ML14254A465
| ML14254A465 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Fermi  |
| Issue date: | 07/24/2014 |
| From: | Neal R. Gross & Co. |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| Shared Package | |
| ML14254A292 | List: |
| References | |
| NRC-934 | |
| Download: ML14254A465 (111) | |
Text
Official Transcript of Proceedings NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Title:
Public Meeting for Fermi 2 License Renewal Docket Number: (n/a)
Location: Monroe, Michigan Date: July 24, 2014 Work Order No.: NRC-934 Pages 1-106 NEAL R. GROSS AND CO., INC.
Court Reporters and Transcribers 1323 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 234-4433
1 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Public Meeting
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LICENSE RENEWAL PROCESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING FOR FERMI, UNIT 2
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Monroe County Community College 1555 South Raisinville Road, Monroe, MI
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Thursday, July 24, 2014 2:00 p.m.
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APPEARANCES:
RICHARD S. BARKLEY, PE NUCLEAR AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER BRIAN WITTICK, BRANCH CHIEF LICENSE RENEWAL DIVISION DANEIRA MELENDEZ-COLON, SAFETY PROJECT MANAGER, FERMI 2 LESLIE PERKINS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT MANAGER, FERMI 2 MALLECIA SUTTON, ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT MANAGER, FERMI 3 JENNIFER DIXON-HERRITY, BRANCH CHIEF NEW NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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2 REACTOR DIVISION RUSSELL CHAZELL, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST PREMA CHANDRATHIL, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER ALLAN BARKER, STATE LIAISON OFFICER MICHAEL KUNOWSKI, BRANCH CHIEF NEW REACTOR DIVISION PHILLIP SMAGACZ, RESIDENT INSPECTOR NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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3 P-R-O-C-E-E-D-I-N-G-S 2:07 p.m.
MR. BARKLEY: I would like to welcome you to the Fermi 2 license renewal and environmental scoping public meeting. One of the first things I would like to ask you to do is, if you could put your phone onto vibrate or airplane mode along the way, so we don't have too many interruptions during the meeting.
Welcome. My name is Richard Barkley, I'm a meeting facilitator for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the first thing I wanted to do is try to introduce the NRC staff that will be in attendance here this evening, and available to answer questions at one stage during the meeting, and then at the end of the meeting, a number of them, you've already met them.
The first person I would like to introduce is Brian Wittick; he's a branch chief with the License Renewal Division. Next, Daneira Melendez-Colon, who is the safety project manager for Fermi 2. And Leslie Perkins; she's the environmental project manager for NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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4 Fermi 2. Mallecia Sutton; she's an environmental project manager for, actually, Fermi 3. She is back there, in the back. Okay, Jennifer Dixon-Herrity; she's a branch chief with the New Reactor Division.
And Russell Chazell; he's an environmental scientist.
Russell, is he here? Okay, he was helping sign people in.
From our Region 3 staff, we have Prema Chandrathil, who is over here, one of our Public Affairs officers. Allan Barker; he is a state liaison officer. Michael Kunowski; he's a branch chief and he oversees the resident inspectors for Fermi. Then, I believe we have Phil Smagacz; he's a resident inspector. Okay, thanks, Phillip.
All right. With that, I would like to go over a couple of ground rules for this meeting and then I'll turn it over to the staff, to actually have their presentation. Again, the staff is going to make a short presentation to describe the license renewal process for you and then, after that, we will have a short question-and-answer session, if there is some questions you had on the process overall. And then, after that, we'll move to having and receiving comments on the draft environmental impact statement for Fermi NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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5
- 2. And if you wish to speak, you need to sign up on one of these yellow cards. Hopefully, you saw that at the door. If you still want to sign up, you're welcome to see me. I'll sit actually over on this side of the stage when the staff is making their presentations.
This apparently is not a shy group because more than half of you have signed up to speak tonight -- or this afternoon, and I'm sure I'll have an equal number this evening. So, for that reason, I would like to limit your remarks, if we can, to about three to five minutes, and I'll give you cues when you're getting up on five minutes. To be able to cover that many people, that's quite a bit of time for each one of you. And if that's too short a time for any of you, please come see me and we'll talk for a minute.
Okay. With that, what I would like to do is turn the microphone over then to the staff to make their presentation. And thanks very much for attending this afternoon.
MS. MELENDEZ-COLON: Good afternoon. My name is Daneira Melendez-Colon and I'm the safety project manager with the Division of License Renewal, and I'm coordinating the staff's review associated with the Fermi 2 license renewal application. Thank you all NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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6 for taking the time to come to this meeting. Today, we will provide an overview of the license renewal and review process, which includes both a safety review and an environmental review. We will describe ways in which the public can participate in the Fermi 2 license renewal process. I would like to reiterate that the most important part of today's meeting is to receive any comments that you may have on the scope of the environmental review. We also will give you some information about how you can submit comments if you prefer not to speak at this meeting. I hope the information we provide will help you to understand the license renewal and review process and the roles you all can have in the process.
Before I get into the discussion of the license renewal process, I would like to take a minute to talk about the NRC in terms of what we do and what our mission is. The NRC is a federal agency that regulates the civilian use of nuclear material. The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 authorizes the NRC to grant a 40-year operating license for nuclear power reactors.
I would like to highlight that this 40- year term was based primarily on economic considerations and antitrust factors, not on safety or technical NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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7 limitations. The Atomic Energy Act also allows for license renewal.
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, or NEPA, established a national policy for considering the impact of federal decision-making on the environment. Leslie, we will discuss NEPA in greater detail.
The NRC's mission is three-fold: To ensure adequate protection of public health and safety; to promote the common defense and security; and to protect the environment. The NRC accomplishes its mission through a combination of regulatory programs and processes, such as: establishing rules and regulations, conducting inspections, issuing enforcement actions, and assessing licensee performance. We also evaluate operating experience for nuclear plants across the country and internationally as well.
The NRC has resident inspectors at all operating nuclear plants. These inspectors are considered the eyes and ears of the NRC. They carry out our safety mission on a daily basis and are on the front lines of ensuring acceptable safety performance and compliance with regulatory requirements.
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8 I would like to mention a few very important areas of the NRC oversight does routinely come up during our interactions with members of the public. NRC staff addresses these areas of performance every day as part of the ongoing regulatory oversight provided for all currently operating power reactors. They include: current safety performance as defined by NRC inspection findings, violations, and general assessments of plant performance; emergency planning and security.
For specific information on current performance for Fermi 2, use the link provided on this slide. This is also on your handout. The NRC monitors and provides regulatory oversight of activities in these areas on an ongoing basis under the current operating license, thus we do not re-evaluate them in license renewal.
That's not to say that they are not important; we just do not duplicate the regulatory process in these areas for license renewal.
The NRC received Fermi 2's license renewal application on April 30th, 2014, requesting an additional 20 years of operation. The current operating license for Fermi 2 expires on March 20th, 2025. Licensees can submit an application for license NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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9 renewal after 20 years of operation. The NRC has determined that 20 years of operation provides enough information for the staff to make an informed decision on license renewal.
The first step of the license renewal process is to perform an acceptance and sufficiency review of the application. The purpose of this review is to determine if the applicant has provided the required information. Required information includes technical information about plant structures and components and how the applicant proposes to manage the aging of the structures and components.
Technical specifications define the operating parameters of the plant. The application indicates if any changes or additions to technical specifications are necessary to manage the effects of aging during the period of extended operation. The application also includes an environmental report, which is the applicant's assessment of the environmental impacts of continued operation.
If the application has the required information, then it is considered acceptable and it is put on the NRC's formal docket and the staff will perform a full review.
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10 This flow chart highlights that the license renewal process has two separate, parallel review tracks. The environmental review shown at the bottom of the flow chart perform under the regulations of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 51, and the safety review shown at the top of the flow chart perform under the regulations of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 54. The focus of the environmental review stems from the NRC's obligation to protect the environment from the use of nuclear materials. The NRC performs plant-specific reviews of environmental impacts of operating life extension in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the requirements of 10 CFR, Part 51, environmental protection regulations for domestic licensing and related regulatory functions.
As part of the environmental review, the staff consults with local, state, federal, and tribal officials. In addition, the staff holds public meetings to receive comments on the draft environmental impact statement. The focus of the safety review stems from the NRC's obligation under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. The purpose of this review is to make sure NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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11 and verify that each applicant has fully analyzed the management of aging effects in sufficient detail to conclude that the plant can be operated safely during the period of extended operation.
The license renewal application must contain technical information and evaluations about the different types of plant aging that might be encountered in the specific plant and how the licensee will manage or mitigate those aging effects. This information must be sufficiently detailed to permit the NRC staff to determine whether the effects of aging will be managed such that the plant can be operated during the period of extended operation without undo risk to health and safety of the public.
After completing the evaluation, the staff's review is documented in the final Safety Evaluation Report, or SER. In addition, a Regional Inspection Report and a regional administrator's recommendation are issued to document the results of inspections conducted on the overall regional oversight performed. Subsequently, the results of the evaluation are reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, or ACRS, and based on their review of the information presented, the ACRS makes the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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12 decision to issue a recommendation letter to grant the renewed license. This step is very valuable since it provides an independent third-party assessment of the review performed. The dotted lines show that hearings may also be conducted if interested stakeholders submit concerns or contentions and the request for a hearing is granted. The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will conduct the hearings. The Commission considers the outcome of the hearing process in its decision on whether or not to issue a renewed operating license.
Now, I'm going to describe the license renewal and review processes in a little more detail, starting with the safety review. To better understand the license renewal process, it is good to know the safety principles that guides license renewal.
The first principle is that the current regulatory process is adequate. The interrelationship between our regulations, licensing, and oversight activities, provide for adequate protection of public health and safety at any point during the plant's life.
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13 also fit into the Aging Management Program. This information is also used in our licensing activities and as a basis for changes to regulations and guidance.
As a consequence of applicants receiving their renewed license, the Aging Management Program is necessary to ensure continued safe operation of passive, long-lived structures and components, are added to the existing plant's licensing basis. To be clear, aging of structures and components does not start at year 40, it starts on day one, and it's managed by the applicants since the first day of operation; thus, many of the aging management programs are existing programs that applicants credit in their license renewal application.
Applicants also identify enhancement to these existing programs based on operating experience or develop new programs, because new aging mechanisms have been identified at their plants.
The safety review focuses on the aging of classes and long-lived structures and components and systems that the NRC deems important to plant safety.
We consider, first: safety-related systems, structures, and components; for example, the reactor containment; second, non-safety-related systems, NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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14 structures, and components which, if they fail, could affect safety-related systems, structures, and component functions; for example, a piece of equipment directly above a safety-related component. And third:
system structures and components relied upon for compliance with regulation -- regulations, such as:
fire protection, environmental qualifications, pressurized thermal shock, anticipated transient without a scram, and station blackout.
The staff's main objective in this review is to determine if the effects of aging will be effectively managed by the applicant. The results of the safety review are documented in a Safety Evaluation Report.
Now that you know what it is subject to review, I will talk about how the NRC looks at all the information. The safety review is comprised of numerous, vigorous aspects. The technical staff reviews the applicant's license renewal application and supporting documentation to determine the applicant's methodology, to identify the systems, structures, and components within the scope of license renewal, and subject to an aging management review; to determine if the methodology has been properly NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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15 implemented, and to determine with reasonable assurance if the effects of aging for certain systems, structures, and components will be adequately managed or monitored by new and existing programs and surveillance activities. The staff uses site audits or visits to verify the technical basis of the license renewal application and to confirm that the applicant's aging management programs and activities conform with how they are described in the application.
The staff documents the basis and conclusions of its review in a Safety Evaluation Report which is publicly available. In addition, a team of specialized inspectors travels to the reactor site to verify that aging management programs are being implemented, modified, or planned, consistent with the license renewal application.
