ML18156A316

NRC Response to Santee Cooper Letter on June 4, 2018, Maintenance, Preservation and Documentation for Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3

ML18156A316
Person / Time
Site:	Summer
Issue date:	06/06/2018
From:	Frederick Brown Office of New Reactors
To:	Crosby M Santee Cooper
gleaves b/415-5848
References
Download: ML18156A316 (3)

Text

June 6, 2018 Mr. Michael R. Crosby, Senior Vice President Nuclear Energy Santee Cooper One Riverwood Drive Moncks Corner, SC 29461-2901

Dear Mr. Crosby:

By letter dated August 17, 20171, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received formal notification from South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) that construction activities at Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station (VCSNS) Units 2 and 3 had stopped as of July 31, 2017, and that VCSNS Units 2 and 3 had been placed in terminated status, consistent with the Commissions policy statement on deferred and terminated plants2. In a letter dated December 27, 20173, SCE&G provided its request for withdrawal of the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 combined licenses (COLs). That letter confirmed that the former construction site did not constitute a utilization facility, as defined in NRC regulations, and that all preservation activities had ceased. The letter was clear that [n]o further NRC-regulated activities are being performed or planned at VCSNS Units 2 and 3. That letter also stated that SCE&G would support a license transfer request to grant Santee Cooper full ownership of the COLs, if Santee Cooper elected to pursue SCE&Gs offer prior to NRC approval of the withdrawal request.

Santee Cooper responded to SCE&Gs request for withdrawal of the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 COLs in its January 8, 2018 letter4. Santee Cooper requested that NRC not take action on SCE&Gs COL withdrawal request for 180 days, or such time as might be necessary for Santee Cooper to evaluate whether to seek transfer of the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 COLs.

Santee Cooper also raised questions regarding the appropriate regulation for COL withdrawal and the rights of co-licensees in a withdrawal action. On April 18, 2018, I sent you a letter5 regarding SCE&Gs request to withdraw VCSNS Units 2 and 3 COLs.

In your letter, dated June 4, 20186, you informed the Commission of your intent to implement a maintenance, preservation and documentation (MPD) program at VCSNS Units 2 and 3. Your letter states that the on-site MPD program will be implemented to preserve the value of certain high-value components by maintaining and preserving them as well as any associated QA records for potential future sale. Your letter also states that the MPD program will not 1 NND-17-0464, Letter from Jeffrey B. Archie to NRC, SCE&G, VCSNS Units 2 and 3 Notification of Termination of Project Construction, dated August 17, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17229B487).

2 52 FR 38077, Commission Policy Statement on Deferred Plants, published October 14, 1987.

3 NND-17-0503, Letter from Jeffrey B. Archie to NRC, SCE&Gs Request for Withdrawal of VCSNS Units 2 and 3 COLs, dated December 27, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17361A088).

4 Letter from Michael R. Crosby to NRC, Response to SCE&G Request for Withdrawal of VCSNS Units 2 and 3 COLs, dated January 8, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18010A068).

5 Letter from Frederick D. Brown, NRC, to Michael R. Crosby, Santee Cooper, dated April 18, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18108A265).

6 Letter from Michael R. Crosby to NRC, South Carolina Public Service Authoritys Maintenance, Preservation, &

Documentation Program for VCSNS Units 2 & 3, dated June 4, 2018.

M. Crosby implement NRC-regulated construction or other related activities on the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 site and will not affect any NRC-licensed activity at another site. Finally, your letter acknowledges that before any such components can be used in an NRC-licensed utilization facility, such components must be recertified under an NRC-approved 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B program. The NRC has no objection to the MPD program as described in your letter.

Sincerely,

/RA Vonna Ordaz for/

Frederick D. Brown, Director Office of New Reactors

M. Crosby

SUBJECT:

RESPONSE TO SANTEE COOPER LETTER OF JUNE 4, 2018 REGARDING MAINTENANCE, PRESERVATION, & DOCUMENTATION FOR VCSNS UNITS 2 & 3 DATED: JUNE 6, 2018 DISTRIBUTION:

Public RidsNroOd RidsOgcMailCenter RidsRgn2MailCenter RTaylor, NRO ABradford, NRO BGleaves, NRO JDixon-Herrity, NRO ACampbell, NRO KKavanagh, NRO ADAMS Accession No.: ML18156A316 *via email NRO-008 OFFICE NRO/DLSE/LB4 NRO/DLSE/LB4 NRO/DLSE/LB4:LA NAME WGleaves* JDixon-Herrity* RButler*

DATE 06/05/2018 06/05/2018 06/05/2018 OFFICE RGNII NRO/DLSE NRO/DCIP/QVIB2 NAME Chaney* ACampbell* KKavanagh*

DATE 06/05/2018 06/05/2018 06/05/2018 OFFICE NRO/D OGC NAME VOrdaz MSpencer* NLO DATE 06/6/2018 06/05/2018