ML20087D047
| ML20087D047 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Washington Public Power Supply System |
| Issue date: | 07/02/1991 |
| From: | Reynolds N WINSTON & STRAWN |
| To: | Bloch P, Bright G, Schink D Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, TEXAS A&M UNIV., COLLEGE STATION, TX |
| References | |
| CON-#391-11935 OL, NUDOCS 9201150125 | |
| Download: ML20087D047 (2) | |
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r n m a, July 2, 1991 Peter B.
Bloch, Esquire David R. Schink Chairman, Atomic Safety and Department of Oceanography Licensing Board Texas A&M University U.S. Nuclear Regulatory College Station, Texas 77843 Cormission Washington, D.C.
20555 Mr. Glenn O.
Bright Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 Subj:
Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS Nuclear Project
((g. 1) Docket No. 50-460-OL 4
Gentlemen:
In accordance with the October 14, 1983, Memorandum and Order in the captioned proceeding, the Washington'Public Power Supply System hereby submits its quarterly status report regarding. construction activities at WNP-1.
During the.second quarter of 1991, no significant safety-related construction activities were performed at WNP-1, although a limited engineering effort was continuing.
We do not anticipate any change in this level.of activity during the next.
.several months.
In addition, further to my letter of May 10, 1991, on June 18, 1991, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued an Order extending the latest construction completion date in the WNP-1 I
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WINSTON & HTH AWN Atomic Safety and Licensing Board July 2, 1991 Page 2 construction permit to Jurie 1, 2001.
Copies of the Order and the NRC Staff's supporting Safety Evaluation Report are attached.
Since -Sy, i
M Nicholas S./R ynolds Counse1.or : Ariplicant cc:
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2 UNITED STATES E
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
,E WASHINoTON. D.C. 20%6 8
4 June la, 1991 ocket ho. 50 a60 Mr. D. W. Matur, M?naging Director Washinoton public Power Supply System P. O. Box 958 2000 George Washington Way Richland, Washington 99352
Dear Mr,
Mazur:
SUBJECT:
ORDER EXTENDING C0f4STRUCTION COMPLET10N DATE FOR WASHINGTON PUBLIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM (WPPSS) NUCLEAR PROJECT NO. 1 letter of April IB,1991, es supplemented by your letter of May 22, 1991, Your reouested an extension of the construction completion date for WPPSS Nuclear Project No. 1.
Ir response to your letters, the Nuclear Regulatory Comission has issued on Order extendino the construction completion cate, in lieu of the latest date of June 1,1991,'tr.e construction completion date of Construction Permit No. CPPR-134 has been extended to June 1, 2001.
Copies of the Order, the staf f's safety evaluation and the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact are enclosed for your informa-tion.
The Orcer has been forwarded to the Office of Federal Register for publication.
The Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant s
Impact was published in the FEDERAL REGISTER on June 14, 1991 (56 FR 27547).
Sincerely,
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m Marvin M. Mendonca, Senior Project Manager Non-Power Reactors, Decommissioning and Environmental Project Directorate Division of Advanced Reactors and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosures:
1.
Order Extending Construction Completion Date 2.
Safety Evaluation 3.
Environmental Assessment cc: See next page a
Mr. D. W. Mazur Washington Public Power Supply System WPPSS Nuclear Project No I (WNP-1) Docket No, STN 50-460 cc:
Mr. Robert B. Borsum B & W Nuclear Technologies 1700 Pockville Pike Suite 525 Rockville, Maryland 20852 Nicholas S. Reynolds, Esq.
Winston & Strawn 1400 L Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
20005-3502 Mr. G. E. C. Doupe', Chief Counsel Washington Public Power Supply System 3000 George Washington Way Pichland, Washington 99352 Mr. Robert G. Waldo, Chairman Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council Mail Stop PY-11 Olympia, Washington E s5 Mr. Richard Latorre s
Regulatory Programs Washington Public Power Supply System P. O. Box 968 Richland, Washington 99552 Regional Administrator, Region Y U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1450 Maria Lane Suite 210 Walnut Creek, California 94596 Ms. Nina Bell, Executive Director Northwest Environmental Advocates 408 Southwest Second Avenue Portland, Oregon-97204 1
Mr. G. C. Sorensen Regulatory Programs, Manager Washingtcn Public Power Supply System P. O. Box 968 Richland, Washington 99352 l
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4 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISS10tj WASHINGTON PUBLIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM NUCLEAR rROJECT NO. 1 DOCKET NO. 50-460 ORDER EXTENDING CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION DATE Wasnington Public Power Supply System is the current holder of Construction Permit No. CPPR-134, issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Comission on December 23, 1975, for construction of WPPSS Nuclear Project No.1 (WNP-1)
On June 16, 1983, the construction completion date for WNP-1 was extended from January 1, 1982 to June 1, 1991. The facility is presently in a deferred construction status at the applicant's site on the Department of Energy's Hanford Reservation in Benton County, Washington, cpproximately eight miles north of Ricaland, Washington.
On April 18, 1991, as supplemented on May 22, 1991, the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS or applicant) filed a request for another extension of tne completion date. This extension hes been requested because construction has been delayed by the fcilowing events and conditions:
1.
