ML17249A842
| ML17249A842 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Ginna  |
| Issue date: | 03/06/1980 |
| From: | Drake F ROCHESTER GAS & ELECTRIC CORP. |
| To: | Ahearne J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8004220110 | |
| Download: ML17249A842 (14) | |
Text
I',iiIKIZLIS~i:Fdic'OPI~A, H ZITI~ Tgv QRQD.8c UT1t'A~--
ROCHESTER GAS AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION
~ 89 EAST AVENUE, ROCHESTER, N.Y. 14649 FRANCIS K. ORAKE JR.
CHAIRMANOP THC OOARO ANO, CHICP CXCCUTIVC OPPICCTI March 6, 1980 TCI.KPHONC ARC* COOC TIA 546-2700 DOCKErED usNRc 8
MAR 2 6)98O OIfiCeg fJIII~
san tI"'"
Dochettiig g P.t Honorable John F. Ahearne Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20550
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Nearly two and one-half months
- ago, on December 20, 19 Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation formally submitted an
. application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission seeking per-mission to receive and use four mixed oxide fuel assemblies at the Company',s Robert E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant for research, demonstration, and development (RDD) purposes.
Members of the Commission staff and RGGE personnel and its contractors initially had met on November 1,
1979 to discuss our proposal for the use of mixed oxide fuel at Ginna.
This proposal is the cul-mination of an RDD program which was initiated by RG&E over six years ago.
As you know, the Commission on February 13, 1980 granted its approval of our receipt, of the assemblies.
Accordingly, the assemblies have been delivered to the plant and are ready for insertion'nto the reactor.
While we are gratified to have been granted permission to receive the assemblies, we are deeply concerned with the Commission's failure to act on our request to use the assemblies as fuel in the reactor.
Because the plant is scheduled to be shut down for its annual refueling on March 28th, your prompt attention to, and approval of, our request, is now imperative.
Otherwise, the significant benefits which the use of this fuel will bring to the nation will be lost for this year.
The benefits to which I refer are these.
First, substantial research and development information, as outlined in our application, will be obtained from the experimental use of the four assemblies at Ginna.
This information will increase the industry's knowledge of the operation and performance of mixed oxide fuels in commercial reactors.
- Second, while the four assemblies to be used in our RDD program contain only a small amount of plutonium, utilization of soo422o ~i~g
ROCHESTER GAS AND ELECTRIC CORP.
DATE March 6, 1980 To Honorable John F. Ahearne SMEET MO. 2 those assemblies will eliminate nearly half of the separated commercial plutonium remaining in the United States.
And that utilization w'i.ll occur in a,highly secure context.
From the non-proliferation standpoint, a reactor is the most secure location and irradiation the most secure condition for this material.
Finally, the Commission's approval of our use of the fuel resource represented by these assemblies certainly would be consistent with the nation's commitment to utilize existing domes-tic resources for electric generation.
Our inabi'lity to load the mixed oxide assemblies during the impending refueling not only will forestall the advantages which I have enumerated, but will also result, in significant costs for
- storage, redesign of core loading patterns, and licensing
. reanalysis.
As your staff no doubt has advised you, RG6E has concluded, after a thorough review, that the mixed oxide fuel can be directly, substituted for uranium fuel during this refueling with no change in the core loading pattern.
It is also important to emphasize that RGSE's analysis indicates that there will be no significant impact on plant operation.
Zn addition to the analyses which RGGE has conducted, Commission staff has reviewed the application, accompanying supporting materials, and RGGE's responses to staff questions.
In the course of these analyses and reviews, there has appeared no reason to believe that the insertion of the four assemblies involves a
significant hazards consideration.
Consequently, there exists no technical or legal reason why the Commission may not immediately move to approve our request, pursuant to 10 CFR section 50.91, without having to notice its action as a proposed action.
- Should, however, you reach a contrary conclusion, notice of your proposed action on this matter must be published immediately if there is to be any chance of inserting the assemblies this year.
'hile I understand that you and your fellow Commissioners maintain an extremely busy agenda, I trust that, you will give this matter your prompt attention.
Approval of this RDD program is technically straightforward and consistent with the stated objectives and policies of the President's non-proliferation position.
cerely yours, cÃc< P g Francis E. Drake, Jr.
FED:gk
ROCHESTER CAS AND ELECTRIC CORP.
DATE March 6, 1980 To Honorable John F. Ahearne SHEET NO.
