ML20234E587

Responds to 870518 Concerns Re Commission Responses to 860715 Petition & State of Ma Rept on Plant Mgt,Reactor Safety & Offsite Emergency Planning.Facility Problems Cannot Be Easily Resolved

ML20234E587
Person / Time
Site:	Pilgrim
Issue date:	06/25/1987
From:	Zech L NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
To:	Dukakis M MASSACHUSETTS, COMMONWEALTH OF
Shared Package
ML20234E588	List: ML20234E587 ML20234E610 ML20234E624
References
NUDOCS 8707070618
Download: ML20234E587 (3)

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UNITED STAT ES g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION R B

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;y g JTaylor WKane, RI .

\ . . . . . ,/ TRehm VNerses I CHAIRMAN RStarostecki AThadani  !

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DMossburg EDO 2888 JBlaha WPaton, OGC FMiraglia The Honorable Michael S. Dukakis SECY 87-600 MLandau i

Governor of Massachusetts JWiggins, RI CA Boston, MA 02133 JSniezek/TMurley DBMatthews

Dear Governor Dukakis:

RWessman I am responding to your letter of May 18, 1987, regarding the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. In that letter you expressed concern with the timeliness of the Commission's response to a ,

petition filed by Massachusetts State Senator William B. Golden and others on July 15, 1986. Additionally, you expressed concern over the Commission's lack of response to a report prepared by the Massachusetts Office of Public Safety regarding plant management, reactor safety, and offsite emergency planning at the Pilgrim facility.

The petition filed by Senator Golden and others requested that the NRC order the Boston Edison Company to show cause why the Pilgrim plant should not remain closed or have its operating license suspended by NRC until the licensee demonstrates that the issues raised in the petition have been resolved. The relief sought by the petitioners was based on allegations of numerous deficiencies in licensee management, inadequacy of the existing radiological i emergency response plan, and inherent deficiencies in the plant's l containment structure. We acknowledged the petition by a letter l dated August 12, 1986, and we are addressing the issues raised under 10 CFR 2.206 of the Commission's regulations.  !

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1. It is the NRC's practice to respond to petitions filed pursuant to l 10 CFR 2.206 within a reasonable time. The time needed to adequately respond to a particular petition depends on a number of factors including the complexity of the issues raised, the specificity of the information provided, whether additional information is needed or analysis required, and whether responses to the petition from a licensee or others are appropriate.

Because the NRC is satisfied that the facility will remain shut down until certain technical, operational, and management issues are adequately addressed, the staff decided that it would be more meaningful to formally respond to the petition after the licensee had an opportunity to address the issues raised by the petition, and the NRC had an opportunity to review the licensee's actions atid other necessar i formation. We advised Senator Golden of this decision on Der- er 19, 1986. While the NRC continues to Oricinated: NRR:Wessman 8707070618 870625 PDR COMMS NRCC CORRESPONDENCE PDR

• e evaluate the licensee's program to correct previously identified problems, the-NRC staff has proposed a meeting with Senator Golden and other petitioners to discuss the NRC's actions and to answer any questions the petitioners may have. I expect this meeting to be held in the near future. The staff is also preparing a response to the petition and it is expected to be issued in the near future.

The NRC has received the report entitled, " Report to the Governor on Emergency Preparedness for an Accident at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station," prepared by the Massachusetts Office of Public Safety. We transmitted a copy of the report to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which is reviewing it and other related reports. When that review is complete, we will review the FEMA findings regarding offsite emergency preparedness at Pilgrim.

In parallel we are reviewing the other management and technical issues contained in Secretary Barry's report. We will provide you the results of these reviews as soon as they are completed.

The problems experienced at the Pilgrim facility are not the-type" ' ' '

that can be easily resolved. The Pilgrim f acility has received, '

and will continue to receive, priority attention from the NRC ,

staff as the licensee works toward resolving these problems.' This NRC priority attention includes increased inspection coverage.by the NRC Region I office and additional Headquarters staff attention. As a prerequisite to restart, Boston Edison Company must satisfy itself and the NRC that the facility and its operating staff and managers are ready to resume operation.

Before the Commission allows Pilgrim to rest. art, the Commission will be briefed by the staff, at a public meeting, on the readiness of Pilgrim to resume operations.

Bosten Edison has not yet made a determination regarding Pilgrim's readiness to resume operation. Because we have not received the utility's readiness report, we are not ready to consider the restart issue. I assure you that the NRC will not permit the restart of the Pilgrim facility until the issues raised by petitioners, as well as other issues raised during the facility's prolonged shutdown, have been resolved to the satisfaction of the NRC.

Commissioner Asselstine does not agree with this response.

Sincerely, b 1.

Lando W. Zech Jr.

m 8 'o Igo UNITED STATES 8" NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION h *-  ;$ WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555

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m't gJ m @bhy EDO PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL FROM: DUE: JM.A>5C EDO CONTROL: 002888 GOVERNOR MICHAEL S. DUKAKIS STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS g/g

/ //' DOC DT: 05/18/87 FINAL REPLY:

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CHAIRMAN ZECH 1

FOR SIGNATURE OF: ** PRIORITY ** SECY NO: 87-600 l 1

CHAIRMAN DESC: ROUTING:

CONCERNS RE LACK OF RESPONSE TO 2.206 PETITION ON STELLO PILGRIM TAYLOR REHM DATE: 05/26/87 MURRAY ASSIGNED TO: NRR CONTACT: MURLEY RUSSELL, RI

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SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

REF. EDO 1953 17M#

)g,[)tN h NRR RECEIVED: t1AY 27, 1987 j, ACTION: :DRPR:VARGA.

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NRR ROUTING: MURL3/SNIEZEK 1 7FA' Ig[ hg&vM-STAROSTECKI f11RAGLIA BLAHA FUNCHES MOSSBURG l

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