ML20211N897

Responds to Ltr to D Rathbun of NRC Dtd 990720,in Which Recipient Refers to Ltr from Wc Batton Expressing Support on Renewal Application of Baltimore Gas & Electric Co for Calvert Cliffs Plants

ML20211N897
Person / Time
Site:	Calvert Cliffs
Issue date:	09/07/1999
From:	Travers W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Sarbanes P SENATE
Shared Package
ML20211N902	List: ML20211N897 ML20211N910
References
NUDOCS 9909130102
Download: ML20211N897 (8)

Text

• nitro g 't UNITED OTATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION I f- WASHINGTON, D.C. 20066 4001

% # September 7, 1999 The Honorable Paul Sarbanes United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Daar Senator Sarbanes:

I am responding to your letter to Mr. Dennis Rathbun of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Congressional Affairs dated July 20,1999, in which you refer to a letter from William C. Batton, President of the New 7* Democratic Civic Club, Inc. In his letter, Mr. Batton expressed support of the renewal application of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company for the Calvert Cliffs plants, as well as concerns about the lack of specificity related to the regulatory specifications for license renewal and the length of time set aside for public comment.

In your July 20 letter, you also asked Mr. Rathbun to review the matter and respond.

In the enclosed copy of the NRC staff response to Mr. Batton, we have addressed these issues.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely, h ,M William D. Travers l

Executive Director '

for Operations

Enclosure:

As stated e

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'\***** July 20, 1999 Mr. William C. Batton, President The New 7* Democratic Civic Club, Inc.

-1936 Merritt Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21222 4628

Dear Mr. Batton:

I am responding to your letter to Chairman Jackson of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), of June 24,1999, in which you express your support for the renewal of the operating licenses for Battimore Gas and Electric Company's (BG&E) Calvert Cliffs plants. In your letter, you also voice your belief that the Commission's regulations for license renewal lack specificity .

and state your concem about the length of time set aside for public comment. l BG&E submitted a lic.anbe renen! application for its two Calvert Cliffs plants, which is the first !

such application, in Apri! 1996. The NRC staff issued a safety evaluation report on the application in March 1999. The safety evaluation report contained a number of open and j confirmatory items that BG&E responded to in a letter to the NRC dated July 2,1999. The staff is reviewing BG&E's response and plans to issue a final safety evaluation in November 1999. )'

On February 24,1999, the 4taff also losued a draft plant-specific supplement to NUREG-1437,

" Generic Environmental impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (GEIS) for the  ;

- Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant.' The staff is now considering public comments received by May 20,1999, and plans to issue a final supplemental environmental impact statement in mid-November 1999.

Regarding your belief that the Commission's regulations for license renewat lack specificity, Part ;

S4, " Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Power Plants," of Title 10 of

. the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 54) sets forth the requirements applicants for j license renewal must meet and the standards by which the NRC evaluates their applications.

Part 54 defines what types of plant structures and equipment fall within the scope of license renewal. The regulations next set forth the criteria for determining which structures and components within the scope of license renewal require aging management. The applicant must demonstrate that it will manage the aging of these structures and components so that they will continue to function as intended for the license renewal period.

In reviewing the applications, the NRC staff follows Part 54 and the guidance provided in a draft standard review plan (SRP), " Standard Review Plan for the Review of License Renewal Applications for Nuclear Power Plants," and a draft environmental standard review plan, NUREG-1555," Environmental Standard Review Plan," both of which provide sufficiently clear, specific, and measurable review criteria. The license renewal SRP is available to the public on Enclosure il O sr S(f

s Mr. William C. Batton -2 July 20,1999 the NRC's web site (http://www.nrc. gov), and both SRPs can be obtained from the NRC Public Document Room (2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20555) and the local public document I rooms located near each plant site. The staff is confident that the standards set forth in Part 54 and the SRPs, and which the staff applies in its review, are specific and objective.

Regarding your concem about the length of time (30 days) set aside for public comments, this period, specified in the Federal Register notice that provided the opportunity for a hearing regarding the renewal of the Calvert Cliffs operating licenses, was not a public comment period.