Finally, as I have mentioned, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards performs an independent review of the license renewal application, the staff's Safety Evaluation Report, and inspection findings, makes a recommendation to the Commission regarding the proposed action to issue a renewed operating license.
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16 This slide shows important milestones for the safety review process. It is important to note that the dates in blue are subject to change based on the progress of the review. Scheduled changes may result from a host of reasons. If significant issues are identified, the license renewal review may be suspended indefinitely or terminated.
That concludes the description of the safety review. The environmental review will be discussed by the environmental project manager, Leslie Perkins.
MS. PERKINS: Okay. And I will go over the environmental review process. This review is performed in accordance with the National Pol -- National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, commonly referred to as "NEPA." NEPA established a national policy for considering environmental impacts and provides the basic architecture for federal environmental reviews. All federal agencies must follow a systematic approach in evaluating potential impacts and also to assess alternatives to the actions -- to those actions. The NEPA process involves public participation and public disclosure. The NRC environmental regulations implementing the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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17 requirements of NEPA are contained in 10 CFR, Part 51.
Our environmental review considers the impact of license renewal and any mitigation for those impacts considered significant.
We also consider the impacts of alternatives to license renewal, including the impacts of not issuing a renewed license. We document the review in an environmental impact statement, which is publicly available. Ultimately, the purpose of the environmental review is to determine whether environmental impacts of license renewal are reasonable, and in combination with other reviews, to make a recommendation to the -- to the Commission whether to renew the license or not.
This slide -- this slide gives you an idea of some of the areas evaluated. Some of these areas are terrestrial and aquatic ecology, environmental justice, hydrology, and radiation protection.
The license -- for a license renewal review, the NRC environmental staff looks at a wide range of potential impacts. Additionally, we consult with various federal, state, and local official -- officials, as well as leaders of Indian nations. Examples include: U.S. Fish and Wildlife NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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18 Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, Michigan tribal nation -- nations with historic ties to the area around the plant. We gather pertinent information from these sources to ensure it's considered in our analysis.
The environmental review begins with -- with a scoping process, which is an assessment of the specific impacts and significant issues that the statute consider in preparing a Fermi 2 environmental impact statement. Currently, this is where we are in the process.
Information we gather from you today and in the next few weeks will be considered and included in the environmental impact statement. We recognize that some impacts are similar, if not identical, to all nuclear power plants, so to improve efficiency we develop a generic environmental impact statement that addresses a number of impacts common to all nuclear power plants. The staff supplements the generic EIS with a site-specific EIS in which we will address issues that are specific to Fermi 2. The staff also re-examines the conclusions reached in the generic EIS to determine if there is any new and significant NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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19 information that would change those conclusions.
For the term beyond the 20-year license period of extended operation, the NRC has historically addressed the environmental impacts associated with the management of spent nuclear fuel and the waste confidence decision and rule, 10 CFR 51.23. In June 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals vacated the NRC's waste confidence decision and rule. In response, the Commission directed the NRC staff to proceed with a rule-making in a generic EIS to address the court's findings. The Commission also directed that no licenses will be issued if the issues related to waste confidence aren't appropriately addressed. A draft proposed rule in EIS were issued for public comment in the fall of 2013. Based on public comments, the NRC staff revised the rule and EIS. The final rule and EIS are currently with the Commission for review. Subject to Commission approval, the final rule and EIS are expected to be issued in fall -- in the fall of 2014.
Additional information on the waste confidence rule- making and EIS can be found on the NRC public website on the link listed on the slide.
The scoping period started June 30th, 2014, when the Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS and NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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20 conduct scoping was published in the Federal Register.
The NRC will accept comments on the scope of the environmental review until August 29, 2014. In general, we are looking for information about environmental impacts from the continued operation of Fermi 2. You can assist in this process by telling us, for example, what aspects of your local community we should focus on; what environmental and socioeconomic issues NRC should examine during our review; what other major project -- projects are in progress or planned in the area, and what reasonable alternatives are most appropriate for this region.
These are just some examples of input -- of the input we seek through the environmental scoping process.
We're not familiar with your community as you are, so your comments today will help to facilitate a thorough review.
Public comments are an important part of the environmental review process. All your comments to us, whether provided verbally during this meeting, or in a written letter or email, are considered and addressed. We respond to each comment as a part of the EIS. The -- the EIS is one of the factors, as well as several others shown here, that influences the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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21 Commission's decision to renew the license or not.
In addition to providing verbal and written comments at this meeting, there are other ways that you can submit comments. You can submit comments online using the federal rule-making website, Regulations.gov. Just enter in the NRC Docket I.D.
listed on the slide. Please note that comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information. Do not include any information and comments -- in your comments that you do not want publicly disclosed. As I mentioned, the deadline for comments is August 29th.
This slide shows important milestones for the environmental review process. The dates for publishing the draft EIS and the final EIS may change based on the progress of the review. Petitions to request for a hearing are due August 28th, 2000 -- excuse me -- August 18, 2014. Also, the opportunity to submit environmental comments, once again, closes August 29th, 2014. Please note that the draft EIS is currently scheduled to be issued for public comment in June 2015 with an associate public -- associated public meeting to receive your comments on this preliminary document.
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22 Daneira and I are the primary points of contact at the NRC for license renewal issues for Fermi.
Our contact information is provided on this slide and also in the handout. Copies of the license renewal application and the Environmental Report are available on CD in the entryway. In addition, a hard copy of the license renewal application and Environmental Report may be found at the Ellis Library and Conference Center. The draft EIS will also be available at this library when it's published for public comment.
These documents will also be on the NRC's public website at the web address shown at the bottom of the slide. As you came in, you were asked to fill out a registration card at our reception table. If you included your mailing address on that card, we will mail a CD of the draft and final EIS to you.
This concludes my presentation; I'll now turn it back over to Richard.
MR. BARKLEY: All right. Thank you, Leslie. At this time, I wanted to see if there was anyone who had a question regarding the staff's presentation, if they had some confusion over any aspect of how this process works. Okay, if there is NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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23 none, then what I'll do is move us right into the comment period.
As again I mentioned, there's no shy people in this -- sorry -- there's no shy people in this group.
I woke you up, though, if you were asleep. But I have 33 people who want to speak and there's only I think 63 people in the audience, so that's a pretty high percentage. What I would like to do, again, is call you up to the microphone here to speak. I would ask you to try to limit your remarks to three to five minutes. I would ask you to speak into the microphone very carefully, because we have a transcription person back here in the corner, you cannot see, but she is transcribing your remarks, and so the clearer you are, the more accurate the transcription as we go through it. I would ask that you not interrupt the speaker when they're at the podium, if you could, or try to speak from the audience; the transcriber just cannot hear that as remarks.
Now, if you have a lengthy remark, you're welcome to turn them in, in a written form and there will be -- you can provide them to Leslie after the meeting, so this is not the only opportunity to provide comments, as Leslie had mentioned.
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24 The way I typically do this and call people up is I'll announce, say three names, so you know the first person who is coming up and then the next two people kind of have a cue that, "Hey, I'm going to be up next as soon as they leave the podium," so that helps make the process go smoother, okay?
What I would like to do is start out by introducing and inviting up two, either representatives of your elected officials or actually an elected official here. So, Dustin Krasny, who is a representative of Congressman Tim Walberg, I'll have you come up to the podium first, followed by Bob Clark, the mayor of Monroe, and then, finally, I'll have Sandy Mull come up and speak, okay? So, Dustin?
MR. KRASNY: Well, sorry about that, but I'll remind myself: blessed are the brief, because they'll be asked to speak again, but I wanted to just stop by today. Obviously, Congressman Walberg is in Washington. The congressman and I have toured all the energy-producing facilities here in Monroe County and throughout the district, and Monroe County is now part of the 7th Congressional District, and it's interesting to note that the 7th Congressional District actually has -- is the biggest producer of energy from any NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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25 Congressional District this side of the Mississippi, so it's very important in this district for -- for our jobs, for our local economy. And as we move this district in our state forward, it's important to create efficient, low-cost energy for our manufacturers, families, and small businesses as we get Michigan moving again. So, we'll continue to work on that, and the congressman in the next few weeks will be submitting a letter of support for this renewal process. So, I want to thank you for having this open forum for everybody to speak, and have a great day here in Monroe.
MR. CLARK: Well, thank you. I'll try not to touch the microphone. But, good afternoon, everyone. My name is Bob Clark and I am the mayor with the City of Monroe. I'm here with some comments that I've prepared, but it also comes from some personal information as well. But thanks for this opportunity to offer my comments about DTE Energy's application for the 20-year extension of the operating license for Fermi 2.
I, in the City of Monroe, have long been vocal about our support for Fermi complex, most recently in public hearings concerning the proposed new unit and complex, as well as the related NRC NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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26 environmental impact statements. And now, today, in support of DTE's license renewal application.
An additional two decades of operation of a well-maintained, productive Fermi 2, it would continue to stable the base of the economic avail -- activity and all of the benefits associated with more than 800 very good jobs here in our region, but also the tax base associated with the plant and the local purchasing engaged in and by the plant.
There is also, of course, the spinoff benefits associated with hundreds of contractors engaged in various projects of the plant. I can't overstate Fermi's vital importance to our city, our county, and our region.
You know, being a good neighbor requires trust, it requires communication, it requires keeping one's commitment. I promised to be so during my seven years in city government, but also during my previous 30-year career with the Michigan State Police. DTE has and continues to be a valuable partner of our community in many respects.
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27 addressing issues. They communicate with elect officials and community leaders and they are true to their word. I can find that any issue or any item, either before, during, or as things are occurring, that I have contact and receive phone calls and can really make those calls myself if I have questions or if questions come to me. I believe it's because DTE isn't just a company doing business in our community, but they are also part of our community. Many of the employees live in the city of Monroe or surrounding townships and villages; they are involved in our community on a day-to-day basis as residents, patrons of our local businesses, volunteers in our community, and involved with charitable activities. And I regularly see the men and women who work at Fermi and DTE's other Monroe facilities, Monroe County facilities, and have personal connections with them as friends and neighbors. This personal commitment and engagement at all levels within DTE, to me it inspires great confidence.
As far as support, that DTE wants to extend the life of Fermi 2, so this license renewal application, and I see it as one of those instances where it wins for everybody. Our community benefits, NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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28 electric customers benefit from cost-effective source and reliable, affordable carbon-free electricity. I want to thank you again for the opportunity to make some brief comments. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Thank you, Bob. Sandy?
MS. MULL: I'll stand on tiptoes so I don't have to touch the microphone. Good afternoon. I'm Sandy Mull; I'm the president and executive director of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber. Our organization is made up of rough -- roughly 1,000 business members who are in 21 communities that are north of Monroe County, east of Washtenaw County, and south of Dearborn. The vast majority of our members can be classified as small businesses with approximately 85 percent of them having fewer than 100 employees and fully half of them having fewer than 25 employees.
The Chamber's mission is to improve the overall business climate for our members through action that stimulates economic growth, inter- business communication, and member education.
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29 and stability. It represents an opportunity for both economic growth and improved business climate, and that's why the Chamber is supporting DTE's application for a renewed license.
The south -- southern -- I'm sorry -- the Southeast Michigan Council of Government, which is SEMCOG -- that's why I stumbled over the whole name -- estimates that our region lost 210,000 manufacturing jobs in the first decade of the new millennium. And worse, those losses were -- had a ripple effect by three jobs lost for every manufacturing job that disappeared. During that dark economic period, Fermi 2 was one of the few places that remained stable.
In my perspective, our region, which is Southeast Michigan, we felt the recession first and we felt it the longer -- the longest, and we are just now beginning to get a sense that the economy is turning the corner in our region. The assurance of 20 additional years of operation at Fermi 2 would be a very positive development. First, in terms of economic stability, and it would also provide a cost- effective energy that we've come to expect from DTE. It's my understanding that Fermi 2 represents about one-fifth NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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30 of the electricity produced by DTE Energy. If the license extension was not granted, it's my belief that we would pay significantly higher fees for the necessary power to replace what Fermi 2 otherwise would have generated.
