ML15176A589

Limited Appearance Statement - Chairman Burns Reply Letter to Initial April 30, 2015 Letter from Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey Regarding Natural Gas Pipeline Near Indian Point Units 2 and 3

ML15176A589
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	06/24/2015
From:	NRC/Chairman
To:
References
Download: ML15176A589 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON , D.C. 20555-0001 June 24, 2015 CHAIRMAN The Honorable Nita M. Lowey United States House of Representatives Washington , DC 20515

Dear Congresswoman Lowey:

On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) , I am responding to your letter of April 30, 2015, in which you express your concern regarding plans to grant a certificate to build a new natural gas pipeline about one-quarter mile from the Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC) Unit 2 and Unit 3 reactors. In addition to asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to grant a rehearing on the matter, you also stated that NRC's responses to your November 2014 correspondence to the agency and to questions posed to the Commission during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on March 24, 2015, were insufficient.

I want to specifically respond to your concerns related to the NRC. The NRC's role in evaluating the pipeline project is to review the licensee's safety evaluation and supporting hazard analysis to confirm that the pipeline would not impact the safe operations of IPEC Units 2 and 3.

I have reviewed the information provided to you in response to your November 2014 letter and in my oral responses to your questions during the referenced House Appropriations Committee hearing . I remain confident in the NRC staff's findings from its independent confirmatory analysis and inspection of the proposed pipeline route that the pipeline will not pose an increased risk to radiological safety at the plant. Using proven methodologies and modeling software , the staff's work considered "worst case" scenarios , yet still concluded that a potential rupture of the proposed pipeline would pose no threat to the safe operation or the safe shutdown of the plant.

If you need any additional information , please contact me or Mr. Eugene Dacus, Director of the Office of Congressional Affairs , at (301) 415-1776.

Sincerely, cc: N. Bay

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, lowey.house.gov RANKING MEMBER ~tQN 2365 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515 SUBCOMMITTEE ON STATE, FOREIGN (202) 225-6506 FAX: (202) 225-0546 OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS, RANKING MEMBER WESTCHESTER 222 MAMARONECK AVENUE j}fta ,m. 1Lowep SUITE 312 WHITE PLAINS, NY 10605 1914142$-1707

~tates FAX: (914) 32$-1505

({ongress of tbe Wntttb ROCKLAND 67 NORTH MAIN STREET SUITE 101 17tb 1Dititrict, Jletn ~ork NEW CITY, NY 10956

{$45) 639-3485 FAX: {845) 634-4079 April 30, 2015 Cheryl A. LaFleur, Chairwoman Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20426 Allison M. Macfarlane, Chairwoman Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Chairwomen LaFleur and Macfarlane:

With the requests for a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rehearing pending, I am writing to reiterate serious concerns regarding the Spectra Energy Partners (Spectra) Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) Expansion .project and its proximity to Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC). Significanthealth,'$:,ifety, axid envirollinental issues have not been sufficiently addressed, and therefore I ~giun ask th~t FERC grant the request for rehearing. In the rehearing, FERC must consider an independent, transparent, and comprehensive assessment of the risk of a pipeline accident in the vicinity ofIPEC.

The responses from, FERC to.my October(), 2014 letter and fromth,e Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to my November 17, 2014 letter, as well as responses to my questions to NRC at a House Appropriations Committee hearing on March 24, 2015, were insufficient.

Critical issues still need to be addressed.

I again call on you to reconsider your decision on the AIM project ,and to approve the request for rehearing that I and so many others have submitted.

.* Sincerely,.

~""*~

Nita M. Lowey Member of Congress PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, DC 20515-3218 PUBLIC DOCUMENT OFFICIAL BUSINESS I111l111I1I11ll 11l11lll111 I