ML102710391

Press Release-10-171: Licensing Board to Take Public Comment, Hold Hearing in Hastings, Minn., on Prairie Island Nuclear Plant License Renewal

ML102710391
Person / Time
Site:	Prairie Island
Issue date:	09/28/2010
From:	Office of Public Affairs
To:
References
Press Release-10-171
Download: ML102710391 (2)

See also: see also:Press Release-10-171

Text

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001

E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov

Site: http://www.nrc.gov

No.10-171 September 28, 2010

LICENSING BOARD TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, HOLD HEARING IN

HASTINGS, MINN., ON PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR PLANT LICENSE RENEWAL

An Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) will take public comments Oct. 11 and

conduct a hearing Oct. 12 in Hastings, Minn., regarding the application to renew the operating

licenses for Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Station Units 1 and 2 near Minneapolis. The

ASLB is the independent body within the NRC that presides over hearings where the public can

challenge proposed licensing and enforcement actions.

The ASLB will hear oral comments from interested members of the public during two

sessions, from 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. CDT on Monday, Oct. 11, in Courtroom 2E of the Dakota

County Judicial Center, 1560 Highway 55 in Hastings. Although these comments do not

constitute testimony or evidence, they nonetheless may help the Board and/or the parties in their

consideration of the issue in this proceeding. Speakers will have no more than five minutes for

their statements; the Board may set further time limits if necessary in order to accommodate all

the speakers at a session. The Board reserves the right to end a session early if all scheduled and

unscheduled speakers have made a presentation. The Board also reserves the right to cancel the

evening session if there is insufficient public interest as reflected by the number of preregistered

speakers.

The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, Oct. 12, in Courtroom 2E of the

Dakota County Judicial Center. The session is open for public observation, but participation will

be limited to the parties admitted to the proceeding: the Prairie Island Indian Community (PIIC),

the applicant - Northern States Power Company - and NRC staff involved in the proceeding.

Early arrival is suggested to allow for security screening for all members of the public interested

in attending. NRC policy prohibits disruptive behavior in the hearing room, as well as signs,

banners, posters or displays larger than 18 inches by 18 inches.

Northern States Power Company submitted a license renewal application April 15, 2008,

seeking to extend for 20 years the operating licenses for Units 1 and 2, approximately 28 miles

southeast of Minneapolis. The ASLB admitted seven of PIICs 11 objections, or contentions,

against Northern State Powers application; the parties have resolved six of those contentions.

The ASLB panel will question the parties regarding PIICs remaining contention, which

concerns whether Prairie Islands safety culture can adequately provide reasonable assurance that

the company can manage the effects of plant aging during the period of extended operation. The

Board will consider the hearings results before issuing its ruling later this year.

Persons wishing to make oral comments at the Oct. 11 sessions are requested to notify the

Board by 5 p.m. EDT on Oct. 6, specifying which session they wish to attend. Anyone wishing

to submit a written statement or to submit a written request to make an oral statement may do so

by e-mail to hearingdocket@nrc.gov, by fax to 301-415-1101, or by mail to: Office of the

Secretary, Attn. Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555-0001. In addition, copies of written statements or requests to make an

oral statement should be sent to the Chairman of the Licensing Board by e-mail to

William.Froehlich@nrc.gov and Ann.Hove@nrc.gov; by fax to 301-415-5599, or by mail to:

Administrative Judge William J. Froehlich, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, Mail

Stop: T-3F23, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

Documents related to the Prairie Island license renewal application are available on the

NRC Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/prairie-

island.html. Documents pertaining to the ASLB proceeding are available in the agencys

Electronic Hearing Docket at: http://ehd1.nrc.gov/EHD/.

More information about the ASLB can be found at: http://www.nrc.gov/about-

nrc/organization/aslbpfuncdesc.html.

NOTE: Anyone wishing to take photos or use a camera to record any portion of a NRC meeting should

contact the Office of Public Affairs beforehand.

News releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address:

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE

link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.