ML15254A285
| ML15254A285 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Turkey Point  |
| Issue date: | 09/11/2015 |
| From: | Michael Gibson Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel |
| To: | |
| SECY RAS | |
| References | |
| 50-250-LA, 50-251-LA, ASLBP 15-935-02-LA-BD01, RAS 28281 | |
| Download: ML15254A285 (4) | |
Text
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD Before Administrative Judges:
Michael M. Gibson, Chairman Dr. Michael F. Kennedy Dr. William W. Sager In the Matter of Docket Nos. 50-250-LA and 50-251-LA FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY ASLBP No. 15-935-02-LA-BD01 (Turkey Point Nuclear Generating, Units 3 and 4) September 11, 2015 ORDER (Denying Motion to Invalidate Environmental Assessment)
Citizens Allied for Safe Energy, Inc. (CASE), the intervenor in this license amendment proceeding,1 has moved to invalidate an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Final Finding of No Significant Impact that was issued on July 31, 2014.2 CASE argues that the EA is invalid because the notice was not placed in the Federal Register by the project manager even though an NRC Staff guidance document states that [i]f the EA results in a [Finding of No Significant Impact], it is also the licensing [project managers] responsibility to prepare the Federal Register notice of the EA finding and the basis for those findings.3 The NRC Staff and the Florida Power and Light Company oppose the motion.4 1 LBP-15-13, 81 NRC 456, 459 (2015).
2 Citizens Allied for Safe Energy Motion to Invalidate Nuclear Regulatory Commission Environmental Assessment of July, 31, 2014 (Aug. 25, 2015) [hereinafter Motion to Invalidate];
see also Florida Power & Light Company; Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4, 79 Fed. Reg. 44,464, 44,470 (July 31, 2014).
3 Motion to Invalidate at 3 (quoting Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, NRC, Environmental Review Guidance for Licensing Actions Associated with NMSS Programs, NUREG-1748, at 1-5 (Aug. 2003) (ADAMS Accession No. ML032450279)).
4 NRC Staff Answer to Citizens Allied for Safe Energy Motion to Invalidate Nuclear Regulatory Commission Environmental Assessment of July [31], 2014 (Sept. 3, 2015); Florida Power &
In addition to being untimely,5 CASEs motion rests on the mistaken assumption that NRC Staff guidance imposes a regulatory obligation.6 Guidance documents are not binding,7 so there was no requirement for the project manager to be the one to prepare the Federal Register notice. Accordingly, the Board denies CASEs motion.
It is so ORDERED.
FOR THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD
/RA/
Michael M. Gibson, Chairman ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE Rockville, Maryland September 11, 2015 Light Companys Answer to CASEs Motion to Invalidate Nuclear Regulatory Commission Environmental Assessment (Sept. 4, 2015).
5 It is unclear if the Motion to Invalidate is a motion under 10 C.F.R § 2.323 or a new contention filed pursuant to 10 C.F.R. § 2.309(c). In either case, it is untimely because the EA became publicly available more than a year ago. See 10 C.F.R § 2.323(a)(2) (All motions must be made no later than ten (10) days after the occurrence or circumstance from which the motion arises.); 10 C.F.R. § 2.309(c)(1)(iii) (The filing must be submitted in a timely fashion based on the availability of the subsequent information.).
6 Motion to Invalidate at 4 (Clearly, the framers of NUREG-1748 expected the Regulation to be observed and binding; the regulations are not suggestions.).
7 Areva Enrichment Servs., LLC (Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility), CLI-11-4, 74 NRC 1, 8 n.35 (2011) (NRC guidance documents are not legally binding, and compliance with them is not required . . . .); S. Tex. Project Nuclear Operating Co. (S. Tex. Project, Units 3 & 4), CLI-10-24, 72 NRC 451, 467 (2010) ([A] guidance document does not create binding legal requirements.).
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of )
)
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY ) Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251-LA
)
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(Turkey Point Nuclear Generating )
Units 3 & 4)
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing ORDER (Denying Motion to Invalidate Environmental Assessment) have been served upon the following persons by Electronic Information Exchange or via electronic mail as indicated by an asterisk.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Office of the Secretary of the Commission Mail Stop: T-3 F23 Mail Stop: O-16C1 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: hearingdocket@nrc.gov Michael M. Gibson, Chair Administrative Judge E-mail: michael.gibson@nrc.gov U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of the General Counsel Dr. Michael F. Kennedy Mail Stop: O-15 D21 Administrative Judge Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: michael.kennedy@nrc.gov Brian Harris, Esq.
David Roth, Esq.
Dr. William W. Sager Edward Williamson, Esq.
Administrative Judge Catherine Kanatas, Esq.
E-mail: william.sager@nrc.gov Christina England, Esq.
Daniel Straus, Esq.
Nicole Pepperl, Law Clerk, John Tibbetts, Paralegal E-mail: nicole.pepperl@nrc.gov E-mail: brian.harris@nrc.gov david.roth@nrc.gov edward.williamson@nrc.gov catherine.kanatas@nrc.gov U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission christina.england@nrc.gov Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication daniel.straus@nrc.gov Mail Stop: O-7H4 john.tibbetts@nrc.gov Washington, DC 20555-0001 ocaamail@nrc.gov
Turkey Point, Units 3 & 4, Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251-LA ORDER (Denying Motion to Invalidate Environmental Assessment)
Florida Power & Light Company Citizens Allied for Safe Energy, Inc. (CASE)*
700 Universe Blvd. 10001 SW 129 Terrace Juno Beach, Florida 33408 Miami, FL 33176 Nextera Energy Resources Barry J. White William Blair, Esq. E-mail: bwtamia@bellsouth.net E-mail: william.blair@fpl.com Florida Power & Light Company 801 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 220 Washington, DC 20004 Steven C. Hamrick, Esq.
E-mail: steven.hamrick@fpl.com
[Original signed by Herald M. Speiser ]
Office of the Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 11th day of September, 2015 2