ML20196F531
| ML20196F531 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | River Bend  |
| Issue date: | 12/01/1998 |
| From: | Robert Fretz NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | Edington R ENTERGY OPERATIONS, INC. |
| References | |
| 2.206, TAC-MA3669, NUDOCS 9812070062 | |
| Download: ML20196F531 (4) | |
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, jfagS UNITED STATES '
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 3000H001
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December 1. 1998 Mr. Randall K. Edington Vice President-Operations Entergy Operations, Inc.
River Bend Station P. O. Box 220 St. Francisville, l.A 70775 i
SUBJECT:
RIVER BEND STATION, UNIT 1 - UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS PETITION SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 10 CFR 2.206 DATED SEPTEMBER 25,1998 (TAC NO. MA3669)
Dear Mr. Edington:
\\b-On September 25,1998, David A. Lochbaum (Petitioner), acting on behalf of the Union of Concemed Scientists (UCS), requested that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) take action with regard to the River Bend Station (RBS), operated by Entergy Operations, incorporated. The Petitioner requested that enforcement action be taken to require an immediate shutdown of the RBS, and that the facility remain shut down until all failed fuel assemblies are removed from the reactor core. As an attemate action, UCS also stated that following the requested shutdown, RBS could be restarted after its design and licensing bases were updated to permit operation with failed fuel assemblies. Additionally, the Petitioner requested a public hearing to present new plant-specific information regarding the operation of RBS, as well as to discuss a UCS report dated April 2,1998, entitled " Potential Nuclear Safety Hazard / Reactor Operation With Failed Fuel Cladding."
By letter dated October 29,1998, the NRC denied Petitioner's request for enforcement action to require Entergy Operations, Inc. (EOl), to immediately shut down RBS; however, the NRC extended an offer to the Petitioner for an informal public hearing at a date to be determined.
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On November 6,1998, the Petitioner accepted our offer fa an informal public hearing and further requested that the hearing be held in the Washington, D.C. area. Since the UCS has stated that their concems are focused on " potential safety issues having generic applications" and the possibility for specific discussions on plants other than RBS, the NRC is currently planning on holding the informal public hearing at its Headquarters facility located in Rockville, Maryland.
Since operation of RBS is the primary subject of the Petition, EOl is a major stakeholder in the informal public hearing process. Therefore, it is requested that EOl formally agree to participate in the hearing. During the hearing following the Petitioner's presentation, EOl will be provided an opportunity (approximately 30 to 45 minutes) to provide information related to the issues raised in the Petition. For planning purposes, in UCS has provided the date(s) shown below when their representatives will be available for th hearing:
January 1999: 5,6,7,8,11,12,13,14,15,19,21 and 22 i-February 1999: 8,9,10,11,12,22,23,24,25 and 26 T)M
_U 9812070062' M1201 i
PDR ADOCK 05000458 1
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i Randall K. Edington '
It is requested that EOl contact Mr. Robert Fretz, the Petition Manager, at (301) 415-1324 to confirm whether EOl intends to participate ir, the informal public hearing and to advise which of the dates listed above are available for EOl ropresentatives to participate in the hearing.
In addition, in order to facilitate discua= ions e uritig the informal public hearing, the NRC is requesting that EOl provide a wiitten response to the issues raised in the September 25,1998, 1
UCS Petition within 30 days from the date of this letter. The response should include a discussion on the design basis issues raised in the Petition as well as their potential safety implications.
l Sincerely, ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:
Robert J. Fretz, Project Manager Project Directorate IV-1 Division of Reactor Projects lil/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-458
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4 Randall K. Edington it is requested that EOl contact Mr. Robert Fretz, the Petition Manager, at (301) 415-1324 to confirm whether EOl intends to participate in the informal public hearing and to advise which of the dates listed above are available for EOl representatives to participate in the hearing.
In addition, in order to facilitate discussions during the informal public hearing, the NRC is requesting that EOl provide a written response to the issues raised in the September 25,1998, UCS Petition within 30 days from the date of this letter. The response should include a discussion on the design basis issues raised in the Petition as well as their potential safety implications.
Sincerely, Robert J. Fretz, Project Manager Project Directorate IV-1 Divkon of Reactor Projects lil/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-458 cc: See next page c
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Mr. Randall K. Edington Entergy Operations, Inc.
River Bend Station cc:
Winston & Strawn Executive Vice President and 1400 L Street, N.W.
Chief Operating Officer Washington, DC 20005-3502 Entergy Operations, Inc.
P. O. Box 31995 Manager-Licensing Jackson, MS 39286 Entergy Operations, Inc.
River Bend Station General Manager - Plant Operations P. O. Box 220 Entergy Operations, Inc.
St. Francisville, LA 70775 River Bend Station P. 'O. Box 220 Senior Resident inspector St. Francisville, LA 70775 P. O. Box 1050 St. Francisville, LA 70775 Director-Nuclear Safety Entergy Operations, Inc.
President of West Feliciana River Bend Station Police Jury P. O. Box 220 P. O. Box 1921 St. Francisville, LA 70775 St. Francisville, LA 70775 Vice President - Operations Support Regional Administrator, Region IV Entergy Operations, Inc.
U.S. Nuc! ear Regulatory Commission P. O. Box 31995 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 1000 Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Arlington, TX 76011 Attorney General Ms. H. Anne Plettinger State of Louisiana 3456 Villa Rose Drive P. O. Box 94095 Baton Rouge, LA 70806 Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9095 Administrator Wise, Carter, Child & Caraway Louisiana Radiation Protection Division P. O. Box 651 P. O. Box 82135 Jackson, MS 39205 Baton Rouge, LA 70884-2135 l
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