ML19347D166
| ML19347D166 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  |
| Issue date: | 03/05/1981 |
| From: | Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Bradley B SENATE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19347D167 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8103110353 | |
| Download: ML19347D166 (2) | |
Text
_
[pa neg
,o UNITED STATES TC/fA
,y',"')e('g g
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION al WASHING TON, D. C. 20555
'*D. +
9 4
7 5
0N s\\
The Honorable Bill Bradley
/Sg7A United States Senate
/
Washington, D.C.
20510 L;
/
/
- :r.
s
%jg &
Dear Senator Bradley:
/
Thank you for your letter dated February 2,1981, in which you requested information on the efforts being made to expedite the licensirg of nuclear power plants which have completed construction.
Since the TMI-2 accident, a significant portion of the NRC resources have been concentrated on identifying the lessons to be learned from that accident and the associated requirements that are necessary and sufficient for the continued nreration of licensed facilities and for the issuance of new operating licenses.
That effort culminated with the issuance of the NRC's TMI Action Plan, approved in June 1980.
As you know, the development of that document and the NRC's increased attention to the safety in the 70 operating reactors took so much of our attention and our resources that we were unable to license new plants for a year after the acc dent.
Following the issuance of the Action Plan, new operating licenses were issued to Sequoyah and North Anna units late last summer.
Furthermore, low power test authorizations were issued to Salem and Farley, and we would antici-pate those units going to full power in the near future.
Currently, the overall picture is one of a licensing process that is returning to predictability at a considerably enhanced level of safety. However, the implementation of this enhanced level of safety has raised a number of potential new issues in the contested hearings for both operating licenses and construction permits around the country. Some of these units were substantially complete at the time of the Three Mile Island accident or have been completed since then.
Thus, we do face a situation in which, for the first time, our hearings are or will be continuing for a significant number of plants that will be complete and ready to operate before the hearings conclude.
This situation is an indirect consequence of the TMI accident, which required a re-examination of the entire regulatory structure. We are not satisfied with the present situation and we are working to find ways' to accelerate the hearings on these ' plants whose continued idleness prevents a substantial invest-ment from benefiting either the consumers or the operating utilities.
e 810811 OWb
^
- M
The Honorable Bill Bradley -
I should note that this licensing situation is a unique occurrence. Our hearings have not in the past continued after the time that the plants were ready to operate. There are differences of opinion within the Commission on the extent to which full public participation in the litigation of TMI-related issues on plants already completed is of sufficient benefit to outweigh the cot ts involved and on how serious the delays are likely to be for plants not currently involved in hear-ings. However, we are in agreement that all unnecessary delay in these hearings should be avoided, and we are making every effort to that e:id.
In the particular case of Salem, Unit 2, issuance of a full power license continues to be delayed due to the status of development of emergency plans.
The NRC
. Safety Evaluation Report on all other matters is complete. A full power license cannot be issued until first, the affected States (Delaware and New Jersey) have an adequate emergency response plan, and second, an emergency response exercise is conducted and NRC receives an assessment of the exercise from FEMA.
Our current ass ssment of the status of the State and FEMA review indicates that the expected date for the conduct of this drill is March or April 1981.
In regard to your concern on nuclear waste disposal, progress in developing regulations for the management of high-level radioactive waste has been made.
The proposed regulation for licensing the disposal by DOE of high-level wastes in geological repositories is being developed in two parts.
The first part contains procedures to be followed in preparing and applying for a license to dispose of high level wastes. These were issued for public comment. Based on the public comments, a final procedural regulation was prepared.
It was approved by the Commission in February 1981.
In May 1980 an advance notice of proposed rulemaking for the technical portion of this rule was published.
It contains, among other things, requirements for ownership, site design, waste packaging, retrieval of waste and monitoring. The advance notice informs the public of the technical criteria being considered and allows an opportunity for comment. The Commission intends to issue the technical part as a proposed rule this year.
I trust that this information is responsive to your request.
Sincerely,
- L DR:n William J. Dircks Executive Director for Operations y