ML20176A615

Termination of Emergency Response Data System Feed for Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1

ML20176A615
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	08/14/2020
From:	Kathryn Brock NRC/NSIR/DPR
To:	Allard D State of PA, Dept of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Radiation Protection
Beza Alemu
References
Download: ML20176A615 (3)

Text

August 14, 2020 David Allard, CHP, Director PA Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Radiation Protection Rachel Carson State Office Building P.O. Box 8469 Harrisburg, PA 17105-8469

SUBJECT:

TERMINATION OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE DATA SYSTEM FEED FOR THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1

Dear Mr. Allard:

This letter serves to notify the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon) has terminated the Emergency Response Data System (ERDS) link from the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1) to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Operations Center, based on the permanently shutdown status of the facility.

Section VI, Emergency Response Data System, of Appendix E, Emergency Planning and Preparedness for Production and Utilization Facilities, to Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, of Title 10, Energy, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) establishes the requirement for a nuclear power reactor licensee to have a real-time electronic data link from the licensees onsite computer system to the NRC Operations Center that provides for the automated transmission of a limited data set of selected parameters. The Cooperative Agreement between the NRC and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, effective August 1, 1992, provides the basis for mutually agreeable procedures whereby the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania may utilize the NRC ERDS to receive data during an emergency at a commercial nuclear power plant for which any portion of the plant's 10-mile Plume Exposure Pathway Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) lies within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

By letter dated June 20, 2017 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML17171A151), Exelon notified the NRC, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1)(i), of its determination to permanently cease power operations at TMI-1 on or about September 30, 2019. By letter dated September 26, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19269E480), Exelon submitted to the NRC certification, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1)(ii),

of the permanent removal of fuel from the TMI-1 reactor vessel and the placement of the fuel in the TMI-1 spent fuel pool as of September 26, 2019. Upon the NRCs docketing of these certifications, the 10 CFR Part 50 license for TMI-1 no longer authorizes operation of the reactor or emplacement or retention of fuel into the reactor vessel, as specified in 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2).

Nuclear power facilities that have permanently or indefinitely shut down, such as TMI-1, are exempt from the requirements to have an ERDS data link to the NRC under Section VI.2 of Appendix E to 10 CFR Part 50. In an email dated July 16, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No.

D. Allard ML20218A852), Exelon confirmed that the TMI-1 ERDS link was disabled and no longer transmitting as of July 15, 2020.

The termination of the ERDS link for TMI-1 does not impact the licensees responsibility to provide notification to offsite authorities for an emergency declaration, to provide information on facility status to support the assessment of a potential radiological release at the facility, and to advise on offsite action that offsite authorities may consider to protect their citizenry, as described in Exelons Post-Shutdown Emergency Plan for TMI-1, which the NRC approved by license amendment on April 18, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19065A114).

The termination of the TMI-1 ERDS link will not impact the Commonwealth of Pennsylvanias ability to continue to receive plant information via an ERDS link for incidents related to Beaver Valley Power Station, Limerick Generating Station, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, and Susquehanna Steam Electric Station.

If you have any questions regarding the termination of the ERDS link for TMI-1, or continued interface with the NRC for an event at TMI-1, please contact Bezakulu Alemu at (301) 287-3731 or by email at Bezakulu.Alemu@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Kathryn M. Digitally signed by Kathryn M. Brock Brock Date: 2020.08.14 09:37:57

-04'00' Kathryn M. Brock, Director Division of Preparedness and Response Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response cc: Sandra Silva, Acting Division Chief Nuclear Power Plants Division PA Emergency Management Agency

D. Allard

SUBJECT:

LETTER TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA RE: TERMINATION OF ERDS FEED TO THE NRC FOR THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1 DATE: 08/14/20 DISTRIBUTION:

K. Brock, NSIR S. Kennedy, NSIR J. Anderson, NSIR B. Alemu, NSIR J. Danna, NRR B. Watson, NMSS D. Tift, Region I A. Dimitriadis, Region I OGC ADAMS ACCESSION NO. ML20176A615 *via e-mail Office NSIR/DPR/OB

• NSIR/DPR/OB

• NSIR/DPR/RLB

• Region I / RSLO*

Name B. Alemu S. Kennedy J. Anderson D. Tift Date 06/24/2020 06/29/20 06/29/20 06/24/20 Office NMSS/DUWP/RDB* NRR/DORL/LPL1

• OGC

• NSIR/DPR:D Name B. Watson J. Danna H. Benowitz K. Brock Date 07/01/20 07/21/20 08/04/20 08/14/20 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY