ML083570498
| ML083570498 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | WM-00011, 06300001, PAPO-001 |
| Issue date: | 12/22/2008 |
| From: | Bollwerk G, Moore T, Paul Ryerson Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel |
| To: | Nuclear Energy Institute |
| SECY RAS | |
| References | |
| ADVISORY PAPO BOARD, ASLBP 08-861-01-PAPO-BD01, PAPO-001, RAS 1788 | |
| Download: ML083570498 (12) | |
Text
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD Before Administrative Judges:
Thomas S. Moore, Chairman G. Paul Bollwerk, III Paul S. Ryerson In the Matter of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (High-Level Waste Repository: Pre-Application Matters, Advisory PAPO Board)
Docket No. PAPO-001 ASLBP No. 08-861-01-PAPO-BD01 December 22, 2008 MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (Denying Petition to Certify Issue to the Commission and Motion for Leave to File Replies)
On November 24, 2008, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) petitioned the Advisory Pre-License Application Presiding Officer Board (Board), pursuant to 10 C.F.R § 2.323(f)(2), to certify to the Commission the following issue: Under section 2.309(h)(1), may any other than only the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Staff file answers to initial petitions and contentions in the Yucca Mountain licensing proceeding?1 Timely responses opposing NEIs petition were filed by the NRC Staff, the State of Nevada, and the Nevada counties of Clark and (filing jointly) Eureka and Lincoln.2 Thereafter, NEI moved for leave to file replies to the NRC Staff response and the Eureka and Lincoln 1 The Nuclear Energy Institutes Petition to Certify Issue to the Commission (Nov. 24, 2008) at 1
[hereinafter NEI Petition].
2 NRC Staff Reply to [NEI]s November 24, 2008 Petition to Certify Issue to the Commission (Dec. 4, 2008) [hereinafter NRC Staff Reply to Petition]; State of Nevada Answer to NEIs Petition to Certify Issue to the Commission (Dec. 4, 2008) [hereinafter Nevada Answer]; Answer of Clark County, Nevada to the Petition of [NEI] to Certify Question to the Commission (Dec. 4, 2008); Joint Response by Eureka County and Lincoln County to [NEI]s Petition to Certify Issue to the Commission (Dec. 4, 2008).
County joint response.3 The NRC Staff opposes NEIs motion.4 We deny NEIs petition to certify, for the following reasons:
First, NEI fails to address, much less satisfy, the standards for certification under the regulation on which it relies. As the NRC Staff points out,5 under section 2.323(f)(2), the interlocutory review standards of section 2.341(f) control. Section 2.341(f)(1) provides for certification of a question if it raises novel legal or policy issues, and resolution of the issues would materially advance the orderly disposition of the proceeding.6 Section 2.341(f)(2) applies in the event the issue threatens to cause an immediate and serious irreparable impact or affects the basic structure of the proceeding in a pervasive or unusual manner.7 NEI not only fails to establish that any of these criteria applies, but its petition suggests that they could not apply. Rather than raising any novel issue, NEI seeks confirmation of the meaning of provisions that it describes as crystal clear.8 Save for completely unsupported speculation in its petition that the Yucca Mountain licensing proceeding might be complicated by a multitude of improper answers,9 NEI offers no indication of any immediate and serious irreparable impact or that the issue affects the basic structure of the proceeding in a pervasive or unusual manner. NEI proffers in its petition no evidence that a single such answer is likely 3 [NEI]s Motion for Leave to File Replies and Replies to the NRC Staff and Eureka and Lincoln Counties (Dec. 8, 2008).
4 NRC Staff Reply to [NEI]s December 8, 2008 Motion for Leave to File Replies (Dec. 16, 2008)
[hereinafter NRC Staff Reply to Motion].
5 NRC Staff Reply to Petition at 1-2.
6 10 C.F.R. § 2.314(f)(1).
7 Id. § 2.314(f)(2).
8 NEI Petition at 2.
9 Id. at 4.
to be filed, much less a multitude.
Second, as the NRC Staff points out,10 NEI fails to establish that the issue it wishes to be certified is ripe for decision. Since no improper answers have been filed and NEI provides no evidence that any are likely to be filed, a decision on such answers is not appropriate at this time.
