ML071690216
| ML071690216 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | PROJ0690 |
| Issue date: | 07/09/2007 |
| From: | Jennifer Davis NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/REBB |
| To: | Nuclear Energy Institute |
| Davis J, NRR/DLR/REBB, 415-3835 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML071690361 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML071690216 (10) | |
Text
July 9, 2007 ORGANIZATION:
Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF MARCH 21, 2007 MEETING WITH NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE AND INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES TO DISCUSS ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT CONTENT TO SUPPORT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION REVIEWS Members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff hosted a meeting with representatives of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), license renewal applicants, and industry representatives and their contractors on March 21, 2007, at NRC Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, to discuss the format and content of environmental reports submitted with applications for nuclear plant operating license renewal. A list of attendees is provided in. Copies of the meeting agenda and meeting handouts are provided in Enclosures 2 and 3, respectively.
Bruce Boger, Associate Director for Operating Reactor Oversight and Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, provided opening remarks. Mr. Boger highlighted the importance of applicants providing thorough environmental reports, focusing on the link between high-quality applications and an efficient and timely staff review.
The staff presentations began with a general overview of the principal statutes affecting NRC environmental reviews. The purpose of this presentation was to highlight external influences on the NRCs environmental review process, including how changes in environmental protection regulations and other agencies interpretations of environmental statutes can affect NRCs environmental reviews.
The staff then made a series of presentations regarding specific review topics, including historic and archaeological resources, nonradiological waste and pollution prevention, and ecological resources. Each presentation included discussion of (1) the statutory and regulatory bases for NRC information requests; (2) specific regulatory requirements regarding application content; (3) information necessary for NRC staff to complete its environmental review; (4) useful resource materials for application preparation; (5) the advantages to applicants who engage relevant local, state, and Federal authorities and Native American tribes (e.g. State Historic Preservation Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, etc.) early in the application process; and (6) suggestions of how applicants can provide support to NRC staff during environmental site audits to improve the efficiency of NRC staff reviews.
Following each presentation, the staff engaged in dialog with industry participants on issues related to the individual topic areas. During these discussions, the participants identified a number of specific issues in need of further clarification. These issues included (1) assessing cultural resource protection during the current operating term versus during the renewal term; (2) information needed by the staff regarding storage and handling of mixed wastes; (3) cooling system intake best technology available determinations and their relationship to permits issued to facilities pursuant to several sections of the Clean Water Act; (4) evaluation of cumulative impacts, including such evaluation for a site with an active application for an early site permit or combined construction and operating license for a new nuclear unit; (5) how ISO 14000 programs may be considered in license renewal application reviews; and (6) how applicants should address the impacts of consumptive water use on riparian and aquatic systems. Resolution of these issues will be discussed in future meetings with NEI and industry representatives, as discussed below.
During these discussions the NRC staff reiterated its position that the requested information is necessary for the staff to satisfy its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, to describe the facility and its interactions with the environment. The staff indicated that, while much of the information can be obtained via site audits and/or requests for additional information, providing the information in environmental reports submitted with license renewal applications is expected to result in a more efficient and timely staff environmental review. NRC staff identified specific examples of thorough environmental reports, and described how coordination with related stakeholders provided benefit to applicants. Similarly, staff shared best practices and lessons learned from past license renewals, and referenced documents and contacts that an applicant may find beneficial when preparing environmental reports.
Several industry representatives voiced concerns with the perception that the staff was requesting more information related to generically resolved Category 1 issues in recent license renewal reviews than has previously been the case. The staff indicated that some of these requests were made to be responsive to comments regarding the thoroughness of the staffs facility descriptions provided in previous environmental impact statements. The staff indicated that providing information in these areas supports the regulatory requirements related to describing the facility and its interactions with the environment and supports the staffs independent evaluation of whether any new and significant information exists for associated Category 1 issues. Industry representatives questioned whether this represented a change from past NRC reviews related to Category 1 issues. This was identified as another area where further dialog with industry would be beneficial.
The meeting closed with the participants agreeing that a continuing dialog on the environmental review process would benefit both industry and the NRC staff. Several formats for this ongoing discussion were suggested, including participation by environmental counterparts in currently scheduled monthly conference calls and quarterly meetings with NEI on the license renewal process, as well as future workshops between industry and NRC environmental counterparts. It was agreed that NEI would coordinate with NRC staff regarding the appropriate venue for continued dialog.
At a May 31, 2007, meeting with industry regarding the environmental review process, industry representatives reiterated their concern regarding the perception that more information regarding Category 1 issues is being requested than in the past. The staff reiterated its position that the requested information is necessary to describe the facility, and that the information also supports the staffs independent evaluation regarding the applicability of the generic Category 1 conclusion to individual facilities. The meeting participants agreed that this issue will be a subject for further discussion in future meetings of staff and industry environmental counterparts. Prior to issuance, a draft version of this summary was reviewed by NEI.
/RA/
Jennifer A. Davis, Project Manager Environmental Branch B Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Project No. 690
Enclosures:
- 1. List of Attendees
- 2. Meeting Agenda
- 3. Meeting Handouts cc w/encls: See next page information also supports the staffs independent evaluation regarding the applicability of the generic Category 1 conclusion to individual facilities. The meeting participants agreed that this issue will be a subject for further discussion in future meetings of staff and industry environmental counterparts. Prior to issuance, a draft version of this summary was reviewed by NEI.
