ML19338C038

Motion to Recall Orders Reconvening ASLB in Light of Changed Circumstances.Requests Suspension of All Pending Show Cause Proceedings Re Fuel Cycle Issues.Certificate of Svc Encl

ML19338C038
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee, Midland
Issue date:	09/27/1976
From:	Dignan T, Ritsher J RITSHER, J.A., VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORP.
To:	NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML19338C027	List: ML19338C038
References
NUDOCS 8007310599
Download: ML19338C038 (10)

Text

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ,

o, e1o befor; the -! g7o..' gi

. NUCLEAR REGULN"OR'l COMMISSION

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ic In.the Matter of VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER

' CORPORATION Docket No. 50-271 (Vermont Yankes Nuclear Power

. Station) -

MOTION FOR LICENSEE FOR RECALL OF ORDERS IN LIGHT ,

OF CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES

1. Under date of AtIgust 16, 976, the C.mmission issued a Memorandum and Order "In accordance with its General State-ment-of Policy . . . on the Environmental Effects of the Uranium Fuel Cycle" (GSP) directing the reconvening of an Atcznic Safety and Licensing Board for considering certain issues, in light'of the decision of the United States Court of Appeals in NRDC v. NRC, Nos. 74-1385 and 74-1586 (D.C. ,

Cir. July _21, 1976).

.2. On August-23, 1976, the Licensee served a Motion for .

Recall and Reconsideration of Order Directing Reconvening of ASLB to Consider Certain Matters.

In that motion, the Licensee tock' the position that absent the issuance of the mandate from EID , _b f .

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the Court.of' Appeals, the Commist on was without jurisdiction to reopen the proceeding. Gp l, t . C.I.R., 306 F.2d 902 (5th Cir.'1962).

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'3 on September 7, 1976, tr Staff filed a response to the Licensee's motion whe" sin the Staff took the position that the case-was controlled by the decision of the Supreme Court of - the United ' States in F.C.C. v. Pottsville Broadcast-

-ing Co., 309 U.S. 134, 141 (1939). That case however dealt with the question of the degree to which an' administrati"e j' agency is bound by a court's mandate which has issued. The case does not . deal with the question of whether the agency 4' has jurisdiction to conduct further proceedings while the ,

case is undergoing judicial scrutiny.. -

4. on September 14,' 1976, th- Commission issued a Memo-1 randum and order denying the Licensee's motion and adopting

, the Staff's position as to the proper action to be taken after a court 'of appeals' decision has issued prior to the issuance'of the mandate.

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5. _on September 21, 1976, the Licensee filed, and there Jwas docketed -in the Supreme Court- a petition for certiorari seeking review and.rever n1 of NRDC v. NRC,-supra. Vermont s

l YaEkee: Nuclear Power ~ Corporation v. _ Natural Resources Defense .

- Counc11, No. .l 76- 414, - (Docketed - 9/21/76 USSC') . This filing 1- and _ docketing : occurred prior to the issuance of- the mandate from: the' court of appeals and thus operates. to stay the man-date-pending furtheriorder of the Supreme Court. FRAP 41.

. f, . _

6. Thuc the cauc 10. now in ac posture whereny' it in undergoing ,judicialt scrutiny by the Supreme Court on revicu and no mandate has or can issue from the Court of Appeals.

Given this posture and for the reasons set. forth below, we respectfully suggest that.the Commission is without juris-diction:to reopen the Vermont Yankee proceeding or any, other individual licensing p;eceeding on the so-called " fuel cycle" issue. ,

7 Absent the granting of a parallel jurisdiction ar.

statute, see Wrather-Alvarez Broadcasting, Inc. v. FCC, 248

.F.2d 646, 648-49 (D.C. Cir.1957), or the grant of judicial e leave upon appropriate motion or other form of request, or sua sponte order of a reviewing court, the general rule is

". . . that at least while the case is undergoing judicial scrutiny, the agency.is powerless to act." Jaffe, Judicial Review of Administrative Action 711 (1965). The Vermont Yankee order granting an operating license having been entrusted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court of appeals, 28 U.S.C. 5 2349, and by virtue of the Petition for Certiorari now to the Supreme Court, 28 U.q.C. $ 2350, the NRC ". . . 'in- the presence of the court's continued and exclu-

.sive jurisdiction '[is] without authority to deal with its -

order." Ford Motor Co. v. NLRB, 3C5 U.S. 364, 372 (1939).

-Accord, Greater ~ Boston' Television Corp. v. FCC, 463 F.2d 268,-~283.(D.C. Cir.' 1971).

See also Anchor Line Ltd. v.

I .