Thank you, again, for this opportunity to speak.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay, thank you. The next three people I would like to call is: Barry Buschmann, Carol Izant, and Richard McDevitt. So, Barry?
MR. BUSCHMANN: Good afternoon. My name is Barry Buschmann, and I'm the senior vice president of the Mannik & Smith Group, which is a local civil engineering, surveying, and environmental firm in Monroe, Michigan. I am also a licensed professional engineer in the state of Michigan since 1981 and a resident of Monroe County. I also wear some other hats which include: I'm the current chairman of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce; a board member for the Monroe County United Way; vice chair of the Monroe County Economic Development Corporation; and I also am the township engineer for Frenchtown Charter Township, where the Fermi 2 Power Plant is located; and I am also the engineer for the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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31 Frenchtown Charter Township Resort District Authority, which obtains approximately 60 percent of its revenue from the DTE Energy and Fermi 2 Power Plant, and it is situated in close proximity to the facility itself.
DTE provides a strong tax base for Monroe County, for Frenchtown Township, and the Resort Authority. They provide excellent corporate support to the Chamber of Commerce and numerous other agencies throughout Monroe County. Without their funding tax base and support, most of these agencies and municipalities would suffer. DTE provides approximately 800 jobs in our community, and we would like to see those jobs continued for another 20 years.
In addition, during refueling outages, another 1,000 temporary workers are employed. This not only provides additional regional employment, but it provides a strong financial benefit to local businesses during the time period in which the workers are in town.
Fermi 2 Power Plant has provided a safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly facility since its start of operation in Frenchtown Township many years ago.
DTE is also a strong supporter of the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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32 Monroe County Community College, working with them to provide a workforce pipeline, by establishing programs and hiring local community for college students.
As chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, a representative of the Monroe County EDC, and an owner of a local engineering firm in Monroe County, I strongly support the Fermi 2 license renewal application.
Renewing the license of Fermi 2 will provide the continuation of reliable power source with affordable electricity to our county for the next 20 years.
Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thank you, Barry.
Carol, welcome.
MS. IZANT: My name is Carol Izant; I co-chair the Alliance to Halt Fermi 3 and I'm here, today, I will be submitting some written comments on behalf of our organization. But, today, I just want to say that given the decision that was handed down two years ago regarding the waste confidence ruling, I don't see how it's possible for the NRC to grant a renewal of Fermi 2.
As it stands right now, there's some 700-plus tons of eradiated spent fuel, a much more dangerous substance than when it first went in. When NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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33 it comes out, it is a material that is just deadly and the -- the dangers associated with this cannot be, you know, underestimated over -- anyway, you get my point.
So, and my understanding is that the welds that are in place up there, on top of the reactor and the pools that contain this spent fuel, those welds are not -- don't have enough integrity, that allow removal of the spent fuel. Even if -- even if DTE was willing to commit to a dry cask storage on site there, it's my understanding that they can't even get the material safely down, out of the existing pools, so it's just -- you know, so to continue to extend the license, continue to pile up material that has no place to go, is not logical, it's not rational; it's extremely dangerous. You know, you built a mansion, you forgot to put in the toilet. You know, I mean I'll tell you, if -- if word got out that, you know, I was -- I had built, you know, a house and an inspector came through and rubberstamped, you know, the fact that I was building something without a way to safely remove the waste and contain it, you know, my reputation would be seriously in the toilet. But, you know, when you're doing business with the Godfather, you know, you get away with a lot. And while I -- believe me, I -- I NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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34 understand how vitally important it is to this community in terms of jobs and income and economy.
And, certainly, you know, I -- I am not unrealistic when it comes to the -- the economic impacts; however, there is a far greater impact that we must consider. And to that end, you know, I'll save the details of that for my written comments, but thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thank you, Carol.
Rich, come on up.
MR. McDEVITT: Good afternoon. Welcome, Commission; we appreciate you coming here and giving us this opportunity to speak. My name is Rich McDevitt. I am a lifelong resident of Monroe County.
I have been working with DTE Energy for over 34-35 years now, since 1988, when we went commercial, producing electricity for our communities. I have been working here, at the Fermi Powerhouse. I am also the vice chair of the Fermi Division of the Utility Workers Local 223.
During this entire period of time that I have been working at Fermi, I have been working in the Mechanical Maintenance Department. Really, the nuts and bolts of this power plant to keep us safe, reliable, organization-capable of supplying you, our community, NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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35 with electricity.
Not only have I been a lifelong resident of Fermi and of Monroe County, here at Fermi, I have been involved in the nuclear industry since the early 70s, when I was working at a tool and die shop making the tubing to manufacture and house our uranium that we use for fuel. And it's very important that in all aspects of this, that we do produce and keep a safe operating power plant. It has been my pleasure to work in such an organization that does this at all steps.
We do have for you entire sets of safety standards that every man and woman that works there abide by. We pay attention to each and every one of these steps because this is not only our occupation, this is our environment. This is our home; this is where we're raising our families. I am fortunate enough to have a new generation in my family who are building a home within three miles of the power block, because we believe this is a safe, good way to manufacture electricity.
In fact, it is probably even more amazing that when I first came to Fermi, we had a tremendous set of rules in place. We abrogated those rules to even better each and every year. Literally every month, we NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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36 are trying our best to improve -- to improve what is best for our community in the manufacturing of a safe and reliable product.
I have the opportunity to represent more than 200 members of the workforce out there on a daily basis; each and every one dedicated to our community's environment, and taking care of it in such a safe way.
This is our home. This power plant is something that is good for our community; it helps each and every one of us. Many of our members and our workers are volunteers in our community, serving on many different boards. And Commission, we do look forward to having our contract license renewed, so that we can continue for many, many more, providing this community with a safe and reliable resource to keep us generating in such a way that we are moving forward in our world. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: The next three people I would like to call up is: Joseph Plona, Jessie Pauline Collins, and then Paul Braunlich.
MR. PLONA: Good afternoon. My name is Joseph Plona and I'm a DTE Energy employee and I've worked at the Fermi Nuclear Plant for over 30 years.
I have a very close connection with the plant; I was NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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37 present at initial startup. And I can say that in all of my years of experience here, we have no higher commitment in this facility than to safety, and that's operational safety, personal safety, and safety of the public. Nothing comes before our responsibility for safety. And I know I speak for every Fermi employee, that we take this responsibility seriously.
Now, every company has a purpose. The DTE Energy purpose is: we serve with our energy the life blood of communities and the engine of progress. Fermi has an important role in the company in fulfilling that purpose. The benefits of more than 25 years of safe operation are many: More than 190 million megawatt hours of electricity for DTE Energy customers in that time frame, and all that electricity with no carbon emissions; clean energy; a positive role in the local community, supporting local institutions, charitable organizations, and countless volunteer hours on the part of our employees.
Our commitment to safety also carries over to environmental responsibility as well. Our goal is to be stewards of the environmental where we work and live. More than 600 pristine acres of property on the Fermi site are part of the Detroit River International NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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38 Wildlife Refuge. That land has oversight by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and is teaming with undisturbed wildlife.
Fermi has also maintained our -- our Wildlife Habitat Council certification since 2000.
The council is a nonprofit organization focused on healthy ecosystems. We have provided an exhaustive environmental impact study that shows no environmental changes related to license renewal, the plant -- the plant footprint, and the operation remained the same.
Renewing Fermi 2's operating license for another 20 years provides significant future benefit:
a continued supply of clean, safe energy for our customers in Southeast Michigan, providing the life blood to power our economy; an important part of the DTE balanced portfolio of energy sources -- nuclear, wind, coal, natural gas, and solar -- which all make up a generation assortment that is diverse, not dependent on one or two energy sources; a steady supply of good, well-paying jobs, at a tax base that supports the local community and the state of Michigan, economically, and; finally, license renewal supports our employees and their families, who are a vital part of this community through their efforts at the plant, NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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39 as well as in the community, in the schools, civic institutions, churches and charitable organizations, working to improve the quality of life in the area.
That is where we all want to be for another 20 years.
Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Thank you, Joseph. Jessie, you're up.
MS. COLLINS: Hello. My name is Jessie Pauline Collins and I'm a nuclear abolitionist. I want to say, I'll speak tonight about issues, but right now I just want to say I'm glad we live in a country where we can have opposing views and bring them out and discuss them, so that we can have better knowledge.
I became a nuclear abolitionist as a young woman in Oklahoma when I attended sweat lodges and the medicine man told us they were trying to build a nuclear facility in Oklahoma, and that it was our duty as warriors to do what we could to stop it. I didn't question, I didn't know what a nuclear plant was, but I joined with the others and we did.
The first NRC meeting I went to, it was all white men; that was in '85. Over the years it changed, then we got men of color, and now we have women, and women of color. I'm glad to see this progress. This NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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40 is all progress toward a sustainable world: equal rights, equal voices. And now we have a thing of energy. It has -- Fukushima has brought to life everybody's worst fears. Over three years, still contaminating. Yes, Fermi has run without that kind of danger; it doesn't mean it always will. It means it has so far.
DTE Electric -- and I must say, they are a very respectable organization, I have never been threatened by them or my personal life interfered with, as Kermagee used to do to us. As I passed and went to the cafeteria, I saw all the solar panels put up there by DTE -- yay, they are on the right track.
They have to go sustainable eventually; they might as well do it now. Now is the time to put aside the dangers that we face, do not make us live in the shadow of a Fukushima-like accident for another 31 years, not even the Fukushima-like accident. In the 19 -- 2009 study that they did on the cooling water intake, it showed the cooling water intake sucked up, in an eight-month period, 3,102 live fish, over 63 million fish eggs and fish larva in normal operations. The world depends on the fish. And the water they put out is hot, inviting in invasive species.
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41 At the time, it was a new technology and it seemed to be great. Now we know it's not. Let's not extend it another 20 years. Let's end it now and go on to the sustainable energy sources that are inevitable to come. Thank you.
MR. BRAUNLICH: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Paul E. Braunlich, and I am the attorney for Frenchtown Charter Township Resort District Authority, and I'm here this afternoon speaking on behalf of Larry Smith, the director of the Resort District Authority. I just came off of the lake with the good mayor; we were boating on the lake with many prosecutors throughout the state of Michigan, but I got elected to come here to talk this afternoon about a very important subject to all of us.
The Resort District Authority is a special tax assessment district created by Frenchtown Charter Township in 1986 and allowed by Michigan Public Act 59 of 1986. Through the vision of local leaders and championed by our local state representative, this Act permitted the establishment of a defined assessment district in order to rehabilitate a special area. The boundaries of the Resort District Authority encompass a contiguous area within the township, which includes NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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42 private homeowner associations established in the 40s and in the 50s, locally known as the "beach communities," Fermi 2 and other businesses that opted in.
The beach communities, under their outdated organizational structures, were unable to provide for adequate municipal infrastructure and services, and were in a state of rapid decline. The Resort District Authority has a population of approximately 6,250 people representing 30 percent of the township, with approximately 2,321 housing units.
Since the creation of the Resort District Authority, 42 miles of roads have been paved; over 80 miles of storm drains were installed, including six large pumping stations capable of pumping 3,469 gallons of water per minute, equipped with diesel engine power generators for backup in the possibility of a power interruption during floods. Clay berm/dikes were also built to supplement existing flood protection devices.
Currently, the Resort District Authority has launched a major project to rehabilitate the flood protection seawalls along Lake Erie shoreline. This is a 32 million dollar project funded on a pay-as-you-go NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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43 basis and not the federal government. With approximately 1 million annually being set aside for construction, the project will complete -- will be completed sometime around 2046. The Resort District Authority provides municipal services, such as: road maintenance, street lighting, snow removal, and etcetera. None of this would have been possible without Detroit Edison, Fermi 2, being an active and good corporate citizen of the Resort District Authority.
