ML13142A270
| ML13142A270 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | San Onofre  |
| Issue date: | 05/06/2013 |
| From: | Calderon I State of CA, Assembly 57th District |
| To: | Bevan J NRC/EDO |
| References | |
| LTR-13-0447 | |
| Download: ML13142A270 (2) | |
Text
STATE CAPITOL COMMITTEES P.O. BOX 942849 CHAIR: ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT,
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SACRAMENTO, CA 94249-0057 SPORTS, TOURISM, AND (916) 319-2057 INTERNET MEDIA FAX (916) 319-2157 ACCOUNTABILITY AND QIalifnrnhl ~egisla:fure ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW APPROPRIATIONS DISTRICT OFFICE HUMAN SERVICES 13181 N. CROSSROADS PARKWAY, SUITE 160 INSURANCE INDUSTRY. CA 91746 (562) 692-5858 FAX (562) 695-5852 IAN C.CALDERON ASSEMBLYMEM8g~;Flffy-SEVE.NTH DISTRICT May 6, 2013 Ms. Jennifer L. Bevan 15206 McCann Place La Mirada, CA 90638-1443
Dear Ms. Bevan:
Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding Southern California Edison'S (SCE) San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). Upon your request, my office inquired into the status ofthe situation. As you may know, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) held a series ofpublic meetings on this matter to date - the first ofwhich took place on November 30, 2012, in Laguna Hills and another on February 12,2013, in Capistrano Beach. The NRC should act to ensure that all human and environmental concerns are protected and resolved before making a decision to issue a license amendment to SCE. They have also been included on this communication. We found through our research the following on NRC's website regarding the,statu,s of,SCEs reql!est:
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"... The NRC will continue its independent oversight ofthe issues at SONGS. The NRC will not allow,the plant to restart until weare satisfi~d tbaUhe licensee can operate the plant without undue risktq public health and.safety,l'be NRC wjll~.e the timelleeded t9 detyrmine the appropriate actions to ensure.adequateprQt~ctiQn of ~h~ pubHc,,~dwill continue efforts. to communicate the status ofits actiolls and. the determination (egar<iiQ,g tlIerestart of SONGS, Uni.ts 2 and 3. '.
The NRC is evaluating the licensee's CAL response for Unit 2, and will fully assess the actions the licensee has taken to evaluate and correct the SG problems prior to making a restart determination for Unit 2. This assessment includes inspection ofthe adequacy ofthe actions the licensee has taken in response to the CAL, and an evaluation of whether the licensee's corrective actions to ensure that SGtube integrity is maintained, and protocol of inspections and/or operational limits for the planned operating interval, provide reasonable assurance that Unit 2 can be operated safely. Currently, the licensee has not completed the CAL actions for Unit 3, and has stated publicJy that it will be "some time" before Unit 3 is ready forrestart.
The NRC is also reviewing a license amendment request for SONGS Unit 2 submitted by SCE on AprilS, 2013, as supplemented on April 9, 2013. The proposed license amendment would restrict Unit 2 operation to n.o more than 70 percent ofthe l.Uax~mum allth,orized power,level and would revise the: Technical Specification r~quirements for steam.genera~or tupe integrity to reflect this ohange. SeE proposed that thesechange;sremain in effect for tlleduration ()fUnit 2, Gyc1e 17; a period ofroughly 18*to 24 months ofplant" operatjo~.
The NRC has accepted SCE's amendment request for review, and proposed a No Significant Hazards Consideration (NSHC)detennination, which was forwarded to the Federal Register on
April 10,2013, for pUblication on or about April 16,2013. The Federal Register notice describes the process for the public to comment on the proposed NSHC determination, and provides an opportunity to request a hearing on the proposed amendment.
The NRC will not issue an amendment unless it concludes that reasonable assurance has been provided that the public health and safety will not be endangered and that the action will not be inimical to the common defense and security, and that the request meets all applicable regulatory requirements. The staffs review ofthe amendment request is a separate action from the ongoing review ofthe CAL response. Because SCE must still meet the terms ofthe CAL before returning either SONGS unit to service, issuance ofthe requested license amendment will not itself allow SCE to restart SONGS Unit 2.
The NRC is committed to ensuring that the public is informed about our oversight activities related to SONGS and our work to assure adequate protection ofthe public. Numerous public meetings have been held, and others are planned to be held during NRC's enhanced oversight of SONGS. On June 18,2012, NRC presented the results ofthe Augmented Inspection Team inspection. On October 9,2012, the NRC conducted an open panel discussion to receive and understand the views ofthe public and other interested local stakeholders. On November 30, 2012, Southern California Edison presented their response to the CAL for Unit 2 to the NRC in a public meeting. On December 18, 2012, the NRC staff held a public meeting with SCE representatives at NRC headquarters to discuss additional information needed to complete the ongoing technical review. On February 12,2013, the NRC staffheld a Category 3 public meeting to update public stakeholders on the status ofNRC's ongoing review. On February 27,2013 the NRC staff held a public meeting with SCE representatives at NRC headquarters to discuss additional information needed to complete the ongoing technical review. On April 3, 2013, the NRC staff held a public meeting with SCE representatives at NRC headquarters to discuss a proposed license amendment request that would restrict Unit 2 operation to no more than 70% of rated thermal power for a specified time. Links to video archives of these meetings can be found in the Public Meeting Videos section below.
The next public meeting is being planned (or mid-to-late Mar 2013 to discuss the status ofthe NRC's ongoing review. NRC public meetings are announced on NRC's website..."
Thank you again for contacting me and I hope this information is helpful to you. Please do not hesitate to contact my office ifyou have any questions or concerns on this matter. Also, please feel free to visit the NRC's website http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/san02.html for more information.
Sincerely,
~~CJ~
Ian C. Calderon Assemblymember, 57th District IC:jb Cc: Allison M. Macfarlane, Nuclear Regulatory Commission