ML13101A126

Multiple Authors Ltr. Re Edisons Proposed Experimental Restart of the Crippled San Onofre Nuclear Reactors License Amendment and Rigorous Oversight

ML13101A126
Person / Time
Site:	San Onofre
Issue date:	04/01/2013
From:	Jonathan Brown, Corbett S, Duffield D, Fisher A, Judson T, Kamps K, Katz D, Kraft D, Mariotte M, Pascall G, Paul B, Pica E, Seeley L, Lisa Sullivan, Wasserman H, Williams C, Wyatt T, Dorsey C, Hirsch D, Kinman M, Mcmillan G, Stoleroff D, Tamminen T Beyond Nuclear, Citizens Awareness Network, Clamshell Alliance, Committee to Bridge the Gap, Friends of the Earth, New York Academy of Sciences, Nuclear Energy Information Service, Nuclear Information & Resource Service (NIRS), Public Citizen, Safe & Green Campaign, San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, Sierra Club - Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club Nuclear Free Campaign, Sierra Club, Santa Lucia Chapter, Vermont Citizens Action Network, Environment California, Georgia Women's Action for New Directions, New York Citizens Awareness Network, Nukefree.org, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Los Angeles, CA, SAGE Alliance, San Onofre Task Force, Seventh Generation Advisors, Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Alliance, World Business Academy
To:	Boxer B, Waxman H NRC/EDO, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, NRC/SECY, US HR, Comm on Energy & Commerce, US SEN, Comm on Environment & Public Works
References
Download: ML13101A126 (4)

Text

04/02/2013 11:59 FAX 2027830444 FRIENOS OF THE EARTH Z002/004 To Le-e-,4#I.

April 1,2013 The Honorable Barbara Boxer Chairman Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, D.C. 205 10 The Honorable Henry Waxman Ranking Member Committee on Energy and Commerce United States House of Representatives 2322 Raybumn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Waxman:

We thank both of you for helping to ensure rigorous oversight of the San Onofre nuclear reactors.

We were encouraged that Ranking Member Waxman openly questioned the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman as to whether Edison's proposed experimental restart of the crippled San Onofre nuclear reactor required a license amendment. Chairman Boxer has also shown exemplary leadership by not only calling attention to a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MMI-)

report that reveals new information 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, but also requested that no decision on the restart plan be made until all investigations are completed.

We were encouraged to hear that Southern California Edison (Edison) may finally request a license amendment regarding its restart plan for San Onofre's Unit 2. However, the utility also stated in its press release that 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 strip the public of their right to full independent critical safety review and public hearing rights, It is a regulatory loophole that would make any public hearing take place after an unassailable license amendment decision is made, rendering public input meaningless. This is unacceptable.

Furthermore, the NRC has announced that a meeting to discuss Edison's license amendment request is scheduled to take place April 3 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.

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 NSHC. Any discussion about an NSHC request ought to take place in the impacted region, namely Southern California.

Restarting the crippled San Onofre reactor poses potentially enormous risks for the lives and livelihoods of the 8.7 million people living nearby. It is therefore imperative that any decisions

04/02/2013 11:58 FAX 2027830444 FRIENDS OF THE EARTH Z003/004 about restarting the crippled reactors are made with maximum deliberation and meaningful opportunity for input from the public.

Regards, Erich Pica President Friends of the Earth David A. Kraft Director Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS)

Michelle Kinman Clean Energy Advocate Environment California Research & Policy Center Denise Duffield Associate Director Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles Glenn Pascall Chair San Onofre Task Force, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Susan Corbett Chair Sierra Club Nuclear Free Campaign Jerry B. Brown, Ph.D.

Director, Safe Energy Project World Business Academy Harvey Wasserman Editor Nukefree.org Court Dorsey Spokes Council Representative SAGE Alliance Chris Williams Vermont State Organizer Vermont Citizens Action Network Bobbie Paul Executive Director Georgia Women's Action for New Directions Terry Tamminen former Secretary of CalEPA President of Seventh Generation Advisors Michael Mariotte Executive Director Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS)

Kevin Kamps Radioactive Waste Watchdog Beyond Nuclear Daniel 0. Hirsch President Committee to Bridge the Gap Allison Fisher Outreach Director for Energy Program Public Citizen Deb Katz Executive Director Citizens Awareness Network Leslie Sullivan Sachs Project Manager Safe and Green Campaign Greg McMillan Chair Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chapter Linda Seeley Member of the Board of Directors San Luis Obispo Mothers For Peace Tim Judson President Central New York Citizens Awareness Network Debra Stolcroff Organizer Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Alliance

04/02/2013 11"58 FAX 2027830444 FRIENOS OF THE EARTH 1004/004 Tom Wyatt Coordinator Clamshell Alliance Cc: Allison Macfarlane, NRC Chairman Arthur Howell, NRC Region IV Regional Administrator William Borchardt, NRC Executive Director for Operations Eric Leeds, Director, NRC Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Daniel Dorian, NRR Deputy Director for Engineering and Corporate Support Jim Anderson, Chief, NRR Electrical Engineering Branch

04/02/2013 11:58 FAX 2027830444 FRIENDS OF THE EARTH Z0 01 / 004 FAX COVER SHEET TO: William Borchardt, Executive Director for Operations FROM: Kendra Ulrich RE: San Onofre FAX #: 301-415-2162 PAGES, INCLU PHONE: 202-222-0715 DATE: 4/2/20:

O Friendsof the Earth DING COVER: 4 13 NOTES:

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