In closing, the Resort District Authority is a unique governmental entity in the state of Michigan -- there is only one of us -- and collects taxes from the district to provide municipal services and to provide flood protection and improvements to the community. DTE, Fermi 2, has been an excellent corporate citizen, but more specifically, by its local president -- presence, improving the quality of life for all of the citizens of the township, and especially the Resort District Authority.
I urge the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to renew the license of Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant for the requested 20 years, thereby keeping them a valuable citizen of the Resort District Authority and a NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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44 district, a representative, the place to live and raise a family. Thank you for this opportunity to address the Commission and for your attention. Thank you very much.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thank you, Paul.
For our next three speakers, I would like to call up Angela Rudolph, followed by Richard Micka, and then, finally, Bill Ded (sic), I believe his name is.
MS. RUDOLPH: Good afternoon, everyone.
Monroe County is where I live, is where I work. I live just seven miles north of the plant and I feel safe living there. I am proud to say I do work at Fermi.
Both of my children have worked at Fermi during their college years. My coworkers and I are a vital part of this community. We supply the energy to power the economy and to make all of our lives more comfortable.
We do that 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> a day, 300 -- or 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> a day, 365 days a year, and we would like to see that plant produce energy for another 20 years. There will be no environmental impact changes related to the license renewal application. The plant footprint and operation will remain the same. I, like every Fermi employee, are committed to protecting the environment; it's a commitment that we live in every day. Thank you.
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45 MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thank you, Angela.
Richard?
MR. MICKA: Good afternoon. My name is Dick Micka; my wife and I live in the city of Monroe and have for many years. I am also what is somewhat called a "civic booster." I am a former hunter and avid conservationist, but not former conservationist -- still an active one. I have the great honor to serve as the chairman of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Alliance, a friend's organization that helps the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to deliver on the mission of the refuge. I am here this afternoon offering my personal perspective.
As a resident, I believe that when it comes to electricity, we can't put all our eggs in one basket. We need something more than coal, and I don't think wind or hydro are going to be a significant help, certainly not here in the southeast corner of Michigan.
While I firmly believe that more nuclear energy needs to be added to Michigan's electricity portfolio, I believe even more firmly that the life of a well-functioning plant like Fermi 2 needs to be NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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46 extended. I welcome your efforts in the process of reviewing DTE Energy's application for a 20-year license extension. As a civic booster, I have long observed and admired DTE Energy's involvement in Monroe County. I've had the pleasure to work shoulder-to-shoulder with many men and women from the company and to a person, they are great examples of what good neighbors should be.
As a conservationist, I have worked over the years with what I term the "Big 4" of local environmental stewardship of: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Huron Clinton Metropolitan -- Metropolitan Parks Authority and the utilities. DTE Energy and its involvement with the Wildlife Habitat Council is a great example of environmental stewardship. Of course, DTE Energy was the first business partner with Wildlife Refuge, entering into a cooperative management agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service, enabling the service to protect and manage wildlife and fish populations on 656 acres at Fermi.
In closing, know that the environmental community also includes many individuals like me, avid NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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47 or once avid anglers and hunters, many like me see nuclear energy, especially an existing plant like Fermi 2, as critical to meeting Michigan's long-term energy -- energy needs. As an added benefit, Fermi 2 omits virtually no greenhouse gases.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thank you, Richard.
Bill, are you still there?
I wondered how that -- D-y-e-r?
MR. DYER: Yeah, that's it.
MR. BARKLEY: It didn't look like it on my card.
MR. DYER: I'm a little nervous here, so -- I'll put my glasses on. Hello, everyone. I'm Bill Dyer, by the way. I'm the chairman of local -- the Fermi Division, Local 223. Fermi 2 is quite, literally in the hands of Local 223, and I am the chairman of the division of Local 223. We are the men and women who operate and maintain the plant. We take our work very seriously; our workers are highly trained professionals -- professional nuclear workers, and we are honored to serve our friends and families and neighbors by powering the community.
Local 223 represents hundreds of members and we all know the responsibility we have at Fermi 2.
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48 We accept the responsibility and honor it by keeping safe -- safety our top priority. Safety isn't an abstract thing for us; we live it. We live here, our families live here, our friends live here, and our neighbors depend on us keeping them safe. I, and the rest of Local 223, look forward to operating Fermi 2 for the next three decades and should -- and the community should rest assured knowing the plant is safe in our hands. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thanks, Bill. The next three people I would like to call are: Sean Honell, Michael Keegan, and then Eric Dover. Sean?
MR. HONELL: Hello. My name is Sean Honell; I'm a Monroe County resident and a mechanical engineer at Fermi 2. I was born and raised in Monroe County and am proud to say it's my home, today.
As a Bedford High School graduate in 2006, the economy in Michigan and throughout the country was at a point of economic downturn. The automotive industry was struggling and the prospects for career-level jobs were dwindling. I started my college education right here at Monroe County Community College, taking general engineering credits. Now I was intrigued when the college offered a Nuclear NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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49 Engineering Technology Program. I had long known that Fermi was a single place of employment and I enrolled and graduated at the first class of nuclear engineering technology students. As a result, I earned a coop position at Fermi 2 in 2008. I have since gone on to get my bachelor's of science in mechanical engineering at the University of Toledo. I am now working at a job that I love at DTE Energy.
The one principle that has been so clear from the beginning is that more than anything, Fermi is committed to safety. Every single day, the work that I perform reflects the core values of safety. It is my personal duty, and every employee's duty, to ensure that we perform our work to the highest standards of safety in protecting the environment around us. I can proudly say that I go home at night to my wife and eight-month-old son feeling safe and secure, even with an operational nuclear facility just three miles from my home.
My coworkers and I are a vital part of this community. We supply -- we supply clean energy to power the economy and to make all of our lives more comfortable. We do that every day, 365 days a year, and I want to continue to do that for the next 20 years.
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50 Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Thanks, Sean. Michael?
MR. KEEGAN: My name is Michael Keegan, I reside in Monroe, Michigan; I have lived here all my life. I have been tracking nuclear power since 1980 when I attended a public meeting before the County Commissioners where there were promises about an evacuation plan, an exercise that could be conducted.
The more they presented, it occurred to me it was -- that these were falsehoods; there really is not an operable evacuation plan in Monroe County. If you were asked to evacuate, it would be a permanent relocation. I'm troubled by the fact that in this community, it's the largest MARC 1 reactor in the world, nearly identical to the Fukushima reactors. And what's more disturbing is it was known in 1972, by the Atomic Energy Commission, that this reactor design was faulty. There were hearings, congressional hearings in 1976, where three General Electric engineers came forward and spoke about the fault of this reactor design. The containment is simply too small.
Yes, indeed, we all love the tax revenue from Detroit Edison; we appreciate the jobs and the trickle down and so on, but in a heart beat, literally NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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51 a heart beat, in a super prompt criticality of 1.6 seconds, that reactor can go through the roof, and that means that we will not be just evacuating, we will be permanently relocating, the size of the state of Pennsylvania.
In 1982, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission commissioned a study from Sandia Labs called the "CRAC-II." This was the severe consequences of reactor accidents. At the Fermi 2, a reactor would be 136 billion dollars in property damage -- these are 1980 dollars -- 340,000 -- 341,000 injuries; 13,000 deaths from cancer; 8,000 immediate deaths. Yes, we like the tax revenue, we like the jobs, but in a heart beat this reactor could be gone. And there has been no mitigation, Detroit Edison refuses to put in place hardened vent which would allow for the venting of the reactor if it over-pressurized. Meanwhile, the product out there that they are really producing, that lasts forever, is high-level nuclear waste. If you refine it a bit, you could turn it into a nuclear weapon. This is the most volatile material in the world and yet this is what they produce and this is what they don't know what to do with to this day. They have been authorized since 2010 to remove that fuel from NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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52 the fuel pool, they have not been able to do so.
Because when they looked at the blueprints, they found that we're missing welds on the fifth floor, 768 missing welds on -- on the fifth floor. The crane would not support the load to break it down 100 feet, five floors; they still don't know what to do with it, but yet they'll make more. They'll make promises: we'll figure it out later. We'll adhere to a human and senseless paradigm, that we are so smart today in this room that: well, we don't know what to do just yet, but we'll figure it out later.
So, those are the tradeoffs. Lose everything you have, everything you've known, every family going forward, or just roll the dice one more time. The quality assurance at the Fermi 2 is abysmal, it's been abysmal; I have records demonstrating that. The Fermi 3 quality assurance is abysmal. We're going to go to court. So, I'm here today to tell you that there will be intervention at the legal front and there will be comments made. It's not going to be a cakewalk; we will be raising those issues.
I would also like to point out that you have a regulator which is a captured lapdog; they have been NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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53 captured by the industry. In fact, there have been 73 applications for license renewal, all 73 have been approved, and there have been vehement legal interventions at many of those. It does not matter to the NRC; nobody really cares at the NRC, they rubberstamp it. They've been captured by the industry and we play this musical pretense and -- "I come out here and legitimize this process for you, I get patted on the head, thanks for coming out, public," but you live in this community with this threat hanging over your head every day. There are better ways to do it.
If we take the money going forward, if we renew -- renewable is an alternative, these are labor-intensive technologies, there will be more jobs.
There would be replacement for the jobs that are lost at the Fermi 2. Phase it out, time to go. You don't know what to do with the waste; it's a con game, stop producing. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: All right. Thank you, Michael. Welcome, Eric.
MR. DOVER: I - don't touch the microphone, right? My name is Eric Dover. I want to thank the NRC for -- ooh, that moves, too -- I would like to thank the NRC for letting me speak, today. I NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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54 am a proud member of the Fermi 2 family, but that's not the family I want to talk about.
I'm a local boy, I was born and raised just south of here in La Salle. My father was also a local boy; his love for boating and the water, he passed right on to me. My mother may not have been local; she's been here for over 50 years. My entire family is here, my extended family is here; we all live around this plant.
And being a history buff, we've had to make sacrifices in the Lake Erie basin, for the environment, for the economy.
Fermi 2, we have a strong environmental storage shed; we do great things for the environment in my opinion, I see it firsthand. I am motivated, because of my family, to make sure we care for our environment. I'm a boater, I love the Great Lakes; I love spending time on the Great Lakes. Fermi not only provides the job and economy for me to enjoy that lifestyle, but also takes care of the environment around it, so the environment will continue to be there, so I can enjoy that lifestyle. That was probably the most proud moment of my professional career, is to be a part of that.
I would like to keep it short. I'm in NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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55 strong support of us extending this another 20 years.
Thank you very much.
MR. BARKLEY: Thank you, Eric. The next three people I would like to call up: Ron Lankford, followed by Emily Wood and then Keith Gunter. Ron, are you still here? Welcome. Glad we got to talk earlier.
MR. LANKFORD: Hello, everybody. My name is Ron Lankford; I'm a graduate of the Lawrence Institute of Technology, also hold a master's in health service administration.
I am going to do a little extemporaneous thing. Here, the First Nation people had it right:
live with nature, don't try to change it. I'm also going to have you use your minds. Picture the Continental United States; all across the nation, the states have different situations where some are against a foreign country, some of them are surrounded by other states. Michigan, though, is unique, because Lower Peninsula has water on three sides.
This means that the evacuation routes can't be to the west; we have a narrow ribbon across the Mackinaw Bridge to the north and we have a foreign country to our east. So, all of the evacuation routes would have to go south, which happens to be close to where the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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56 Fermi Nuclear Plant is.
As a consideration for extending the operating license of a nuclear power plant, the ability to successfully evacuate residents from the area must be included. Berlin Township clearly resides within the blast area of the Newport Fermi Power Plant. NRC needs to look at the lack of additional escape routes and the failure of the State of Michigan, Monroe County, and Wayne County, to maintain or improve evacuation routes in light of population increases in this township.
On the east end of Berlin Township, a Class A roadway, commonly known as "Jefferson," is supposed to carry traffic across the Huron River. Its bridges are crumbling and portions of this road have water on each side. In the past, flooding from Lake Erie has covered this road making it impassable. Flooding from Lake Erie could also challenge the Newport site, as it is essentially the same body of water.
