ML20203H228

Responds to to Chairman Jackson Requesting That Millstone Nuclear Power Station,Units 1,2 & 3 Not Be Allowed to Restart.Specific Responses to Questions & Comments Encl

ML20203H228
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone, Haddam Neck  File:Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co icon.png
Issue date:	02/20/1998
From:	Travers W NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Demorit C AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
Shared Package
ML20203H233	List: ML20203H228 ML20203H286
References
NUDOCS 9803030178
Download: ML20203H228 (8)

Text

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February 20, I 8 y

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Mr. Chris Demorit 45 Mercy Road Chaplin, CT 06235

Dear:

Mr. Demont:

I am responding to your letter of January 20,1998, to Chairman Jackson of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in which you requested that the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Units 1,2 and 3, not be allowed to restari, Many of your questions and comments were simitar to those addressed by Chairman Jackscn during her public meeting on February 2,1998, which you may have attended.

As Chairman Jackson noted during her opening remarks, the three Millstone reactors are currently shut down because of safety concoms, concoms with the pervasiveness of Northeast Utilities' nonconformance with regulatory requirements, and the inadequacy of Northeast Utilities' corrective action programs. The reactors are also shut down because of issues related to an Ineffective Employee Concems Program, which is important because employees must feel free to raise safety concerns without fear of retaliation. Furthermore, the Chairman stated that the Cornmission does not presuppose that any of the three reactors will restart by any certain date.

The NRC is committed to ensuring that the Millstone station is a safe station, with an effective Corrective Action Program and an environment supportive of raising and resolving safety concoms before any Millstone reactor is allowed to restart.

I am enclosing specific responses to your questions and comments. I trut.t this reply responds to your concems.

Sincerely, Original signed by:

William D. Travers, Director Special Projecto Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

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February 20, 1998 Mr. Chris Demortt t

45 Mercy Road l

Chaplin, CT 06235 i

Dear:

Mr. Demortt:

I am responding to your letter of January PD,1998, to Chairman Jackson of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in which you requested that the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Units 1,2 and 3, not be allowed to restart. Many of your questions and comments were similar to those addressed by Chairman Jackson during her public meeting on February 2,1998, which you may have attended.

As Chairman Jackson noted during her opening remarks, the three Millstone reactors are currently shut down because of safety concoms, concems with the pervasiveness of Northeast l

Utilities' nonconformance with regulatory requirements, and the inadequacy of Northesst Utilities' corrective action programs. The reactors are also shut down because of 16 sues related to an ineffective Employee Concems Program, which is important because employees must feel free i

to raise safety concems without fear of retaliation. Furthermore, the Chairman stated that the l

Commission does not presuppose that any of the three reactors will restart by at y cedain date.

The NRC is committed to ensuring that the Millstone station !s a safe station, with an effective Corrective Action Program and an environment supportive of raising and resolving safety concoms before any Millstone reactor is alk,wed to restart, I am enclosing specific responses to your questions and comments. I trust this reply responds to your concoms,

Sincvell, fw0_ m William D. Tra ers, Director Special Projects Office Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

As stated

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Fehnety 20. 1998 (CRC 98-0063) l CISTRIBUTION:

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0 Resoonses to Questions and conenma Concem 1:

You expressed concem about Northeast Utilities' (the licensee's) competence becaus0 of the contaminated landfill that was allowed c'f the site of one of the licensee's facilities.

Response

The licensee for the lieddam Neck plant has identified 80 locations that potentially contain radioacthe material released from the site, it has sampled and surveyed nearly 75 percent o' these sites to date. Plans are still being developed for location specific remediation of offsite contamination. The U S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)is observing offsite sampling and surveying performed by the licenses and is reviewir.g the preliminary location specific remediation plans. The NRC has independently sampled and has made radiation measurements at a number of these locations. We are working closely with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Pmtection to assess the effect of this radioactive material on public health and safety. Thus far, we have found that the amount of radiation resulting from the contamination is a small fraction of natural background levels of radiatior.. Such small amounts sf radioactive material present no health or safety hazard.

These incidents, although recently discove'ed, occurred when a previous leadership team was in place and, therefore, should not be used to assess the effectiveness of the current managers of Millstone station.

Concem 2:

You expressed concem about the large number of deficiencies discovered by the licensee at Millstone Unit 1 and the other deficiencies found at Millstone station.

Response

As with your first concern, these incidents occurred when o previous leadership team was in place and, therefore, should not be used to assess the effectiveness of the current managers of Millstone station. The current management team must demonstrate to the staff and the Commission that it has corrected the previous problems before restart will be allowed.

Concem 3:

Yo1 questioned the independence of the Independent Corrective Actin Verification Program (ICAVP) since some of the third party contractors had worked for the licensee prechusly.

