ML20154J976

Notice Hereby Given That by Petition Dtd 980911,Citizens Awareness Network (Petitioner) Requested That NRC Take Action with Regard to Haddam Neck Plant to Immediately Revoke or Suspend Util Operating License

ML20154J976
Person / Time
Site:	Haddam Neck File:Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co icon.png
Issue date:	10/07/1998
From:	Collins S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:
Shared Package
ML20154J966	List: ML20154J964 ML20154J976 ML20154J986 ML20154J999
References
2.206, NUDOCS 9810160063
Download: ML20154J976 (3)

Text

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, , ENCLOSURE 1 1 7590-01-P l

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 1 CONNECTICUT YANKEE ATOMIC POWER COMPANY DOCKET NO. 50-213 i

LICENSE NO. DPR-61 i RECEIPT OF PETITION FOR DIRECTOR'S DECISION UNDER 10 CFR 2.206 Notice is hereby given that by petition dated Septerr;ber 11,1998, Citizens Awareness Network (Petitioner) has requested that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) take action with regard to the Haddam Neck Plant. Petitioner requests i

that the NRC (1) imrnediately revoke or suspend the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power I

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. Company (CYAPCO) opecting license for the Haddam Nec( /lant, (2) hold an informal public hearing on the petition in the vicinity of the site, and (3) consider requiring CYAPCO  ;

to conduct decommissioning activities under 10 CFR Part 72.

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, As the bases for these requests, Petitioner states that CYAPCO (1) demonstrates incompetence in creating and maintaining a safe work environment and an effective well-trained staff and (2) is not conducting its decommissioning activities in accordance with its Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR) and therefore poses an undue risk to public health.

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-C -, s. ..m -._u ..a t m .- m.m- + ..ma. t . 4e a s 2-With regard to the Petitioner's request for immediate revocation or suspension of CYAPCO's operating license, under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2), HNP is no longer authorized to operate or place fuelin the reactor. The permanently shutdown and defueled status of the plant substantially reduces the risk to public health and safety. The decommissioning activities at Haddam Neck have not resultet in cadiation exposure to any individual or effluent releases to the environment in excess of regulatory limits. Based on these facts, the Petitioner's request to immediately revoke or suspend the operating license for Haddam Neck has been denied.

With regard to the Petitioner's request for an informal public hearing, the staff reviewed the PSDAR and found that CYAPCO has followed the sequence of activities included in the PSDAR as Figure 1, "CY Decommissioning Schedu!e." Additionally, CYAPCO committed to controlling radiation exposure to offsite individuals to levels less than both the Environmental Protection Agency's Protective Action Guides and NRC regulations. Both radiation exposures to individuals and effluents to the environment due f to decommissioning activities have been within regulatory limits. Based on these facts, the staff found that no undue risk to public health and safety is r. resent. The staff also determined that the Petitioner neither provided new information that raised the potential for a significant safety issue (SSI) nor presented a new SSI or new information on a previously evaluated SSI. Therefore, the criteria for an informal public hearing, containe.d in Part lli (c) of Management Directive 8.11, are not satisfied and the Petitioner's request for an informal public hearing has been denied.

9 The request is being treated pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 of the Commissiori's regulations. As provided for by Section 2.206, action will be taken on this request within a reasonable time. A copy of the petition is available for inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room,2120 L Street, NW., Washington DC, and at the Local Public Document Room at the Russell Public Library,123 Broad Street, Middletown, Connecticut 06457.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION t

S ctor Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Dated at Rockville, Maryland l this 7th day of October 1998 l

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. ENCLOSURE 3 UNION OF ,

CONCERNED SCIENTISTS September 14,1998 Mr. L Joseph Callan Executive Director for Operations 4 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001

SUBJECT:

CITIZENS AWARENESS NETWORK'S PETITION ON HADDAM NECK

Dear Mr. Callan:

On September 11,1998, the Citizens Awareness Network (CAN) filed a petition pursuant to 10 CFR Pcrt 2.206 seeking to revoke or suspend the license for the Haddam Neck nuclear plant. UCS has reviewed this petition and fully supports its premise that the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company (CYAPCo) is not adequately discharging its responsibilities under 10 CFR Part 50 and that failure represents an undue risk to both public health and worker safety. The serious of misadventures at the Haddam Neck facility prompted UCS to issue two letters, dated July 29* and 31" 1998, to Mr. Hubert J.

