ML081130057
| ML081130057 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Indian Point  |
| Issue date: | 04/21/2008 |
| From: | Mizuno B NRC/OGC |
| To: | Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel |
| SECY RAS | |
| References | |
| 50-247-LR, 50-286-LR, RAS E-82 | |
| Download: ML081130057 (5) | |
Text
April 21, 2008 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD In the Matter of
)
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC.
)
Docket Nos. 50-247/286-LR
)
(Indian Point Nuclear Generating
)
Units 2 and 3)
)
NRC STAFFS REPLY TO RIVERKEEPER, INC.S RESPONSE TO THE THE LICENSING BOARDS QUESTIONS REGARDING CONTENTION EC-2 (SAMAs)
The Staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Staff) hereby replies to Riverkeeper, Inc.s Response to Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Questions Regarding Contention EC-2 (Riverkeepers Response), filed on April 7, 2008.1 As set forth below, the Staff submits that, even as clarified, the contention is inadmissible because it fails to show any reason to believe that the MAAP code is defective or was used improperly by the Applicant.2 First, Riverkeepers reliance on NUREG-1465 (Riverkeepers Response, passim) is unavailing. At issue here is the adequacy of Entergys analysis of the release of radionuclides to the environment in a severe accident. In contrast, NUREG-1465s source term only addresses the release of radionuclides into containment; it assumes a release resulting from substantial meltdown of the core into the containment... and [assumes] that the containment remains intact but leaks at its maximum allowable leak rate. NUREG 1465, at 1 (emphasis 1 In Contention EC-2, Riverkeeper, Inc. (Riverkeeper) challenged Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.s (Entergy) use of the Modular Accident Analysis Program (MAAP) Code in calculating accident consequences for purposes of severe accident mitigation alternatives (SAMA) analysis. Riverkeeper claimed that Entergys use of the MAAP code produced a lower source term than the source term in NUREG-1465. In its April 7, 2008 response, Riverkeeper confirmed (a) that NUREG-1465s source term is a source term for releases from the reactor vessel into containment and (b) that Riverkeeper had then assumed that 100% of the radionuclide inventory would be released from the containment to the environment by way of an early energetic containment failure. Riverkeepers Response at 2 and 3 n.1.
2 Duke Energy Corp. (McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2; Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2), LBP-03-17, 58 NRC 221, 240 (2003).
added). Thus, NUREG-1465 does not support Riverkeepers use of that document to postulate a 100% prompt release resulting from an early energetic containment breach.
Second, even if NUREG-1465s source term could be used as the source term for an energetic early release from containment, Riverkeeper still has not established a basis for its contention. While Riverkeeper points to a single event followed by a 100% early release from containment, Entergys MAAP-based source term represents all early high release accident sequences, including Riverkeepers early energetic containment failure sequence,3 which Entergy weighted according to their estimated frequency of occurrence consistent with probabilistic practice. Entergy determined that 90% of early high releases would be the result of containment by-pass events, specifically steam generator tube rupture and inter-active system loss of coolant accidents, and that the remaining 10% would be the result of early containment failure and other events.4 Early containment failure and containment by-pass are different events, with significant differences in sequence progression, release pathways, and fission product deposition and removal mechanisms.5 These two different events naturally result in different source terms; the disparity between Entergys MAAP-based probabilistic source term and the NUREG-1465 source term fails to show any reason to believe that Entergys source term is deficient, as required to support an admissible contention.
Respectfully submitted,
/RA/
Beth N. Mizuno Counsel for NRC Staff Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 21st day of April, 2008 3 Indian Point License Renewal Application, Environmental Report (LRA ER), Sections 1.2.2.7 and 3.2.2.7, Consequence Analysis Source Terms for IP2 and IP3.
4 LRA ER, Figures E.1-2 and E.3-2, Contributions to Large Early Release Frequency for IP2 and IP3.
5 NUREG-1150, Severe Accident Risks: An Assessment for Five U.S. Nuclear Power Plants, December 1990, Vol. 2, Sections C-10.1 and C-13.4.1.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD In the Matter of
)
)
ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC. )
Docket Nos. 50-247/286-LR
)
(Indian Point Nuclear Generating
)
Units 2 and 3)
)
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing NRC STAFFS REPLY TO RIVERKEEPER, INC.S RESPONSE TO THE LICENSING BOARD QUESTIONS REGARDING CONTENTION EC-2 (SAMAs), dated April 21, 2008, have been served upon the following through deposit in the NRCs internal mail system, with copies by electronic mail, as indicated by an asterisk, or by deposit in the U.S. Postal Service, with copies by electronic mail, as indicated by double asterisk, this 21st day of April, 2008:
Lawrence G. McDade, Chair*
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop - T-3 F23 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: LGM1@nrc.gov Dr. Richard E. Wardwell*
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop - T-3 F23 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: REW@nrc.gov Dr. Kaye D. Lathrop*
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel 190 Cedar Lane E.