Third, even assuming arguendo that the Board retains authority to act at this time,11 the Commission never empowered the Board to address the standing or capacity of any entity to file any document.12 We are reluctant to certify to the Commission an issue that would not be within the Boards jurisdiction in the first place. As we stated in denying an earlier motion by NEI:
Whether any party or potential party may file any particular document, consistent with the Commissions regulations, would appropriately be raised with the boards that may be constituted to consider petitions to intervene in any high-level waste repository construction authorization proceeding.13 10 NRC Staff Reply to Petition at 2.
11 The State of Nevada presents a nonfrivolous argument that the Boards authority has expired.
See Nevada Answer at 2.
12 On June 17, 2008, the Commission empowered the Board to issue only limited procedural orders, confined to [t]he organization of petitions to intervene, in particular, the formatting and labeling of contentions, an associated structure for responses and replies regarding contentions, the organization of standing arguments, and a uniform system for referencing or attaching supporting materials. U.S. Dept of Energy (High-Level Waste Repository: Pre-Application Matters, Advisory PAPO Board), CLI-08-14, 67 NRC __, __ (slip op. at 6) (June 17, 2008).
13 Memorandum and Order (Denying Motion for Reconsideration of Portion of Advisory PAPO Boards June 20, 2008 Memorandum and Order) (July 1, 2008) at 2 (unpublished). Certainly, in light of the Commissions December 19, 2008 action referring the Nevada, Nye County, and NEI Yucca Mountain licensing proceeding hearing petitions of that same date to the Licensing Board Panels Chief Administrative Judge for appointment of a presiding officer, the existence of one or more licensing boards with the authority to rule on whether a pleading (including an answer to a hearing petition) has been appropriately filed in that proceeding is likely to be realized in the near term. See Memoranda from Annette L. Vietti-Cook, NRC Secretary, to E. Roy Hawkens, Fourth, as NEI acknowledges, NEI already brought this issue to the attention of the Commission in the context of its August 2008 comments on a Commission proposal to double the time specified in 10 C.F.R. Part 2, Appendix D for filing hearing petitions, answers, and responses in the Yucca Mountain licensing proceeding.14 Certifying the issue seems especially inappropriate in such circumstances, as the Commission had before it a vehicle for addressing the issue (i.e., the Commissions October 2008 hearing notice establishing the extended filing dates15) if the Commission had wished to do so.
Finally, we deny NEIs motion for leave to file replies. As the NRC Staff points out,16 permission to file replies may be granted only in compelling circumstances, such as where the moving party demonstrates that it could not reasonably have anticipated the arguments to which it seeks leave to reply.17 No compelling circumstances exist. Surely NEI could reasonably have anticipated the need to demonstrate compliance with applicable regulatory requirements when it filed its original petition. It is too late to attempt to do so for the first time ASLBP Chief Administrative Judge (Dec. 19, 2008) (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML083540672, ML083540673).
14 NEI Petition at 1 n.2.
15 In the Matter of U.S. Department of Energy (High Level Waste Repository); Notice of Hearing and Opportunity To Petition for Leave to Intervene on an Application for Authority to Construct a Geologic Repository at a Geologic Repository Operations Area at Yucca Mountain, 73 Fed.
Reg. 63,029 (Oct. 22, 2008).
16 NRC Staff Reply to Motion at 2.
17 10 C.F.R. § 2.323(c).
in a proposed reply. In any event, having reviewed the replies that NEI proposes to file, the Board concludes that nothing therein would change the Boards decision.
NEIs petition and motion to file replies are denied.
It is so ORDERED.
The Advisory Pre-License Application Presiding Officer Board
/RA/
Thomas S. Moore, Chairman ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE
/RA/
G. Paul Bollwerk, III ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE
/RA/
Paul S. Ryerson ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE Rockville, Maryland December 22, 2008
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of
)
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
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Docket No. PAPO-001
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(Advisory Pre-License Application: )
Presiding Officer Board)
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(Advisory PAPO Board)
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (DENYING PETITION TO CERTIFY ISSUE TO THE COMMISSION AND MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE REPLIES), issued December 22, 2008, have been served upon the following persons by Electronic Information Exchange.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Mail Stop T-3F23 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Thomas S. Moore, Chair Administrative Judge E-mail: tsm2@nrc.gov G. Paul Bollwerk, III Administrative Judge E-mail: gpb@nrc.gov Alex S. Karlin, Administrative Judge E-mail: ask2@nrc.gov Paul S. Ryerson Administrative Judge E-mail: psr1@nrc.gov ASLBP (contd.)
