ML20211M937

Addresses Two Issues Raised in s to Senator Collins & Governor a King That Relate to Construction of ISFSI at Maine Yankee

ML20211M937
Person / Time
Site:	Maine Yankee
Issue date:	08/30/1999
From:	Travers W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Anderson V AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
References
NUDOCS 9909100002
Download: ML20211M937 (6)

Text

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UNITED STATES i

5 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION I

" WASHINGTON, D.C. 20566-0001 2

\..,g/ August 30, 1999 l

l Mr. Victor B. Anderson 145 Westport Bridge Road Wiscasset, ME 04578

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Dear Mr. Anderson:

This letter addresses the two issues that ycu raised in your July 12,1999, letters to Senator i Susan Collins and Govemor Angus King tha t relate to the construction of an independent spent  !

fuel storage installation (ISFSI) at Maine Ya1kee. You stated that there is no need for 1 additional storage for spent fuel at Maine Yankee since it is permanently shut down and, therefore, will not be producing any new spent fuel. You also stated that the residents in the l area around the Maine Yankee plant should be given an opportunity to present their views on the storage of the spent fuel at that site.

An ISFSI at an operating plant could be used to provide adoitional storage space for spent fuel thereby ensuring sufficient storage space for continued operation. However, at a l decommissioning plant like Maine Yankee, the licensee would use the ISFSI as an alternative to, rather than as an addition to, the spent fuel pool. The spent fuel currently in the Maine l Yankee spent fuel pool will be transferred to an ISFSI composed of a system of dry storage  !

casks. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) considers both wet (spent fuel pool) and dry (casks) storage to be safe techriclogies, but we view dry storage as the preferred method for storage at a decommissioned site since it does not require support systems and as a result, offers fewer opportunities for problems to occur. Transferring the spent fuel to the dry cask storage system will allow the decommissioning and dismantling of the Maine Yankee power plant to continue.

People living near the Maine Yankee site will have an opportunity early next year to present their views on the cask chosen by Maine Yankee for the dry storage of spent fuel. Maine Yankee plans to use the NAC-UMS dry cask storage system. However, this cask system must be added to the list of approved spent fuel storage casks in 10 CFR S 72.214 before it is used at Maine Yankee. The NRC follows a standard rulemaking process whenever changes are made to regulations. This process includes the opportunity for members of the public to comment on the proposed changes. The Federal Reaister is the official vehicle used to inform the public about NRC rulemaking. The NRC's technical review of the cask design is scheduled to be completed in late 1999. If we find the design acceptable, we will put,lish the proposed changes to 10 CFR 6 72.214 in the Federal Reaister and seek public comments on those changes. We anticipate that the proposed 10 CFR S 72.214 rulemaking for the Maine Yankee f ()

casks will be published in February 2000 and the public comments will be accepted for 75 days after the date of publication. g) -

You can access the Federal Reaister through the U.S. Government Printing Office web site at http://www. access apo.aov. At the web site, select

• Federal Register" from the list of links.

Free internet access is available at the Wiscasset Public Library, High Street, Wiscasset, Maine. The information in the Federal Reaister will contain detailed info ion about our 9909100002 990930  %

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V.B. Anderson review and will provide directions to the public for commenting on the proposed changes to the existing rule.

I am sending a copy of this information to Senator Collins and Governor King's Nuclear Safety Advisor, Uldis Vanags. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. E. W. Brach, Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, at (301) 415-8500.

Sincerely, Odc!nnlotr M b/

Wen D.Tir:3 William D. Travers Executive Director for Operations cc: Senator Susan M. Collins Uldis Vanags, State of Maine Nuclear Safety Advisor 1

DISTRIBUTION: (G19990389)

NRC File Center SFPO r/f NMSS r/f NMSS Dir. Off. r/f EDO r/f E.H. Gray, R1 F.Lyon, NRR SFPO t/f CPoland PTressler P. Lohaus, OSP S. O'Connor T. McGinty PUBLIC SECY-CRC-99-0649 A:\andemon.wpd *See Previous Concurrence OFC: SFPO* SFPO* SFPO* D:SFPO* D:NMSS* EDO*

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NAME: MAshley-jh RChappell SShankman EWBrach CJPaperiello MKnapp Wkvt [s DATE: 8/16/99 8/17/99 8/19/99 8/19/99 8/23/99 8/27/99 gg OFFICIAL RECORD COPY ROUTING AND TRANSMITTAL SLIP

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V.B. Anderson Street, Wiscasset, Maine. The information in the Federal Reaister will contain detailed information about our review and will provide directions to the public for commenting on the proposed changes to the existing rule.