The temporary lack of demand for the energy to be-produced by WNP-1 (WNP-1 is presently included in the list of potential power resources necessary to meet the projected electrical demand growth in the Pocific Northwest in coming years);
2.
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) request that WNP-1 be placed in a preserved condition for future potential power resource needs; 3.
Regional power planning projections indicate that the earliest resumption of engineering, construction activities may be July 1993; and 4
The allowance of a 72-month construction period to complete WNP-1 1
and a margin of uncertainties such as tnose associated with regional load growth or time to start-up the project to_ full construction making a revised construction completion date of June 1, 2001.
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l WNP-1 is being maintained by WPPSS as-o deferred plant pur. dant to the Commission's Policy Stotement on Daferred Plants, 52 FR 38077, October 14, 1987.
Accoroingly, the NRC staf f has determined that WNP-1 is a deferred plant as cefined by the Comission in the policy and that it is, therefore, subject to dHy dppliC3ble provisiCDs of the policy set forth there.
Good cause has been shown for the delays; the causes were beyond the control of the applicant; and the requested extension is ter o reasonable period, the bases fer which are set forth above, and in the staff's evaluation of the request for extension.
Fursuant tc 3D CFR 51.32, the_ Commission has determined that extending the construction completion date will have no significant impact on the environment (56 FR 27547 on June 14, 1991).
The NRC staff's safety evaluation of the request for extension of the ccastruction permit is available for public inspection at the Connission's Fublic Document Room, the Gelman Builcing, 2.120 L Street, N.W., Washington, 1
0.C., 20555 end et the Lecal Public-Document Room 6t the Richland Prblic Librery, 955 Northgate Street Richland, Washington, 99352.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT the Tatest completion date for Construction
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Permit No. CFPR-U4 is extended f rom June 1,1991 to June 1, 2001.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGUtATORY-COMMISSION Dennfs:shu h b N. Crutchfield, D) heter Division of Advanced Reici.;rs and Special Projects Office of Nuclear F.eacter Regulation Date of Issuence: June la, 1991 i
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UNITED STATES j
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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%.,,,. j WASHINGTON. D.C. 206ti6 SAFETY EVALUATION DY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION DATE EXTENSION FOR WASHINGTON PUBLIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM'S NUCLEAR PROJECT NO. I 1
C:CKET NO. 50-460 l
1.0 INTRODUCT10N Pursuant to 10 CFR FO.SS(b), tne Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS-or applicant) requested by letter of April 18, 1991, as supplemented by letter of May 22, 1991, on extension of the construction completion date for Construction Permit No. CPPR 134 from June 1 i 1991 to June 1, 2001.
The letter stated that the applicant had delayed the construction of WPPSS Nuclear Project No. 1 (WNP-1) until the projected electrical power demands required the completion of WNP-1 and stated that the reasons for the proposed amer:cment were beyond the applicant's control.
The construction completion date for WNP-1 had previously.been extended from-Januar.
.,1982 to June 1,1991 by NRC letter cateo June-16, 1983, The staff has reviewed the WPPSS's letter of April-18, 1991, referencing-1 Northwest Power Planning Council's conservation-and electric power plan and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) anal following evaluation provides the summary ysis of resource alternative.
The of staff findings.
2.0 QALUATION J
-BPA, which is charged with the responsibility of providing electrical energy to the Northwest region and is the designated recipient'of all WNP-1 power output, has perforned. analyses of load / resource' characteristics,. conservation and renewable resources, economics of WPPSS Projects No.1, and No. 3
-alternatives, and financial and rate analyses including evaluation of legal;and' political implications of available options.
Based on the results of these-analyses, the BPA advise electrical power source.d the WPPSS to maintain WNP-1 as a1 viable potential WPPSS_ indicated, Land.the staff agrees, that.BPA support is. essential to the construction of WNP-1.. Recognizing-_ these realities, WPPSS has deferred the construction of WNP-1 and maintpined the facility in a deferred plant-status. -The-staff finds that the:above circumstances were~indeed beyond the centrol of WPPSS,-the additional' delay is reasonable and adequately constitutes good cause forcdelay in-completion of the R
construction.of WNP-1.
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2 The staff has sonsiocred the public hvAlth ano safety significance of preserving WNP 1, dich is more than 60 percent constructed.
This review considered the sem factors as in the staf f's previous extension of the WNP-1 constrL tion compleU 9n date.
That is, the staff concluded _that, since the applicant will meet tf4 staff's requirements regarding licensable maintenance of the plant and the site, and sinc
'he s' f will exercise the inspection /enforccment functions, the preposed WNP-1 pr esry: tion will be consistent with the NRC's deferred plant policy statement ant b, tnereforo, a.ceptable.
o Further, the applicant, in a letter dated June 11, 1982, has nade the cormiitr>4nt that the final WNP-1 designs will satisfy the requirements of present regu'aticis and any requf rements of future regulations promulgated between the date of docketing ano one resuinption of the construction.
The staff, therefore, does nut expect that the proposed delay in comphtion of WNP-1 construction would result in any significant public health and safety risk issues associated with the permittee's final designs.
