ML062830327
| ML062830327 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pilgrim, Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 10/10/2006 |
| From: | Annette Vietti-Cook NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| Giitter, R L | |
| References | |
| 50-271-LR, 50-293-LR, RAS 12346, RAS 12347, CLI-06-26 | |
| Download: ML062830327 (7) | |
Text
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION COMMISSIONERS DOCKETED 10/10/06 Dale E. Klein, Chairman SERVED 10/10/06 Edward McGaffigan, Jr.
Jeffrey S. Merrifield Gregory B. Jaczko Peter B. Lyons
)
In the Matter of )
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC. ) Docket No. 50-293-LR
)
(Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station) )
)
)
In the Matter of )
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR VERMONT )
YANKEE, LLC, and )
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC. ) Docket No. 50-271-LR
)
(Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station) )
)
CLI-06-26 ORDER In these license renewal proceedings, the Massachusetts Attorney General (Massachusetts AG) has filed a request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene. The hearing requests included a Petition for Backfit Order. By these petitions, the Massachusetts AG requests the Commission to initiate proceedings to change the current storage configuration in the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station and Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station spent fuel pools. In June 2006, the Secretary of the Commission referred the Massachusetts AGs hearing requests to the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, without any reference
2 to or distinction drawn for a Petition for a Backfit Order.1 The Licensing Boards in these proceedings do not appear to contemplate taking action on the backfit petitions, and counsel for the Massachusetts AG seemingly believes that the backfit petitions remain pending before the Commission.2 Our rules governing adjudicatory proceedings, found in 10 C.F.R. Part 2, do not provide for the filing of a Petition for Backfit Order with the Commission. The Massachusetts AGs petitions take issue with the current storage configuration in the Pilgrim and Vermont Yankee spent fuel pools, configurations authorized by earlier license amendments. The petitions request the Commission to require each of the spent fuel pools to return to its original low-density storage configuration and [to] us[e] dry storage for any excess fuel.3 The action that the Massachusetts AG effectively seeks in each case - an order modifying the license based upon an alleged potential hazardous condition in the current spent fuel pool - amounts to a request for agency enforcement action, a request not suitable for a license renewal adjudication 1
See Memorandum (June 6, 2006)(re: Requests for Hearing With Respect to the License Renewal Application for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station); Memorandum (June 7, 2006)(re: Requests for Hearing with Respect to the License Renewal Application for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station).
2 See, e.g., Mass AGs Reply to Entergys and NRC Staffs Responses to Hearing Request and Petition to Intervene with Respect to Pilgrim License Renewal Proceeding (June 29, 2006) at 3. Mass AGs Reply to Entergys and NRC Staffs Responses to Hearing Request and Petition to Intervene with Respect to Vermont Yankee License Renewal Proceeding (June 30, 2006) at 3.
3 See Massachusetts AGs Request for a Hearing and Petition for Leave to Intervene with Respect to Entergy Nuclear Operations Inc.s Application for Renewal of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant Operating License and Petition for Backfit Order Requiring New Design Features to Protect Against Spent Fuel Pool Accidents (May 26, 2006) at 50; Massachusetts AGs Request for Hearing and Petition for Leave to Intervene with Respect to Entergy Nuclear Operations Inc.s Application for Renewal of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant Operating License and Petition for Backfit Order Requiring New Design Features to Protect Against Spent Fuel Pool Accidents (May 30, 2006) at 49.
3 but perhaps suitable for consideration under 10 C.F.R. § 2.206.4 Accordingly, the Commission denies the Massachusetts AGs petitions for backfit order.
If the Massachusetts AG wishes to pursue this matter, he may file a request for NRC action under section 2.206, pursuant to the requirements outlined in that section.5 IT IS SO ORDERED.
For the Commission
/RA/
Annette L. Vietti-Cook Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day of October 2006.
4 Section 2.206 allows any person to file a request to institute a proceeding pursuant to § 2.202 to modify, suspend, or revoke a license, or for any other action as may be proper.
Section 2.206 specifies that such requests must be filed with the NRCs Executive Director of Operations, who will refer the request to the appropriate NRC office director.
5 We note that the Massachusetts AG recently filed a petition for rulemaking, raising related spent fuel pool arguments under the National Environmental Policy Act.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of )
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC. ) Docket No. 50-293-LR
)
)
(Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station) )
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing COMMISSION ORDER (CLI-06-26) have been served upon the following persons by electronic mail this date, followed by deposit of paper copies in the U.S. mail, first class, and NRC internal mail.
