ML23304A235
| ML23304A235 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vallecitos Nuclear Center |
| Issue date: | 10/30/2023 |
| From: | Jack Parrott Reactor Decommissioning Branch |
| To: | Murray S GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy |
| References | |
| EPID L-2023-LLA-0138 | |
| Download: ML23304A235 (1) | |
Text
From:
Jack Parrott To:
Murray, Scott Cc:
Smyly, Jeffrey (GE Power Portfolio); Shaun Anderson; Michelle Rome (She/Her)
Subject:
License Termination Plan for the Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor License DPR-1 Acceptance of Requested Licensing Action (EPID L-2023-LLA-0138)
Date:
Monday, October 30, 2023 4:06:00 PM Attachments:
image001.png Scott Murray,
By letter dated September 7, 2023 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML23250A267), as supplemented by letter dated September 15, 2023, (ADAMS Accession No. ML23261A591), GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) submitted the license termination plan (LTP) for the Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor (VBWR) for approval pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(9). The purpose of this e-mail is to provide the results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs acceptance review of the LTP (ML23261A594) and Enclosure 1 (ML23261A593), the Environmental Report (ER), to the September 15, 2023, submittal. The acceptance review was performed to determine if there is sufficient technical information in scope and depth to allow the NRC staff to complete its detailed technical review. The acceptance review is also intended to identify whether the application has any readily apparent information insufficiencies in its characterization of the regulatory requirements or the licensing basis of the plant. The NRC staff has reviewed your application and concluded that the information delineated below is necessary to enable the staff to make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed LTP in terms of regulatory requirements for the protection of public health and safety and the environment:
In the ER, Section 1.1, Introduction, states, It is the intent of GEH to decommission the Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor (VBWR) at the VNC and terminate its Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license Developmental Power Reactor (DPR) -1.
Later in that same section, the ER states that For the VBWR license termination, the residual radioactive materials will remain under the Empire State Atomic Development Associates Incorporate Vallecitos Experimental Superheat Reactor license until it is terminated. In Section 1.3, Purpose, the ER states The purpose of this ER is to present a current evaluation of the actual or potential environmental impacts resulting from the preparation, removal, and disposal of the VBWR vessel.
The vessel removal is the remaining component that is inseparable from the DPR-1 license. It is not clear which activities are being conducted in support of license termination. GEH stated in the LTP that removal of the VBWR vessel would occur through the 50.59 process. Please confirm that the vessel removal activity was part of the 50.59 process and not part of the approval request associated with the LTP.
This information is needed to determine the scope of the review and provide a basis for staffs evaluation. This information is required for compliance with 10 CFR 51.45(b)(1).
In order to make the application complete, the NRC staff requests that GEH supplement the application to address the information requested above as soon as possible. This will enable the NRC staff to begin its detailed technical review. The information requested and associated time frame in this letter were discussed with you on October 30, 2023.
Sincerely,
Jack D. Parrott Senior Project Manager US Nuclear Regulatory Commission 301-415-6634