3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The staff has also considered the environmental impacts of the extension of the construction permit, and has determined that the prupos,td acticn does not entail any construction activities significantly different from those that were considered in the Final Environmental Statement for WNP-1 and 4 (HUREG 75/012, dated March 1975).
The staf f, therefore, concludes 1. hat the proposed action will not alter the conclusions reached in NUREG-15/012 s
regarding the environntal impacts and cost / benefit balances of construction of WNP-1. Pursuant to 40 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that extending the construction completion date will have no significant impact on f
the environment (55 FR 27547 on June 14, 1991).
4.0 CONCLUSION
,S, The staff, based on the above evaluation, concludes the.t the factors that have prompted the applicant to delay the completion of consuuction of WhP-1 were beyond the control of the applicant and ccastitute go:d cause for the delay in completion of construction under 10 CTR 50.55(b).
Therefore, the staff finds that the requested acendment to the construction completion date is reasonable.
The staff 'n ther concludes that the proposed delay will not result in any significant ricrease in public health and safety risks or environmental impacts. The only modification
- proposed by the applicant to the existing construction permit is an extensio' a'.hc latest constr'm+ 4n completion date.
The extension does not allow th9 pe.
.ance of any wd inv/vi' new safety inforestion of a type not considered by.the staff prior to is
.: of the existing construction permit.
Therefore, the staf f finds that:
(1)thisactiondoesnotinvolveasignificant hazard considerdtion as there is no radiological health and safety question involved here; (2) there is reasonabla assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by extension of the construction completion dete; and (3) good cause exists for issuance of an order extending the comple-tion cate.
Accordingly, based upon the foregoir.; avoluttion, the NRC staff has C
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3 concluuod that issu6nte of an ordt:r extending the latest cornpletior date for construction of WNP-1 is reasonable and shoulo be authorized.
The latest conOletion cate should be extenced to June 1, 2001.
Principal Contributor:
Marvin M. Mericonca Date: Ane 18, 1991 a
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7590 01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMIS$10N WASHINGTON PUBLIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM N,0 CLEAR PROJECT NO.1 DOCKET NO. E0 460 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNir!
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commi$sion) is consider issuance of an extension to the latest construction completion date splcified in Construction Permit No. CPPR-134 issued to Washington Public Pow System (applicant or GPSS) for Nuclear Project No.1 (WNP-1). - The faci is located on the applicant's site en the Department of Energy's Hanford.
Reservation in Bsnton County, ushington, approximately eight miles north of Richland, Washington.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of Proposed Act1on:
The proposed action would extend the latest construction completion date of Construction Permit No. CPPR-134 to June 1,.2001.
The proposed action is in response to the applicant's request of April 18, 1991 as supplemented on May 22 1991.
The Need for the Proposed Action:
The proposed action is needed because the construction of the' facility is not yet~ fully completed and the licensee wants to maintain the facility as a.
potential electrical power resource.
Environmental impact of-the ProposeJ_ Action:
Since the proposed action involves extending the construction permit, there are no radiological impacts associated with this action The impacts that are involved are all non-radiological and are associated with continued
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-2 construction.
The impact of construction was evalbeted in the final Environ-mental Statement for WNp-1 and 4 (NUREG-75/012, dated March 1975).
Based on the foregoing, the NRC staff concludes th9t the proposed extension of the construction permit would have ao significant environmental e
impact.
A_lternatives Considered:
A possible alternative to the proposed action cold be to deny the request. Under this alternative, the applicant would hot be able to complete construction of the facility.
This would result in denial of the potential benefit of power production.
This option would not eliminate the environmental impacts of construction already incurred.
If construction were halted and not completed, site redress activities would restore some small areas to their natural state.
This would be a slight environmental benefit, but much outweighed by the economic losses from cenial of the use of a facility that is nearly completed.
Therefore, this alternative is rejected.
Another alternative is to take no action on the request for extension.
The construction permit would not be deemed to have expired unti'. the applicattor. has been finally processed (10 CFR 2.109).
In effect the construction permit could be in nffect as-long as no action was taken on a timely application for an extension.
To take no action on the applicant's request would not be responsive; therefore, this alternative is rejected.
Alternative Use of Resources:
This action does not involve the use of resources other than those evaluated in the FES prepared as part of the NRC staff's review of the-construction permit application, NUREG-75/012, March 1975.
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Mies ano Persons Consulted:
The NRC staff reviewed the applicant's request and applicable documents referenced therein that support this extension.
The NRC did not consult other agencies or persons.
FINDING OF 10 SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The Comission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for this action.
Based upon the environmental assessment, we concluce that this action will not have a significant effect on *.he quality of the human environment.
For details with respect to this action, see the request for extension of April 18, 1991 as supplemented on May 22, 1991, which is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room,_the Gelman Building, 2120 L Strect, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20555, and at the Local Public Document Room, Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Street, Richland, Washington, 99352.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th. day of June 1991..
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMIS510N i
Seymour H. Weiss, Director-Non-Power Reactors, Decomissioning-and Environmental Project Directorate Division-of Advanced Reactors i
and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
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