Population increases are significant.
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57 in new houses. As of 2010, four years ago, 693 new homes were added to the township. This may not sound like a lot, but for us it was a 37 percent increase in dwellings. Some projections to the year 2040 predict another 20 percent increase in population. This would seem to be very modest, but it also means that you have a 37 percent increase in traffic because there is no public transportation in Berlin Township. No new roads have been built and no roads have been widened to provide a consistent third turn lane, which might be used in an evacuation. Many roads run parallel to rivers and creeks and they do flood.
The lack of snow removal by the government would have trapped many residents on the roads, that were in their homes this past winter. The area had the winter of the century -- record snowfall and record sustained cold temperatures impeded movement. Roads leading to even the Berlin Township offices offered only three-quarter to one- and-a-quarter lanes on their two-lane surfaces after plowing, and this condition went on for several weeks. These are the roads the evacuation people need to travel. These are the roads emergency service needs to go down.
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58 operating and that people need to use the roads to evacuate. If the NRC had requirements laid out in its original license regarding evacuation routes, adequate snow removal machines and manpower should have appeared to ensure the safety of Berlin Township residents.
Now, in business you have internal strengths and weaknesses. I have heard a lot of things here about what goes on within the fenced area of Detroit Edison, but the other problem we have is what goes on, on the outside: opportunities and threats.
Manpower to the Monroe County Sheriff's area has been cut to three patrolmen for the whole county on afternoon shift. The State Police Post we used to have in Erie, Michigan and Flat Rock have been either eliminated or relocated to Taylor. So, just who would Fermi call in the event they needed officers out there?
You have to look at not only the licensing requirement for what's within the perimeter of your plant, but you have obligations to maintain evacuation routes. And you can't just say, like in a failed evacuation, "Oh, I thought you were going to do it. Oh, isn't it your job to do it?"
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59 would run through to 2025 without anybody having the opportunity to look at all the budget cuts, all of the external factors, and see how they might affect the environmental part of nuclear licensing. There could be conditions in there where organizations are required to maintain manpower and they haven't. So, this is something that needs to be corrected and I would -- I would say that's a conditional approval of this license because we can't have this situation continue. Thank you.
MS. WOOD: Good afternoon. My name is Emily Wood and I appreciate the opportunity to share my viewpoint as an employee of North American Young Generation Nuclear member, Women in Nuclear member, a customer of DTE Energy, resident and active member of the Monroe County community.
I was born and raised in Monroe, Michigan. For me, Fermi 2 is a familiar place. My father has been working at the plant for the past 35 years. In 2008, I graduated summa cum laude. As many of you know, it was the worst economic time to be a recent college graduate. Never in a million years would I have anticipated having such a difficult time finding full-time employment. After countless hours NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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60 of searching, I was forced to leave my hometown of Monroe and relocate for an employment opportunity.
While living and working outside of Monroe County, I met someone who is now my fianc. When we met, he was enrolled in college and I told him about the field of nuclear power, which he was unfamiliar with at the time. He thought it sounded interesting and I told him to look into it. He graduated from the Monroe County Community College Nuclear Engineering Technology Program and was hired into the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant. Shortly thereafter, I was hired into the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant to work in Human Resources. With both of us being fortunate enough to have job opportunities in Monroe County, it allowed us to move back to my hometown. The Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant brought me back as a resident and acquired him as a new resident to Monroe County. We have truly been blessed by the financial and employment opportunities. Last year, we built a brand -- a brand-new beautiful home just three miles from the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant.
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61 for Monroe County and all Southeast Michigan, providing well-paying jobs for thousands of employees, contributing millions of dollars in tax revenue, and donating millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations that nurture our community. These are all things that I am proud of and I know my neighbors are proud of, too.
Although I work in Human Resources, I'm the president of the North American Young Generation Nuclear, also known as NAYGN. NAYGN is a group of young workers who will be the ones operating the Fermi 2 and other nuclear power plants across the nation for decades to come. And let me tell you all, your nuclear power plants are in good hands. Our young professionals are dedicated and intelligent; we are an innovative group and we bring many new ideas to help make nuclear power more efficient and reliable for the customers of Southeast Michigan.
In addition to NAYGN, I am also the vice president of Women in Nuclear, also known as WIN.
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62 included, are active supporters of the local community, raising funds for local charities and providing countless volunteer hours for local community organizations. License renewal is critical to the future success of Monroe County and the surrounding areas. That is why every day at Fermi 2, we maintain the safety of the public and the environment as our top priorities.
Through my recruiting efforts, I have seen firsthand what closing a nuclear facility does to the community and surrounding areas: economic devastation.
Businesses are forced to close and people are forced to leave the area and relocate. I never expect or want this to happen in the area I call home. I am thankful to know that Fermi will continue to operate and support Monroe County and Southeast Michigan. My passion for clean energy starts and ends with nuclear power. I look forward to the future of Fermi 2 as a safe, clean, and reliable source for base load power generation.
Thanks again for your time and have a wonderful day.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thank you, Emily.
Keith?
MR. GUNTER: Thank you. My name is Keith Gunter -- careful with that power. My name is NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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63 Keith Gunter and I am the other co-chair of Alliance to Halt Fermi 3, which is a union of concerned citizens in 15 Southeast Michigan organizations that are opposed to the construction of a third Fermi Nuclear Plant near Monroe, Michigan.
Forty-eight years ago, in September of 1966, I was an 11-year-old sixth grader at Taylor -- Fairlane Elementary School in Taylor, Michigan, and our teacher took us to a place called Fermi 1; a wondrous, brand-new technological marvel that was going to help pave the way for inexhaustible, clean energy for all humanity. Needless to say, after 48 years, quite a lot has changed.
On March the 11th, 2011, early in the morning, my phone rang at home; it was my brother, Paul, who is the director, reactor watchdog project director at D.C. area, Beyond Nuclear, and my brother told me that there had been a terrible earthquake in -- in Tsunami, in Japan, and that it was likely there was at least one meltdown now underway. And he told me that he had just gotten a call from a cable news network and was being asked to come directly over to the studio. He didn't have time to go home and throw on a suit, so he went to the studio in street clothes NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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64 and he did a 10-minute interview with Jeanne Meserve who was, at that time, a senior homeland security correspondent for a cable news network. And of that 10-minute interview, they used approximately eight seconds of that interview at the very end of Wulf Flitzer's Situation Room program on March the 11th, 2011. And my brother, Paul, said at the end of that -- at the end of that story, which spanned about eight minutes -- the eight seconds they used, he essentially said, "The concern here is that we could literally blow the roof off of this reactor."
Now, right after his snippet of film was used, a spokesperson for the Nuclear Energy Institute, whose name I'm not recalling at the moment, said that the probability of that happening was extremely remote.
The next morning, when I turned on CNN, the first thing, I saw the first Fukushima reactor building exploding and I thought to myself: you know, brother, you called that one. But my brother was not clairvoyant; such special powers were not needed, because as my friend and colleague, Michael Keegan, indicated a little while ago, the shortcomings, the flaws of the General Electric boiling water reactor MARC 1 containment design had been known for decades. As a matter of NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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65 fact, Harold Benton (ph), a former senior reactor safety specialist at the U.S. NRC, once estimated that the probability of catastrophic failure of the General Electric MARC 1 boiling water reactor containment design was 90 percent probability of failure under severe accident conditions. In other words, with the pressure suppression system that was already installed at the plant, in addition to the back- fitting of a special vent stack to relieve excess pressure under accident conditions, the failure rate at Fukushima Daiichi was 100 percent, because the three reactors that were operating at the site, at the time of the disaster, all exploded before the eyes of the world.
So, I certainly -- I certainly appreciate the arguments, as my colleague, Carol Izant, said earlier; I certainly appreciate the -- the need for -- for jobs and economic security and certainly appreciate the need for safe production and distribution of electricity, but as we have seen in over the last few decades, nuclear power is failing that test. Because the fact is, that nuclear plants are not insurable. The best risk assessors, inside the insurance companies, will not touch nuclear power NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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66 with a 10-foot pole. And that's the reason that in 1957, the U.S. Congress passed the -- the Price- Anderson Act, which essentially leaves the federal government and U.S. taxpayers on the hook for the vast, vast, vast majority of potential damages.
And we've also come to realize that you don't need an earthquake or a tsunami to produce a condition on plant property known as "station blackout," where you have a failure of the primary electrical power and -- and a subsequent -- and a concurrent failure of backup electrical power.
So, given all we know, it is my opinion that to relicense a reactor that has a known flawed containment design, to say nothing of the issues of the waste, which we are literally back to square one in dealing with, it would be utterly reckless and irresponsible for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to relicense a reactor that we know has a flawed design.
I'll just close with a couple of more comments. In today's New York Times, there -- on the front page of the business page, there is a huge article about an electrical distribution system that is being constructed in the Texas Panhandle, designed NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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67 to transmit the power from vast wind farms that are being constructed there, and that is where the future is. The future is not with nuclear power; the future is with renewables, energy efficiency, and energy conservation.
Now, the late Dr. John Gofman, who was the co-discoverer of uranium-233, the winner of the Stauffer Prize for heart research, and a former member of the nuclear establishment, who later recanted, once said -- and I'm paraphrasing here -- he said: My particular combination of scientific credentials are very handy in the nuclear controversies, but advance degrees confirm no special expertise in either commonsense or morality, that's why so many laypeople are as qualified, if not more so, to judge nuclear power than the so-called experts.
And by the way, "expert," an interesting term. "Ex" is a has-been and "spurt" is a drip under pressure. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thank you, Keith.
the speakers and we're progressing along just fine.
The next three people are: Mark Farris, Jeanne Micka, and Grace Yackee. So, Mark, welcome.
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68 is Mark Farris, a lifelong resident of Monroe. I did not intend on speaking until the afternoon session; I'm not really prepared, but no big deal, I'll wing it.
Up front, I think I have to offer some advice that maybe the people in the nuclear industry might want to take a look at what's happening in Germany. Once the population in the country realize what a scam nuclear energy is, you might want to be looking for another line of work down the road. One of the reasons for job loss in Michigan, from the auto industry in particular, was the high cost of electricity. I retired out of the auto industry, and so if we're going to talk about jobs, we have to look at that.
Nobody complained when they -- you know, too much, when the Ford factory left Monroe and we were looking at what, 12-1,400 high-paying jobs there. The nuclear industry, I hate to say it, but it's an antiquated technology. If you go to some of these TED Talks, you can see the advances being made in alternatives; you can -- you know, you can get affordable (indecipherable) cells are about as thick as a piece of paper these days, and this is going to NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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69 continue to advance.
You know, Michigan, it's the only state in the union that's actually losing people, there's a reason for that, and that falls back on the deindustrialization that's taking place, in my opinion, because of the high cost of electricity in this state.
The issue of nuclear energy, you have to consider the company General Electric. General Electric is one of the -- I think they're the number one company in America who does not pay taxes. If we're considered about rebuilding roads and bridges and spending money on infrastructure, how about if these corporations start paying taxes?
You know, you've got these wind turbines that are being installed here in Michigan, up in the thumb area. Well, some of these are General Electric turbines. What a shame they're built in Germany and Holland. We've got a tower factory here in Monroe, it employs quite a few people at good paying jobs. I suspect that maybe if some of our politicians would demand General Electric bring these jobs back to America, we could create some jobs in this community, in this country.
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70 And one issue I wanted to bring up momentarily, is that 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel that leaked here recently at the Fermi Plant, was this a large line or just a long-term leak that nobody paid attention to? Where was the NRC? You know, nobody mentioned, no comments from the NRC on this issue.
That raises questions.
And I guess that's about all I have to say.
