ML070590685
| ML070590685 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Byron, Braidwood, LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 03/07/2007 |
| From: | Gratton C NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLIII-2 |
| To: | Crane C Exelon Generation Co |
| Gratton C, NRR/DORL 415-1055 | |
| References | |
| TAC MD3928, TAC MD3929, TAC MD3930, TAC MD3931, TAC MD3932 | |
| Download: ML070590685 (8) | |
Text
March 7, 2007 Mr. Christopher M. Crane President and Chief Nuclear Officer Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555
SUBJECT:
LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2; BYRON STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2; AND BRAIDWOOD STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO SITE SPECIFIC DECOMMISSION COST ESTIMATES (TAC NOS. MD3928 THRU MD3932)
Dear Mr. Crane:
By letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) dated December 18, 2006, Exelon Generation Company, LLC (the licensee) submitted a letter containing decommissioning cost estimates for the LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2; Byron Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; and Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2.
The NRC staff is reviewing the information contained in the letter and has determined that additional information is required to complete the review. On February 7, 2007, the NRC staff transmitted the enclosed information request to the licensee by facsimile. On February 22, 2007, the NRC staff held a conference call with Mr. Patrick Simpson and other members of your staff to clarify the intent of the questions. During the call, the NRC staff emphasized that assets contained within the decommission trust fund are to be used solely for the purpose of conducting radiological decommissioning activities and should not be credited toward other activities, such as spent fuel management, until all radiological decommission activities have been completed. The NRC staff also requested that the licensee include in the response to this information request, a clarification of how it intends to fund the management of the spent fuel inventory during the SAFSTOR period.
The licensee staff stated that they intend to issue the response to the information request by March 9, 2007. The NRC staff considers that timely responses to requests for additional information help ensure sufficient time is available for staff review and contribute toward the NRCs goal of efficient and effective use of staff resources. If circumstances result in the need to revise the requested response date, please contact me at (301) 415-1055.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Christopher Gratton, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch III-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-373, 50-374, STN 50-454, STN 50-455, STN 50-456 and STN 50-457
Enclosure:
Request for Additional Information cc w/encl: See next page The licensee staff stated that they intend to issue the response to the information request by March 9, 2007. The NRC staff considers that timely responses to requests for additional information help ensure sufficient time is available for staff review and contribute toward the NRCs goal of efficient and effective use of staff resources. If circumstances result in the need to revise the requested response date, please contact me at (301) 415-1055.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Christopher Gratton, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch III-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-373, 50-374, STN 50-454, STN 50-455, STN 50-456 and STN 50-457
Enclosure:
Request for Additional Information cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC LPL3-2 R/F RidsNrrDorlLpl3-2 RidsNrrPMCGratton RidsNrrLAEWhitt RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsOgcRp RidsRgn3MailCenter RidsNrrDorlDpr RidsNrrPMSSands RidsNrrPMRKuntz ADAMS Accession Number: ML070590685 NRR-088 OFFICE LPL3-2/PM LPL3-2/LA PFPB/(Reviewer) BC LPL3-2/BC NAME CGratton:mw EWhitt (LPittiglio) RCarlson RGibbs DATE 3/1/2007 3/1/2007 2/27/2007 3/7/2007 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Byron/Braidwood Stations cc:
Dwain W. Alexander, Project Manager Westinghouse Electric Corporation Energy Systems Business Unit Post Office Box 355 Pittsburgh, PA 15230-0355 Howard A. Learner Environmental Law and Policy Center of the Midwest 35 East Wacker Dr., Suite 1300 Chicago, IL 60601-2110 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Byron Resident Inspectors Office 4448 N. German Church Road Byron, IL 61010-9750 Regional Administrator, Region III U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Suite 210 2443 Warrenville Road Lisle, IL 60532-4351 Ms. Lorraine Creek RR 1, Box 182 Manteno, IL 60950 Chairman, Ogle County Board Post Office Box 357 Oregon, IL 61061 Mrs. Phillip B. Johnson 1907 Stratford Lane Rockford, IL 61107 Attorney General 500 S. Second Street Springfield, IL 62701 Illinois Emergency Management Agency Division of Disaster Assistance &
Preparedness 110 East Adams Street Springfield, IL 62701-1109 Plant Manager - Byron Station Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4450 N. German Church Road Byron, IL 61010-9794 Site Vice President - Byron Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4450 N. German Church Road Byron, IL 61010-9794 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Braidwood Resident Inspectors Office 35100 S. Rt. 53, Suite 79 Braceville, IL 60407 County Executive Will County Office Building 302 N. Chicago Street Joliet, IL 60432 Plant Manager - Braidwood Station Exelon Generation Company, LLC 35100 S. Rt. 53, Suite 84 Braceville, IL 60407-9619 Ms. Bridget Little Rorem Appleseed Coordinator 117 N. Linden Street Essex, IL 60935 Document Control Desk - Licensing Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Site Vice President - Braidwood Exelon Generation Company, LLC 35100 S. Rt. 53, Suite 84 Braceville, IL 60407-9619 Senior Vice President - Operations Support Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555
