plant, said the independent inspection team would include at least seven individuals. The team's leader will come from outside the Information in this record was deleted Inaccordance with the Freedom of information Act, exemptions FOIA- SW Y-°f- 0

IU.t DiI Iilt:;I - 14 rl V I IVIdLVI CLI ,* y I NRC's Region I office, which oversees Vermont Yankee. The team will include NRC inspectors who have not worked at the plant in recent years, and private sector nuclear engineering experts.