ML19060A228

Comment from Henrietta Cosentino on the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station; Consideration of Approval of Transfer of License and Conforming Amendment (NRC-2018-0279)

ML19060A228
Person / Time
Site:	Pilgrim
Issue date:	02/26/2019
From:	Cosentino H - No Known Affiliation
To:	NRC/SECY
SECY/RAS
References
NRC-2018-0279
Download: ML19060A228 (1)

Text

From:

Henrietta Cosentino To:

Docket, Hearing

Subject:

[External_Sender] Docket ID NRC-2018-0279 Date:

Tuesday, February 26, 2019 11:04:05 PM Neither Entergys plan nor Holtecs plan is acceptable in present form. EntergysSAFSTORplan to defer full decommissioning until 2060 puts our community at serious risk: (1) fuel rods would stay in the fuel pool for a long time, prolonging the risk ofexposure to extreme weather, terrorism etc. (2) Recent reevaluations of the nature and degree of climate change have been largely ignored in Entergys risk projections; nor does it enter into the NRCs calculations. Given extreme rains, storm surges and rising seas, Pilgrims reactor is likely to be seriously water-compromised by 2060 (3) By 2060, all those now involved in the NRC, Entergy, the NDCAP and the federal government itself will be gone! How can we have any confidence that the basics of safety will be transmitted, understood and carried out between now and 2060?

Holtecsproposed six-year process alsoarouses serious concerns, best expressed by our AGO at the NRCs annual meeting in January: From the Attorney Generals point of view, the proposed sale and the related transfer of license from Entergy to a Holtec subsidiary raise significant health, safety, environmental and financial concerns for the Commonwealth and its citizens. [] Because of the significant risks to the Commonwealth we implore the NRC to join us in closely scrutinizing the proposals terms and ensure that substantial financial assurances exist to ensure those risks are fully addressed. A rapid decommissioning ispreferableto a deferred one, but only if it doesnt leave the site polluted and put the population at risk. There is reason tobelievethat Holtec is not prepared to spend the amount of money it will actually take to decommission the site properly. It is clear that there are manyincentives to cut corners at public expense. Moreover Holtecs HI-STORMdrycasks are a source of concern. They arewarrantied for only 25 years, but they areexpected to contain material that will be toxic for 250,000 years. How is this acceptable? Their thin walled are already scratched in San Onofre and elsewhere. If leaks are discovered, the casks cannot be repairedonly covered up with a largercask. What happens when they all leak?

In reviewing both plans, we count on the NRC to ensure the health and welfare of theCommonwealth and its citizens.