Office of Commission Appellate Administrative Judge Adjudication Ann Marshall Young, Chair U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Washington, DC 20555-0001 Mail Stop - T-3 F23 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: AMY@nrc.gov Administrative Judge Administrative Judge Richard F. Cole Paul B. Abramson Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop - T-3 F23 Mail Stop - T-3 F23 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: RFC1@nrc.gov E-mail: pba@nrc.gov Susan L. Uttal, Esq. Diane Curran, Esq.
Marian L. Zobler, Esq. Harmon Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg, L.L.P.
Office of the General Counsel 1726 M. Street N. W., Suite 600 Mail Stop - O-15 D21 Washington, D.C. 20036 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission E-mail: dcurran@harmoncurran.com Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: slu@nrc.gov E-mail: mlz@nrc.gov E-mail: OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov
2 Docket No. 50-293-LR COMMISSION ORDER (CLI-06-26)
Matthew Brock, Assistant Attorney General Terence A. Burke, Esq.
Environmental Protection Division Entergy Nuclear Office of the Attorney General 1340 Echelon Parkway One Ashburton Place Mail Stop M-ECH-62 Boston, MA 02108 Jackson, MS 39213 E-mail: matthew.brock@ago.state.ma.us E-mail: tburke@entergy.com Molly H. Bartlett, Esq. David R. Lewis, Esq.
52 Crooked Lane Paul A. Gaukler, Esq.
Duxbury, MA 02332 Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP E-mail: mollyhbartlett@hotmail.com 2300 N Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037-1128 E-mail: david.lewis@pillsburylaw.com; paul.gaukler@pillsburylaw.com Mary E. Lampert, Sheila Slocum Hollis, Esq.
Director of Pilgrim Watch Town of Plymouth MA 148 Washington Street Duane Morris, LLP Duxbury, MA 02332 1667 K. Street, N.W.
E-mail: lampert@adelphia.net Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20006 E-mail: sshollis@duanemorris.com www.duanemorris.com Mark D. Sylvia Town Manager Town Managers Office 11 Lincoln Street Plymouth, MA 02360 E-mail: msylvia@townhall.plymouth.ma.us
[Original signed by Evangeline S. Ngbea]
Office of the Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 10th day of October 2006
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of )
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC. ) Docket No. 50-271-LR
)
(Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station) )
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing COMMISSION ORDER (CLI-06-26) have been served upon the following persons by electronic mail this date, followed by deposit of paper copies in the U.S. mail, first class, and NRC internal mail.
Office of Commission Appellate Administrative Judge Adjudication Alex S. Karlin, Chair U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Washington, DC 20555-0001 Mail Stop - T-3 F23 E-mail: ocaamail@nrc.gov U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: ask2@nrc.gov Administrative Judge Administrative Judge Richard E. Wardwell Thomas S. Elleman Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop - T-3 F23 5207 Creedmoor Rd., #101 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Raleigh, NC 27612 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: elleman@eos.ncsu.edu E-mail: rew@nrc.gov Mitzi A. Young, Esq. Ronald A. Shems, Esq.
Steven C. Hamrick, Esq. Karen Tyler, Esq.
Office of the General Counsel Shems Dunkiel Kassel & Saunders, PLLC Mail Stop - O-15 D21 91 College Street U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Burlington, VT 05401 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: rshems@sdkslaw.com; E-mail: may@nrc.gov; sch1@nrc.gov ktyler@sdkslaw.com
2 Docket No. 50-271-LR COMMISSION ORDER (CLI-06-26)
Sarah Hofmann, Esq. Anthony Z. Roisman, Esq.
Director for Public Advocacy National Legal Scholars Law Firm Department of Public Service 84 East Thetford Rd.
112 State Street - Drawer 20 Lyme, NH 03768 Montpelier, VT 05620-2601 E-mail: aroisman@nationallegalscholars.com E-mail: sarah.hofmann@state.vt.us Matthew Brock, Esq. Diane Curran, Esq.
Assistant Attorney General Harmon, Curran, Spielberg, Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General & Eisenberg, L.L.P.
Environmental Protection Division 1726 M Street, NW, Suite 600 One Ashburton Place, Room 1813 Washington, DC 20036 Boston, MA 02108-1598 E-mail: dcurran@harmoncurran.com E-mail: matthew.brock@ago.state.ma.us Callie B. Newton, Chair Dan MacArthur, Director Gail MacArthur Town of Marlboro Lucy Gratwick Emergency Management Town of Marlboro P.O. Box 30 SelectBoard Marlboro, VT 05344 P.O. Box 518 E-mail: dmacarthur@igc.org Marlboro, VT 05344 E-mail: cbnewton@sover.net David R. Lewis, Esq.
Matias F. Travieso-Diaz, Esq.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP 2300 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20037-1128 E-mail: david.lewis@pillsburylaw.com; matias.travieso-diaz@pillsburylaw.com
[Original signed by Evangeline S. Ngbea]
Office of the Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day of October 2006