ML19221B479

LTR-19-0310 Sen Edward J. Markey, Letter Urges the Chairman to Direct the NRC Staff to Delay Ruling on the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station License Transfer Request from Entergy and Holtec (Docket No. 50-293 & 72-1004)

ML19221B479
Person / Time
Site:	Pilgrim, 07201004
Issue date:	08/08/2019
From:	Markey E US Congress, US SEN (Senate)
To:	Kristine Svinicki NRC/Chairman
Shared Package
ML19221B480	List: ML19221B479
References
LTR-19-0310
Download: ML19221B479 (2)

Text

SUITE SD-255 EDWARD J . MARKEY DIRKSEN B UILDIN G MASSACH USETIS WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2107 202-224-2742 COMMITIEES:

E N VIRON MEN T A ND P UBLIC WORKS F OREIGN R ELATIONS tlnitcd ~tatcs ~cnatc 975 JFK FEDERAL BUILDING 15 NEW SUDBURY STREET BOSTON, MA 02203 6 17-565-8519 RANKING MEMBER:

SUBCOMMITTEE ON EAST A SIA, THE PACIFIC, 222 M ILLIKEN BOULEVARD, SUITE 312 AND INTERNATIONAL CYBEASECURITY P OLICY FALL RIVER, MA 02721 508-677-0523 COMM ERCE, SCIENCE, A N D T RANSPORTATION RA NKING M EMBER: 1550 M AIN STREET, 4TH FLOOR SUBCOMMITTEE ON SECURITY SPRINGFIELD, M A 011 03 4 13-785--4610 SMA LL B U S INESS A ND E NTREPRENEURSHIP August 8, 2018 CHA IRMAN:

U.S. SENATE CLIMATE CHANGE TASK FORCE The Honorable Kristine L. Svinicki Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Stop 0-1604 Washington, DC 20555-0001

Dear Chairman Svinicki,

I write to urge you to direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff to delay ruling on the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station license transfer request from Entergy and Holtec (Docket No.

50-293 & 72-1004) until after the Commission has ruled upon the petitions and motion currently in the proceeding docket.

NRC staff are currently evaluating an application to transfer the Pilgrim license from Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. to Holtec International and Holtec Decommissioning International. As part of these proceedings, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Pilgrim Watch, a local citizens' organization, both filed petitions to intervene and for hearing requests. On August 2, 2019, the Commonwealth additionally filed a motion to ask the NRC to stay its activities on the license transfer to allow the Attorney General's office more time to discuss a settlement with Entergy and Holtec.

The petitions and motion were filed in the correct fashion and within all relevant deadlines, as laid out in the Federal Register notice announcing the application. However, in recent correspondence with my office, NRC staff have said that they can reach a decision on the license transfer without waiting for a ruling on either motion or the petition. Issuing a decision on the license transfer request without input from either the Commonwealth or the local community would be an unacceptable undermining of the public's ability to weigh in on NRC actions and would undercut the promise of a rigorous evaluation of the license transfer request. As a result, I ask that NRC staff hold on their decision to approve or deny the transfer until all the NRC has ruled upon relevant petitions and motions. I also urge the Commission to grant the petitions for hearings in order to improve transparency and provide an opportunity for the interveners to get answers to their questions about the applicants.

If the NRC is serious about its process for soliciting comments and requests for hearings in its proceedings, it will wait for rulings before deciding on the application. The NRC should not put industry timelines above the statutory requirement for a thorough process that includes the opportunity for public involvement.

Sincerely, United States Senator