3 cc:
Hon.Joseph M. Hendrie Hon. Victor Gilinsky Hon. Richard T. Kennedy Hon. Peter A. Bradford
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OFFICE OF THE.:
SECRETARY
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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR R EG ULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON,O.C. 20555 February. 22, 1980 and CENSE
'Director
-.Office of the Federal-Register
'=- ~'~~'-"-- ".,:National Archives. and-.Records, Service.
.;; -'- >', ~~;",".".;'Washington,'" D. C" ~-'0403.";,-'.';:-.-"'-".;-
, '",'*,'='ear.-Sir:
. Enclosed for publication in the Federal Register are an original two certified copies of a document entitled:
ROCHESTER GAS AND ELECTRIC CORBBBRTION Docket No. 50-'244 NOTICE OF ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT'TO PROYISIONAL OPERATING LI 1
a
Enclosures:
Original 5'
certified copies Publication of the above document at the earliest possible date would be appreciated.
This material is to be charged to requisition number F-131.
Sl BI'1.'1$,
I I
I Samuel J.
Chalk Secretary of: the Commissioh I
bcc:
Re.
I'aci=1~4y<r~xh ffice of Public Affairs Executive Legal Director Office of Congressional Affiars Office of the General Counsel SECY -
CKR Branch
7590-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COHNISSION DOCKET NO.
50-244
'OCHESTER GAS AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION NOTICE OF ISSUANCE 'OF A"ENP<ENT TO PROVISIONAL
. OPERATING LICENSE h
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Canmission (the Commission) has issued Amendment 3o
.31
%o Provisional'Operating License No. DPR-l8, to Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (the licensee),
which revised the license for operation of the R.
E. Ginna Plant (facility) located in Wayne County, New York.
The amendment is effective as of its d te of issuance.
The amendment authorizes the 'licensee to receive and store four (4) mixed oxide fuel assemblies.
The amendment also approves the additional security measures required for storage of unirradiated mixed oxide fuel assemblies ou side the plant containment.
The application for the amendment and the licensee's security filing comply with the standards and requirenen s of he Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Conrnission's rules and regulations.
The Ccmission has made appropria e findings as required by the Act and the Corm'ssion's rules and regulations in 10 CFR Chapt r I, which are set forth in the license amendment.
Prior public notice o
this amendment was not required since the amendment does not involve a significant hazards consideration.
The licensee's filing dated December 14, 1979, is beina withheld from public disclosure pursuant to 10 CFR k2.790(d).
The withheld information is s bisect to disclosure in accordance wi:h the provisions o
0 k
7590-01 7¹ Caanission has determined 'that the issuance of this amendment will no result in any significant. environmenul impact and that pursuant to 10 C.=R 351.5(d)(4) an environmental impact statement or negative decla".a ion and environmental impact'ppraisal need not be prepared in connect-on with issuance of this amendmen..
.-or urther details with respect to this action, see (1) the appli"a-.ion
, or amendment dated December 14, 1979 (transmitted by letter date" December 20, 1979),
(2) Amendment Ho 31 to License Ho.
DPR-18, including the Co>;.iss-on's letter of transmittal, and (3) the Commission's related Safe".v =valuation.
All of these items are available for public inspection at th Ccamission's Public Document
- Room, 1717 H Street, H. M., Washington, D. C.
and at the Rochester Public Library, 115 South Avenue, Rochester, Hew York 14627.
A copy of.items (2) and (3) may be obtained upon request esse o the U
5 H
1 ear Re ul a or)
C
~i ss ion Washington, D.
C.
""=="=, A==en.ion:
Direc.or, Division of Opera.ing Reactors.
3a-ed at Bethesda,'aryland,
.his 13th dav of February 1980 THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY CRSISSIOH Dennis L. Zieman ;.hie.
Operating Reacto Branch
- 2 Division of Operatino Reactors
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MEMOs DATE RECEIVED 2/
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NRR03749 OTHER!
TO ORIG CCI OTHER."
iHllim'&ircks CLASSIFG POST OFFICE REG. NO."
ACTION NECESSARY NO ACTION NECESSARY 0
FILE. CODE CONCURRENCE COL'INIENT DATE ANSWEREDr o
.2/27/SO DESCRIPTION: IMuss Bo UrrslsssrfierU STOBAt 5 OP i-HXED OXIDE FUEL REFERRED TO
- 9. lTiSenhut/Zkemnd, DATE
,RECEIVED BY DATE ENCLOSURESs Copios Pox H. R. Dentoa E. G.
CAso'.
SQrkmf/if. Russol R.
DOYounT D. Ross R. VattsoTI
~P Ttg REMARKS'.S.
NUCLEAR REGULA'TORY COMMISSION FORMNRC426S MAILCONTROL FORM M79I
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