ML18232A004
| ML18232A004 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Westinghouse |
| Issue date: | 08/14/2018 |
| From: | Clements T Friends of the Earth |
| To: | Office of Administration |
| References | |
| 83FR28014 00001, NRC-2015-0039 | |
| Download: ML18232A004 (2) | |
Text
August 14, 2018 Mr. Craig Erlanger 0 Friends of the Earth Director, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safety and Safeguards U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Request to Reopen EA on License Extension for Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Facility - License No. SNM-1107 and Docket ID NRC-2015-0039 - and to Hold Public Meeting; Discard 40-Year License Extension Consideration and Solicit Input on Need for EIS
Dear Mr. Erlanger:
I hereby request that the comment period for the Environmental Assessment (EA) associated with the license extension for Westinghouse's Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility be reopened and that a public meeting be held in the community near the facility in order to take public comments. Given changed circumstances with the operation of the facility, comments should be solicited at any meeting about the need for a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the operation of the facility and its environmental discharges and nuclear criticality concerns.
I further request that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission now reject consideration of the license extension for an additional 40 years and take comments at the public EA and/or EIS meeting as to how long the license might be extended (or not).
On June 15, 2018, a notice was published in the Federal Register officially releasing a document entitled Final Environmental Assessment for the Renewal of SNM-1107 Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility in Richland County, South Carolina. That document, prepared in conjunction with a request to extend the license for the fuel plant for an additional 40 years, concludes that "there would be a noticeable but not significant impact to the quality of the human environment." The document goes on to make a determination that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is warranted.
Since that document was prepared, the situation regarding the operation of the fuel plant and the public's knowledge of it has changed considerably, warranting preparation of new documents as allowed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Given the changed circumstances and new information that has become available, it is imperative that the EA process be reopened and that preparation of a full EIS be considered.
First, there was an incident at the facility on March 15, 2018 involving a deviation from "Criticality Safety Evaluation Procedures." (See NRC event report for March 19, 2018.) This event went unreported by the media and, as far as I can determine, the community near to the facility was not informed by Westinghouse, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) about it.
Second, an incident involving an unauthorized leak of fluoride and uranium from inside of the facility through the concrete floor and into soil underneath the facility was reported in an NRC event report of 1112 Florence Street* Columbia, SC 29201 803.834.3084 phone & fax* tomclements329@cs.com
- www.foe.org Printed on 100% post consumer waste using 100% wind power. * *"::.""
SUNSI Review Complete Template = ADM-013 E-RIDS=ADM-03 ADD= Jessie Muir Quintero COMMENT (1)
PUBLICATION DATE: 6/15/2018 CITATION: 83 FR 28014