' Federal Maritime Commissicn', 299 F.2d;124, 125, cert. denied, L /u

370 U,s. 902 (1962). In :hort, even accepting as correct the Staff's view that where the case is " post decision but prc mandate" a different rule should apply, the filing of Vennont Yankee' petition for certiorari has placed the case back in the posture of being under judicial scrutiny, a posture in which the rule is clear viz.' the agency may

. not reconsider orders cn grounds still being reviewed by the courts, absent the express permission of the court.

WHEREFORE, the Licensee moves the Commission as follows:

, 1. To recall the order directing the convening of an ASLB in this proceeding;

2. To recall so much of the GSP as directs Licensing ,

f Boards and/or Appeal. Boards and/or the Staff (on a show cause petition) to reconsider orders authorizing individual con-struction permits or operating licenses on the grounds of the so-called fuel. cycle issue arising out of the decision of the United States Court of Appeals in NRDC v. ,NRC.

By-its attorneys,

< / / ,s Jphn.A.Ritsher

- / AL, Thomas G. Dignan, p.

Ropes & Gray l -September ~ 27, 1976 0

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Samuel W. . Jensch, Eng. ' Honorable Gregor T. McGregor Atomic. Safety and Licensing Board Assistant Attorney General U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Commonwealth of Massachusetts Washington, D. C. 20555- State House Boston, Massachusetts 02133 Dr. David B.. Hall Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Mr. John W. Stevens, Director P. O. Box 1663 Conservation Society of Southern Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544 Vermont P. O. Box 256 Dr.. Paul W. Purdom .

Townshend, Vermont 05353 245 Gulph Hills Road

.Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087 Honorable Donald W. Stever, Jr.

Assistant Attorney General Counsel for NRC Staff State of New Hampshire Office of the Executive State House Annex Legal Director -Concord, New Hampshire 03301 U. S. He; lear Regulatory Commiss'.on Washington, D. C. 20555 Anthony Z. Roisman, Esq.

Karin F. Sheldon, Esq.

John D. Carbine, Esq. Roisman, Kessler'and Cashdan Ryan, Smith and Carbine 1025 15th Street, N. W. ,

98 Merchants Row Washington, D. C. 20005 Rutland, Vermont 05'01 Jonathan N. Brownell, Esq.

John'A.' Riteher, Esq. Paterson, Gibson, Noble and Thomas G. Dignan, Esq. .Brownell Ropes and Gray 26 State Street 225 Franklin Street Montpelier, Vermont 05602 Boston, Massachusetts 02110 Peter S. Paine,'Jr., Esq.

Honorable Jerome Diamond General Counsel Attorney. General Lake Champlain Committee State of Vermont One State Street Plaza Pavilion' Office Building New York, New York 10004 109 State Street Montpelier, Vermont 05602' John H.(Ada=s, Esq.

Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

~ Honorable John A. Calhoun 15 West 44th Street Assistant Attorney General New York, New York 10036 State of Vermont.

Pavilion.0ffice Building Richard E. Ayres, Esq.

109' State Street Natural Resources. Defense Council, Inc.

Montpelier,' Vermont: 05602 917 - 15th Street, N. W.

Washington,-D.-C. 20036

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1' Richard 11. ' Saudek, Esq. . Dr. Kenneth A. McCollom General Counsel .

Assistant Dean College of Engineering Vermont-Public Service. Board 120 State Street Oklahoma State University State Office Building Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074 Montpelier, Vermont 05602 Dr. Ernest O. Salo Edward Luton, Esq.- Professor Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Fisheries Research Institute WH-10 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comaission - College' of Fisheries Washington,.D. C. 20555 University of Washington Scattle, Washington 98195 I Dr. Enneth A. Luebke Atomic Safety and. Licensing Board Edward G. Bauer, Jr., Esq.

U. S. Nuclear-Regulatory Commission Vice President and Ceneral Counsel

! Washington, D. C. 20555 Philadelphia Electric Cosipany 2301 Market Street Dr. Ilarry Foreman Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101 L Box-395 Mayo University of Minnesota Eugene J. Bradley, Esq.

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 Philadelphia Electric Company ,

2301 Market Street Troy B. Conner, Esq. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101 Joseph B. Knotts, Jr., Esq.

Conner and Knotts; Honorable Frank R. Clokey 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W. Special Assistant Attorney General Washington, D. C. 20006 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania P. O. Box 2063 Richard Fryling, Jr., Esq. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 19105 rublic' Service Electric and Gas Company 80 Park Place Raymond L. Hovis, Esq.

Newark, New Jersey 07101 35 South Duke Street York, Pennsylvania 17401 L Mrs. W. S.-McElmoyl.

