ML21263A212

Response Letter to Representative Viola Davis, State of Georgia, Request for Data Concerning Georgia Power Company'S Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 3 and 4 Construction Monitoring, Docket No. 29849

ML21263A212
Person / Time
Site:	Vogtle
Issue date:	10/12/2021
From:	Dan Dorman NRC/EDO
To:	Davis V State of GA, House of Representatives
Santos C
Shared Package
ML21256A271	List: ML21263A212
References
LTR-21-0253-1
Download: ML21263A212 (3)

Text

Representative Davis 2 October 12, 2021 The Honorable Viola Davis Representative, District 87 Post Office Box 830726 Stone Mountain, GA 30083

Dear Representative Davis:

I am responding on behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to your September 2, 2021, letter requesting information on Southern Nuclear Operating Companys (SNCs) Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle) Units 3 and 4. Your letter raises questions and requests information regarding settlement of buildings and a leak in the Vogtle Unit 3 spent fuel pool. Because the NRC has already addressed settlement issues in detail, this response will refer to documents available in the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), available at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.

Regarding settlement, your letter references Mr. Arnold Gundersens declarations in support of a May 2020 hearing request and a December 2020 motion by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) concerning an SNC license amendment request (LAR) associated with seismic gap requirements for Vogtle Unit 3 (LAR-20-001) (ADAMS Accession No. ML20038A939). In that LAR, SNC proposed to change a requirement that the Vogtle Unit 3 auxiliary and annex buildings be constructed with a 3-inch minimum seismic gap between them.

The NRC takes its mission of protecting public health and safety very seriously. The NRC issues license amendments only if it finds that all regulatory requirements have been met and that there is reasonable assurance of adequate protection of the public health and safety. Also, in NRC proceedings, presiding officers independently consider whether hearing requests from the public meet the standards for such requests.

The NRC staff performed a regulatory audit of SNCs settlement data as part of its review of LAR-20-001 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20141L698). Since this information was reviewed as part of a regulatory audit, the NRC did not take possession of the settlement data. The information in possession of the NRC related to LAR-20-001 was released as part of a Freedom of Information Act request (ADAMS Accession No. ML20315A080). As a result of the regulatory audit, the NRC staff did not identify any outstanding issues or the need for the licensee to submit any additional information on the docket. After performing an independent review of LAR-20-001, the NRC staff issued the requested license amendment on August 4, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20132A032). In its safety evaluation, the NRC staff concluded that actual and predicted settlement are within the limits already established in the Vogtle Units 3 and 4 licensing basis and stated the NRC staffs expectation that settlement will be well controlled within the acceptable settlement limits throughout the entire construction sequence and through plant operation. On August 10, 2020, an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) denied BREDLs May 2020 hearing request (ADAMS Accession No. ML20223A385).

BREDLs appeal of the ASLB decision was denied by the Commission on December 22, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20357A101). On December 7, 2020, BREDL submitted a motion to reopen the proceeding.

Representative Davis 2 The Commission denied this motion on March 15, 2021 (ADAMS Accession No. ML21074A116). The questions regarding settlement in your September 2, 2021, letter center around the licensing action and BREDLs associated hearing submissions. The NRC has thoroughly reviewed these issues and did not identify any safety concerns. Additional information about the NRCs determinations on these issues can be found using the referenced ADAMS accession numbers cited above.

Your letter also discusses a leak in the Vogtle Unit 3 spent fuel pool identified during testing and prior to fuel being placed in the pool. The NRC is aware of this issue and is conducting inspections to assess the adequacy of SNCs actions to repair the leak. The information you requested related to the spent fuel pool is considered proprietary by SNC or is related to pre-decisional inspection activities. The results of the NRCs inspection activities will be documented in future inspection reports.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Mr. John Pelchat, Senior Regional Government Liaison Officer, Region II, at (404) 997-4427.

Sincerely, Signed by Dorman, Dan on 10/12/21 Daniel H. Dorman Executive Director for Operations Docket Nos.: 52-025 52-026 cc: Listserv

Representative Davis 3

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR DATA CONCERNING GEORGIA POWER COMPANYS VOGTLE UNITS 3 AND 4 CONSTRUCTION MONITORING DATED: October 12, 2021 DISTRIBUTION: LTR-21-0253 Public VPO RF John Pelchat, RII Rids NrrVpo Resource Rids NrrPmVogtle Resource Rids NrrMailCenter Resource Rids NrrOd Resource Rids OcaMailCenter Resource Rids OgcMailCenter Resource Rids SecyMailCenter Resource ADAMS Accession Numbers: ML21263A212 (Letter)

ML21256A271 (Package) *via email OFFICE NRR/VPO/PM NRR/VPO/LA NRR/VPO/PM NRR/VPO/BC NAME JRankin RButler CSantos PMcKenna DATE 9/21/2021 9/22/2021 9/21/2021 9/21/2021 OFFICE NRR/VPO/D OGC NRR/DD NRC/EDO/DD NAME GBowman MSpencer MKing for AVeil DDorman DATE 9/21/2021 9/29/2021 10/5/2021 10/12/2021 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY