ML20195C377

Discusses Director'S Decision Re Maine Yankee Atomic Power Co Claim of Backfit Re beyond-design-basis Accidents in Spent Fuel Pools.Copy of Author Memo to NRR Staff Directing Them to Address Issues Encl

ML20195C377
Person / Time
Site:	Maine Yankee
Issue date:	11/06/1998
From:	Collins S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Meisner M Maine Yankee
Shared Package
ML20195C381	List: ML20195C377 ML20195C394
References
NUDOCS 9811170095
Download: ML20195C377 (4)

Text

- - . . - - -- - . . .- - . . - _ _._

?

j'br u f h f% To

• WE

! p & UNITED STATES s* j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. ma "1

%, n p November 6, 1998 Mr. Michael J. Meisner, President Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company P.O. Box 408 Wiscasset, Maine 04578

SUBJECT:

DIRECTOR'S DECISION CONCERNING MAINE YANKEE ATOMIC POWER l

COMPANY CLAIM OF BACKFIT REGARDING BEYOND-DESIGN-BASIS I

ACCIDENTS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS

Dear Mr. Meisner:

By letter dated February 17,1998, Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company requested that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) review a Maine Yankee claim that criteria being used by the NRC staff in the evaluation of a Maine Yankee exemption request constitute a backfit as described in 10 CFR 50.109. On April 21,1998, Mr. Jack Roe, Acting Director, Division of Reactor Program Management, responded to your backfit claim, stating that the NRC staff had determined that its decision to rely on a spent fuel pool heatup analysis to evaluate Maine Yankee's request for exemption from the offsite '

emergency preparedness requirements of 10 CFR 50.54(q) did not constitute a backfit. On May 6,1998, Maine Yankee filed an appeal of the NRC backfit determination, in response to your appeal, the Deputy Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) appointed a backfit review panel to evaluate your appeal. On October 28,1998, the backfit review panel sent its recommendations to me. I have discussed the recommendations of the panel with the NRC Executive Director for Operations (EDO) and have determined that the staff did not backfit Maine Yankee in evaluating your request for relief from offsite emergency preparedness requirements of 10 CFR 50.54(q). As the basis for my decision, I have enclosed a copy of the recommendations given to me by the backfit review panel.

Although the panel determined that the staff did not impose a backfit on Maine Yankee, it did make other recommendations regarding the criteria being used by the staff in its evaluation of emergency planning exemptions being sought by permanently shutdown and defueled reactors. I have also enclosed a copy of my memorandum to the NRR staff directing them to address these issues.

{l A

hIIhCK95 981106

p. 05000309 PDR g ,-,n e -p v n v.,,r em, w-m.,- e . g _- , , r, e a n ,

Mr. Michael J. Meisner Novanber 6,1998 Also, although the panel did not address your assertion that the backfit rule should apply to decommissioning plants, in response to your backfit claim, the NRC staff has prepared a Commission paper addressing the applicability of the backfit rule to decommissioning, if you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact me directly. If you are dissatisfied with my decision regarding your appeal, you may appeal it to the EDO.

Sincerely, i

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:

Samuel J. Collins, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosures:

As stated i ,

Docket No. 50-309 l

- cc w/ enclosures:  ;

See next page DISTRIBUTION:

HARD COPY E-Mall COPY Docket Files 50-309 RBurrows WHuffman l

. PUBLIC RDudley TKenyon SCollins/EMiraglia MFairtile AMarkley BBoger TFredrichs JMinns JRoe PHarris Pray MMasnik DScaletti LThonus EHylton DWheeler T htNe

.PDND:PM ED P PDND:(A) P  :(A)D 'DONRR

, MWebb EHy ton MMasnikh SWeiss J eg SCo e-l' 11/6/98 11/f/9 11/f/98 11/g/98 11/7/98 1 Y/ 7/98 g 11/6/98 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY L DOCUMENT NAME: G:\SECY\WEBB\MEISNER2 t

L Mr. Michael J. Meisner 2-

' Also, although the panel did not address your assertion that the backfit rule should apply to decommissioning plants, in response to your backfit claim, the NRC staff has prepared a Commission paper addressing the applicability of the backfit rule to decommissioning.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact me directly. If you are dissatisfied with my decision regarding your appeal, you may appeal it to the EDO.

Sincerely, J

amue . ector Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosures:

As stated Docket No. 50-309 CC W/enCiosures:

See next page l

l f

i

, -_ _ - _ _ . . ._ __ . _ . .-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . . _ _ _ . - ~ _ . . _ . - _ . _ _ _ . _ _ _ . . _

+

' Maine Yankee' Atomic Power Station Docket No. 50-309 cc:

~

Mr. Charles B. Brinkman ' Friends of the Coast i . Manager - Washington Nuclear P.O. Box 98 Operations Edgecomb, ME 04556 ABB Combustion Engineering l '12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 330 Mr. William O' Dell Rockville, MD 20852' Operations Director Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Thomas G. Dignan, Jr., Esquire - P.O. Box 408 Ropes & Gray Wiscasset, ME 04578 One International Place Boston, MA 02110-2624 Mr. George Zinke, Director Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Affairs Mr. Uldis Vanags Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company State Nuclear Safety Advisor P.O. Box 408 State Planning Office Wiscasset, ME 04578 State House Station #38 i Augusta, ME 04333 Mr. Jonathan M. Block I Attorney at Law

Mr. P. L. Anderson, Project Manager P.O. Box 566 Yankee Atomic Electric Company Putney, VT 05346-0566 ,

580 Main Street '

Bolton, MA 01740-1398 Mr. Michael J. Meisner, President Main Yankee Atomic Power Company  ;

Regional Administrator, Region i P.O. Box 408 I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Wiscasset, ME 04578 i 475'Allendale Road l -- King of Prussia, PA 19406 Mr. Robert Fraser, Director Engineering First Selectman of Wiscasset Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Municipal Building P.O. Box 408 U.S. Route 1 Wiscasset, ME 04578 '

Wiscasset, ME 04578 Mr. Patrick J. Dostle Mr. Richard Rasmussen State of Maine Nuclear Safety Senior Resident inspector inspector Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 408 P.O. Box E - Wiscasset, ME 04578

. Wiscasset,- ME 04578

$ Mr. Mark Ferri Mary Ann Lynch, Esquire Decommissioning Director

. Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company P.O. Box 408 P.O. Box 408 l Wiscasset, ME 04578 Wiscasset, ME 04578 I:

L l '

l

.r

-