/RA/
Jennifer A. Davis, Project Manager Environmental Branch B Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Project No. 690
Enclosures:
- 1. List of Attendees
- 2. Meeting Agenda
- 3. Meeting Handouts cc w/encls: See next page DISTRIBUTION: See next page Adam Accession Nos.: ML071690216 OFFICE PM:DLR:REBB LA:DLR BC:DLR:REBB NAME J. Davis S. Figueroa R. Franovich (w/
comment)
DATE 06/22/07 06/20/07 07/9/07 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Letter to Nuclear Energy Institute from Jennifer Davis Dated July 9, 2007 DISTRIBUTION:
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF MARCH 21, 2007 MEETING WITH NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE AND INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES TO DISCUSS ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT CONTENT TO SUPPORT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION REVIEWS HARD COPY DLR RF E-MAIL:
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Nuclear Energy Institute Project No. 690 cc:
Ms. Christine S. Salembier, Commissioner State Liaison Officer Department of Public Service 112 State St., Drawer 20 Montipelier, VT 05620-2601 Mr. Gordon A. Clefton Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I St., N.W., Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708 Mr. Frederick W. Polaski Manager License Renewal Exelon Corporation 200 Exelon Way Kennett Square, PA 19348 Mr. David Lochbaum Union of Concerned Scientists 1707 H St., NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20006-3919 Mr. Clifford I. Custer Project Manager, License Renewal FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company P.O. Box 4 Route 168 (Mail Stop SIM-2)
Shippingport, PA 15077 Mr. Paul Gunter, Director Reactor Watchdog Project Nuclear Information & Resource Service 6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 340 Takoma Park, MD 20912 Mr. Hugh Jackson Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy &
Environment Program 215 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Washington, DC 20003 Mary Olson Nuclear Information & Resource Service Southeast Office P.O. Box 7586 Asheville, NC 28802 Mr. Garry G. Young Manager, License Renewal Services 1448 SR 333, N-GSB-45 Russellville, AR 72802 Robert A. Vincent Licensing Lead - License Renewal Project Palisades Nuclear Plant 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, MI 49043 Lorrie Bell, Project Manager Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation P.O. Box 411 Burlington, KS 66839 Roger Stewart Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc.
3581 West Entrance Road RNP A9 Hartsville, SC 29550 Michael H. Crowthers, Supervisor Nuclear Regulatory Affairs PPL Susquehanna, LLC Two North Ninth Street (GENPL4)
Allentown, PA 18101-1179
ENCLOSURE 1 List of Attendees for March 21, 2007, Meeting of NEI, Industry, and NRC NAME ORGANIZATION Bruce Boger Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Rani Franovich NRC Robert Schaaf NRC Jennifer Davis NRC Harriet Nash NRC Jessie Muir NRC Molly Barkman NRC Eric Benner NRC Michael Masnik NRC Bo Pham NRC Alicia Williamson NRC Dennis Logan NRC Nathan Goodman NRC Liz Wexler NRC Ekaterina Lenning NRC Briana Harris NRC Kendra Klump NRC William Kennedy NRC Tom Alexion NRC Butch Burton NRC William Schuster NRC Laura Quinn NRC Jim Riley Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
Henry Day APS Palo Verde Gregory DeCamp Constellation
NAME ORGANIZATION Rich Gallagher Dominion Paul Aitken Dominion Abbas Mostala Energy Northwest Joe Frisco Energy Northwest Gary Young Entergy Dara Gray Entergy Bob West Entergy Rick Buckley Entergy Chuck Barlow Entergy Alan Cox Entergy Mark Giles Entergy Fred Polaski Exelon Tom Abbatiello FPL Ken Putnam FPL Steve Hale FPL David Kunsemiller First Energy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC)
Mike Banco FENOC Cliff Coster FENOC Greg Halnon FENOC William Victor Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)
K. M. Krumland NPPD James Holthaus Nuclear Management Company (NMC)
Gene Eckholt NMC Terry Grabel Pacific Gas & Electric Michael Detimore PPL Susquehanna Jerome Fields PPL Susquehanna Jan Kozyra Progress Energy Mike Macfarlane Southern Nuclear Company (SNC)
NAME ORGANIZATION Dale Fulton SNC Tom Moorer SNC Chalmer Myer SNC Richard Schalle STARS Alliance John Snooks Areva Massoud Tafazzoli Areva Bill McCaughey ATL International (ATL)
Mark Orr ATL Bobbie Hurley EarthTech Jim Thomas Enercon Jill Brochu Lepson Consulting Alex Polonsky Morgan Lewis Mike Heath PGN Jim Holian SAIC Anne Lovell TetraTech Jon Cudworth TetraTech Deann Raleigh US Scientech Ashley Burton self Mitch Holthaus self
ENCLOSURE 2 AGENDA FOR NRC STAFF - INDUSTRY COUNTERPART LICENSE RENEWAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2007 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
I.
Registration 7:45 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
II.
Welcome and Opening Remarks 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
(NRC and NEI Staff)
III.
Environmental Statutes Overview 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
(NRC Staff)
IV.
Topic Presentations & Discussions (NRC Staff & Industry)
Historic and Archaeological Resources 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Nonradiological Waste 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Break 10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Ecological Resources 10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
V.
Public Questions & Comments 11:00 a.m. - 11: 40 a.m.
VI.
Closing Remarks 11:40 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.