ML113430033

Letter to Commissioner Boyd 12092011

ML113430033
Person / Time
Site:	Diablo Canyon, San Onofre
Issue date:	12/09/2011
From:	Collins E Region 4 Administrator
To:	Boyd J State of CA, Energy Commission
References
Download: ML113430033 (2)

Text

UNITED STATES NU C LE AR RE G ULATO RY C O M M I S S I O N R E GI ON I V 612 EAST LAMAR BLVD , SU ITE 400 AR LIN GTON , TEXAS 76011-4125 December 9, 2011 Commissioner James D. Boyd California Energy Commission 1516 Ninth Street (MS 34)

Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Commissioner Boyd:

I want to congratulate you on your completion of a long and distinguished career in service to the State and Citizens of California. Fifty years of public service is an accomplishment to be both envied and emulated. Your collateral role of State Liaison Officer to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the last ten years is but one of many positions in which you have worked toward the safety and welfare of Californians. I particularly want to express my appreciation to you for the great interest you displayed in the NRCs activities toward ensuring the safe operation of the States two operating nuclear facilities, the Diablo Canyon Power Plant and the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. In areas where our two agencies regulatory interest potentially overlapped, your spirit of cooperation and coordination was one that assisted in the successful achievement of our respective missions.

I am reminded of numerous occasions where you showed a committed interest toward the safety and security of the facilities which the NRC regulates. You began your tenure as State Liaison Officer shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and your interest in nuclear power plant security prompted some meaningful dialogues involving important but sensitive information that you were able to communicate to other State Government officials. You noted the decreasing trend in performance at the San Onofre plant and its challenges with some human performance and safety conscious work environment issues. Your dialogue with the NRC about the issues and your interaction with the San Onofre owner/operator in the interests of maintaining power reliability undoubtedly contributed toward the turn-around of plant performance there. You co-chaired a number of nuclear workshops in support of the Integrated Energy Policy Report to the Governor in which you invited NRC participation, fostering increased communication between our agencies.

Finally, your interest in the seismic safety of Californias two coastal nuclear power plants helped generate extensive dialogue between our agencies, particularly in the context of the ongoing license renewal activities at Diablo Canyon. While our respective agencies have had different views regarding the scope of seismic reviews in the license renewal process, your feedback and that of the California Energy Commission on which you serve has been heard and given due consideration.

I am certain your commitment to service and safety will be undiminished even in retirement, so I wish you much success in your future efforts. I hope you will take some time to enjoy that retirement, but if your travels ever bring you to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I hope you will look us up and visit.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Elmo E. Collins Regional Administrator

Commissioner J. D. Boyd bcc:

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