Rather, it is a time limit generally provided in connection with licensing actions, within which an interested member of the public may request a formal hearing pursuant to 10 CFR Section 2.714 of the Commission's regulations. After this period, the regulations afford a petitioner an additional period in which to identify the technical issues he or she wishes to litigate. The Commission's objectives are to provide a fair hearing process, to avoid unnecessary delays in the NRC's review and hearing processes, and to produce a complete record that supports agency decision making on matters related to the NRC's responsibilities for protecting public health and safety. We believe the current process achieves these goals.

There is also a formal process for providing input into the staffs environmental review of a license renewal application. The Commission's regulations in 10 CFR Part 51 allow for an opportunity to provide comments on the scope of the environmental review, and in 10 CFR Section 51.73, require a minimum 45-day period for an opportunity to comment on the staffs preliminary environmental conclusions, set forth in the plant-specific supplement to the GEIS Sixty and seventy five day periods were provided, respectively, for these purposes with respect to Calvert Cliffs.

Finally, there are opportunities to raise questions on individual license renewal applications at public meetings, which are held in the NRC offices in Rockville, Maryland and in the vicinity of the facility applying for license renewal. Information provided by the license renewal applicants, as well as NRC evaluations, findings, and recommendations, are made available to the public in such meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss questions which arise during the  :

staffs review of the application and an applicant's responses to these questions. And, of course, members of the public are free to correspond with the staff in writing.

Because the license renewal process is new, the staff expects to make improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of reviews and will take your request as encouragement to look for ,

1 I

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. e Mr. William C. Batton J01y 20, 1999 additional ways to provide for even greater public involvement. I trust the information set forth above addresses your concerns. I appreciate your comments, and you may rest assured that the Commission will continue to seek improvements in its license renewal review process.

Sincerely, I

irector Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation l

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E E.

l September 7, 1999

. The Honorable Paul Sarbanes United States Senate Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senatdr Sarbanes:

I am responding to your letter to Mr. Dennis Rathbun of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory l Commission (NRC) Office of Congressional Affairs dated July 20,1999, in which you refer to a letter from William C. Batton, President of the New 7* Democratic Civic Club, Inc. In his letter, Mr. Batton expressed support of the renewal application of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company for the Calvert Cliffs plants, as well as concerns about the lack of specificity related to the regulatory specifications for license renewal and the length of time set aside for public cornment.

In your July 20 letter, you also asked Mr. Rathbun to review the matter and respond.

In the enclosed copy of the NRC staff response to Mr. Batton, we have addressed these issues.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely, U lmldSi U

Weam o gnedrmyon, by William D. Travers Executive Director for Operations

Enclosure:

As stated DISTRIBUTION:

See next page A:\ Letter to US Senator Sarbanes.wpd *See previous concurrence OFFICE PM:RLSB TECH EDITOR LA OGC PD:RLSB NAME- DLSolorio R. Sanders S.Little JMoore CIGrimes 1

DATE 08/25/99* 08/24/99* 08/25/99* 08/27/99* 08/25/99*

OFFICE D: DRIP ADIP D:h6 EDO OCA ,

NAME DBMatthews WFKane %SJGdns hTrMe p D kbun DATE 08/27/99* 08/27/99* 08/ )o/99 Of/ L.199 09/7 /99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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- The Honorable Paul Sarbanes'.

The United States Senate 309 Hart Senate Office Building l . Washington, DC 20510-2002 i

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Dear Senator Sarbanes:

1 I am responding to your letter to Mr. Dennis Rathbun of the Uj S. Nuclear Regulatory .

l Commission (NRC) Office _ of Congressional Affairs dated Juiy 20,1999, in which you refer to a i letter from William C. Batton, President of the New 7* Derylocratic Civic Club, Inc. In his letter, Mr. Batton expressed support of the renewal application 4f Baltimore Gas and Electric Company for the Calvert Cliffs plants, as well as concerns about)h'e lack of specificity related to the regulatory specifications for license renewal and the dngth of time set aside for public comment. j in your July 20 letter, you also asked Mr. Rathbun t review the matter and respond.

.. l In the enclosed copy of the NRC staff response Mr. Batton, we have addressed these issues. l If you have'any questions, please do not hesit e to contact me.

l incerely,

]

1 William D. Travers I Executive Director j for Operations

Enclosure:

As stated:

' DISTRIBUTION. -

See next page .

