ML13322B255

Response to Request for Relief from Responding Further to the March 2012 Request for Information Letter for Recommendation 9.3

ML13322B255
Person / Time
Site:	Kewaunee
Issue date:	01/22/2014
From:	Marilyn Evans Division of Operating Reactor Licensing
To:	Heacock D Dominion Energy Kewaunee
Harris B, NRR/JLD, 415-2277
References
Download: ML13322B255 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY CO~MISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555~0001 January 22, 2014 Mr. David A. Heacock President and Chief Nuclear Officer Dominion Energy Kewaunee, Inc.

lnnsbrook Technical Center 5000 Dominion Boulevard Glen Allen, VA 23060

SUBJECT:

KEWAUNEE POWER STATION- RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR RELIEF FROM RESPONDING FURTHER TO THE MARCH 2012 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION LETTER FOR RECOMMENDATION 9.3

Dear Mr. Heacock:

By letter dated March 12, 2012, 1 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a request for information per Title 10 to the Code of Federal Regulations (1 0 CFR), Section 50.54(f)

(referred to as the 50.54(f) letter), to all nuclear power reactor licensees and construction permit holders in response to lessons-learned from Japan's March 2011, earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Enclosure 5 to the 50.54(f) letter includes Recommendation 9.3 for emergency preparedness, as part of the response.to the Near- Term Task Force [NTTF] Recommendations for Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21st Century report, issued July 12, 2011. 2 The 50.54(f) letter requested licensees, in part, to assess their 1) current communications systems and ",

equipment used during an emergency event and 2) current staffing levels and determine the appropriate staff to fill all necessary positions for responding to a multi-unit event.

3 By letter dated February 25, 2013, Dominion Energy Kewaunee (DEK) submitted a letter t6 the NRC stating its intention to cease operation of Kewaunee Power Station (Kewaunee) on May 7, 2013, per 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1 )(ii). In response to the 50.54(f) letter, Enclosure 5, Required Response, DEK submitted an April 29, 2013, letter, 4 stating that Kewaunee will no longer be authorized to operate the reactor once fuel is removed from the reactor vessel.

Further, it stated that once a certification of permanent removal of fuel is submitted to the NRC, Kewaunee will be in a permanently shutdown and defueled condition and the obligations of the 50.54(f) letter will no longer apply. DEK therefore requested to be relieved from responding further to the 50.54(f) letter.

By letter5 dated May 14,.2013, DEK submitted a certification of permanent removal of fuel from the Kewaunee reactor vessel per 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1 )(ii). Subsequently, the NRC staff verified that the Kewaunee certifications are docketed, therefore, the license no longer authorizes operation of the ~eactor or placement or retention of fuel in the reactor vessel. The staff has The 10 CFR 50.54(f) letter is available via the Agehcywide Documents Access and Management System (ADA,MS) under Accession No. ML12053A340.

• The NTTF report is available under ADAMS Accession No. ML111861807.

The February letter is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML13058A065.

The April letter is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML13123A004.

The May letter is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML13135A209.

D. Heacock reviewed your request to be relieved from the emergency preparedness actions related to the communications and staffing evaluation described in Enclosure 5 of the 50.54(f) letter, and has determined that the*requests are no longer necessary for Kewaunee.

No furtherresponses or actions associated with the 50.54(f) lette~ are necessary since the licensee is' no longer authorized to load fuel into the vessel and potential fuel-related accident scenarios are limited to the spent fuel pool. Unlike the reactor, the safety of fuel located in the spent fuel pool is assured for an extended period through maintenance of pool structural integrity, which preserves coolant inventory and maintains margin to prevent criticality.

Furthermore, for beyond design basis external events challenging the safety of the spent fuel, recovery and mitigation actions could be completed over a long period of time due to the slow progression of any accident as a result of the very low decay heat levels present in the pool within a few months following permanent shutdown of the reactor. Thus, spent fuel pool beyond design basis accident* scenarios at decommissioning reactor sites do not require the enhanced communication and staffing that may be necessary for the reactor-centered events the 50.54(f) letter addresses.

Should you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Mr. Brian Harris at 301-415-2277 or Brian.Harris2@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Michele G. Evans, Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

. Docket No. 50-305 cc: Distribution via Listserv

ML13322B255 OFFICE NRR/JLD/PM NRR/DORLILA NRR/DORL!LPL4-2/PM NRR/JLD/PMB/BC NAME BHarris SRohrer CGratton MMitchell DATE 01/13/14 11/20/13 01/16/14 11/26/13 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL4-2/BC NSIR/DSEA/0 OGC* NRR/DORL/0 NAME DBroaddus Rlewis EHouseman ME vans DATE 01/16/14 12/18/13 01/13/14 01/22/14