I'll be speaking again this afternoon and I'll try to polish it up a little bit better, but nuclear energy is a mistake; there is no doubt in my mind. I, along with a lot of other people, are going to continue to stress to the populations that they're the ones that have to vote politicians out that are supporting this industry. Thank you very much.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thank you, Mark.
I'll try to find somebody who can speak to that diesel fuel leak after the meeting. Jeanne, welcome.
MS. MICKA: Good afternoon, and thank you for the privilege of appearing before all of you. My name is Jeanne Micka. I guess I'm what you could call a "civic booster," I give a hoot. I'm a member of the Lotus Garden Club, the Michigan Garden Clubs, and the National Garden Clubs, and a variety of other NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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71 localiza -- local organizations that care about the community, such as: the Women in Philanthropy through the Community Foundation in Monroe County; Ducks Unlimited, the hen side of it; Monroe County Historical Society; Friends of the Library; Friends of the Museum; Friends of the River Race and National Battlefield; the Monroe City County Fine Arts Council, and others. It's a privilege to be American. It's good to give back in whatever way you can.
We've been in a somewhat unique position to witness the level of community devel -- excuse me -- community engagement and commitment as demonstrated -- demonstrated by DTE Energy employees and company. The hundreds of men and women employed at Fermi enrich our community with the dollars they spend, but their contributions in time, energy, are every bit as important to the fabric of our community as is all of us who volunteer.
The job of generating electricity, including the use of nuclear power, is a very important process. As a member of the Lotus Garden Club, I have personally witnessed what DTE Energy does in protecting the environment and preserving and enhancing it.
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72 You know, the American lotus is North America's largest native aquatic wildflower; it grows about this high in the water -- waters along the shores of Lake Erie and other lakes. It's a prehistoric plant; it's been here a long time. Believe it or not, it's related to the sycamore tree -- you talk about an interesting family history -- and the lotus is rather like a canary in the cave. If you see lotus, they're nice, big, yellow blooms of round parasol-shaped leaves and your water quality and your air quality is good.
If the quality of your environment decreases, they die.
So, we have a Lotus Tour on Saturday, come and see them, there's lots of them.
Dick and I were flying over Detroit Edison and Enrico Fermi some years ago in a B-17 World War II bomber, and it's an interesting site when you look out the bay, and Dick's camera had a lens on it like this and I'm looking at the thing with my toes holding onto my shoes like this. My God, there's lotus down there.
So, we went to see the people out at Edison and said, "Do you know you've got lotus?" They said, "No, we don't."
"Yeah, you do." And, so this started a partnership that was unbelievable. It tied in with NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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73 the Port of Monroe, Consumers Energy, DTE Energy, Fermi, Ford, the entire Lake Erie western shore. And what's really strange: these corporate bodies weren't really talking with one another, and one very important gentleman out at the port said to me, when I was young and skinny a long time ago, before life has brought me -- "Why don't the little old ladies of the Lotus Garden Club go home and plant petunias?" while we were saying, you know, "Your dike out here is leaking, will you please fix it?" They did. And when I got home I was pretty mad; I took the kid and put her in the station wagon, went to Kmart and bought a lady's size 12 pair of sneakers, took them to the local greenhouse and had the filled with 50 red, white, and blue petunias, and delivered to somebody very important with a note, "Put your best foot where it fits." And you know what? It worked. A little humor does work.
We have a fine partnership; people really care about the environment. They really care about the economic background of our community and we work together. And we would invite all of you to join us in that regard.
There are lessons to be learned.
My dad was a medical officer in the Medical Officer Corps, in the United States Army Air NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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74 Corps, and in the Air Force, and as was my husband, and we've lived in a lot of countries. There hasn't been one, that I've had the privilege to visit, that doesn't like to turn on the light. I can remember as a kid when they were talking about, at the end of the World War II -- yeah, I'm a fossil -- blood transfusions were bad. I can remember seeing emergency situations in Alaska where they took a Coke bottle and they took the blood from the artery of one GI, put it in the Coke bottle to give it to the other GI to save his life -- it did, and much has improved from that time. So again, it's a lesson to be learned.
From the perspective of civic booster, I do endorse the 20-year extension as a continuing process. Our community and our environment would be so much poorer without the jobs provided by Fermi and our other industrial leaders and corporate leaders, without the community leadership of DTE Energy plant management, without the community involve -- involvement and philanthropic support of the men and women who work there. Of course, we would all benefit from 20 years at low-cost, reliable electricity in a variety of manners.
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75 about Fermi 2. And one additional thought: There is a gentleman named John Ed Croy (ph), that's a friend of ours, and he lives right across Swan Creek from Fermi. He was one of the designing engineers for Fermi, and he's not here this evening because of his age, but he is so proud of the work that he did at Fermi -- his house is right across from it, and it's amazing to watch what he sees.
And one other point: I was one of the first people on earth to be treated with nuclear medicine; I am still here. Thank you very much, and I thank you all for your opinions.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thank you, Jeanne.
Grace, are you still here? There we go.
MS. YACKEE: Good afternoon. My name is Grace Yackee, and I'm the Vice President of Instruction at Monroe County Community College. It is my honor to welcome the NRC to Monroe County and to our campus. I think it is especially fitting for the Board to host these public meetings here, because this institution itself has become a hub of nuclear energy-related educational activity.
At Monroe County Community College, a successful candidate for an associate in applied NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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76 science degree, with a specialization in nuclear engineering technology, are prepared for entry-level employment as mechanical technicians, electrical technicians in instrumentation control, or IMC technicians. Those who go for additional training will have opportunities as radiation protection technicians, non-licensed operators, and senior reactor operators.
DTE Energy personnel were instrumental and invaluable in working with us to develop the program to the benefit not only of our students, but the entire industry. Today, this relatively new program enlists 17 students annually, and nearly all graduates find employment in the industry, mostly local.
When MCCC partnered with DTE Energy to offer this selective program, it was decided that we would rise to a level of national standard by participating in the Nuclear Energy Institute's Nuclear Uniform Curriculum. This MCCC DTE Energy partnership facilitates the transitioning of graduates into the nuclear energy industry utility training programs in accordance with the requirements of the Uniform Curriculum Guide for nuclear power plant technicians, maintenance, and non-licensed NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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77 operations personnel associate degree program, as developed by NEI.
In 2012, we expanded the curriculum to include additional courses: Unit 120, Radiation Protection, and Unit 130, Plant Systems. It should be no surprise, then, if Monroe County Community College speaks in favor of a 20-year license extension that DTE Energy is seeking.
I am also pleased to say that a hub of nuclear energy-related activity, this institution is proud to be partnering with DTE Energy to preserve the history of Fermi 1 through displays of artifacts at our Career Technology Center, an archiving of significant records.
From a broader perspective, Monroe County Community College sees nuclear energy as a clean energy source. We do not agree that like conventional renewable energy technologies, like wind solar, should be counted as clean energy sources. We want to see Fermi to continue to contribute in so many ways to our institution, our community, and our region's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I commend you, the staff of the NRC, for your contributions and involvement in the license renewal process, and hope NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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78 that you find my comments constructive. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. Thank you, Grace.
And on behalf of the NRC, I would like to thank the community college for hosting this year; this is a great facility. It's one of the nicest facilities I've ever had a public meeting in. The next three people I would like to call are: Kevin Kamps, Connie Carroll and, finally, Phil Skarbek. Kevin, welcome.
MR. KAMPS: Hello, everybody. Good afternoon. My name is Kevin Kamps and I serve as a radioactive waste specialist at Beyond Nuclear, based in Tacoma Park, Maryland, right outside of Washington, D.C., but I'm from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and did this environmental work in Michigan as a volunteer for the 1990s as a board member of Don't Waste Michigan, representing the Kalamazoo Chapter. I got involved because of problems at Palisades on Lake Michigan. And I guess the theme of what I would like to address with these short five minutes is Fukushima lessons learned, or not learned, as the case may be.
I have the odd experience, I guess, of having visited Fukushima Daiichi seven months before the catastrophe began. It was Hiroshima Day of 2010 and I was invited to Japan by a coalition of NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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79 environmental groups to speak at different nuclear power plants about a program called "Mixed Oxide Plutonium Fuel." In Japan, they call it "fluid thermal" and I have a banner from Japan that I picked up on this tour that says, "Stop Plutonium Thermal" in Japanese. So, I traveled the country and my first stop was Fukushima Daiichi, because Unit 3 was planning on installing plutonium fuel in its core, in the near future, and local concerned citizens and environmentalists hoped to stop that from happening; in fact, they had stopped it for a decade, but it was loaded a month after I visited in September of 2011.
And, so Unit 3 experienced the largest of the explosions during the catastrophe.
So, it's just an odd experience because a lot of the things that have been said by employees here, today, by local elected officials, Chamber of Commerce folks, I've heard the same thing in Futaba and Okuma.
Fukushima Daiichi is so big, six reactors, that it straddles two towns; it has two host towns. I met with the mayor of one of the towns, I met with the vice mayor of another town and, you know, a lot of confidence -- and I guess that's the question I put out there to you all is: do you think that the people in Futaba, in Okuma, NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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80 the employees, the management, the elected officials, were any less confident than you are that everything was fine? And in fact, I suppose if I had met with them on March 10th of 2011, the same would have been the case. They were very confident that it was safe; they were very confident in their ability to keep it safe. They certainly enjoyed the money that flowed.
In fact, Tokyo Electric had built a giant City Hall that the town couldn't afford to even maintain, that's how big the City Hall was. Another community received a semipro baseball stadium from the local nuclear utility, that was used once a week by the local Little League Team, so the money was flowing in Japan. And as powerful, economically and politically, as the nuclear power industry is in this country, especially in a community like this, in Japan it was much more so.
Whereas the U.S. used to get 20 percent of its electricity from nuclear, in Japan it used to be 30 percent. And, of course, that all changed.
Everyone that I met over a couple, three days' period of time, when I was there, is now a nuclear refugee, including the former mayor of Futaba whose name is Katsutaka Idogawa. And the entire town of Futaba was moved to an abandoned school on the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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81 outskirts of Tokyo, where they still live three-and-a-half years later. There are still tens of thousands of nuclear refugees. So, there is a 12.4 mile dead zone around Fukushima Daiichi.
So, you know, you draw a line around Fermi
- 2. Fermi 2 is identically designed, only it's as big as Fukushima Daiichi Units 1 and 2 put together and scaled up. And the issue has been mentioned of the radioactive waste. The radioactive waste risks here are actually much greater than at Fukushima Daiichi and if the official version of things is true at Fukushima Daiichi, we very narrowly avoided a pool fire there.
I mean, you may remember St. Patrick's Day of 2011, the desperate attempts to drop water into Unit 4 by helicopter, very reminiscent of scenes from Chernobyl.
And the official version is: Oh, that wasn't necessary. It turns out there was water in the pool the whole time.
Obviously, there was a lot of concern that that was not the case, and so much so that once you lose the water, you can't send people in, because they'll get a fatal dose of radioactivity from the uncovered waste within a very short period of time.
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82 earlier by Carol Izant, there is well over 600 tons of high-level radioactive waste perched at the top of Fermi 2. They've had a permit to bring it down for several years, but they can't because of structural deficiencies in the reactor building. And even when they bring it down, it's planned to be put into whole tech (ph) casks and an industry whistleblower named Oscar Suranyi from Hominoff (ph) Edison, an NRC whistleblower, Dr. Ross Landsman from Region 3, questioned the structural integrity of the whole tech casks sitting still, on-site storage, because of major quality assurance violations in their design and manufacture, let alone moving down the railroads at 60 miles per hour, which is the plan at some point.