! 205' Howard Avenue Honorable W.W. Anderson.

l Woodstown, New Jersey 08098 Deputy Attorney General l .

Departmlnt of Justice i Honorable William Gural Capitol Annex l

-Deputy Attorney General Harrisburg, Pennsylve.aia 17120 State of New Jersey l- 1 101 Commerce Street Honorable Theodore A. Adler

. Newark, New Jersey 07102 Deputy Attorney General I _

Department of Justice i Honorcblel Joseph W. Ferraro, Jr. . Capitol Annex Deputy Attorney General Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

-. Room 208'

-101 Commerce Street Newark,)New(Jersey 107102-V

lionorable. Warren K, Rich Dr. Chauncey R. Kepford

. Special Assistant Attorney General _ Citizens for a Safety Environment and Department of Natural Resources York Committee for a Safe Ensironment-State Office Building 2586 Broad Street Annapolis, Maryland 21404 York, Pennsylvania 17404

Mr. Herb. art M. Sachs, Director Douglas Baker, Esq.

Department of Natural Resources Box 337, Route 2 Water Rasources Administrat'.un Kimberton Road

, Tawes' State Office Building Phoenixville, Pennsylvania 19460 Annapolis, Maryland 21401-Miss Mary V. Southard, Chairman Richard S. Watt, Esq. Citizens for a Safe Environment U. S. Environmental Protection P. O. Box 405 Agency Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17108 Region III, Curtis Building 6th and Walnut Streets Honorable Karin W. Carter Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 19106 Assistant Attorney General Office of Enforcement Honorable John B. Griffith Department of Environmental Resources Special Assistant Attorney General 709 Health and Welfare Building

' State of Maryland Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120 Tawes State Office Building (C-4) 580 Taylor Avenue .

Lawrence Sager, Esq.

Annapolis, Maryland 21401 Sager and Sager Associates 45 High Street Dr. M. Stanley Livingston Pottstown, Pennsylvania 19464 1005 Calle Largo Santa Fe, New Mexico; 87501 Daniel M. Head, Esq.

Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Dr. John R. Lyman 404 Clayton Road Washington, D. C. 20555 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514 Dr. J. Venn Leeds, Jr., Esq.

Gerald Charnoff, Esq. 10807 Atwell George F.'Trowbridge, Esq. Houstos, Texas 77096 Shaw, Pittman, Potts and Trowbridge 910'17th Street, N. W. Myron M. Cherry, Esq.

Washington, D. C. 20006 1 IBM Plaza Chicago, Illinois 60611 Hethert C. Goldstein, Esq.

133 State Street- _ .

Harold F.-Reis, Esq.

'Harrisburg,-Pennsylvania 17101' Lowenstein, Newman, Reis and Axelrad.

1025 Connecticut Avenue, N._W.

Washington, D. C. 20036 S

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llonorable William H. Ward Mr. Frederick J.-Shon Assistant Attorney. General. Atomic Safety'and Licensing I;onrd State of Kansas. U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Topeka, Kansas 66612 Washington, D. C. 20555

- Irving Like, Esq.~. .

Joseph A. Fricker, Jr., Esq. j

'Reilly, Like and Schneider . Utility Counsel ,

200 West Main Street- 313 City-County Building-  :

Babylon,~ New York 11702 Pittsburgh,-Pennsylvania 15219 i

Howard J. Vogel, Esq. Thomas M. Kerr,LEsq.

Knittle and Vogel: American Civil Liberties Union 814 Flour Exchange Building of Pennsylvania

- Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415. 200 Wood Street. ,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222 James A..Kendall', Esq..

' Currie and Kendall Dr. Robert L. Holton 135 North Saginaw Road Department of Oceanography Midland, Michigan 48640 Oregon State University Corvallis,. Oregon 97331 Judd L. Bacon, Esq.- ,

Consumcrs Power Company Honorable Lawrence Coughlin 212 West Michigan Avenue House of. Representatives  ;

Jackson, Michigan 49201~ Washington, D. C. 20515 William J. Ginster, Esq. Roger B. Reynolds, Jr., Esq.  !

Merrill Euilding, Suite 4 325 Swede Street- .

l Saginaw, Michigan 48602 Norristern, Pennsylvania- 19401

-Milton R..Wessel,JEsq. Honorable Hershel J. Richman 4~Little Lane Special Assistant Attorney General White Plains,-New York 10605 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania-Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120 Honorable-Curtis G. Beck ,

' Assistant: Attorney : General Ronald J. Wilson, Esq.

Seven Story Office Building 810 18th Street, N. W.