Ridgway, CO 81432 E-mail: KDL2@nrc.gov Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel*
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Stop: T-3 F23 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication*
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Stop: O-16G4 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: OCAAMAIL@nrc.gov Office of the Secretary*
Attn: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff Mail Stop: O-16G4 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: HEARINGDOCKET@nrc.gov Zachary S. Kahn*
Law Clerk Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop - T-3 F23 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: ZXK1@nrc.gov
Marcia Carpentier*
Law Clerk Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Mail Stop: T-3 E2B U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 (E-mail: Marcia.Carpentier@nrc.gov)
William C. Dennis, Esq.**
Assistant General Counsel Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 E-mail: wdennis@entergy.com Kathryn M. Sutton, Esq.**
Paul M. Bessette, Esq.
Martin J. ONeill, Esq.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 E-mail: ksutton@morganlewis.com E-mail: pbessette@morganlewis.com E-mail: martin.o'neill@morganlewis.com Michael J. Delaney, Esq.**
Vice President - Energy Department New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCDEC) 110 William Street New York, NY 10038 E-mail: mdelaney@nycedc.com Susan H. Shapiro, Esq.**
21 Perlman Drive Spring Valley, NY 10977 E-mail: mbs@ourrocklandoffice.com Arthur J. Kremer, Chairman**
New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (AREA) 347 Fifth Avenue, Suite 508 New York, NY 10016 E-mail: ajkremer@rmfpc.com kremer@area-alliance.org John LeKay**
FUSE USA 351 Dyckman Street Peekskill, NY 10566 E-mail: fuse_usa@yahoo.com Manna Jo Greene**
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.
112 Little Market Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 E-mail: Mannajo@clearwater.org Justin D. Pruyne, Esq.**
Assistant County Attorney Office of the Westchester County Attorney 148 Martine Avenue, 6th Floor White Plains, NY 10601 E-mail: jdp3@westchestergov.com Daniel E. ONeill, Mayor**
James Seirmarco, M.S.
Village of Buchanan Municipal Building Buchanan, NY 10511-1298 E-mail: vob@bestweb.net John J. Sipos, Esq.**
Charlie Donaldson, Esq.
Assistants Attorney General New York State Department of Law Environmental Protection Bureau The Capitol Albany, NY 12224 E-mail: john.sipos@oag.state.ny.us Joan Leary Matthews, Esq.**
Senior Attorney for Special Projects New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Office of the General Counsel 625 Broadway, 14th Floor Albany, NY 12233-1500 E-mail: jlmatthe@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Diane Curran, Esq.**
Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg, LLP 1726 M Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20036 E-mail: dcurran@harmoncurran.com Robert Snook, Esq.**
Office of the Attorney General State of Connecticut 55 Elm Street P.O. Box 120 Hartford, CN 06141-0120 E-mail: robert.snook@po.state.ct.us Daniel Riesel, Esq**.
Thomas F. Wood, Esq.
Ms. Jessica Steinberg, J.D.
Sive, Paget & Riesel, P.C.
460 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 E-mail: driesel@sprlaw.com jsteinberg@sprlaw.com Ms. Nancy Burton**
147 Cross Highway Redding Ridge, CT 06876 E-mail: nancyburtonct@aol.com Mylan L. Denerstein, Esq.**
Janice A. Dean, Esq.
Executive Deputy Attorney General, Social Justice Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York 120 Broadway, 25th Floor New York, NY 10271 E-mail: mylan.denerstein@oag.state.ny.us janice.dean@oag.state.ny.us Victor Tafur, Esq.**
Phillip Musegaas, Esq.
Riverkeeper, Inc.
828 South Broadway Tarrytown, NY 10591 E-mail: phillip@riverkeeper.org vtafur@riverkeeper.org Richard L. Brodsky, Esq.**
5 West Main St.
Elmsford, NY 10523 E-mail: brodskr@assembly.state.ny.us richardbrodsky@msn.com Elise N. Zoli, Esq.**
Goodwin Procter, LLP Exchange Place 53 State Street Boston, MA 02109 E-mail: ezoli@goodwinprocter.com Sarah L. Wagner, Esq.**
Legislative Office Building, Room 422 Albany, NY 12248 E-mail: sarahwagneresq@gmail.com John Louis Parker, Esq.**
Office of General Counsel, Region 3 New York State Department of Environmental conservation 21 South Putt Corners Road New Paltz, NY 12561-1620 E-mail: jlparker@gw.dec.state.ny.us
/RA/
Beth N. Mizuno Counsel for NRC Staff