ML20212B265
| ML20212B265 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/07/1999 |
| From: | Zwolinksi J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | Blanch P AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20212B271 | List: |
| References | |
| SECY-99-168-C, NUDOCS 9909200033 | |
| Download: ML20212B265 (3) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES s
g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 2
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20066-0001
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September 7, 1999 Mr. Paul M. Blanch 135 Hyde Road West Hartford, CT 06117
Dear Mr. Blanch,
Thank you for your letter of July 14,1999, which provided comments on SECY-99-168,
" improving Decommissioning Regulations for Nuclear Power Plants."
in your letter you suggested that the Commission consider an alternative approach that required decommissioning licensees to provide a bounding plant-specific accident analysis for spent fuel pool accidents. As discussed in the decommissioning regulatory improvement section in SECY-99-168, the NRC staff plans to undertake a decommissioning regulatory review that will identify regulations that need to be changed to reflect the differences between operating and decommissioning plants. During this review we will consider your recommendation to require licensees to submit plant-specific spent fuel pool safety analyses.
In your letter you also stated that at some point during decommissioning, the 10 CFR Part 50 reactor license will no longer be applicable. You stated that a proposed rulemaking should address if and when a licensee may terminate a Part 50 license and apply for conversion to a Title 10 " decommissioning" license or a Part 72 license. The NRC does not plan to require licensees to convert Part 50 licenses to Part 72 spent fuel storage licenses. All licensee decommissioning activities will remain under a Part 50 license until the decommissioning is completed and the license is formally terminated. If spent fuel is being stored under a general (Subpart K) Part 72 license, the licensee will need to obtain a site-specific Part 72 license before the Part 50 license can be terminated.
However, we do agree with you regarding the separation of operating reactor regulations from decommissioning regulations. The effort to consolidate a!! reactor decommissioning requirements into a new part within Title 10 will relocate necessary Part 50 regulations and add to or modify the regulations as required to ensure that requirements for decommissioning nuclear power plants are clearly specified and safety is maintained. However, no relicensing for
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decommissioning is anticipated at this time.
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Your final comment was that the time frame estimated by the NRC 6r consolidation of the r
decommissioning regulations was excessively long. The NRC staff believes that a thomugh q
and comprehensive review of existing regulations and evaluation of possible new requirements
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(such as your suggested review of plant-specific spent fuel pool accidents) will be a time-consuming process. Additionally, to enhance public involvement, the NRC plans to conduct more public meetings during this process. Supporting these meetings and other interfaces l
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with the public stakeholders will impact staff resources available to work on the rulemaking itself.' Thus, we continue.to believe that our planned schedulo is realistic; however, as
' circumstances allow, we will accelerate efforts to complete the work as promptly as we can.
Thank you for y6ur letter and suggestions. If you h' ave any additional comments or questions, pleae9 contact Stuart Richards of my staff at 301-415-1395.
Sincerely, Original signed by:
John A. Zwolinski, Director Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i
Q1STRIBUTION:
Central RJe (w/originalincoming)
PDIV-D r/f (w/ incoming)
SCollins/RZimmerman PUBLIC (v// incoming)
EDO RES ACRS/ACNW NFJi M&mm (VT # CRC-99-0652) OGC BSheron SBlack RNorsworthy RDudley TCJohnson l
To receive a copy of Ints document, indicate U" in the box ll I
OFFICE PDIV-3/PM C PDIV-3/LA C
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PDIV/D C DLP)l/ fC NAME WHuhN CJamersoh MMasnik #
SRichard 'JZMirdfki i.
DATE 9/ A /99 9/h/99
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DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\PDIV-3\\Regulatoryimprovement\\ Blanch 7-14 resp.wpd OFFICIAL RECORD COPY 4
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY bC ffY,gg CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TI KET p
PAPER NUMBER:
- 0652 LOGGING DATE: Jul zu h ACTION OFFICE:
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15EDO AUTHOR:
PAUL SLANCH l
DE3E AFFILIATION:
CONNECTICUT DEDR i
DG3M ADDRESSEE:
07 ICE OF THE SECRETARY LETTER DATE:
Jul 14 99 FILE CODE:
M C-D
SUBJECT:
COMMENTS ON SECY 99-168 - IMPROVING DECOMMISSIONING REGULATIONS FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS ACTION:
Appropriate DISTRIBUTION:
CHAIRMAN, COMRS, SECY, OGC SPECIAL HANDLING: NONE CONSTITt9.WT :
NOTES:
DATE DUE:
SIGNATURE:
DATE SIGNED:
AFFILIATION:
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