ML23139A171
| ML23139A171 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/09/2024 |
| From: | Kathryn Brock NRC/NSIR/DPR |
| To: | Gudinas D Federal Emergency Management Agency |
| References | |
| Download: ML23139A171 (1) | |
Text
Mr. David Gudinas, Director National Exercise and Technological Hazards National Preparedness Directorate Federal Emergency Management Agency 400 C Street, SW Washington, DC 20024
SUBJECT:
NOTIFICATION TO THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF APPROVED EXEMPTIONS FROM OFF-SITE EMERGENCY PLANNING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT.
Dear Mr. Gudinas:
This is to notify you that on January 4, 2024, the Palisades Nuclear Plant (PNP) implemented specific exemptions from emergency planning and preparedness (EP) requirements in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.47, Emergency plans, and Appendix E, Emergency Planning and Preparedness for Production and Utilization Facilities, to 10 CFR Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML24005A126). The exemptions were authorized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on December 22, 2023 (ML23263A977), based on our analysis of an exemption application from Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC (HDI, the licensee), on behalf of Holtec Palisades, LLC.
Upon implementation of these exemptions, HDIs EP program at the PNP site will consist of performing licensee on-site emergency response activities, such as exercises, notifying off-site authorities in the event of an emergency classification, and maintaining arrangements for only off-site response organizations (OROs) that may respond to on-site emergencies (e.g., law enforcement, fire and medical services). HDI will continue to offer OROs with responsibilities under the licensees emergency plan the opportunity to participate in on-site exercises.
The NRC-authorized exemptions were effective on December 22, 2023. This date is greater than the calculated time of approximately 12 months after permanent cessation of power operations at PNP and related to the time needed for the radionuclides in the spent fuel of the spent fuel pool (SFP) to decay such that: (1) an offsite radiological release will not exceed the limits of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPAs) early phase protective action guide of one roentgen equivalent man at the sites exclusion area boundary for remaining applicable design basis accidents (DBAs); and (2) in the highly unlikely event of a beyond-DBA resulting in a loss of all SFP cooling, there would be sufficient time to initiate appropriate SFP mitigating actions. PNP permanently ceased operations on May 20, 2022, and all fuel was removed from the PNP reactor vessel on June 10, 2022. By letter dated June 13, 2022 (ML22164A067), HDI certified to the NRC that the fuel had been permanently removed from the PNP reactor vessel and placed in the spent fuel pool (SFP). The NRC docketed HDIs certification that all fuel has been permanently removed from the PNP reactor vessel and placed into the PNP SFPs, January 9, 2024
D. Gudinas pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2); therefore, the 10 CFR Part 50 license for PNP no longer authorizes operation of the reactor or emplacement or retention of fuel in the reactor vessel.
The NRC no longer requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to monitor, review, or report on off-site radiological EP activities at the PNP site in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between FEMA and the NRC, dated December 7, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15344A371). As such, we request that FEMA provide a formal notice to the State of Michigan and local governments within the designated plume exposure pathway and ingestion pathway EP zones that the off-site radiological emergency plans, under Title 44, Emergency Management and Assistance, of the CFR, Part 350, Review and Approval of State and Local Radiological Emergency Plans and Preparedness, will no longer be required for the PNP site.
Should you need more information or support in interfacing with the State of Michigan on this matter, please contact Jessie Quichocho of my staff at (301) 415-0209.
Sincerely, Kathryn M. Brock, Director Division of Preparedness and Response Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response cc: B. Foreman, FEMA T. Warnock, FEMA C. Fiore, FEMA D. Gudinas, FEMA C. Fiore, FEMA J. Weil, OCA D. McIntyre, OPA V. Mitlyng, Region III P. Chandrathil, RIII Signed by Brock, Kathryn on 01/09/24
Ltr ML23139A171 OFFICE NSIR/DPR/RLB NSIR/DPR/RLB OGC/NLO NSIR/DPR/RLB NAME JArce JQuichocho KMott for CKreuzberger JQuichocho DATE May 24, 2023 May 24, 2023 Jun 1, 2023 Jan 8, 2024 OFFICE NSIR/DPR NAME KBrock DATE Jan 9, 2024