ML20126H554
| ML20126H554 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Yankee Rowe |
| Issue date: | 12/29/1992 |
| From: | Stephen Schultz YANKEE ATOMIC ELECTRIC CO. |
| To: | Curtiss, Selin, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9301050251 | |
| Download: ML20126H554 (8) | |
Text
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Totephone 608) 7794711 YANKEE ATOMICELECTRIC COMPANY
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3 kL4 580 Main Street. Bolton, Massachusetts 01740-1398 YaTJuss
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STEPHEN P. SCHULTZ. Sc. D-December 29, 1992 To:
Distribution The enclosed sample letter was sont to local public officials and state representatives for the communities in the vicinity of the Yankee Rowe Power Plant as listed.
It provides important details-and perspective regarding the past, current, and future activities of Yankee Atomic Electric Company as we proceed through the process of decommissioning our facility.
As you are aware, we remain dedicated to continuing our exemplary public and employee safety record through the decommissioning process.
In the attachment we provide a summary of the steps we have taken with NRC and state officials to assure this record continues in our transition.
We are also committed to-providing tne most economical decommissioning -solution for the consumer.
Therefore, we also discuss here the possibilities of_ early-component removal as a
potential step in our overall decommissioning approach.
I trust you and your staff will find this information useful..As stated in the letter of transmittal, I extend the offer to you?to contact me or Bill McGee with any questions you may have on this material.
Sincerely, l
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DISTRIBUTION NRC Distribution:
Chairman Selin Commissioner Rogers Commissioner Curtiss Commissioner Remick Commissioner dePlanque Karl Abraham James M. Taylor Dr. Thomas E. Murley Thomas T. Martin James C.
Linville Morton B.
Fairtile USNRC Resident Inspector at Rowe David Rodham, Director Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency 400 Worcester Road P.O.
Box 1496 Framingham, MA 01701-0317 James B. Muckerheide Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency 400 Worcester Road P.O.
Box 1496 Framingham, MA 01701-0317 John Pappas Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Area 10 Headquarters P.O.
Box 1190 Belchertown, MA 01007-1190 Robert M. Hallisey, Director Radiation Control Program Massachusetts Department of Public Health 1305 South Street Boston, Massachusetts 02130 Laura Hills-Williamson Massachusetts Department of Public Health 305 South Street Boston, MA 02130 George Lowo Director, Division of Emergency Management Department of Public Safety Waterbury State Complex 103 South Main Street Waterbury, VT 05671
I6 DJSTRIBUTION (Cont'd.)
Raymond N. McCandless Director, Division of Occupational and Radiological Health Vermont State Health Department 10 Baldwin Street Montpelier, VT 05602 Susan Tierney, Secretary Executive Office of Environmental Affairs 20th Floor 100 Cambridge Street Boston, MA 02202 i
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. Telephone (s08) 779 671 g _
^ YANKEEATOMIC ELECTRIC COMPANY 7
L SBC Main SNeet Bolton, Massachusetts 017401398 Wmxmc STEPHEN P. SOHULT2. Sc. D.
December 28, 1992-
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Board of Selectmen Town Hall Readsboro, VT 05350 To the Board:
Enclosed is some information on what Yankee has been doing since the Yankee plant in Rowe was permanently shutdown last February..
We 'have been busy _ finding jobs for our employees, l preparing.
decommissioning plans, securing the. plant for safe storage and revising our plant operating procedures and programs to reflect our shutdown. condition.
These activities - are being.'
permanently performed with Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversite and-approval as required.
We are -undertaking these activities to reduce the cost of decommissioning to the consumer.
Decommissioning is expensive and we believe it is our obligation to perform the-task economically as-well as safely.
As part of our effort to reduce the cost of maintaining the plant until full scale dismantlement starts in the year 2000, we are examining-shipping several large components to a
' low level waste site _ that has decided to-stay open 'until June 1994.
We are also aggressively pursuing an energy conservation program to!
reduce the cost of electricity _and oil consumption at the site.
I hope you find this information useful.
Please share it with your
- fellow selectmen.