Miller at NRC Region I asking that NRC step in and stop the escalating problems. As pointed out in CAN's petition, the misadventures at Haddam Neck persist.

During the Millstone Unit 3 restart proceedings, UCS expressed its concern that the NRC did not have objective criteria upon which to detennine when to prompt the shut down of an under-performing nuclear power plant. The string ofproblems at Haddam Neck suggests to us that the NRC also lacks objective driteria upon which to determine when to take comparable actions during decommissioning activities.

UCS is additionally concerned about the safety culture at the Haddam Neck plant. I have heard from several reliable sources that management at Haddam Neck is handling employee concerns inappropriately. That information appears to be confirmed by ineffective corrective actions which are causing repetitive misadventures at the plant.

CAN's petition provides the NRC with an opportunity to carefully review its policies and procedures for nuclear plant decommissioning. If the NRC decides not to grant the actions requested by CAN, the NRC should, as an absolute minimum, explain in its response to CAN what specific objective criteria are being applied to protect public and worker safety during decommissioning activities at Haddam Neck. In essence, if the NRC determines that the string of misadventures at Haddam Neck do not warrant the requested actions, the NRC should attempt to convey what severity of problem would prompt the NRC to take actions such as those outlined by CAN.

Washington Office: 1616 P Street NW Suite 310 . Washington DC 200361495 202 332 0900 . FAX: 202 332 o005 Carnbridge Headquarters: Two Brattle Square . Carnbndge MA 02238-9105 617 547 5552 . FAX: 617-864-9405 Cahforrus Office: 2397 Shattuck Avsnce Suite 203 . Berkeley CA 94704-1567 510-643-1672 . FAX: 510 843 3785

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, September 14,1998 Page 2 of 2 CAN requested in informal hearing on its petition. UCS will provide CAN reasonable technical assistance it requests prior to and during this informal hearing.

Sinenely, .

A BOO David A. Loch aum Nuclear Safety Engineer i

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", ' M WASHINGTON D.C. 3000M001 September 23, 1998 Mr. David A Lochbaum Union of Concerned Scientists 1616 P Street NW Suite 310 Washington, DC 20036 1495

Dear Mr. Lochbaum:

Mr. Callan asked me to respond to your letter dated September 14,1998, in which you supported the Citizens Awareness Network request to revoke or suspend the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company operating license for the Haddam Neck Plant.

I note your concern over events at Haddam Neck that occurred during the summer of 1998. Although no radiation exposure or release to the environment exceeded regulatory limits during the events, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) shares your view that the decommissioning of the Haddam Neck Plant proceed hafely.

The NRC staff will keep your concerns in mind and consider them as we address the Citizens Awareness Network request.

Sincerely, h -

a k W. Roe, Acting Director

'Di ision of Reactor Program Management

, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 4

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FROM: DUE: 10/15/98 EDO CONTROL: G980568 DOC DT: 09/11/98 FINAL REPLY:

Rontmary Bassilakis Deborah Katz Citizens Awareness Network TO:

Callan, EDO FOR SIGNATURE OF : ** GRN ** CRC NO: 98-0858 Collins, NRR DESC: ROUTING:

2.206 -- REQUEST NRC TO REVOKE CONNECTICUT YANKEE Callan ATOMIC POWER CO's (CYAPCO's) LICENSE TO OPERATE Travers ITS HADDAM NECK NUCLEAR POWER STATION Thompson Norry Blaha Burns DATE: 09/17/98 Miller, RI Cyr, OGC ASSIGNED TO: CONTACT: JGoldberg, OGC Subbaratnam,NRR NRR Collins SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

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. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER: CRC-98-0858 LOGGING DATE: Sep 16 98 ACTION OFFICE: EDO AUTHOR: ROSEMARY BASSILAKIS AFFILIATION: NEW YORK ADDRESSEE: LEONARD CALLAN, EDO LETTER DATE: Sep 11 98 FILE CODE: IDR 5 HADDAM NECK

SUBJECT:

REQ THE NRC TO REVOKE CONNECTICUT YANKKE ATOMIC POWER CO'S LIC TO OPERATE ITS HADDAM NECK NUC POWER STATION IN CT, PURSUANT TO 2.206 I ACTION: Appropriate DISTRIBUTION: SECY/ RAS SPECIAL HANDLING: NONE CONSTITUENT: ,

l NOTES: HANDLE PURSUANT TO 2.206 PETITION..... -

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SIGNATURE: . DATE SIGNED:

AFFILIATION:

I EDO -- G9805C8

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