So, as was mentioned earlier by Michael Keegan, radioactive waste -- you know, we may enjoy the benefits of the electricity and the money that's flowing in the present -- radioactive waste is a curse on all future generations; they're going to get to deal with this. We're 70 years into this, we have a mountain of radioactive waste 70 years high, and we don't know what to do with the first cupful that was generated by Enrico Fermi on December 2nd, 1942, as a part of the Manhattan Project. And the speaker from the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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83 community college mentioned preserving an archive of the history of Fermi 1 and we have made, on the record, suggestions for contributions to that history, one of which was the original plan for Fermi 1 to supply weapons-grade plutonium to the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Arsenal; that was a document we would like included in that archive. And, of course, another classic document would be We Almost Lost Detroit by John Fuller, a 1975 book, which chronicled the Fermi 1 partial meltdown in 1966, that Keith Gunter mentioned.
So, a lot of risks have been taken here over the decades. Twenty more years of a General Electric boiling water reactor with a MARC 1 containment is really a risk this community should not enter into lightly. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Thank you, Kevin. Connie?
MS. CARROLL: Good afternoon. My name is Connie Carroll and I'm the executive director of the United Way of Monroe County. We talk about the money flowing in Monroe County, but let me assure you that we still have plenty of homeless and plenty of hungry to go around.
Looking around Monroe County, you can see we're still struggling to recover from our previous NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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84 economic levels. While there has been some improvement, the slow economic recovery continues to have significant effect on local support for the United Way and other philanthropic efforts in this community.
Latest statistics show us that 68 percent of Monroe County's workforce is employed outside this community. Once upon a time, that was at a moderate rate of only 50 percent working outside the community, but with the increase in Monroe County's residents leaving the county for work each and every day, it stands to reason that they are also taking with them their retail business and even their community charitable contributions are going somewhere else.
The renewal of the Fermi 2 license would ensure continued employment for many here in the future of Monroe County. Over the past 30 years, corporate contributions to charities in the United States have fallen swiftly. Against this backdrop, DTE Energy, the DTE Energy Foundation, and the company's employees, are a continuing resource and support system for the economic growth and stability needed in Monroe County.
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85 also the single largest charitable contributors we have. Not only do they contribute monetarily to the United Way of Monroe County and many other nonprofit organizations, but they give freely of their volunteer time and services; everything from holding coat drives for children to serving community meals and -- and food drives for those who are still homeless and hungry.
Recently, they partnered with a great project in the City of Monroe, partnered with Michigan Gas Utility employees on a beautification project, planting flowers and bringing growth to a very ugly, for lack of a better term, little corner in Monroe.
Fermi 2 and DTE Energy have over the years given tens of thousands and tens of millions of dollars to the charities in Southeast Michigan. In 2013 alone, they contributed more than 20 percent of the entire United Way of Monroe County campaign.
Monroe County is a better place to live because of DTE Energy and their employees. Many employees sat on our nonprofit Board of Directors, they volunteer their time and their services. Renewal of this license will most definitely and positively affect the economic environment of Monroe County. It NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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86 will mean sustained employment and additional jobs for our community. Outages and annual maintenance will bring in additional skilled work forces that will enhance rental and retail income.
The typical nuclear energy plant annually produces 430 million dollars in local sales of goods and services, providing millions of dollars in federal, state, and local tax -- tax revenue.
Excuse me. I am certain that this renewal will have a positive impact on the local philanthropic community as well. As a representative of the nonprofit sector, I endorse the renewal of the license for Fermi 2. Thank you very much.
MR. BARKLEY: Thanks, Connie. Phil?
MR. SKARBEK: Thank you. Good afternoon.
My name is Phillip Skarbek and I've been a resident of Monroe since 1993 with my wife. I am also a shift manager of Fermi 2. What that means, most people probably don't know, is that during my operating shift, whether it's dayshift or nightshift, I'm in charge of all plant operations and the operating crew in the main control room. After many years of study and passing a demanding test given by the federal government, I was -- I earned a senior reactor operator license, NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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87 which gives me the position of shift manager. The NRC has placed a great responsibility on me to operate the plant with just one overriding concern, and that is the health and safety of the public. Nothing comes before that responsibility. I now speak for every shift manager at Fermi 2 and, in fact, for every Fermi employee, that we take this responsibility very seriously. The standards are higher here because we know they have to be. And those standards are always rising through continuous improvement, sharing lessons learned throughout the industry, and a constant self-critical assessment of our own performance.
Being self- critical means you can't have thin skin of a nuclear business. We criticize ourselves and our peers, and this is with one overriding factor, and that is safety. I'm glad that's the way it is, because my family lives right there, near the plant, and I want the best for my family: the best air to breathe, the best water to drink, the most reliable power, and the best community to live in, Monroe. Fermi 2 contributes to all of that.
Our energy is clean, our energy is safe, and our energy is abundant. And best of all, with a 20-year license renewal, I know that my family will NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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88 be able to enjoy everything this plant provides to the community for many years to come. They will be able to enjoy the energy and the commitment of protecting the environment, where they live, work, and play.
That makes me proud and it also makes me even more committed every day I step foot on the Fermi 2 property to protect it and the health and safety of everyone who lives here. I thank you for the opportunity to speak.
MR. BARKLEY: Thanks, Bill. The next three people I would like to have speak are: Floreine Mentel, Sandy Pierce, and Martha Gruelle. So, Floreine, thanks for making such an effort to come see us and talk.
MS. MENTEL: Good afternoon, everyone. I had to ask to be a little bit ahead because I have many 4-H'ers waiting for me to bring in their projects at the Monroe County Fair.
My name is Floreine Mentel and I am a former Monroe County commissioner and I really appreciate this opportunity to offer the perspective of a lifelong member of the county and someone who has been involved in this community for decades.
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89 for an extension for its license for Fermi 2. Despite the concerns expressed whenever nuclear power is discussed, it is my belief that there are no reasons, environmental or otherwise, why DTE Energy's application for a license extension should not be approved.
Fermi 2 has been in operation for a quarter century. During that time it has demonstrated that it is committed to enlightened operation and environmental stewardship. They have demonstrated that they are good stewards of the environment through their involvement with the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge and the attention that they devote to their property in partnership with the Wildlife Habitat Council. I can say with great certainty that if DTE Energy says they are going to do something, they do it.
There are many reasons why the license extension should be approved. Thinking of my lifelong home here in Monroe County, the construction and operation of Fermi 2 would be good for Monroe County.
I am thinking specifically and first of the great number of jobs involved; hundreds of good paying jobs for current DTE Energy employees, the hundreds of NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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90 contractors employed at any given time, as well as the indirect jobs supported by Fermi 2 related spending.
Second, it will continue to provide much needed electricity for our homes, offices, and business. This is the electricity on which we have come to depend. Replacing it would not necessarily be easy or less costly. My confidence in nuclear power, in DTE Energy, is built on my experience taking school children on field trips to the plant in the years before 9/11, getting to see things up close and getting to talk with their employees.
Additionally, in my many years of involvement in the community, I am hard pressed to think of any significant endeavor that did not involve DTE Energy or its employees. In fact, as chairman of Monroe County Michigan Week, I nominated DTE Energy and Fermi 2 with the Minuteman and Corporate Citizens Awards. They are interested and active in the community. DTE Energy is always there for help. In a rather small town like Monroe, being described as a good neighbor is a high-valued compliment. DTE Energy is a very, very good neighbor. I am confident that the vast majority of Monroe County residents will want the peace of mind that they will have from renewing Fermi NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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91 2's operating license for 20 additional years. Thank you very much.
MR. BARKLEY: Thanks again, Floreine.
MS. MENTEL: Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Welcome, Sandy.
MS. PIERCE: Thank you for the opportunity to be here. My name is Sandy Pierce and I am the director of the Monroe Senior Citizens Center and a lifelong resident of Monroe County. I am here, today, to offer my wholehearted support of the license renewal for Fermi 2.
DTE and its employees are to be commended for its commitment to safety. I know people who work out there and they really -- that's what they talk, safety. In addition, DTE is a long supporter of the Monroe Center. Every year we have volunteers come out and serve our Thanksgiving dinner to the older folks of our community; it's something they do on their own time because of their commitment to making our world a better place. Employees serve on the Board of Directors of many agencies; they are vital to the United Way campaign, which human services rely on.
Additionally, DTE has supported our health care, which has provided health services to older adults in the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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92 community, to be -- DTE is vital to our community; they provide jobs and they are committed to our community.
So, again, thank you for this opportunity and I offer my support. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Thank you, Sandy.
MS. GRUELLE: Hi. My name is Martha Gruelle. I work for Wildlife Habitat Council as the director of the Huron to Erie Waterways for Wildlife Project. Wildlife Habitat Council is a 26-year-old coalition of companies and conservation groups that promotes and certifies habitat conservation and management on working lands through partnerships and education. We focus on voluntary action by companies to support, by diversity, by providing and enhancing habitat for native species. Wildlife Habitat Council is headquartered near Washington, D.C. and works internationally. My position is based in Detroit; it involves communications with corporate habitat programs in the U.S., in Canada, within the Lake Huron to Lake Erie corridor.
One of Wildlife Habitat Council's current activities is our certification of corporate efforts to manage parts of their property for the use of native species and for nature education. We call this NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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93 "Wildlife at Work Certification" and more than 665 corporate habitat programs in 17 countries are now certified by Wildlife Habitat Council, and that includes the program at DTE Energy's Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant, so that is how I am equated with the history of land stewardship at Fermi 2, and that's the context for my comments, today.
Wildlife Habitat Council certification requires documentation of valid voluntary habitat activities. DTE Energy's Fermi 2 Plant has provided this documentation regularly since the year 2000.
Most recently, in 2011, the wildlife team at Fermi 2 achieved its fourth Wildlife at Work recertification.
All of the activities that contribute to Wildlife at Work certification are voluntary; that is, they are not done to meet any regulatory or legal requirements. As part of the wildlife program at Fermi 2, DTE Energy employees currently help maintain about 650 acres of wildlife habitat, including forested wetlands, coastal wetlands, wood lots, open fields, and quarry lakes.
Our understanding is that a renewal of the Fermi 2 operating license will not change the footprint at the plant and, thus, will not impede the Wildlife Habitat Program on site. And that program is extensive.
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94 Activity includes: creation and maintenance of wildfowl, minnow, an annual bird count, and shelter includes sources for local bird and bat populations.
Native wildflowers planted in the meadow area include: perennial lupine, Lanceleaf coreopsis, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, prairie cone flower. The meadow is maintained and monitored for invasive plants. Fermi 2 employees, with assistance from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, evaluated problems with invasive plant species on site and decided to release Galerucella beetles. Those beetles are a predator of the invasive plant purple loosestrife. Site employees and volunteers monitor the program to evaluate its effectiveness and also have taken measures to control common reed, or phragmites.
In 2003, as has been mentioned, about 650 acres at Fermi 2 site were designated as a Laguna Beach Unit of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, so the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and DTE Energy co-managed this area. Rafter platforms have been erected at the site. Plant employees actively participate in National Audubon's Annual Christmas Bird Count since 1990, and wildlife habitat programs there are, like anywhere, not just about habitat.
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95 Corporate programs that are certified by Wildlife Habitat Council include community partnerships and elements of nature education.
At Fermi, the wildlife team has partnered with scout troops from local school systems to use the habitats on their site for education. Through its wildlife program at Fermi 2, as well as other sites, DTE Energy has shown a long-term commitment to stewardship of the available natural areas. This past -- past commitment is a reasonable predictor of future actions. I thank the Commission for your efforts in evaluating the application for a license renewal and for this opportunity to come in. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Thank you, Martha. I would say, at this point in the meeting we're kind of in the seventh-inning stretch. We have seven people left to speak, so we'll call three next, and then I'll give the last four names. The first person is Archana Manoharan, the second is Tracy Oberleiter, and the third is David Schonberger. Archana, you want to come up?
MS. MANOHARAN: Good afternoon. My name is Archana Manoharan and I'm a licensing engineer at NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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96 Fermi 2. My role is to ensure work done at Fermi is safe and compliant with stringent -- stringent regulations, which is to say, my top priority is the health and safety of the public. It is a top priority not only for me, but for the entire Fermi workforce.