Anthony C. Eitreim, Esq.
Chief Counsel E-mail: ace1@nrc.gov James M. Cutchin: jmc3@nrc.gov Joseph Deucher: jhd@nrc.gov Lauren Bregman: lrb1@nrc.gov Zachary Kahn: zxk1@nrc.gov Erica LaPlante: eal1@nrc.gov Johanna Thibault: jrt3@nrc.gov Emily Krause: eik1@nrc.gov Daniel J. Graser LSN Administrator E-mail: djg2@nrc.gov ASLB HLW Adjudication E-mail: ASLBP_HLW_Adjudication@nrc.gov U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of the Secretary of the Commission Mail Stop O-16C1 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Hearing Docket E-mail: hearingdocket@nrc.gov U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Public Affairs Mail Stop O-16D3 Washington, DC 20555-0001 David McIntyre:
E-mail: dtm@nrc.gov
DOCKET NO. PAPO-001 MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (DENYING PETITION TO CERTIFY ISSUE TO THE COMMISSION AND MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE REPLIES) 2 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of the General Counsel Mail Stop O-15D21 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Mitzi A. Young, Esq.
E-mail: may@nrc.gov Marian L. Zobler, Esq E-mail: mlz@nrc.gov Andrea L. Silvia, Esq.
E-mail: alc1@nrc.gov Margaret J. Bupp, Esq.
E-mail: mjb5@nrc.gov Daniel W. Lenehan, Esq.
E-mail: dwl2@nrc.gov Nina E. Bafundo, Esq.
E-mail: neg1@nrc.gov OGC Mail Center E-mail: OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov U.S. Department of Energy Office of General Counsel 1000 Independence Avenue S.W.
Washington, DC 20585 Martha S. Crosland, Esq.
E-mail: Martha.crosland@hq.doe.gov Nicholas P. DiNunzio, Esq.
E-mail: nick.dinunzio@rw.doe.gov Angela M. Kordyak, Esq.
E-mail: angela.kordyak@hq.doe.gov Mary B. Neumayr, Esq.
E-mail: mary.neumayr@hq.doe.gov U.S. Department of Energy 1551 Hillshire Drive Las Vegas, NV 89134-6321 Timothy C. Gunter E-mail: timothy_gunter@ymp.gov Susan L. Rives E-mail: susan_rives@ymp.gov U.S. Department of Energy Office of General Counsel 1551 Hillshire Drive Las Vegas, NV 89134-6321 George W. Hellstrom, Esq.
E-mail: george.hellstrom@ymp.gov
DOCKET NO. PAPO-001 MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (DENYING PETITION TO CERTIFY ISSUE TO THE COMMISSION AND MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE REPLIES) 3 Counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy Morgan, Lewis, Bockius LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20004 Lewis Csedrik, Esq.
E-mail: lcsedrik@morganlewis.com Jay Gutierrez, Esq.
E-mail: jguiterrez@morganlewis.com Thomas Poindexter, Esq.
E-mail: tpoindexter@morganlewis.com Alex S. Polonsky, Esq.
E-mail: apolonsky@morganlewis.com Thomas A. Schmutz, Esq.
E-mail: tschmutz@morganlewis.com Donald Silverman, Esq.
E-mail: dsilverman@morganlewis.com Paul J. Zaffuts, Esq.
E-mail: pzaffuts@morganlewis.com Thomas E. Reinert, Jr., Esq.
E-mail: treinert@morganlewis.com Corrine A. Niosi, Esq.
E-mail: cniosi@morganlewis.com Liesel J. Danjczek, Esq.
E-mail: ldanjczek@morganlewis.com Anna L. Vinson, Esq.
E-mail: avinson@morganlewis.com Annette M. White, Esq.
