ML24022A117
| ML24022A117 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palisades  (DPR-020) |
| Issue date: | 01/23/2024 |
| From: | Justin Poole Plant Licensing Branch III |
| To: | Fleming J Holtec |
| Wall S | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2023-LLA-0174 | |
| Download: ML24022A117 (1) | |
Text
January 23, 2024 Ms. Jean A. Fleming Vice President, Licensing, Regulatory Affairs, and PSA Holtec International, LLC Krishna P. Singh Technology Campus 1 Holtec Boulevard Camden, NJ 08104
SUBJECT:
PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT - ACCEPTANCE OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTION RE: AMENDMENT REQUEST TO REVISE RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE AND PERMANENTLY DEFUELED TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS TO SUPPORT RESUMPTION OF POWER OPERATIONS (EPID L-2023-LLA-0174)
Dear Ms. Fleming:
By letter dated December 14, 2023 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML23348A148), Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC (HDI) submitted a license amendment request (LAR) regarding Palisades Nuclear Plant. Specifically, the LAR would revise the renewed facility operating license, the permanently defueled technical specifications (TSs), and the environmental protection plan to reflect the resumption of power operations at Palisades Nuclear Plant. HDI stated that the LAR, in combination with a request for exemption1 from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), section 50.82(a)(2), a request for a license transfer2, and future LARs, are necessary to reauthorize power operations at Palisades Nuclear Plant. HDI further stated that the LARs are anticipated to be submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) over the next several months.
The purpose of this letter is to provide the results of the NRC staffs acceptance review of the above request. In accordance 10 CFR, section 50.90, an application for an amendment to a license (including the TSs) must fully describe the changes requested, and following as far as applicable, the form prescribed for original applications. Section 50.34 of 10 CFR addresses the content of technical information required. This section stipulates that the submittal address the design and operating characteristics, unusual or novel design features, and principal safety considerations.
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 safety review. The acceptance review is also intended to identify whether the amendment request application has any readily apparent information insufficiencies in its characterization of the regulatory requirements or the licensing basis of the plant.
1 Exemption request submitted by letter dated September 28, 2023 (ML23271A140).
2 License transfer request submitted by letter dated December 6, 2023 (ML23348A148).
The NRC staff has reviewed your application and concluded that it provides technical safety information in sufficient detail to enable the NRC staff to complete its detailed technical safety review. Given the lesser scope and depth of the acceptance review, as compared to the detailed technical safety review, there may be instances in which issues that impact the NRC staffs ability to complete the detailed technical safety review are identified despite completion of an adequate acceptance review. You will be advised of any further information needed to support the NRC staffs detailed technical review by separate correspondence.
With respect to the environmental evaluation, the LAR, submitted by letter dated December 14, 2023, references environmental information provided in the exemption request and provides information in support of your determination that the LAR meets the criteria for a categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). However, because the LAR, the exemption request, the license transfer request, and the future requests for license amendments are connected actions that are all necessary to reauthorize placement of fuel into the reactor vessel and reauthorize power operations at Palisades Nuclear Plant, the NRC staff will make a determination on its regulatory obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act once all associated requests have been received by the NRC.
Based on the information provided in your submittal and discussions during the pre-licensing meeting on December 5, 2023 (ML24016A005), the NRC staff has estimated that this license transfer request will require approximately 950 hours0.011 days <br />0.264 hours <br />0.00157 weeks <br />3.61475e-4 months <br /> to complete the safety review. With respect to your requested completion schedule of January 31, 2025, the NRC staff believes that it will complete the safety review by then. If the NRC staff determines that the request meets applicable requirements, the issuance and effective dates would be further communicated to you and would depend on the prerequisite conditions for restart, such as receipt and review of the other aspects of the Palisades Nuclear Plant reauthorization of power operations effort, including the exemption request, the license transfer request, and license amendment requests to update the administrative requirements in the technical specifications and emergency plan. If there are emergent complexities or challenges in our review that would cause changes to the initial forecasted completion date or significant changes in the forecasted hours, the reasons for the changes, along with the new estimates, will be provided to you via separate correspondence.
If you have any questions, please contact the me at (301) 415-2048 or via email at Justin.Poole@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Justin C. Poole, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch III Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.: 50-255 cc: Listserv
ML24022A117 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM NRR/DORL/LPL3/LA NRR/DORL/LPL3/BC NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM NAME JPoole SRohrer JWhited JPoole DATE 01/19/2024 01/22/2024 01/23/2024 01/23/2024