ML20122A124
| ML20122A124 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Indian Point  |
| Issue date: | 05/27/2020 |
| From: | Margaret Doane NRC/EDO |
| To: | Abinanti T, Buchwald D, Dinowitz J, Galef S, Jaffee E, Lentol J, Montesano M, Mosley W, Otis S, Paulin A, Sayegh N, Zebrowski K State of NY, State Assembly |
| Clark T | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20087M279 | List: |
| References | |
| LTR-20-0116 | |
| Download: ML20122A124 (3) | |
Text
May 27, 2020 Assembly Member Sandy Galef 95th New York State Assembly District 2 Church Street Ossining, NY 10562
Dear Assembly Member Galef:
On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your letter dated March 11, 2020, expressing concerns about natural gas transmission pipelines near the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester County, NY.
A recent report by the NRCs Inspector General raised issues with the NRCs analysis of the potential hazard posed by the Algonquin Incremental Market Project natural gas pipeline. The NRC took the Inspector Generals findings seriously and commissioned an independent evaluation team made up of both NRC staff and external experts, whose work was peer-reviewed by a member of the NRCs Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards.0F1 The team completed its report on April 8, 2020, and found that Indian Point remains safe, but that several NRC processes need to be improved and Entergy (the nuclear power plant owner licensed to operate the plant) needs to revisit some overly optimistic assumptions it made in analyzing the pipeline (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML20100F635). On April 9, 2020, I sent the teams report to the Commission (ADAMS Accession No. ML20099F775). On April 13, 2020, I tasked the NRC staff to act on each of the teams recommendations (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML20104A723 and ML20104A388).
In your letter, you requested that the NRC retract the analyses previously shared with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). While we agree with several of the Inspector Generals detailed findings on prior NRC and Entergy analyses, the conclusions from the NRC staffs 2014 inspection remain valid. The NRC staff also has confidence based on an updated analysis that ruptures of the pipelines near Indian Point are unlikely. However, should a rupture occur, adequate equipment would be available to shut down the plant and maintain it in a safe condition. Given these factors, the NRC deems it unnecessary to retract or otherwise modify the inspection report that had previously been shared with FERC. The NRC did provide FERC with the evaluation teams report.
Your letter referenced the desire for a public meeting on these issues. We intend to hold such a meeting near the Indian Point site once the current restrictions on large public gatherings due to the COVID-19 public health emergency are changed. We will keep your staff updated on when a date and location is scheduled for the meeting.
1 ACRS was established by the Atomic Energy Act to review and advise the Commission with regard to the licensing and operation of production and utilization facilities and related safety issues, the adequacy of proposed reactor safety standards, technical and policy issues related to the licensing of evolutionary and passive plant designs, and other matters referred to it by the Commission.
S. Galef 2
Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding Indian Point with the NRC. I share your commitment to assuring public health and safety, including the protection of nuclear power facilities from natural and manmade hazards.
Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information. You can contact me or David Skeen, Evaluation Team Lead, at (301) 287-9056.
Sincerely, Margaret M. Doane Executive Director for Operations Docket Nos.50-003, 50-247, 50-286 Margaret M. Doane Digitally signed by Margaret M.
Doane Date: 2020.05.27 17:57:48 -04'00'
Identical letter sent to:
Assembly Member Sandy Galef 95th New York State Assembly District 2 Church Street Ossining, NY 10562 Assembly Member Thomas J. Abinanti 92nd New York State Assembly District New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Ellen C. Jaffee 97th New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Amy R. Paulin 88th New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz 81st New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Steven Otis 91th New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried 75th New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon 52nd New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member David Buchwald 93rd New York State Assembly District 100 S. Bedford Road, Suite 150 Mount Kisco, NY 10549 Assembly Member Kenneth P. Zebrowski 96th New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Nader Sayegh 90th New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Jonathan G. Jacobson 104th New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Walter T. Mosley 57th New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Michael A. Montesano 15th New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248 Assembly Member Joseph R. Lentol 50th New York State Assembly District Albany, NY 12248