E-mail: annette.white@morganlewis.com Cliff Cooper, Paralegal E-mail: ccooper@morganlewis.com Counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy Hunton & Williams, LLP Riverfront Plaza, East Tower 951 East Byrd Street Richmond, VA 23219 W. Jeffrey Edwards, Esq.
E-mail: jewards@hunton.com Kelly L. Faglioni, Esq.
E-mail: kfaglioni@hunton.com Melissa Grier E-mail: mgrier@hunton.com Donald P. Irwin, Esq.
E-mail: dirwin@hunton.com Stephanie Meharg:
E-mail: smeharg@hunton.com Edward P. Noonan, Esq.
E-mail: enoonan@hunton.com Audrey B. Rusteau E-mail: arusteau@hunton.com Michael R. Shebelskie, Esq.
E-mail: mshebelskie@hunton.com Pat Slayton E-mail: pslayton@hunton.com Belinda A. Wright E-mail: bwright@hunton.com Counsel for the State of Nevada Egan, Fitzpatrick & Malsch, PLLC 2001 K Street Washington, DC 20006 Martin G. Malsch, Esq.
E-mail: mmalsch@nuclearlawyer.com Susan Montesi E-mail: smontesi@nuclearlawyer.com Counsel for the State of Nevada Egan, Fitzpatrick & Malsch, PLLC 12500 San Pedro Avenue, Suite 555 San Antonio, TX 78216 Charles J. Fitzpatrick, Esq E-mail: cfitzpatrick@nuclearlawyer.com John W. Lawrence, Esq.
E-mail: jlawrence@nuclearlawyer.com Laurie Borski, Paralegal E-mail: lborski@nuclearlawyer.com
DOCKET NO. PAPO-001 MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (DENYING PETITION TO CERTIFY ISSUE TO THE COMMISSION AND MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE REPLIES) 4 Counsel for the State of Nevada Ross Dixon & Bell 2001 K. Street N.W., Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006 Merril Hirsh, Esq.
E-mail: mhirsh@rdblaw.com Counsel for Lincoln County Carter Ledyard & Milburn, LLP 1401 Eye Street, N.W., Suite 300 Washington, DC 20005 Barry S. Neuman, Esq.
E-mail: neuman@clm.com Counsel for Lincoln County Carter Ledyard & Milburn, LLP 2 Wall Street New York, NY 10005 Ethan I. Strell, Esq.
E-mail: strell@clm.com Clark County (NV) 500 S. Grand Central Parkway Las Vegas, NV 98155 Elizabeth A. Vibert, Deputy District Attorney E-mail: VibertE@co.clark.nv.us Engelbrecht von Tiesenhausen E-mail: evt@co.clark.nv.us Phil Klevorick, Sr. Mgmt Analyst E-mail: klevorick@co.clark.nv.us Counsel for Clark County, Nevada Jennings, Strouss & Salmon 8330 W. Sahara Avenue, #290 Las Vegas, NV 89117 Marc Gordon, Esq.
mgordon@jsslaw.com Counsel for Clark County, Nevada Jennings, Strouss & Salmon 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20006 Alan Robbins, Esq.
arobbins@jsslaw.com Debra Roby, Esq.
droby@jsslaw.com Elene Belete sbelete@jsslaw.com
DOCKET NO. PAPO-001 MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (DENYING PETITION TO CERTIFY ISSUE TO THE COMMISSION AND MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE REPLIES) 5 Counsel for Eureka County, Nevada Harmon, Curran, Speilberg & Eisenberg, LLP 1726 M. Street N.W., Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Diane Curran, Esq.
E-mail: dcurran@harmoncurran.com Counsel for Churchill County, Esmeralda County, Lander County, Mineral County Armstrong Teasdale, LLP 1975 Village Center Circle, Suite 140 Las Vegas, NV 89134-6237 Robert F. List, Esq.
E-mail: rlist@armstrongteasdale.com Jennifer A. Gores, Esq.
E-mail: jgores@armstrongteasdale.com City of Las Vegas 400 Stewart Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89101 Margaret Plaster, Management Analyst E-mail: mplaster@LasVegasNevada.gov Liane Lee, Legislative Affairs Officer E-mail: lilee@LasVegasNevada.GOV Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708 Michael A. Bauser, Esq.