I am sending a copy of this information to Senator Collins and Govemor King's Nuclear Safety Advisor, Uldis Vanags. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. E. W. Brach, Director, Spent Fuel Project C'fice, at (301) 415-8500.

Sincerely, William D. Travers i Executive Director for Operations cc: Senator Susan M. Collins Uldis Vanags, State of Maine Nuclear Safety Advisor e

l

' 0 DISTRIBUTION: (G19990389)

NRC File Center - SFPO r/f NMSS r/f NMSS Dir. Off. r/f EDO r/f E.H. Gray, R1 F.Lyon, NRR SFPO t/f CPoland PTressler P. Lohaus, OSP S. O'Connor T. McGinty PUBLIC OCA i SECY-CRC-99-0649 DRathbun A:\ anderson.wpd

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• See Previous Concurrence OFC: SFPO* SFPO* SFPO* D:SFPO* D:NMSSg EDO EDO NAME: MAshley:Jh RChappell SShankman EWBrach C[Mihrello M  % WDTravers I DATE: 8/16/99 8/17/99 8/19/99 8/19/99 8/))/99 8 9 //99 8/ /99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY ROUTING AND TRANSMITTAL SLIP i

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V.B. Anderson Federal Reaister will contain detailed information about our review and will provide directions to the public for commenting on the proposed changes to the existing rule.

I am sending a copy of this information to Senator Collins and Governor King's Nuclear Safety Advisor, Uldis Vanags. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. E. W. Brach, Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, at (301) 415-8500.

Sincerely, William D. Travers Executive Director for Operations cc: Senator Susan M. Collins Uldis Vanags, State of Maine I

Nuclear Safety Advisor l

l 1

l l

I

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DISTRIBUTION: (G19990389)

NRC File Center SFPO r/f NMSS r/f NMSS Dir. Off. r/f EDO r/f E.H. Gray, R1 F.Lyon, NRR SFPO t/f CPoland PTressler P. Lohaus, OSP S. O'Connor T. McGinty PUBLIC SECY-CRC-99-0649 titan' -

A:\ anderson.wpd *See Previous Concurrence y/ /fl, OFC: SFPO* SFPO*

DDf POof Dyg , D:NMSS EDO NAME: MAshley:jh RChappell . F n r[h# CJPaperiello WDTravers DATE: ~ 8/16/99 8/17/99 8/h99 8/ 8 /99 8/ 19 9 8/ /99

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V.B. Anderson '

Federal Reaister will contain detailed information about our review and will provide directions to the public for commenting on the proposed changes to the existing rule.

I am sending a copy of this information to Senator Collins and Governor King's Nuclear Safety Advisor, Uldis Vanags. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. W. Brach, Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, at (301) 415-8500.

Sincerely, i l

1 William D. Travers i Executive Director  !

for Operations I cc: Senator Susan M. Collins . ,

Uldis Vanags, State of Maine i Nuclear Safety Advisor l

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1 l

l 1

l DISTRIBUTION: (G19990389)

NRC File Center S F P O r/f NMSS r/f NMSS Dir. Off. r/f EDO r/f E.H. Gray, R1 F.Lyon, NRR SFPO t/f CPoland PTressler P. Lohaus, OSP S. O'Connor T. McGinty PUBLIC

. SECY-CRC-99-0649 A:\ anderson.wpd *See Previous Concurrence OFC: SFPO* SFPO* DD;SFPO D:SFPO D.NMSS ECO NAME: MAshley:jh RChappell SShankman EWBrach CJPaperiello WDTravers DATE: 8/16/99 8/17/99 8/ 199 8/ /99 8/ /99 8/ /99

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' V.B. Anderson Federal Reaister will contain detailed information about our review and will provide directions to the public for commenting on the proposed changes to the existing rule.

I am sending a copy of this information to Serator Collins and Governor King. '

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Sincerely, William D. Travers Executive Director for Operations cc: Senator Susan M. Collins Uldis Vanags, State of Maine Nuclear Safety Advisor 1

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l l

DISTRIBUTION: (G19990389)

NRC File Center SFPO r/f NMSS r/f NMSS Dir. Off. r/f EDO r/f E.H. Gray, R1 F.Lyon, NRR SFPO t/f CPoland PTressler P. Lohaus, OSP S. O'Connor T. McGinty SECY-CRC-99-0649 l A:\ anderson.wpd 3e OFC: , SFPO ,SFPO C, DD SFPO '

. D:SFPO D.NMSS EDO A3 NAME: Mk g SShankman EWBrach CJPaperiello WDTravers DATE: 8/ fl, /99 8/ /99 8/ /99 A' /99 8/ /99 8// 7/99