I'm here, today, to express my immense pride in being a part of this dedicated and hard- working group of people. Our dedication is evident in the several initiatives we have championed over the years. We take pride in being a certified wildlife habitat. As a result of our continuing efforts to improve our environment, we are certified as a 1401 institution.
I am active member of Women in Nuclear, an organization dedicated to promoting diversity and encouraging women and girls to pursue the sciences.
Several Fermi engineers are teachers and mentors at the Monroe County Community College, right here, and are devoted to the success of the Nuclear Engineering Technology Program, what's commonly known as the NET program. Fermi provides reliable, safe, and clean electricity that helps power the lives, businesses, and communities in Southeast Michigan. I am proud that in my role I help ensure we operate with NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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97 the health and safety of our public as our top most priority. I appreciate this opportunity. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Thank you. Tracy?
MR. OBERLEITER: At this point, I think it's probably more appropriate to say good early evening. I'm Tracy Oberleiter, chairman of the Monroe County Economic Development Corporation. I thank you for having the opportunity to have me before you this afternoon, or this early evening. My comments are going to be in two perspectives: One, professional, and the other, very personal.
Professionally, Monroe County Economic Development Corporation is dedicated to promoting the county-wide economic growth, and employment stability, and to improve the quality of life for all people living and working here in Monroe County. We do this by attracting and retaining business development through effective partnerships with government units, business industry, and labor. There can be no doubt that the availability of a reliable, affordable electricity is absolutely essential to our economy and to our way of life. The proposed 20-year license extension for the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant will help to ensure the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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98 supply for decades to come, the business that we intend to bring into this community. For that reason, the Monroe County Economic Development Corporation supports the proposed renewal of a Fermi 2 license extension for 20 years.
Secondly, we recognize that we can only achieve our economic development objectives through effective partnerships. In this regard, I can say with great confidence that there is probably no more effective partnerships anywhere in Monroe County than the one we enjoy with the men and women of DTE Energy.
You have heard this time and time again; I am here to reinforce that. The efforts of DTE Energy's officers and employees have been leveraged in the ongoing effort to improve the quality of life here in Monroe County.
Finally, on a personal level, I'm an active and dedicated outdoorsman. I have long been deeply involved with Ducks Unlimited organization in this community and throughout the state in its efforts to conserve North American waterfall habitat. Monroe County and its Lake Erie wetlands are an important part of the Mississippi Flyway, providing important migration, breeding, and wintering areas for many of the continent's waterfall, including wood ducks, NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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99 mallards, canvasbacks. Ducks Unlimited has worked with a variety of partners to restore and enhance thousands of acres of wetlands in more than 30 counties across Michigan, all to maximize the amount and quality of nesting habitat and, more generally, the conditions for migrating waterfall. Monroe County is prominent on that list and here, too, DTE Energy has been an instrumental partner. DTE takes environmental stewardship extremely seriously -- we've heard this time and time again. The Fermi Complex hosts the Laguna Beach Unit of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge; in addition, DTE and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a special cooperative agreement by which the Fish and Wildlife Service manages probably 650 of Fermi's, roughly, 750 acres, a far majority part of the complex.
Thank you for affording me this opportunity to speak on behalf of extending the Fermi 2's licensing for an additional 20 years.
MR. BARKLEY: Thank you, Tracy. David?
Welcome, David.
MR. SCHONBERGER: Hello, Ms. Colon, Ms.
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100 as an individual member of the general public.
First, please note that all of the previous speakers representing local governments, and civic boosters, and Yahoos who fly planes over the facility, everyone failed to mention any issues which are pert -- pertinent -- pertinent to the scope of today's meeting, about significant health, safety, and environmental impacts, and it would be delusional to suggest that license renewal has no significant adverse impacts.
If this meeting were about jobs, you lose the argument, but this meeting is actually about NEPA, and there are many issues of contention. And today, I would like to spend my five minutes focusing on a fundamental and egregious failure of safety- related quality assurance which occurred during a 20- year period from 1986 to 2006 at the Fermi Plant, at Unit 2, and which remains unresolved to this day, thus warranting a hard look as part of any NEPA review or safety review process pertaining -- thus warranting a hard look as part of any NEPA review or safety review process pertaining to the Fermi 2 license renewal application. And, therefore, I submit that this item is well within the scope of today's NRC meeting, unlike NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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101 many of the previous comments.
I am specifically referring to the 20- year period during which Detroit Edison, now DTE Electric Company, repeatedly tested the Fermi Unit 2 emergency diesel generator protection safety system using the wrong answer key, resulting in the operation of a facility with inaccurate technical specifications, as a result of gross negligence, incompetence, and pervasive mismanagement at Detroit Edison by employees who have not been held accountable and are probably sitting here, today. As a result of their actions, for 20 years fundamental process flaws -- fundamental process flaws went undetected, uncorrected, creating new problems and sustaining old ones. Ominously, the root cause of this fiasco remains unresolved and continues to constitute a systemic failure of regulatory oversight, as well as an ongoing weak -- ongoing weakness throughout the entire fleet; this issue must be revisited. Whereas, under the contemptible leadership of individuals, such as Mr. J.
Todd Conner, Mr. Joseph H. Plona, and Mr. Peter W.
Smith, DTE Electric Company will surely shirk corporate responsibility and not initiate such a review, therefore the NRC lead project manager overseeing the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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102 safety review of the Fermi 2 LRA -- and I believe that would be Ms. Colon, as well as her boss's boss's boss -- must take the lead as the regulator and demand a revisiting of that issue. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: David, you made a fairly serious accusation. I need to have the staff review that, and I would like to have them get back to you on the details of the matter. Since it's 2006 or earlier, it predates some of the staff who work on the facility now. So, I would like to get your name and address afterwards, so we can re-contact you after this. Thank you.
We have four other speakers who want to speak this evening. The four are: Taiya Himebauch, Greg Brede, Nancy Dover, and finally, Michael Smith.
So, is it "Tai-ya"?
MS. HIMEBAUCH: "Tai-ya."
MR. BARKLEY: Okay, thank you.
MS. HIMEBAUCH: Good afternoon. My name is Taiya Himebauch. I have worked at DTE for about 20 years in radiation protection, chemistry, and now nuclear training, as a senior training instructor, and my husband also works there as a senior reactor operator. We actually came to the area in 1995 for the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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103 job opportunity and would like to stay for another 20 years, a good three decades, so we definitely would like to support the license extension for Fermi 2.
I also have two middle schoolers that attend Airport Community Schools. Based on my experience in my areas that I work at, at Fermi 2, and my husband's intimate knowledge of process safety as the senior reactor operator, I am confident in their safety to attend the school, which is in such a close proximity to the plant. I am very proud to work at DTE as a member of the community; it provides a lot for the area.
One thing I would like to mention is the DTE Energy Foundation. As employees at Fermi 2, we can volunteer for different community organizations, as has been mentioned before. We spend a few hours with the organization as a volunteer, and the foundation then rewards that effort, as employees to the organization, with a grant that the organization can use to then further serve the community. And I just, I am proud of that effort.
Personally, I have been involved in grants that have been given to Meadow Montessori, which is just across the street; Airport Community Schools; the March NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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104 of Dimes, and other organizations that -- and I am just one of 800 employees that is at the Fermi 2 site that contributes in this way.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
MR. BREDE: Hello. My name is Greg Brede. I live in Newport, Michigan, within three miles from the Fermi Nuclear facility. I support the 20-year license renewal of Fermi 2 generating clean, reliable, and safe energy. If I was not completely confident of the safety and no adverse environmental impact, I would not live here with my family. This is understanding what occurred in Fukushima. Thank you.
MS. DOVER: Hello, my name is Nancy Dover, and I am a member of the general public. I came here, today, because I was interested in seeing what the process was. There has been a lot in the paper, I was curious, so I came here, today, to see what the process was. I have to say, after seeing this process, I really do have a lot of faith in it. I have a lot of faith in the people that I have heard speak. I think there is a lot of opinions, but I think this renewal process seems to be very safe, I guess is the word. I think that there is ability of people -- there is the ability of people to express their opinions and I think they NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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105 will be considered. So, I guess after seeing this, after seeing the employees and their obvious passion for safety, I'd say I support the process and, therefore, support the renewal of the license. Thank you.
MR. BARKLEY: Thank you. Michael, our last speaker. He stepped out, by chance? All right, was there anyone else in the audience that wanted to speak?
(No verbal response)
MR. BARKLEY: Okay. At this point, I would like to wrap up. There are a couple of issues that were brought up; I would like to try to have the staff speak with some of the people who did bring the issues up. One was on a diesel fuel oil leak at the facility in the last year or so. One was issues regarding the ability to transfer spent fuel from the reactor building into dry casks, and I understand that's an issue that has been corrected in the last several years. So, I would like to have you connect with the staff and understand how that was resolved.
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106 emergency diesel generator testing, and I do need to do some follow-up on that for you. But at this point, I would like to wrap up the meeting.
We had I think 34 speakers, you averaged about four minutes a person; that was great, I did not have to really cut off anyone for time. There were a few people that had some lengthy remarks, but they were very well-supported, very professionally presented, so I gave you the latitude of the time. I do greatly appreciate the professionalism and the civility of this audience. There are some strong opinions on either side, but you handled yourselves wonderfully as you went through it, and it was a real pleasure to facilitate this meeting. I would like to see if Leslie has any remarks to wrap up. Brian, do you want to make some remarks? Have at it.
MR. WITTICK: Let me start with -- with some -- well, let me first introduce myself. My name is Brian Wittick; I am the branch chief in the Division of License Renewal at the NRC, responsible for the environmental projects. I would like to thank the Monroe Community College for -- for hosting us here, today. I would like to thank Rich for a great job in facilitating; Leslie and Daneira, for their NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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107 informative presentations. And most importantly, I'd like to thank all of you, today, for taking the time that you -- you took out of your busy days, busy schedules, to come here and provide us with -- with your comments, views, and opinions. As -- I would like to echo what Jessie said earlier today, that it's great that we live in a country that we can all view our opinions and -- and we, at the NRC, value every one that you have provided us, today.
And, just a couple of the remarks that were made concerned the -- with the issue of waste confidence; I would like to amplify on the waste confidence issue and how that ties in with -- with what we're doing in license renewal. As Leslie mentioned earlier, the -- the waste confidence rule, back in 2012, was remanded and this staff has been working on the waste confidence rule now for two years. On this past Monday, the staff presented the draft final rule and environmental impact statement to the Commission, and as of this afternoon that draft was -- the draft of both of those documents, as well as the second paper associated with them, was made public. So, if anyone is interested in taking a look at that, that's available online at the NRC website, through the "waste NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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108 confidence" links in the website.
So, what are we -- where do we go from here? What do we do with these comments, today?
Process-wise, these comments, we'll be taking a look at the transcript, as well as all of the hard copy comments that were provided. The comments will be evaluated. Leslie will process the comments, work with the technical staff at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and provide a thorough evaluation of each of -- each of the comments that were provided. The comments will be dispositioned in the form of a Scoping Summary Report, which will probably come out early next year, as well the environment -- the draft environmental impact statement.
The -- a couple of reminder, a couple of important dates that are coming up: The 19th (sic) of August is the -- the deadline for Petitions for Hearing; the 29th of August is deadlines for submitting comments associated with the scoping meeting and the scoping process. And if there's any follow-up questions, please feel free to contact the project manager, point of contact that's listed -- listed up here on the screen.
Lastly, as Rich mentioned, several of the NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W.
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109 staff will be available after this meeting for further discussion, if you so desire. And with that, I would like to adjourn the meeting. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: The deadline, you had mentioned the 19th; it's the 18th.
MR. WITTICK: Oh, I'm sorry. Okay, thank you. Thank you for that correction. That the Petitions for Hearing, the deadline for that is the -- the 18th of August.
MR. BARKLEY: Thank you.
MR. WITTICK: Thank you.
(WHEREUPON, the Public Meeting was adjourned at 4:50 p.m.)
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