ML20134D043

Responds to to NRC Re Security Plans.Plans Satisfy Regulatory Requirements for Security at Commercial Nuclear Power Facilities

ML20134D043
Person / Time
Site:	Calvert Cliffs
Issue date:	01/31/1997
From:	Marcus G NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Parran J AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
References
NUDOCS 9702040272
Download: ML20134D043 (7)

Text

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} NUCLEAR REZULATCRY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20606-0001 k***** January 31, 1997 Mr. John D. Parran P.O. Box 322 St. Leonard, Maryland 20685 l

Dear Mr. Parran:

As the lead manager for dry cask issues in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), I am responding to your letter of December 31, 1996, to the ,

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). '

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BG&E), the licensee for the Calvert Cliffs ,

Nuclear Plant, has submitted security plans to the NRC and the plans have been found to satisfy the regulatory requirements for security at commercial 1 nuclear power facilities. The NRC staff has, in previous letters to you, discussed some aspects of security programs at Calvert Cliffs and other commercial power reactors. Detailed information pertaining to the security .

plans is withheld from public disclosure. In addition to ensuring that l adequate security measures are in place for reactor facilities, licensees are  ;

also required to satisfy regulatory requirements for safeguarding independent i spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs), such as the one constructed at Calvert Cliffs. The NRC staff is currently reassessing the security requirements, including the possible malevolent use of vehicles, that apply to ISFSIs and may, if necessary, revise the associated regulations. A recent NRC 4 notice (60 FR 42079) related to security at ISFSIs is enclosed for your )

information. In general, the NRC ensures that ISFSIs pose a minimal threat to public health and safety by evaluating the potential consequences of hypothetical failures and accidents. The analyses are required to demonstrate l that regulatory limits pertaining to the potential release of radioactive 1 material would not be exceeded as a result of such hypothetical events.

In regard to your questions regarding the merger of BG&E and Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO), the NRC reviews such utility mergers to ensure that changes in a licensee's corporate structure do not adversely affect the safety of an NRC licensed facility, such as Calvert Cliffs and its associated ISFSI.  ;

In addition, the NRC reviews potential mergers to ensure that adequate 1 resources remain available for the decommissioning of the nuclear facility.

Other State and Federal agencies have the responsibility to review proposed mergers involving electric utilities for potential implications pertaining to general anti-trust concerns, the financial interest of ratepayers, and other matters beyond the operation of NRC licensed facilities.  ;

The proposed merger of BG&E and PEPC0 will not affect the NRC's review of any potential request for an extension of the operating license for Calvert Cliffs. The existing operating licenses for the 2 units at Calvert Cliffs expire in the years 2014 and 2016. In anticipation of possible requests to renew the operating licenses for some commercial reactor facilities, the NRC has developed regulations to define the licensing process and technical I

040039 C)fD k 9702040272 970131 PDR P

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Mr. John D. Parran .

requirements that must be satisfied to allow operation beyond the initial 40-year operating license. Those regulations are contained in Parts 51 and 54 to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Reaulations. A licensee may, in accordance i

with these regulations, request renewal of an operating license for a period of 20 years or less. Although BG&E hcs not submitted an application for a 1

renewed license, the staff is currently reviewing some plant-specific technical reports that BG&E submitted in May 1996. Along with these reports, the NRC staff is also reviewing gbneric reports from the nuclear industry related to license renewal and is developing additional guidance documents for its review of license renewal applications, should any be received.

A copy of NUREG-1571, "Information Handbook on Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations," dated December 1996, is enclosed for your information. Also enclosed are briefing papers prepared by the NRC staff that relate to the

] subjects discussed above.

I hope the information provided will be useful to you. Please contact tiilliam Reckley on 301-415-1314 if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Sincerely, Original signed by:

Gail H. Marcus, Project Director Project Directorate III-3 Division of Reactor Projects III/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation l i

Docket Nos.: 50-317, 50-318, 72-8

Enclosures:

As stated (3)

DISTRIBUTION: See next page NAME: G:\ DRY-CASK \PARRAN.LTR

• previously concurred To receive a copy o' this document, indicate in the box: "C" - Copy without enclosures "E" = with enclosures "N" - No copy 0FFICE PD33:PM ,,,E PD33:LA lN PDll:PM* l PDLR:D* l l NAME WReckley M/,,, _ EBarnhill E/4' ADromerick SNewberry DATE 01/jl/97 01/31/97 01/27/97 01/28/97 0FFICE PSGB:C* - lE NMSS/SFP0* l PD33:PD j NAME JCunningham CHaughney GMarcus [,l/N DATE 01/29/97 01/29/97 01/31/9T OFFICIAL RECOR) COPY

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J hn Douglas Parran PO Box 322 St. I4onard, MD. 20685 Tel. 410 586-1967 U.S. House Majority Leader Richard Amey 12/31/96

, Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD.)

' Senator Paul S. Sarbanes ( D-MD. )

Senator Barbazu Mikulski (D-MD)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC United States President William Jefferson Clinton U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-m.)

U.S. House Minority Leader Richard Oephart

Dear Elected Officials and the NRC:

4 I am writing to you about my concern for the security of the nuclear power plant located two miles from my house. As you know, Calvert Cliffs is the closest nuclear power p3 ant (and high-level nuclear waste storage facility) to our nation's capitol, Washington D.C.

The utility ecznpany that built this nuclear facility is located

in Baltimore, sixty r.iles away. They ran power lines that entire length through several counties from Lusby to Baltimore. Is it possible that they ran those lines all of that distance because they didn't want l

nuclear reactors located in Baltimore?