Byron/Braidwood Stations Director - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Manager Regulatory Assurance - Braidwood Exelon Generation Company, LLC 35100 S. Rt. 53, Suite 84 Braceville, IL 60407-9619 Manager Regulatory Assurance - Byron Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4450 N. German Church Road Byron, IL 61010-9794 Associate General Counsel Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Vice President - Regulatory Affairs Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Manager Licensing - Braidwood/Byron Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Senior Vice President - Midwest Operations Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555
LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 cc:
Site Vice President - LaSalle County Station Exelon Generation Company, LLC 2601 North 21st Road Marseilles, IL 61341-9757 Plant Manager - LaSalle County Station Exelon Generation Company, LLC 2601 North 21st Road Marseilles, IL 61341-9757 Manager Regulatory Assurance - LaSalle Exelon Generation Company, LLC 2601 North 21st Road Marseilles, IL 61341-9757 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission LaSalle Resident Inspectors Office 2605 North 21st Road Marseilles, IL 61341-9756 Phillip P. Steptoe, Esquire Sidley and Austin One First National Plaza Chicago, IL 60603 Assistant Attorney General 100 W. Randolph St. Suite 12 Chicago, IL 60601 Chairman LaSalle County Board 707 Etna Road Ottawa, IL 61350 Attorney General 500 S. Second Street Springfield, IL 62701 Chairman Illinois Commerce Commission 527 E. Capitol Avenue, Leland Building Springfield, IL 62706 Robert Cushing, Chief, Public Utilities Division Illinois Attorney General's Office 100 W. Randolph Street Chicago, IL 60601 Regional Administrator, Region III U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Suite 210 2443 Warrenville Road Lisle, IL 60532-4352 Illinois Emergency Management Agency Division of Disaster Assistance &
Preparedness 110 East Adams Street Springfield, IL 62701-1109 Document Control Desk - Licensing Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Senior Vice President - Operations Support Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Director - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Vice President - Regulatory Affairs Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Associate General Counsel Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555
LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 cc:
Manager Licensing - Braidwood, Byron, and LaSalle Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Senior Vice President - Midwest Operations Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555
Enclosure REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION REVIEW OF SITE SPECIFIC DECOMMISSIONING COST ESTIMATES BRAIDWOOD STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2; BYRON STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2; LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2; EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC DOCKET NOS. STN 50-456 AND STN 50-457; STN 50-454 AND STN 50-455; 50-373 AND 50-374 On December 18, 2006 Exelon Generation Company, LLC (EGC, the licensee) submitted letter RS-06-176, which included site-specific cost estimates and identified SAFSTOR periods for Braidwood Station (Braidwood) Units 1 and 2; Byron Station (Byron), Unit Nos. 1 and 2; and LaSalle County Station (LaSalle) Units 1 and 2. The information was submitted in response to questions raised by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff following its review of letter RS-05-035, Report on the Status of Decommissioning Funding for Reactors, dated March 24, 2005.
The NRC staff conducted an independent analysis of the decommissioning costs for the EGC plants identified in the licensees December 18, 2006, letter. For the independent analysis, the NRC staff applied a 2 percent real rate of return credit to the trust fund balance for the licensed operating period for these plants. Once the plants were projected to enter into SAFSTOR, the NRC staff applied a 2 percent real rate of return on the annual fund; however, total annual costs identified in Tables A-1 (Braidwood Unit 1), Table A-2 (Braidwood Unit 2), Table B-1 (Byron Unit 1), Table B-2 (Byron Unit 2), Table C-1 (LaSalle Unit 1), and Table C-2 (LaSalle Unit 2) were deducted annually before the 2 percent real rate of return was credited for each prospective year.
The NRC staffs analysis indicates that EGC has sufficient funds to complete decommissioning of the LaSalle units. However, for both Braidwood Units 1 and 2, and Byron Unit Nos. 1 and 2, the NRC staff needs additional information to determine whether its trust funds are sufficient to complete decommissioning.
EGC did not identify any additional or separate funds to address the costs of spent fuel storage, which were included in the annual costs in Table A-1 and A-2 for Braidwood, and Tables B-1 and B-2 for Bryon. The total annual costs identified in these tables were included in the NRC staffs analysis. Please identify any additional or separate funds to address spent fuel storage expenses, or other costs identified in your submittal.