ML24141A119

Acceptance of Requested Licensing Action Amendment Request to Revise the Palisades Nuclear Plant Site Emergency Plan to Support Resumption of Power Operations

ML24141A119
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	05/23/2024
From:	Justin Poole Plant Licensing Branch III
To:	Fleming J Holtec
Wall S
References
EPID L-2024-LLA-0060
Download: ML24141A119 (3)

Text

May 23, 2024

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 THE PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT SITE EMERGENCY PLAN TO SUPPORT RESUMPTION OF POWER OPERATIONS (EPID L-2024-LLA-0060)

Dear Jean Fleming:

By letter dated May 1, 2024 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML24122C666), Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC (HDI) submitted a license amendment request (LAR) regarding Palisades Nuclear Plant (PNP).

Specifically, the LAR would revise the PNP Site Emergency Plan and emergency classification scheme to reflect the resumption of power operations at PNP. HDI stated in part that this LAR, in combination with other requests, are necessary to reauthorize power operations at PNP.

Requests that have already been submitted are a request for exemption 1 from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), section 50.82(a)(2), a request for a license transfer 2, an LAR to revise permanently defueled technical specifications (TS) technical requirements 3, and an LAR to revise permanently defueled TS administrative requirements 4.

The purpose of this letter is to provide the results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs acceptance review of the above request. In accordance 10 CFR, section 50.90, an application for an amendment to a license (inclu ding 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 com plete its detailed technical safety review. The

1 Exemption request submitted by lette r dated September 28, 2023 (ML23271A140).

2 License transfer request submitted by letter dated December 6, 2023 (ML23348A148).

3 Amendment to revise permanently defueled TS submitted by letter dated December 14, 2023 (ML23348A148).

4 Amendment to revise the permanently defueled administrative TS submitted by letter dated February 9, 2024 (ML24040A089).

J. Fleming

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.

The NRC staff has reviewed your application and conc luded 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 May 1, 2024, references environmental information provided in the 10 CFR 50.82 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 this LAR, the exemption request, the license transfer request, the two LARs associated with the permanently defueled TS, and any future requests that are necessary for restart are connected actions that are all necessary to reauthorize placement of fuel into the reactor vessel and reauthorize power operations at PNP, 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 subm ittal and discussions during the pre-licensing meeting on March 18, 2024 (ML24089A247), the NRC staff has estimated that it will require approximately 600 hours0.00694 days <br />0.167 hours <br />9.920635e-4 weeks <br />2.283e-4 months <br /> to complete the safety review for this LAR. With respect to your requested completion schedule of May 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 PNP reauthorization of power operations effort, including the exemption request, the license transfer request, and the two LARs to update the permanently defueled TS. 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

ML24141A119 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM NRR/DORL/LPL3/LA NRR/DORL/LPL3/BC NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM

NAME JPoole SRohrer JWhited JPoole DATE 05/20/2024 05/21/2024 05/23/2024 05/23/2024