If you-have any other questions, please call-either me'or Bill--McGee.
sincerely'yours, fY y
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' Board of Selectmen Board of Selectmen _
,Townllall.
Buckland Town llall _
Readsboro, VT 05350 Shelburne Falls, hfA 01370 Board of Selectmen Senator Jane Swift Town IIall 42 Olds Street Savoy, hiA 01256 North Adams, hiA 01247 Board of Selectmen Senator Stan Rosenburg hionroe Town llall P.O. Box 288 hionroc Bridge, htA 01350 Aml, erst, hiA 011(M Board of Selectmen Representative Jay IIcaly Town IIall Burnt Hill Road -
Rowe, hiA OL%7 Charlemont, hiA 01339 Board of Selectmen Representative Dan Bosley lleath Town Hall 3 Elmwood Avenue biain Street North Adams, htA 01247 Ileath, hiA 01M6 Representative Carmen Buell Board of Selectmen 13 Prospect Street flawley Town Office Greenfield, htA 01301 Itawley, MA 01339 hir. Clark Billings Board of Selectmen City Council President Florida Town 11a11 City IIall Mohawk Trail North Adams, htA 01247 Florida, htA 01247 his. Kay Sloan, President Board of Selectmen Greenfield Community College Coltain Town Hall College Drive P.O. Box 31 Greenfictd, hiA 01301 Colrain, hiA 01MO his. Ann Hamilton, President Board of Selectmen Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Clarksburg Town liall P.O. Box 270 Clarksburg, hiA 01247.
Greenfield, htA 01301 Board of Selectmen hir. Richard Cromack, President Charlemont Town IIall Greenfield Cooperative Bank hiain Street 63 Federal Street Charlemont, MA 01339 Greenfield, h!A 01301 Board of Selectmen Mr. Steven Ledoux Town Hall Town Manager llatifax, VT 05358 31 North Street Williamstown, MA 02167 Board of Selectmen Town llall -
Franklm County Commissioners Stamford, MA 05352 425 Main Street Greenfield, MA 01301 Board of Selectmen Whitingham Town Office Jacksonville, VT 05342 Board of Selectmen Town Office Main Street Wilmingtoo, VT 05363
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION YANKEE ATOMIC ELECTRIC COMPANY YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION DECOMMISSIONING PLAN AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES TIIE DECOMMISSIONING PIAN The February 26, 1992 decision to permanently cease power operations at the Yankee Nuclear Power Station requires that Yankee comply with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements and submit a proposed decommissioning plan to the NRC by February 26,1994.
The plan must include the choice of the alternative for decommissioning, a description of controls to protect occupational and public health and safety, a description of the final radiation survey, and an updated cost estimate. A description of the technical specifications, quality assurance previsions and physical security plan provisions in place during decommissioning must also be provided. Efforts to develop the decommissioning plan have been under way by Yankee since shortly after the decision.
Yankee should be able to improve upon the required schedule and submit the plan in early Fall 1993.
The proposed decommissioning plan is being developed using NRC guidance documents.
NRC approved decommissioning plans from other shutdown facilities are also being used as a benchmark of the current regulatory proceas. -When completed, the-Yankee decommissioning plan will contain sufficient detail to allow it t'o be critically reviewed through the NRC process. The review process allows for public participation. The plan will-take full credit for programs which have been successfu' during power operation and have had long term NRC oversight.
Such programs as Radiological Protection, Quality Assurance, the Engineering Process and Security fall into this category.
The decommissioning alternative which has been under consideration for the Yankee plant decommissioning is safe storage of the facility until'2000 followed by dismantlement.' This method has oce considered because Yankee has estimated that a low level radioactive -
waste disposal facility would not be available until approximately 2000. During any. storage period, the plant would be maintained in a safe conditon. Systems not requirea to be operational would be drained, de-energized, and secured. - At the end of the storage period, the plant would be dismantled. Only by dismantlement and disposal of the radioactive material and components can the site be returned to " green fields" or other productive uses.
All of these actions will be taken with the worker and public health and safety being the top priorities of Yankee as they were during operation of the facility.