If terrorists were to strike, they would likely strike in the evening like the terrorists in Peru. How many terrorists would it take to pull a surprise att6ck and takeover the Calvert Cliffs nuclear wast 4 storage facility? Thats hard for me to answer, but after viewing the situation I can see that the waste storage facility is protected against terrorism by a chain link fence.

Yes, a chain link fence is about all that stands in the way of a dozen or more commando guerrillas taking the facility.

The power ccupany did recently improve security around the reactors, but only af ter they had to. For many years, the nuclear facility was extremely vulnerable to a vehicle bomb attack. We have .een extrer-ely lucky, but I believe that our luck is running out with the rash of terrorist bombings here in the United States.

. Th uBili9y company b:ught th] 1:nd

' frm influential pe:plo end has influ:ntici fricnds cs lobbyist;,

and contribute money to elected officials' campaign. They even got the fomer Speaker of the Maryland Mouse on their payroll.

A major scandal, in my opinion, but the media which also accepts payments for the utility company's ads in their newspapers are slow to print my report if they choose to print it at all. Some went, but that doesn't surprise me. We're talking about the company that is one of the biggest contributors to lobbyists and elected officials.

But, I cannot sit by quietly while all of the other politicians keep quiet for fear of stepping on the wrong toes. There is a pattern of what I consider questionable practices by the utility company in regards to the nuclear power facility and their quest to take control of a smaller utility company in order to expand their power with Maryland's elected officials. (~ Incidently, the state deleEate who represents Lusby, Md. in the legislature also works for the utility company).

The Washington Post recently reported on the proposed merger.

It was a good article as far as it went, but it only scratched the sur-face of i t's really going on. In my opinion, the utility company is trying to expand their influence because in the years ahead they will likely apply for an operating renewal license for the twin nuclear rea ctors. I am not necessarily opposed to the license renewal, but I would not like to have the renewal decision based on any other factor than whether or not it is safe to continue to operate. Furthemore, I think it is insane to give a nuclear power facility anything but a short tem renewal license.

I

CmaWn purpose of this 1sttar is

. to piccd with you to have ind2 pend;nt invsstigators inspect tha high-level nuclear waste storage facility at Calvert Cliffs and at other nuclear power plants throughout the nation, to determine if they are very safe against a full scale terrorist attack such as the one that occured in lima, Peru.

We are no longer inmune from terrorism. The World Trade Center, Oklahoma City, The Olympics, possibly 'IWA 800, and the list goes on when you consider other American targets outside of the United States.

Elected officials talk about so many trivial issues sometimes and you fail to address the most important issues such as this one.

The president talks about school unifonns and curfews (local issues) but never says a word about how insufficient the security is at the nation's nuclear facilities. The media is keeping quiet about it, probably for the same mason they've kept quiet about President Clinton's scandals....because they would rather write and report ,

l about a president with scandals after he's re-elected than to report '

l on a boring, squeaky-clean Bob Dole. The media would like to have a nuclear terrorist act at one of the nation's nuclear power plants.

The television ratings would go up, big city newspapers would sell l a lot more advertising and newspapers during a nuclear power plant l

hostage situation. Nightline would cover it day by day. We're talking j about windfall profits for the nation's media. They have no incentive to do anything to prevent such a disaster, but you do.

i s

You are elected to serve the people, and securing the nation's nuclear power plants should be your most important mission since you are the ones who allowed them to be built in the first place.

I look forward to your reply.

Sine rely i

f/4n /  % csse-s John Dougla a rran

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.t., I Mr. John D. Parran requirements-that must be satisfied to allow operation beyond the initial 40-year operating. license. Those. regulations are contained in Parts 51 and 54 to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Rec'ilations. A licensee may, in accordance l with these regulations, request renewal of an operating license for a period of 20 years or less. Although BG&E has not submitted an application for a renewed license, the staff is currently reviewing some plant-specific  !

technical reports that BG&E submitted in May 1996. Along with these reports,

the NRC staff is also reviewing generic reports from the nuclear industry related to license renewal and is developing additional guidance documents. for .

its review of license renewal applications, should any be received.

A copy of NUREG-1571, "Information Handbook on Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations," dated December 1996, is enclosed for your_ information. Also enclosed are briefing papers prepared by the NRC staff that relate to the subjects discussed above. ,

I hope the information pro'vided will be useful to you. Please contact William Reckley on 301-415-1314 if you have any additional questions or .

Concerns. '

Sincerely, ...

Origirial signed by:

Gail H. Marcus,. Project Director Project DirectoratetIII-3 Division of Reacto'r Projects III/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos.: 50-317, 50-318, 72-8 ,

Enclosures:

As stated (3)

DISTRIBUTION: See next page NAME: G:\ DRY-CASK \PARRAN.LTR

• previously concurred To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" - Copy without ,

enclosures "E" = Copy with enclosures "N" - No copy 0FFICE PD33:PM m ,, E PD33:LA lN PDll:PM* l PDLR:D* l NAME WReckley 2AM _ EBarnhill E N ADromerick SNewberry DATE 01/2l/97 01/31/97 01/27/97 01/28/97 j OFFICE PSGB:C* E NMSS/SFPO* l PD33:PD ]  ;

NAME JCunningham CHaughney GMarcus [J/fi DATE 01/29/97 01/29/97 01/31/97' 0FFICIAL RECOR) COPY a

I DISTRIBUTION w/o encl: for letter dated January 31, 1997 to Mr. John Parran

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