ML14014A225
| ML14014A225 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Perry, Seabrook  |
| Issue date: | 01/14/2014 |
| From: | Annette Vietti-Cook NRC/SECY |
| To: | Keating W, Kennedy J, Steven Lynch, Markey E, Mcgovern J, Tierney J, Tsongas N, Warren E US HR (House of Representatives), US SEN (Senate) |
| Julian, Emile, SECY/RAS | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML13354B953 | List: |
| References | |
| G20140055, LTR-13-0957 | |
| Download: ML14014A225 (2) | |
Text
January 14, 2014 The Honorable Edward J. Markey United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Markey:
On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your letter of December 18, 2013, to Chairman Allison Macfarlane in which you recommended that the NRC make no decision on the June 1, 2010, application made by NextEra Energy Seabrook for a twenty year renewed operating license for the Seabrook plant until the concrete degradation the plant is experiencing is fully tested, understood and remedied by way of an amendment to NextEras current operating license. More specifically, you asked that the Commission affirm that no decision on the license renewal application for the Seabrook operating license be made until an analysis of tests with respect to the phenomenon of alkali silica reaction (ASR) being performed by the University of Texas is completed and peer review of the results is done. You further requested that NextEra seek and obtain a license amendment that would incorporate measures that would result in the monitoring of the progression of any ASR and predict the remaining service life of the plant before and after any repair.
Due to the fact that the license renewal application for the Seabrook Unit 1 plant is a subject of a current adjudication before an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, I must advise that under agency regulations, the Commission has an appellate role in proceedings commenced before its Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards. Because of that role, I trust that you will understand that the Commissioners must remain impartial during the pendency of a case, whether it is before a Licensing Board or on appeal to the Commission. However, I am referring your concerns to the attention of the NRC staff.
A copy of your letter and this response, as well as any response of the NRC staff, when issued, will be served on the participants in the Seabrook license renewal proceeding.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Annette Vietti-Cook Secretary of the Commission
Identical letter sent to:
The Honorable Edward J. Markey United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Elizabeth Warren United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable John Tierney United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable James P. McGovern United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Stephen F. Lynch United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable William R. Keating United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Niki Tsongas United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Joseph P. Kennedy III United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515