ML11138A258
| ML11138A258 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Beaver Valley |
| Issue date: | 05/13/2011 |
| From: | Feinstein D US SEN, Comm on Appropriations, US SEN, Subcomm on Energy & Water Development, US Congress |
| To: | Jaczko G NRC/Chairman |
| Shared Package | |
| ML11167A276 | List: |
| References | |
| EDATS: SECY-2011-0296, G20110362, LTR-11-0300, SECY-2011-0296, CORR-11-0083 | |
| Download: ML11138A258 (5) | |
Text
EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM:
DUE: 06/14/11 EDO CONTROL: G20110362 DOC DT: 05/13/11 FINAL REPLY:
Senator Dianne Feinstein TO:
Chairman Jaczko FOR SIGNATURE OF :
ROUTING:
Urges the NRC to Initiate Rulemaking Process to Require a More Rapid Shift of Spent Nuclear Fuel to Dry Cask Storage (Due to Congress: 6/13/11)
(EDATS: SECY-2011-0296)
DATE: 05/17/11 Borchardt Weber Virgilio Ash Muessle OGC/GC
- Leeds, NRR
- Burns, OGC
- Schmidt, OCA ASSIGNED TO:
EDO CONTACT:
Rihm SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
Ref. G20110265.
Please prepare response in accordance with OEDO Notice 2009-0441-02 (ML093290179).
- NMSS, RES and NRR to provide input to Roger Rihm,
- OEDO, if required.
Roger Rihm to coordinate response with OGC and OCA.
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EDATS Number: SECY-2011-0296 Source: SECY I eerlInfr ato I
I Assigned To: OEDO OEDO Due Date: 6/14/2011 11:00 PM OtherAssignees:
SECY Due Date: 6/16/2011 11:00 PM
Subject:
Urges the NRC to Initiate Rulemaking Process to Require a More Rapid Shift of Spent Nuclear Fuel to Dry Cask Storage
==
Description:==
CC Routing: NMSS; RES; NRR; OGC; OCA ADAMS Accession Numbers -
Incoming: NONE Response/Package: NONE Ote Inforatio Cross Reference Number: G20110362, LTR-1 1-0300 Related Task:
File Routing: EDATS Staff Initiated: NO Recurring Item: NO Agency Lesson Learned: NO OEDO Monthly Report Item: NO I Prcs Inom tn 1
'I 1
Action Type: Letter Priority: Medium Sensitivity: None Signature Level: Chairman Jaczko Urgency: NC Approval Level: No Approval Required OEDO Concurrence: YES OCM Concurrence: NO OCA Concurrence: NO Special Instructions: Ref. G20110265. Please prepare response in accordance with OEDO Notice 2009-0441-02 (ML093290179). NMSS, RES and NRR to provide input to Roger Rihm, OEDO, if required. Roger Rihm to coordinate response with OGC and OCA.
)
Documen Infomaion Originator Name: Senator Dianne Feinstein Originating Organization: Congress Addressee: Chairman Jaczko Incoming Task Received: Letter Date of Incoming: 5/13/2011 Document Received by SECY Date: 5/17/2011 Date Response Requested by Originator: 6/13/2011 Page 1 of I
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed: May 17, 2011 09:35 PAPER NUMBER:
ACTION OFFICE:
LTR-1 1-0300 EDO LOGGING DATE: 05/17/2011 AUTHOR:
AFFILIATION:
ADDRESSEE:
SUBJECT:
ACTION:
DISTRIBUTION:
LETTER DATE:
ACKNOWLEDGED SPECIAL HANDLING:
SEN Diane Feinstein CONG Gregory Jaczko Urges the NRC to initiate a rulemaking process to require a more rapid shift of spent nuclear fuel to dry cask storage Signature of Chairman RF, OCA to Ack 05/13/2011 No Commission Correspondence NOTES:
Response requested within I month FILE LOCATION:
ADAMS 06/16/2011 DATE DUE:
DATE SIGNED:
EDO -- G20110362
I DANIEL K. INOUYE, HAWAII, CHAIRMAN THAD COCHRAN, MISSISSIPPI, VICE CHAIRMAN PATRICK J. LEAHY. VERMONT MITCH MCCONNELL, KENTUCKY TOM HARKIN. IOWA RICHARD C. SHELBY. ALABAMA BARBARA A. MIKULSKI. MARYLAND KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON. TEXAS HERB KOHL, WISCONSIN LAMAR ALEXANDER. TENNESSEE PATTY MURRAY, WASHINGTON SUSAN COLLINS. MAINE DIANNE FEINSTEIN, CALIFORNIA LISA MURKOWSKI, ALASKA RICHARD J. DURBIN, ILLINOIS LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA TIM JOHNSON, SOUTH DAKOTA MARK KIRK, ILLINOIS COMM ITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS MARY L LANDRIEU, LOUISIANA DANIEL COATS, INDIANA JACK REED, RHODE ISLAND ROY BLUNT, MISSOURI WASHINGTON, DC 20510-6025 FRANK R. LAUTENBERO, NEW JERSEY JERRY, MORAN, KANSAS BEN NELSON, NEBRASKA JOHN HOEVEN, NORTH DAKOTA http://appropriations.senate.gov MARK PRYOR, ARKANSAS HON JOHNSON, WISCONSIN JON TESTER, MONTANA SHERROD BROWN, OHIO CHARLES J. HOUY, STAFF DIRECTOR BRUCE EVANS, MINORITY STAFF DIRECTOR May 13, 2011 The Honorable Gregory Jaczko Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001
Dear Chairman Jaczko:
I am writing to urgently reiterate my request, made in an April 8, 2011 letter to you, that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiates a rulemaking process to require a more rapid shift of spent nuclear fuel to dry cask storage immediately. I am seriously alarmed that the NRC has not acted on this request, and has instead acted to permit the re-racking of spent fuel in wet storage pools at the Beaver Valley plant in Pennsylvania.
In my letter, I highlighted a report published in 2006 by the National Research Council, which concluded that dry cask storage systems have inherent safety advantages over spent fuel pool storage. Policies that lead to continuous re-racking of fuel rods in pools are at odds with the key conclusions of this report. Of particular concern is the fact that Beaver Valley power plant will, over the next I I years, be able to store an ever increasing amount of spent fuel in a single location.
I would like to know exactly what barriers (cost, technological, security, or otherwise) are preventing the expeditious movement of fuel rods to dry cask storage at this site.
Spent fuel pools can be designed to meet NRC specified engineering safety guidelines, but there is no escaping the fact that extreme events can exceed these criteria. The resulting situation, whatever that may be, will be easier to manage if spent fuel rods are not stored in a single pool requiring active management.
If the NRC does not plan to act on my request, or it plans to continue allowing re-racking of spent fuel in wet storage pools, I request that you provide a substantive explanation, in writing or in person, as to why the NRC does not intend to act on this matter. I also would appreciate an outline of specific alternative
actions that NRC will take in order to incorporate the conclusions made by the 2006 National Research Council report.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response. Due to the urgency of this matter, I would appreciate hearing from you within one month.
Sincerely,
'Chairman Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development DF/mbn/ac