Response

The NRC chose to adopt a practical standard of independence between the ICAVP coniractor and the licensee. That is, the NRC balanced the need to ensure adequate independence with the need to ensure that the contractor had the necessary skills and experience to effectively conduct the ICAVP. The NRC found that the ICAVP contractors were sufficiently independent from the design and operation of Millstone station. When isolated conflicts of interest exist and ICAVP reviews are required, the required reviews will be performed by a different party.

Concem 4:

You expressed concem about the effectiveness of the licensee's Employee Concems Program, given recent examples of harassment and intimidation.

Enclosure

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Response

On October 24, igg 6, the NRC lesued an order to the licensee directing that before restarting any unit, the licensee had to develop and submit to the NRC a comprehensive plan for reviewing and dispositioning safety issues ralstsd by its employees and for ensuring that employees who raise safety concems can do so without fear of retaliation. When the order was issued, the NRC recognized that it would take a long time for employees to develop trust in the safety-conscious i

work environment and that it takes time for management to svold the occasional errors and to eliminate actions that may lead to a chilling effect. The NRC will j

weigh all factors presented to it with respect to employee concoms before it makes its final decisions regarding the restart of the Millstone units.

Concem 5:

You questioned why the NRC is checking only a small percentage of the Millstone station systems, given the large number of discrepancies found so far.

Response

The third party ICAVP contractor has reviewed 15 of 88 risk significant or safety-related systems (as categorized by the NRC's maintenance rule) at Millstone Unit

3. The scope of the review is very large and the contractor has identified a number of potential discrepancies. Of the potential discrepancies, thus far eight lasues involve a confirmed nonconformance with the plant's licensing and design bases. The staff is continus'ly evaluating both the number and significance of confirmed deficiencies as well as the appropriateness of De licensee's corrective act6ns to determine whether the scope of the ICAVP should be expanded.

Based on the information currently available, the staff does not see the need, at this time, to expand the ICAVP scope. All other confirmed discrepancies have been identified as findings that are of minor significance and do not result in nonconformance with the licensing and design bases. Although these discrepancies are not significant individually, the NRC staff is assessing whether trends indicate that the original scope of the reviews should be expanded. The NRC must judge the ICAVP to be effective with or without any expansion of ths original scope before it allows any Miiistone unit to restart.

Concem 6:

You requested information on the age of the plants and their life expectancy.

Response

Millstone Unit 1 was first granted a full power license to operate in 1970.

Millstone Unit 2 was first granted a full power license to operate in 1975.

Millsinne Unit 3 was first granted a full-power license to operate in'ig86.

The plants all have 40 year operating licenses. The licensee may apply for extension of the operating license for additional 20 year periods or, instead, may permanently cease operation before expiration of the license.

Concem 7:

Lastly, you requested information on what will become of the spent fuel rods.

- Response; As currently planned, the spent fuel will eventually be transferred to the Department of Energy for disposal. The current plans call for permanently disposing of the waste in a deep, stable, geologic structure.

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i,r ACTION l

EDO Pr bcipal Correspondence Control 20 f/

FROM:

DUE: 02/MI/98 EDO CONTROL: G980050

=7 DOC.DT: 01/20/98 Chric Demorit FINAL REPI.Yt Ch plin, Connecticut TO t.

-Chairman Jackson FOR SIGNATURE OF

• • GRN CRC NO: 98-0063 Collins, NRR DESCI ROUTING:

RESTART OF MILLSTONE, UNITS I, II, AND III Callan Thadani-Thompson

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DATE 01/28/98 Burns riller, RI

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'SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR' REMARKS:

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EDO-Principal Correspondence Control FROM:

DUET 02/10/98 EDO CONTROL: G980050 DOC DT 01/20/98 Chris Demorit FINAL REPLY:

Chnplin, Connecticut TO:

Chairman Jackson FOR SIGNATURE OF t

• • GRN CRC h0: 98-0063 Collins, NRR DESC ROUTING:

RESTART OF MILLSTONE, UNITS I, II, ANC.II Callan Thadani Thompson Norry Blaha DATE: 01/28/98 Burns Miller, RI ASSIGNED TO CONTACT:

NRR Collins SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKSt

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?RCRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER:

CRC-98-0063 LOGGING DATE: Jan 26 98 ACTION OFFICE:

EDO AUTHOR:

CHRISbMORIT AFFILIATION:

CONNECTICUT ADDRESSEE:

CIIAIRMAN uACKSON LETTER DATE:

Jan 20 98 FILE CODE: ID&R 5 MILLSTONE q

SUBJECT:

RESTART OF MILLSTONE UNITS I, II AND III ACTION:

Direct Reply DISTRIBUTION:

CHAIRMAN, COMRS.

l SPECIAL.sHANDLING: SECY TO ACK CONSTITUENT:

NOTES:

CC: COMRS.

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DATE DUE:

Feb 98 SIGNATURE:

DATE SIGNED:

AFFILIATION:

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