ML11335A072
| ML11335A072 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | San Onofre  |
| Issue date: | 12/16/2011 |
| From: | Borchardt R NRC/EDO |
| To: | Donchak L City of San Clemente, CA |
| Gibson L | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML11335A066 | List: |
| References | |
| G20110816, LTR-11-0617, SECY-2011-0608, EDATS: SECY-2011-0608 | |
| Download: ML11335A072 (3) | |
Text
December 16, 2011 The Honorable Lori Donchak Mayor of San Clemente 100 Avenida Presidio San Clemente, CA 92672
Dear Mayor Donchak:
On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your letter dated November 1, 2011, to Chairman Jaczko expressing: (1) the City Councils support of the recent requests from Senators Boxer and Feinstein regarding nuclear plant relicensing and the recommendations of the NRCs Near-Term Task Force on the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident, and (2) your request that the NRC require licensees to move spent fuel rods to dry cask storage.
In your letter you expressed specific support for the points raised in Senator Feinsteins April 20, 2011, letter to the NRC. As you may be aware, the NRC responded to Senator Feinsteins letter publicly in a letter dated August 10, 2011. In the response, the NRC stated, in part, the following:
The NRC often reviews and revises its regulations, including those related to license renewal, in light of new information. Prior to publishing our current license renewal regulations, the NRC examined a number of issues that could be addressed in the license renewal process. The Commission determined that, with the exception of age-related degradation of certain passive, long-lived systems, structures, and components (SSCs), the NRCs existing regulatory process is adequate to ensure that the licensing bases of all currently operating plants maintain public safety and security. The Commission considered whether or not to include emergency planning, security, and other topics, but determined that the existing regulatory process was sufficient. Those topics currently are considered on an ongoing basis in connection with the NRCs oversight of operating reactors, so that any matter of significance would be evaluated promptly rather than waiting for a licensee to apply for license renewal. For example, the Commission is currently considering changes to emergency preparedness regulations that, if approved, would be applied to all facilities, both in their initial term of operation as well as during the term of renewal.
Following the events in Japan, the Commission established a task force to conduct a near-term review of recent events in Japan and to recommend issues for additional analysis and/or regulation over a longer term. The topics you cite are among those being examined by the task force or are otherwise under active review within the agency. If at any time during this process it is determined that the Commissions regulations should be further examined and potentially revised, the agency will promptly undertake such an examination.
The NRCs entire response is publicly available through our Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html under ADAMS Accession No. ML11143A053. Please note that after the NRCs letter was sent, the Commission approved the changes to emergency preparedness requirements discussed in that letter. The final rule was published in the Federal Register on December 1, 2011 (76 FR 74630).
Regarding your comment on the timing of the agencys implementation of the Near-Term Task Forces recommendations, the agency has established a senior-level steering committee reporting to the Executive Director for Operations to lead the review and implementation of the recommendations, as directed by the Commission in staff requirements memoranda dated October 18 and October 19, 2011 (ML112911571 and ML112920034, respectively). In keeping with the agencys open and transparent processes, the NRCs review will include evaluation by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and dialogue with external stakeholders, including public interest groups; the industry; academia; Federal, State, and local agencies; and members of the public. The NRC will also continue to gather the information necessary for us to take a longer, more thorough look at the events in Japan and their lessons for the agency.
Based on these activities, the NRC will take all appropriate actions necessary to ensure the continuing safety of the American public.
Furthermore, the NRC believes that spent fuel pools and dry casks both provide adequate protection of public health and safety and the environment. Information the NRC has obtained to date indicates that no offsite radioactive release occurred from spent fuel stored in the pools or dry casks at Fukushima Dai-ichi. We have not learned anything in our review of the Fukushima accident that would indicate that there is a safety or security reason to mandate the accelerated transfer of spent fuel from pool storage to casks. Nevertheless, consistent with the NRCs mission, the NRC is continuing research on event progression in spent fuel pools following a loss of cooling water. This effort includes an ongoing study of the effect of removing older fuel from pools in an expedited manner and placing the fuel in dry storage. The NRC recognizes that a number of factors must be considered when moving spent fuel to dry cask storage, and the agency plans to explore all issues fully to ensure the continued safe storage of spent fuel.