. G:\RLSB\SOLORIO\ Letter to Senator Sarbanes.wpd *See previous concurrence OFFICE PM:RLSB [ TECH EDITOR LA'- OGC , g PD:RLE NAME DLSolorM R. Sanders - S.Uttle JMoorkMo#'CIGrim DATE 04(f/99 / 08/24/99* ,

08/25/99* 08/17/99 08/21999 l OFFICE ' 'D:DRM / ADIP h , d D:NRR . EDO l v '3 - e  ;

NAME' DBMatthews WFKane O'.s \SJCollins. WDTravers DATE 08/ N99 I 08/ h/99 ~ 08/ /99 09/ /99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY l i

e The Honorable Paul Sarbanes The United States Senate 309 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-2002

Dear ator Sarbanes:

. I am respon g to your letter to Mr. Dennis Rathbun of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ( C) Office of Congressional Affairs dated July 20,1999, in which you refer to a letter from William . Batton, President of the New 7* Democratic Civic Club, Inc. In his letter,  !

Mr. Batton expresse support of the renewal application of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company {

for the Calvert Cliffs pl ts,' as well as concerns about the lack of specificity related to the

)

regulatory specifications rlicense renewal and the length of time set aside for public comment.  !

In your July 20 letter, you a o asked Mr. Rathbun to review the matter and respond. I 1

In the enclosed copy of the NR staff response to Mr. Batton, we have addressed these issues.  ;

If you have any questions, please o not hesitate to contact me.

)

Sincerely, Wi m D. Travers Exec tive Director forO rations I

Enclosure:

As stated DISTRIBUTION: 1 See next page I G:\RLSB\SOLORIO\ Letter to US Senator Sarbanes.wpd *See p vious concurrence OFFICE PM:RL4 TECH EDITOR LA ,qQ PD:RLSB OGC\

NAME DLSoloh MyTon JMoore k CIGrimes DATE 08/k/99 08/ /99 08/ 3/99 08/ /99 \ 08/ /99 OFFICE D: DRIP - ADIP D:NRR EDO \

NAME DBMatthews 08/

WFKane SJCollins WDTravers k DATE /99 08/ /99 08/ ' /99 09/ /99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

NRC FORM 8 .

(7-94)

NRCMD 3.57 E-8l INCOMING AND SIGNATURE TAB h o

USE THIS SIDE OF THE SHEET TO PRECEDE THE INCOMING MATERIAL WHEN ASSEMBLING CORRESPONDENCE (USE REVERSE SIDE FOR SIGNATURE TAB)

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NRC FORM 8 (7-94)

NRCMD 3.57 INCOMING AND SIGNATURE TAB USE THIS SIDE OF THE SHEET TO PRECEDE THE SIGNATURE PAGE

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8 EDO Principal Correspondence Control  ! o88

. #LSA FROM: DUE: 09/01/99~ EDO CONTROL: Gl9990418 DOC DT: 07/20/99 FINAL REPLY:

Senator Paul Sarbanes TO:

Rathbu. G. j F0 SIGNATURE OF : ** GRN ** CRC NO: 99-0725 Travers, EDO DESC: ROUTING:

CALVERT CLIFFS POWER PLANT (William C. Batton) Travers

' Knapp Miraglia B$b  !

I Burns DATE: 08/19/99 Miller, RI ASSIGNED TO: CONTACT:

_NRR Collins SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

Ref. Gl9990335 and Gl9990383. ,.

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OFFICE OF-THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL' TICKET PAPER NUMBER: CRC-99-0725 LOGGING DATE: Aug 18 99 ACTION OFFICE: EDO AUTHOR: PAUL SARBANES, SEN

~ AFFILIATION: U.S.-SENATE ADDRESSEE: RATHBUN.

LETTER DATE: Jul 20 99 FILE CODE: IDR 5 CALVERT CLIFFS

SUBJECT:

CALVERT CLIFFS POWER PLANT ACTION: Signature of EDO DISTRIBUTION:

SPECIAL' HANDLING: OCA TO ACK-CONSTITUENT: WILLIAM BATTON NOTES:

DATE DUE: Sep 1 99 SIGNATURE: . DATE SIGNED:

AFFILIATION:

EDO --G19990418 Lz