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IlACNGROUND INFORMATION DECOMMISSIONING PLAN AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES Page 2 NEAR TERh1 COMPQfiENT REMOVAL i
In evaluating the availability of low level radioactive waste disposal, Yankee concluded, based upon the Low level Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985, that access to a disposal i
facility would not be available to Yankee after January 1993. South Carolina's recent decision to keep the llarnwell, South Carolina low level radioactive waste disposal facility open through June 1994 has provided an opportunity for Yankee to consider performing certain component removal and disposal before full scale dismantlement. This would be in full compliance with NRC requirements and regulations.
The components being considered for removal and disposal are the reactor internals, steam generators and pressurizer, Components of this type have been routinely removed and disposed of by operating reactors. Despite the fact that Yankee is shutdown,_ Yankee will be required to meet the same regulatory standards for removal and shipment as an operating reactor. Removals of this type do not require specific NRC approval but are done under NRC oversight. The removal of this grouping of components minimizes the risks and eliminates several uncertainties associated with activities performed in the distant future.
The climination of these risks and uncertainties translate into dollar savings for the consumers who benefitted from the electricity produced by the Rowe plant over the last three decades. Since ultimate dismantling is Yankee's and the NRC's objective, the removal of these components does not affect the overall decommissioning plan objective.
ACI'IVITIES SINCE SilUTDOWN Since the decision to cease power operation, many activities have taken place at Yankee.
All activities have been conducted in accordance with the plant license requirements and NRC regulations. The reactor has been defueled and all fuel is stored in the seismically-qualified fuel pool. Plant systems not needed for current maintenance of the facility have been preserved for possible future use.
The plant continues to be staffed with individuals having strong nuclear experience -
particularly at the Yankee plant. Ninety of the Yankee plant personnel have been assisted in locating employment at other facilities throughout the nuclear industry. Twenty-seven of these employees have relocated to our engineering facility Yankee continues to be committed to helping those people not retained as part of the plant organization.
The security system-has been improved and energy conservation measure; have been implemented. The plant has maintained the high degree of cleanliness it experienced during operation. Fluid systems have been drained to the extent possible and the liquids processed in accordance with well established NRC approved programs.
n BACKGROUND INFORMATION DECOMMISSIONING PLAN AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES-Page 3 EEGUI ATORY PROCESS The low risks associated with Yankee during operation are even lower in a permanently shutdown and defueled condition. Yankee has, therefore, appropriately taken steps to revise facility programs to reflect this reduced risk. While changes have been made, our Quality Assurance, llealth Physics, and other safety programs continue to meet regulatory requirements and, thus, provide for the health and safety of the public and plant personnel.
All regulatory based changes have been thoroughly reviewed by NRC for safety and environmental adequacy. All such changes have been publicly noticed.
EMERGENCY PIAN Yankee still maintains an onsite emergency plan. Due to the fact that the plant is not operating and all fuel is being stored in a seismically qualified spent fuel pool, no specific off site emergency response plan is required since no offsite consequences are predicted, llowever, Yankee still has notification of state agencies as part ofits revised Plan. Yankee's revised Emergency Plan reflects the fact that such a plant condition poses a substantially reduced risk to the public and facility personnel. Prior to submittal of the revised Plan to the NRC, Yankee met with State and local officials to discuss details of the Plan.
Comments were received and the Plan further revised to reflect the State and local officials' concerns. The revised Plan was found acceptable to the States and NRC.
SECURrrY In a similar fashion to the Emergency Plan, Yankee evaluated the impact of the plant's permanently shutdown condition on the Security Plan. A revised Security Plan has been implemented that appropriately focuses on a smaller area of the plant since the Possession Only License precludes fuel from being transferred from the spent tuel pool back into the reactor vessel and containment building. Furthermore, the Plan continues to maintain a security force. As with the previous plan, Yankee continues to use hi tech equipment to assist the security force in assuring safety.
COMMITMENT Yankee is committed to decommission the Yankee plant safely, simply and economically.
Safety has always been Yankee's strength, and during the decommissioning process our safety philosophy will continue. We are committed to our employees at the site and to the community. Yankee has been a good neighbor in the community for over 32 years. We will i
continue to be a good neighbor.