ML14337A213
| ML14337A213 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | San Onofre  |
| Issue date: | 12/04/2014 |
| From: | Thomas Wengert Plant Licensing Branch IV |
| To: | Magda M - No Known Affiliation |
| Wengert T | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML14317A031 | List: |
| References | |
| LTR-14-0658, TAC MF5211, TAC MF5212 | |
| Download: ML14337A213 (3) | |
Text
December 4, 2014 Ms. Marni Magda E-mail: marnimagda@gmail.com
Dear Ms. Magda:
On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your e-mail to Chairman Macfarlane dated November 10, 2014 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML14317A030), concerning the Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR) and Decommissioning Cost Estimate (DCE) prepared by Southern California Edison (SCE) for the decommissioning of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), Units 2 and 3.
In your e-mail, you stated that SCEs DCE and PSDAR does not include a budget for protection of life now that the spent nuclear fuel can remain on site indefinitely. In addition, you asked the following questions:
Does the [Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)] make regulations binding the nuclear industry to protect the public against denial of property in case of a nuclear accident?
Are all of the regulations set and enforced only for protection of life?
Is SCE responsible if people around SONGS cannot return to their homes for tens of thousands of years?
The NRCs regulations require licensees to operate their nuclear facilities in a manner that protects the public health and safety. In addition, the regulations and the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) legislation require licensees to provide financial assurance in the form of insurance that would be used to address claims in the event that a significant accident was to occur. Specifically, Section 170 of the AEA, also known as the Price-Anderson Act (the Act),
was enacted into law in 1957 and was most recently revised and extended through December 31, 2025, by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Act was designed to ensure that adequate funds would be available to satisfy liability claims of members of the public for personal and offsite property damage in the event of a nuclear incident involving a commercial nuclear power plant.
In summary, the Price-Anderson Act provides a framework for orderly and equitable compensation to any member of the public who may suffer damages due to a nuclear incident. The Act covers bodily injury, sickness, disease or resulting death, property damage and loss, as well as reasonable living expenses for individuals evacuated. Additional information on this topic can be found in the NRCs Office of Public Affairs Backgrounder titled, Nuclear Insurance and Disaster Relief, via the NRCs public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/nuclear-insurance.html.
Thank you for your interest in this matter.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Thomas J. Wengert, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing IV-2 and Decommissioning Transition Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
PKG ML14317A031; Incoming: ML14317A038; Response Letter ML14337A213; Response Email ML14337A159 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL4-2/PM NRR/DORL/LPL4-2/LA NRR/DORL/LPL4-2/LA NRR/DORL/LPL4-2/BC NRR/DORL/LPL4-2/PM NAME TWengert PBlechman JBurkhardt DBroaddus TWengert DATE 12/3/14 12/3/14 12/3/14 12/4/14 12/4/14