ML083380455

Comments of Greg Veith in Support of Kewaunee Power Station License Renewal

ML083380455
Person / Time
Site:	Kewaunee
Issue date:	11/05/2008
From:	Veith G Dominion Energy Kewaunee
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML083380455 (2)

Text

Sarah Lopas From: Gregory.Veith@dom.com Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 3:57 PM To: KewauneeEIS Resource

Subject:

License Renewal Comments by Greg Veith in Support of the Kewaunee Power Station License Renewal.

My name is Greg Veith. I am the President of IUOE Local 310, the labor union that represents 1200 utility workers in northeast Wisconsin. 170 of these members work at the Kewaunee Nuclear power station. I have worked at Kewaunee for 28 years, all in the Operations department. I received an RO license in 1987 and currently hold an SRO license received in 1990 (Docket # 50-305). I support Dominion's request for license renewal based on plant health, community involvement, employment opportunities, financial contributions and environmental considerations.

The health of the Kewaunee Power Station gets better every day. The facility has relatively new steam generators and Dominion has demonstrated in just 3 years a willingness to invest the capital needed to fix or prevent problems. The replacement of the main transformers, scheduled heater drain pump upgrades, and charging pump improvements are just 3 examples of major projects that have or will improve the operability of Kewaunee. The investment in dry cask storage of used fuel assemblies is a testament to Dominion's long term commitment. Dry cask storage requires a financial investment that does not directly contribute to megawatts produced, but makes a strong statement that the facility is here for the long term. Yes, it can be stated that Kewaunee is 35 years old, but itshould be noted that many improvements and replacements have occurred over the life of the plant (condenser tube replacement for one) which make the station younger. I have seen two owners and three management teams operate Kewaunee and Dominion has demonstrated time and again that equipment gets fixed, the facility is upgraded and that Dominion is here for the duration.

Dominion is an excellent Corporate neighbor. Since 2006, Dominion has contributed $264,000 to nonprofit organizations in the Kewaunee, Brown, and Manitowoc county areas as well as some other surrounding areas. In particular, Dominion has contributed $12,000 to the Ag Heritage Farm; contributions to local schools in support of PTO, Spanish class trip and new electronic sign; $20,000 to the Lakeshore Technical College Foundation for the Health Physics/Radiation Safety Pilot; $3500 annually to the Manitowoc/Two Rivers Chamber of Commerce Foundation Junior Leadership Program;

$5000 to the Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve Environmental Education programs; and $54,000 to the United Way. As important financial support is to these worthy organizations, Dominion also encourages and supports employee participation in community and civic activities through flexible work schedules and allowed time away from work. Dominion is also fully aware of the facility's impact on the local area and continually reminds employees of the importance of being good neighbors in our work and travel to and from the plant.

The Kewaunee Power station provides employment for approximately 450 families. These jobs are secure and offer competitive compensation. These employees live and spend money in the local communities and along with the day to day cost of operating the facility, provide a significant share of the area's financial well being. The loss of this facility would have far reaching negative affects on the local communities as well as Wisconsin. On a global scale, as concern for green house emissions grows, nuclear power's contribution to the nation's electrical needs with little impact on the environment increases its worth as a viable energy source. Now is the time to continue and grow the use of nuclear power.

Finally, the new training building encapsulates much of what Dominion is accomplishing in Wisconsin. This structure does not directly contribute to megawatts produced, but does provide a state of the art facility where employees are trained to operate the power station in a safe manner. It is a commitment to the future. But Dominion went a step further situating this building outside the secure area and offering it to the surrounding communities for meeting needs. Every time I view the new training facility I see commitment to safe operation, commitment to the future, and commitment to neighbors.

Dominion is an experienced nuclear plant operator and has earned the right to continue operating Kewaunee for another 20 years. Dominion has demonstrated commitment to the facility, the local communities, the employees and the safe operation of nuclear power plants. It is for these reasons that I request the Nuclear Regulatory Commission grant Dominion's request to renew the operating license of the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Station.

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Should there be any questions about these comments or if I may be of assistance in any way concerning this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me at - -

Thank-you for you time and consideration of this matter. I look forward to the NRC's favorable ruling.

Respectfully; Greg Veith President, IUOE Local 310 SRO Kewaunee Power Station CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic message contains information which may be legally confidential and/or privileged and does not in any case represent a firm ENERGY COMMODITY bid or offer relating thereto which binds the sender without an additional express written confirmation to that effect. The information is intended solely for the individual or entity named above and access by anyone else is unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this information is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this electronic transmission in error, please reply immediately to the sender that you have received the message in error, and delete it. Thank you.

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