ML19291C242

Requests Assurance That OL Application Is Under Active Review & Will Be Completed in Timely Fashion.Facility Should Be Allowed to Load Fuel & Conduct Preoperational Tests

ML19291C242
Person / Time
Site:	North Anna
Issue date:	12/14/1979
From:	Coleman M VIRGINIA, COMMONWEALTH OF
To:	Ahearne J NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML18136A417	List: ML18136A416 ML19291C242
References
NUDOCS 8001230198
Download: ML19291C242 (2)

Text

. ,

Q#

Wg'flM 2%

N .

j'BUtg i

[

&,001?.XWf Orrect or TN c ArtoRN EY GCN ER AL SupacMc Couar BuitolNG

"*1^,'j,$j,'"'" noi E Asr BaoAo ST ACCT RicHwoN o. Vin c eNI A 23219 804-786 2071 December 14, 1979 The Honorable John F. Ahearne Interim Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1717 H Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Chairman Ahearne:

I was pleased to learn that a nine-member task force has been named to review the license application for North Anna Station, Unit 2, and that this task force had its initial meeting with VEPCO officials on November 30, 1979.

This was subsequent to my letter of November 23, 1979, and the letters from Governor Dalton, the Virginia Congressional delegation, and the State Corporation Commission, and I am pleased to see the apparent responsiveness of the NRC to our concerns.

On December 3, 1979 I received a phone call from Mr. Len Bickwit, of the General Counsel's Office, who read a letter dated that day from Mr. Hendrie, which I received on December 10, 1979. This letter holds out the possibility of a policy statement allowing " resumption of licensing of completed or nearly completed plants such as North Anna 2" and Mr. Bickwit has represented chat resumption of licensing in the near future was, in fact, highly probable.

Recent events have raised questions about the timing of any resumption in licensing. No policy statement has been forthcoming from the Commission. There has been a reassignment of leadership responsibilities at the Commis-sion, and other organizational changes have been proposed by President Carter. For these reasons, I must request 1792 099 '

B001 t

The Honorable John F. Ahearne December 14, 1979 Page Two that the NRC provide the Commonwealth with a clear and definite statement of its position on the resumption of the licensing process with respect to North Anna 2.

Three issues are of primary concern to me. First, it is essential that we be assured tnat the application on North Anna 2 is under active review and will be completed in a timely fashion. Second, it is important that the Commission allow North Anna 2 to load fuel and conduct pre-operational tests in advance of implementing TMI-related reconmendations. Third, once TMI-related concerns have been addressed by VEPCO and licensing reviews completed, we neeo to know whether the Commission is prepared to issue ar. operating license for North Anna 2.

If the task force is addressing licensing issues and will soon issue a timetable for continuing the licens-ing procedure for North Anna 2, then my concerns may be met. I would appreciate your advising me whether this is the case.

I am enclosing for your information an analysis of the economic impact of nuclear outages in Virginia pre-pared for Governor Dalton by an independent consultant.

As I am sure you realize, present delays in the licensing process cannot be recaptured later and, thus, necessarily result in an equivalent delay in bringing North Anna 2 on line. Because it is my statutory duty in Virginia to represent both the Commonwealth and consumer interests and because it is clear that those interests are adversely affected by each day of delay in the licensing of North Anna 2, I am requesting that you respond to this letter by December 26, 1979.

Sincerely, h

Marshall Coleman Attorney General 5:42/161 cc: Nuclear Regulatory Commissioners The Honorable John N. Dalton Virginia Congressional Delegation State Corporation Commissioners 1792 100 t