E-mail: mab@nei.org Anne W. Cottinghan, Esq.
E-mail: awc@nei.org Ellen C. Ginsberg, Esq.
E-mail: ecg@nei.org Counsel for the Nuclear Energy Institute Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP 2300 N Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037-1122 Timothy J.V. Walsh, Esq.
E-Mail: timothy.walsh@pillsburylaw.com Jay E. Silberg, Esq.
E-Mail: jay.silberg@pillsburylaw.com Maria D. Webb, Senior Energy Legal Analyst E-mail: maria.webb@pillsburylaw.com Counsel for the Nuclear Energy Institute Winston & Strawn LLP 1700 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006-3817 David A. Repka, Esq.
E-Mail: drepka@winston.com Carlos L. Sisco, Senior Paralegal E-Mail: csisco@winston.com
DOCKET NO. PAPO-001 MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (DENYING PETITION TO CERTIFY ISSUE TO THE COMMISSION AND MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE REPLIES) 6 White Pine County, City of Caliente, Lincoln County P.O. Box 126 Caliente, NV 89008 Jason Pitts E-mail: jayson@idtservices.com Inyo County (CA ) Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository Assessment Office P. O. Box 367 Independence, CA 93526-0367 Alisa M. Lembke, Project Analyst E-mail: alembke@inyocounty.us NWOP Consulting, Inc.
1705 Wildcat Lane Ogden, UT 84403 Loreen Pitchford, LSN Coordinator For Churchill, Eureka, and Lander County E-mail: lpitchford@comcast.net Nuclear Waste Project Office 1761 East College Parkway, Suite 118 Carson City, NV 89706 Steve Frishman, Tech. Policy Coordinatory E-mail: Steve.frishman@gmail.com Nye County (NV) Regulatory/Licensing Adv.
18160 Cottonwood Rd. #265 Sunriver, OR 97707 Malachy Murphy, Esq.
E-mail: mrmurphy@chamberscable.com Zoie Choate, Secretary E-mail: zchoate@co.nye.nv.us Sherry Dudley, Admin. Technical Coordinator E-mail: sdudley@co.nye.nv.us Counsel for Nye County, Nevada 530 Farrington Court Las Vegas, NV 89123 Jeffrey D. VanNiel, Esq.
E-mail: nbrjdvn@gmail.com Timbisha Shoshone Tribe Frederick and Peebles, LLP 1001 Second St.
Sacramento, CA 95814 Darcie L. Houck, Esq.
E-mail: dhouch@ndlaw.com John M. Peebles, Esq.
E-mail: jpeebles@ndlaw.com Joe Kennedy, Esq.
E-mail: chairperson@timbisha.org Talisman International, LLC 1000 Potomac St., NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20007 Patricia Larimore, Senior Paralegal E-mail: plarimore@talisman-intl.com
DOCKET NO. PAPO-001 MEMORANDUM AND ORDER (DENYING PETITION TO CERTIFY ISSUE TO THE COMMISSION AND MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE REPLIES) 7 Yucca Mountain Project Licensing Group DOE/BSC Regulatory Programs 1180 North Town Center Dr.
Las Vegas, NV 89144 Jeffrey Kriner E-mail: jeffrey_kriner@ymp.gov California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General 1515 Clay Street, 20th Floor P.O. Box 70550 Oakland, CA 94612-0550 Timothy E. Sullivan, Deputy Attorney General Email: Timothy.Sullivan@doj.ca.gov Michele Mercado, Analyst Email: Michele.Mercado@doj.ca.gov California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General 1300 I Street P.O. Box 944255 Sacramento, CA 94244-2550 Susan Durbin, Deputy Attorney General E-mail susan.durbin@doj.ca.gov California Department of Justice 300 S. Spring Street, Suite 1700 Los Angeles, CA 90013 Brian Hembacher, Deputy Attorney General Email: brian.hembacher@doj.ca.gov California Energy Commission 1516 9th Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Kevin, W. Bell, Senior Staff Counsel E-mail: kwbell@energy.state.ca.us
[Original Signed by Linda D. Lewis]
Office of the Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 22nd day of December 2008