'525-West 0ttawa Washingpon,D.C. 20036 Lansing,-Michigan '48913-Philip P. Kalodner, Esq.

Lee Nute,LEsq.- Pennsylvania Public-Utility Michigan Division Commission JThe Dow Chemical Comps a .P. O. Box 3265 47.-Building Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120-

. Midland, Michigan .48640 :

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4 Joseph A. Smyth, Esq. Mr. David A. Caccia Assistant' County Solicitor Box 70-A RD #2

< County of Montgomery Sewell, New Jersey 08080 Courthouse Norristown, Pennsylvania '19404 . Robert D. Westreich, Esq.

Assistant Deputy Public Advocate Williard C. Hetzel, Solicitor P. O.EBox 141 Board of Supervisors 520 East State Street

Upper-Frederick Township Trenton, New Jersey 08625

, 312. Main Street

-East Greenville, Pennsylvania 18041 William Horner, Esq.

67 Market Street

- Dr.-Ernest E. Hill Salem, New Jersey 08079 Lawrence Livermore Laboratory .

' University of California Paul W. Rosenberg, Esq.

.l P. O. Box.808,' L-123 .

2323 South Broad Street i Livermore, California 94550 Trenton, New Jersey 08610 Frederick M.-Broadfoot, Esq. Honorable F. Mich'ael Parkowski Public Service Electric and Gas Deputy Attorney General Company- Department of Natural Resources 80 Park Place and Envircamental Control l Newark,= New Jersey 07101 Tacna11 Building Dover,' Delaware 19901 Honorable Mark L. First Deputy Attorney General Mr.~Lester Kornblith, Jr.

State of New Jersey. Atomic' Safety and Licensing Board l 36' West State. Street. U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

!- ' Trenton, New Jersey 08625 Washington, D. C. 20555 Honorable Edward G. Biester, Jr. John R. Biggar, Esq.

House of Representatives' Pennsylvania Power and Light Company Washington, D. C. 20515 901 Hamilton Street Allentown, Pennsylvania 18101 Robert H. Yaroschuk, Esq.

' Bucks' County Solicitor- Ms. Dorothy Endrizzi ,

Administration . Building, Roon 521 RD1,dox76

~Doylestown,' Pennsylvania 18901 .Sugarload, Pennsylvania 18249-4 -William'J.~ Laputka John M. Frysiak, Esq.

Atomic Safety and Licensing Board

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' Township Manager .

Falls' Township 1B oard of U..S.. Nuclear Regulatory Commissien' Supervisors l Washington,- D. C. 20555

285 Yardley Avenue

'Fallsington, Pennsylvania'19054 Dr. Marvin M. Mann Atomic' Safety and Licensing Board

-Samuel M.1 Snipes, Esq.

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

.49. South Main Street- Washington, D. C. 20555 LYardley,, Pennsylvania 19067; '

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N Bruce S. Feldacker, Esq.

Ralph Wood, Esq.

General Counsel Schuchat, Cook and Werner Public Service Company of New 705 Olive Street - Suite 824

-Hampshire St. Louis, Missicur 63101 1000 Elm Street Manchester, New Hampshire 03842 Dr. Vern R. Starks Route 1, Box 863 Ms. Elizabeth H. Weinhold Ketchikan, Alaska 99901 Brandstreet Road Hampton, New Hampshire 03842 David J. Letvin, Esq.

Cohn, Carr, Korein, Kunin Mr. Tudor Richards and Brennan Executive Director 412 Missouri Avenue East St. Louis, Illinois 62201 Audubon Society of New Hampshire 3 Silk Farm Road Concord, New Hampshire 03301 Mr. David J. Newburger Washington University Mr. Paul 0. Bofinger Box 1120 St. Louis, Missouri 63103 Chief Forester Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests Michael K. McCade, Esq.

86 Mountain Road First Assistant Commission Counsel Concord, New Hampshire 03301 Missouri Public Service Consnission P. O. Box 360 Robert A. Backus, Esq. Jefferson City, Missouri 65101 Devine, M1111 met, Stahl and Branch 1850 Elm Street Mr. Robert L. Gilmore Manchester, New Hampshire 03105 Secretary Missouri Public Service Company Norman Ross, Esq. P. O. Box 360 30 Francis Street Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

' Brookline, Massachusetts 02146 Honorable Ellyn R.~ Weiss Assistant Attorney General Environmental Protection Division One Ashburton Place

! Boston, Massachusetts 02108 ,

Dennis J. Tuchler, Esq.

St. Louis University Law School 3700 Lindell Boulevard St. Louis, Missouri 63108 Dr. George C. Anderson Department of Oceanography.

. University of Washington Seattle,' Washington 98195

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