ML102020414
| ML102020414 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Diablo Canyon  |
| Issue date: | 07/23/2010 |
| From: | Brian Holian Division of License Renewal |
| To: | Mainland E, Stewart J Sierra Club |
| Wrona D J, NRR, 415-2292 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML102020426 | List: |
| References | |
| G20100103, LTR-10-0071, SECY-2010-0114 | |
| Download: ML102020414 (5) | |
Text
July 23, 2010 Mr. Ed Mainland, Co-Chairman Mr. Jim Stewart, Co-Chairman CNRCC Energy-Climate Committee Sierra Club California 801 K Street Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Mr. Mainland and Mr. Stewart:
On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your letter of February 22, 2010. In your letter, you requested that the NRC staff stay its review of the license renewal application for Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 (DCPP), until State-requested seismic studies have been completed. In this case, the State has separate requirements for seismic evaluations that stem from State laws and regulatory oversight for issues such as electric grid reliability, electric ratemaking, and coastal land management. The NRC staff has coordinated with the State on issues related to its jurisdiction and will continue to do so.
It is not necessary, at this time, for the NRC staff to delay the reviews it recently began of the license renewal application submitted by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for DCPP. PG&E submitted its application for renewal of the DCPP license in November 2009, within the time frame allowed under NRC rules. The NRC staff then evaluated the application and found that it met the standards necessary to begin a formal review of the application. The NRCs safety and environmental review processes take a minimum of 22 months to complete.
It is important to note that this license renewal review will not affect the ongoing safety oversight process within which the NRC staff will continue to address seismic issues. The NRC staff is involved on a daily basis in monitoring and inspecting the operations at DCPP. By addressing seismic issues within the agencys continuing safety oversight of the power plant, the NRC staff is able to quickly respond to new information, as the agency demonstrated when it monitored PG&Es response to the discovery of the Shoreline Fault.
Should information at any time, now, or in the future, regardless of whether the NRC is performing a license renewal review, show that there is a basis to question the continued safe operation of DCPP, the NRC will take the appropriate actions as part of the agencys ongoing safety oversight. The NRC staff will continue to monitor assessments of the Shoreline Fault and other seismic issues around DCPP and ensure that the power plants safety systems remain capable of safely shutting the plant down in case of a seismic event.
In order to better inform the local public about the NRCs continuing safety oversight, the staff plans to hold a public meeting in California in the fall to further discuss the NRCs role and actions regarding seismic issues. The NRC staff will publish notices on its Web site and in the local newspaper about this meeting, and will also inform representatives from the State of California.
E. Mainland and I appreciate your time and interest in contacting the NRC. Should you have additional questions about the DCPP license renewal review process or concerns about NRC oversight of the plants safe operation, I invite you to contact Mr. David Wrona, Chief of Renewal Projects Branch 2 in the Division of License Renewal, at 301-415-2292.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Brian E. Holian, Director Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc: See next page
E. Mainland and I appreciate your time and interest in contacting the NRC. Should you have additional questions about the DCPP license renewal review process or concerns about NRC oversight of the plants safe operation, I invite you to contact Mr. David Wrona, Chief of Renewal Projects Branch 2 in the Division of License Renewal, at 301-415-2292.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Brian E. Holian, Director Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION: G20100103/LTR-10-0071/EDATS: SECY-2010-0114 See next page Accession Nos.: Pkg: ML102020426, Incoming: ML100560317, Response: ML102020414 *via email OFFICE PM:RPB2:DLR LA:DLR OGC
- Tech Editor
- BC:RPB2:DLR NAME KGreen IKing SUttal KAzariah-Kribbs DWrona DATE 07/22/10 07/22/10 07/21/10 07/21/10 07/23/10 OFFICE D:DLR NAME BHolian DATE 07/23/10 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Letter to E. Mainland and J. Stewart from B. Holian dated July 23, 2010
SUBJECT:
DIABLO CANYON LICENSE RENEWAL DISTRIBUTION: G20100103/LTR-10-0071/EDATS: SECY-2010-0114 HARD COPY:
KGreen DLR RF EMAIL:
PUBLIC RidsEdoMailCenter Resource RidsOgcMailCenter Resource RidsRgn4MailCenter Resource RidsAslbpMailCenter Resource RidsSecyMailCenter Resource RidsNrrDlr Resource RidsNrrDlrRpb1 Resource RidsNrrDlrRpb2 Resource RidsNrrDlrRarb Resource RidsNrrDlrRapb Resource RidsNrrDlrRasb Resource RidsNrrDlrRerb Resource RidsNrrDlrRpob Resource NFerrer KGreen AStuyvenberg DWrona AWang MPeck, RIV TBrown, RI GMiller, RIV NOKeefe, RIV ICouret, OPA VDricks, OPA WMaier, RIV JWeil, OCA EWilliamson, OGC SUttal, OGC RRihm, EDO
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2 cc:
Mr. John T. Conway, Senior Vice President, Generation and Chief Nuclear Officer Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 Pacific Gas & Electric Company 77 Beale Street, MC B32 San Francisco, CA 94105