ML12104A113

G20120234/LTR-12-0140/EDATS: SECY-2012-0178 - E-mail Senator John F. Kerry Safety Issues at Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant

ML12104A113
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	03/23/2012
From:	Kerry J US SEN (Senate), US Congress
To:	Jaczko G NRC/Chairman
Shared Package
ML12122A109	List: ML12104A113
References
EDATS: SECY-2012-0178, G20120234, LTR-12-0140, SECY-2012-0178, CORR-12-0035
Download: ML12104A113 (4)

Text

EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM: DUE: 04/30/12 EDO CONTROL: G20120234 DOC DT: 03/23/12 FINAL REPLY:

Senator John F. Kerry TO:

Chairman Jaczko FOR SIGNATURE OF : ** PRI ** CRC NO: 12-0140 Chairman Jaczko DESC: ROUTING:

Safety Issues at Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant Borchardt (EDATS: SECY-2012-0178) Weber Virgilio Ash Mamish OGC/GC DATE: 04/12/12 Leeds, NRR Dean, RI ASSIGNED TO: CONTACT: Zobler, OGC Schmidt, OCA EDO Rihm SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

Please prepare response in accordance with OEDO Notice 2009-0441-02 (ML093290179). NRR and Region I to provide input to Roger Rihm, OEDO, if required. Roger Rihm will coordinate response with OGC and OCA.

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EDATS Number: SECY-2012-0178 Source: SECY

. Ifr maion Assigned To: OEDO OEDO Due Date: 4/30/2012 11:00 PM Other Assignees: SECY Due Date: 5/2/2012 11:00 PM

Subject:

Safety Issues at Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant

Description:

CC Routing: NRR; Regionl; OGC; OCA ADAMS Accession Numbers - Incoming: Response/Package: NON EI ML12104A] 13 Cross Reference Number: G20120234, LTR- 12-0140 Staff Initiated: NO Related Task: Recurring Item: NO File Routing: EDATS Agency Lesson Learned: NO OEDO Monthly Report Item: NO I, *os Inor ato Action Type: Letter Priority: Medium Sensitivity: None Signature Level: Chairman Jaczko Urgency: NC)3 Approval Level: No Approval Required OEDO Concurrence: YES OCM Concurrence: NO OCA Concurrence: NO Special Instructions: Please prepare response in accordance with OEDO Notice 2009-0441-02 (ML093290179). NRR and Region I to provide input to Roger Rihm, OEDO, if required. Roger Rihm will coordinate response with OGC and OCA.

IiOoum Inomtn I Originator Name: Senator John F. Kerry Date of Incoming: 3/23/2012 Originating Organization: Congress Document Received by SECY Date: 4/12/2012 Addressee: Chairman Jaczko Date Response Requested by Originator: NONE Incoming Task Received: E-mail Page 1 of I

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed:-Apr 11, 2012 17:35 PAPER NUMBER: LTR-12-0140 LOGGING DATE: 04/07/2012 ACTION OFFICE: EDO AUTHOR: REP John Kerry AFFILIATION: CONG ADDRESSEE: CHRM Gregory Jaczko

SUBJECT:

Concerns mandatory action related to serious safety issues at Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant ACTION: Signature of Chairman DISTRIBUTION: RF, OCA to Ack.

LETTER DATE: 03/23/2012 ACKNOWLEDGED No SPECIAL HANDLING: Commission Correspondence NOTES: SECY rec'd late in afternoon on 4/6 in Billie's box; however, no one was here until Sat., 4/7 (Linda), who logged it in.

FILE LOCATION: ADAMS DATE DUE: 05/02/2012 DATE SIGNED:

EDO -- G20120234

'JOHN KERRY COMMITTEES:

MASSACHUSETTS COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

• -- ' FINANCE J"LflIffted oltatcva ý* nt FOREIGN RELATIONS SMALL BUSINESS WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2102 1 Bowdoin Square 1 0 th Floor Boston, MA 02114 March 23, 2012 Gregory B. Jaczko Chairman.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Stop O-16G4 Washington, DC 20555-0001

Dear Chairman Jaczko:

I write to raise my concern regarding the lack ofimandatory action taken by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) related to serious safety issues at the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, located in Seabrook, New Hampshire, on the Massachusetts border. I urge you to take action immediately, before the plant becomes more d'e a`ed4and poses an even more serious risk to the surrounding communities.

'According0to anlNRC- iinpectionI'reporfreleased in May 2011, there has been "moderate to severe" degradation of the concrete in a tunhel th'at is a'vital part of the reactoI's cdoling-system used to prevent a nuclear meltdown. The structure has lost twenty-two percent of its strength due to groundwater saturation. In the case of the Seabrook plant, an alkali-silica reaction is occurring whereby micro-cracks form as groundwater mixeswith the.concrete. This degradation poses a nuclear safety threat by weakening the electrical tunnel and possibly-as the NRC acknowledges-the plant's foundation where it comes in contact with groundwater.

Further, it raises serious questions about the plant's ability to withstand an earthquake.

This represents a failure on the part of the NRC to take appropriate action to address known safety problems at the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant. I urge you to fully address all issues related to the' concrete degradation immediately. We cannot allow nuclear power plants to operate when there are known safety issues:.

Thank you for your'conisideiration on this:matter. 'If youhave any questions br c6ndems, please contact Meghaf'Leahy at (6171'565-8519:

.ncerely, ,, '

John' -Kerry United States enator www: http://www.senate.gov/-kerry/

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