ML22165A248

Termination of Emergency Response Data System Feed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

ML22165A248
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	07/01/2022
From:	Nancy Salgado NRC/NRR/DORL/LPL3
To:	Entergy Nuclear Operations, Holtec Decommissioning International
Wall S, NRR/DORL/LPL3
References
Download: ML22165A248 (3)

Text

July 1, 2022 Site Vice President Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC Palisades Nuclear Plant 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, MI 49043-9530

SUBJECT:

PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT - TERMINATION OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE DATA SYSTEM FEED TO THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Dear Sir or Madam:

This letter serves to acknowledge the termination by Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (ENOI) of the Emergency Response Data System (ERDS) data link from the Palisades Nuclear Plant (Palisades) to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Operations Center on June 13, 2022, as it is no longer required based on the permanently shutdown and defueled condition of your facility.

Section VI of Appendix E to Part 50 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) establishes the requirement for a nuclear power reactor licensee to have a real-time electronic data link from the licensees onsite computer system to the NRC Operations Center that provides for the automated transmission of a limited dataset of selected parameters. However, section VI.2 of Appendix E to 10 CFR Part 50 specifically exempts those nuclear power facilities that have permanently or indefinitely shut down from the requirement to maintain the ERDS data link with the NRC.

By letter dated January 4, 2017 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML17004A062), as supplemented by letters dated September 28, 2017, and October 19, 2017 (ML17271A233 and ML17292A032, respectively),

ENOI notified the NRC, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1)(i), of its intention to permanently cease power operations at PNP no later than May 31, 2022.

By letter dated June 13, 2022 (ML22164A067), ENOI certified that power operations ceased at Palisades on May 20, 2022, and that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1)(ii), the fuel was permanently removed from the Palisades reactor vessel and placed in the spent fuel pool on June 10, 2022. Upon the NRCs docketing of these certifications, the 10 CFR Part 50 license for PNP no longer authorizes operation of the reactor or emplacement or retention of fuel into the reactor vessel, as specified in 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2).

By order dated December 13, 2021 (ML21292A146), the NRC staff approved (1) the transfer of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-20 for Palisades, the general license for the Palisades independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI), Facility Operating License No. DPR-6 for the Big Rock Point Plant (Big Rock Point), and the general license for the Big Rock Point ISFSI (referred to collectively as the Sites and the licenses) to a Holtec International

(Holtec) subsidiary to be known as Holtec Palisades, LLC (Holtec Palisades) and (2) the transfer of ENOIs operating authority (i.e., its authority to conduct licensed activities at the Sites) to Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC (HDI). The order also approved draft conforming administrative amendments to the licenses to reflect the transfer.

On June 28, 2022 (ML22179A075), ENOI informed the NRC that the license transfer transaction closed on June 28, 2022. On June 28, 2022 (ML22173A179), the NRC staff issued Amendment No. 129 for Big Rock Point and Amendment No. 273 for Palisades to reflect the license transfer.

Accordingly, HDI is now the licensee for decommissioning operations at Big Rock Point and Palisades.

Based on the certification of the permanently shutdown and defueled condition of the Palisades reactor, the NRC acknowledges that HDI is no longer required to maintain the Palisades ERDS in accordance with Section VI.3 of Appendix E to 10 CFR Part 50 and has subsequently terminated the ERDS data transmission link to the NRC.

The termination of the ERDS link for Palisades does not impact the licensees responsibility to provide notification to offsite authorities for an emergency declaration, to provide information on facility status to support the assessment of a potential radiological release at the facility, and to advise on offsite action that offsite authorities may consider to protect their citizenry, as described in the Palisades Post-Shutdown Emergency Plan, which was approved by letter dated September 24, 2018 (ML18170A219).

If you have any questions regarding the termination of the ERDS data link from Palisades to the NRC Operations Center, please contact Bezakulu Alemu at (301) 287-3731 or by e-mail to Bezakulu.Alemu@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Digitally signed by Nancy L. Nancy L. Salgado Date: 2022.07.01 Salgado 07:20:24 -04'00' Nancy L. Salgado, Chief Plant Licensing Branch III Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-255 cc: Listserv

ML22165A248 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM NRR/DORL/LPL3/LA NSIR/DPR/RLB/BC NAME SWall SRohrer JQuichocho (MNorris for)

DATE 06/14/2022 06/14/2022 06/28/2022 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL3/BC NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM NAME NSalgado SWall DATE 07/01/2022 07/01/2022