ML13101A125

Terry Sinnott Ltr. Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Waxman Oversight of the San Onofre Nuclear Reactors

ML13101A125
Person / Time
Site:	San Onofre
Issue date:	04/02/2013
From:	Sinnott T City of Del Mar, CA
To:	Boxer B, Waxman H US HR, Comm on Energy & Commerce, US SEN, Comm on Environment & Public Works, NRC/EDO
References
Download: ML13101A125 (3)

Text

City of Del Mar April.2, 2013 (O, .- Le ,t The Honorable Barbara Boxer Chairman Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate 600 "B" Street, Suite 2240 San Diego, CA 92101 The Honorable Henry Waxman Ranking Member Committee on Energy and Commerce United States House of Representatives 2204 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Waxman:

Our thanks to both of you for helping to ensure rigorous oversight of the San Onofre nuclear reactors. We are grateful that Ranking Member Waxman pushed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman to seriously examine the need for a license amendment regarding Edison's proposed restart of Unit 2 at partial power. Chairman Boxer also showed exemplary leadership by calling attention to a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) report that reveals. new details about the design and fabrication of Edison's now .crippled San Onofre replacement steam generators and about the possibility that Edison was trying. to avoid a license amendment before the faulty equipment was installed. We appreciate that Congressional pressure. has recently resulted in the NRC releasing a redacted form of this. report to.public. We also applaud Chairman Boxer for urging the NRC to make no decision about restarting San Onofre before completing its ongoing investigation of the many essential issues, including those raised by the report.

We were heartened by Southern California Edison's (Edison's) announcement that it may finally request. a license amendment regarding.,its experimental restart plan for San Onofre's Unit 2, except that the. utility.,adds in its pr.ess -releasejthat it " will submit a 'No Significant Hazards Consideration' analysis demonstrating that the license amendment does not involve -any significant :safety risks." A No Significant Hazards Consideration (NSHC) would effectively dent1he public a meaningful public hearing and critical independent expert review before the license amendment is issued. This is unacceptable. Public trust will not be restored by; continued attempts to avoid such a hearing process, and this type of effort to convince the public that minor technical license amendments are sufficient.

1050 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, California 92014-2698. Telephone: (858) 755-9313.Fax: (858) 755-2794

- I* 'www.delmar.ca.us

Letter to Senator Boxer and Representative Waxman Regarding the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station April 2, 2013 Page 2 of 2 Furthermore, the NRC has scheduled the meeting to discuss Edison's license amendment and probable NSHC request in Rockville, MD. The appropriate place for such a meeting is in Southern California, where it would be accessible to those citizens whose lives will be most impacted by the matters discussed. The agency has said that this unfeasible, but this ought to be reconsidered.

We hope and trust you will continue to exercise your strong leadership and regulatory oversight capacity by urging the NRC to require that Edison undergo the rigors of a thorough license amendment and public adjudicatory hearing on all the San Onofre safety issues before a decision is made on restarting the reactors, and to deny any request from SCE for a NHSC. We also request that you insist the agency hold their April 3 meeting about Edison's license amendment request in the impacted region, namely Southern California. As public officials representing Southern California communities, our constituents risk being seriously harmed in the event of a major nuclear accident at San Onofre, so it is imperative to us that any decisions about restarting the crippled reactors are made with maximum deliberation and meaningful opportunity for input from the public.

Sincerely, erry Sin ott, Mayor City of D I Mar cc: Senator Dianne Feinstein Chairman Allison Macfarlane, Nuclear Regulatory Commission R. William Borchardt, Executive Director for Operations Eric Leeds, Director, Nuclear Reactor Regulation Arthur Howell, Regional Administrator, Region IV Daniel Dorman, Co-Chair, SONGS Oversight Panel Ron Litzinger, President, Southern California Edison Michael R. Niggli, President, San Diego Gas & Electric

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