On behalf of the NRC, I want to thank you for your continued involvement in matters related to nuclear safety. The City Councils interest and feedback help us not only fulfill our mission of keeping the American public safe, but they also help us do our jobs openly and transparently.
Sincerely,
/RA by Martin J. Virgilio for/
R. W. Borchardt Executive Director for Operations
ML11143A053. Please note that after the NRCs letter was sent, the Commission approved the changes to emergency preparedness requirements discussed in that letter. The final rule was published in the Federal Register on December 1, 2011 (76 FR 74630).
Regarding your comment on the timing of the agencys implementation of the Near-Term Task Forces recommendations, the agency has established a senior-level steering committee reporting to the Executive Director for Operations to lead the review and implementation of the recommendations, as directed by the Commission in staff requirements memoranda dated October 18 and October 19, 2011 (ML112911571 and ML112920034, respectively). In keeping with the agencys open and transparent processes, the NRCs review will include evaluation by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and dialogue with external stakeholders, including public interest groups; the industry; academia; Federal, State, and local agencies; and members of the public. The NRC will also continue to gather the information necessary for us to take a longer, more thorough look at the events in Japan and their lessons for the agency.
Based on these activities, the NRC will take all appropriate actions necessary to ensure the continuing safety of the American public.
Furthermore, the NRC believes that spent fuel pools and dry casks both provide adequate protection of public health and safety and the environment. Information the NRC has obtained to date indicates that no offsite radioactive release occurred from spent fuel stored in the pools or dry casks at Fukushima Dai-ichi. We have not learned anything in our review of the Fukushima accident that would indicate that there is a safety or security reason to mandate the accelerated transfer of spent fuel from pool storage to casks. Nevertheless, consistent with the NRCs mission, the NRC is continuing research on event progression in spent fuel pools following a loss of cooling water. This effort includes an ongoing study of the effect of removing older fuel from pools in an expedited manner and placing the fuel in dry storage. The NRC recognizes that a number of factors must be considered when moving spent fuel to dry cask storage, and the agency plans to explore all issues fully to ensure the continued safe storage of spent fuel.
On behalf of the NRC, I want to thank you for your continued involvement in matters related to nuclear safety. The City Councils interest and feedback help us not only fulfill our mission of keeping the American public safe, but they also help us do our jobs openly and transparently.
Sincerely,
/RA by Martin J. Virgilio for/
R. W. Borchardt Executive Director for Operations DISTRIBUTION: G20110816/LTR-11-0617/EDATS: SECY-2011-0608 PUBLIC RidsOgcMailCenter RidsAcrsAcnw_MailCTR RidsOpaMail RidsEdoMailCenter RidsSecyMailCenter RTaylor RidsNrrOd RidsRgn4MailCenter RidsNmssOd RidsNsirOd RidsNrrMailCenter ADAMS Accession Nos.: ML11335A066 (Pkg,); ML11325A263 (Inc.); ML11335A072 (Rsp.)
- concurrence via e-mail OFFICE NRR/JLD/PSB LA: NRR/DORL/LPLI-I*
QTE*
OGC NLO w/comments NAME LGibson SLittle JDougherty MSpencer DATE 12/ 6 /2011 12/ 6 /2011 12/ 6 /2011 12/8 /2011 OFFICE BC: NRR/JLD/PSB D: NRR/JLD D: NRR EDO NAME MMitchell DSkeen(RTaylor for)
ELeeds (MEvans for)
RBorchardt /RA by MVirgilio for/
DATE 12/13/2011 12/13/2011 12/14/2011 12/ 16 /2011