ML24158A520
| ML24158A520 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vallecitos Nuclear Center |
| Issue date: | 06/11/2024 |
| From: | Jack Parrott Reactor Decommissioning Branch |
| To: | Nicole Warnek Reactor Decommissioning Branch |
| Shared Package | |
| ML24158A409 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML24158A520 (1) | |
Text
MEMORANDUM TO:
Nicole Warnek, Acting Chief Reactor Decommissioning Branch Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards FROM:
Jack D. Parrott, Senior Project Manager Reactor Decommissioning Branch Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards LICENSEE:
General Electric Hitachi Nuclear Energy FACILITY:
Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor License No. DPR-1, Docket No. 50-18
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF THE MAY 21, 2024, PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING THE LICENSE TERMINATION PLAN FOR THE VALLECITOS BOILING WATER REACTOR
Background
On September 7, 2023, as supplemented by letters dated September 15, 2023, and March 25, 2024, and e-mail dated October 31, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received from General Electric (GE) Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH, the licensee) a license amendment request to include a License Termination Plan (LTP) for the GEH Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor (VBWR).
As required by regulation 10 CFR 50.82(a)(9)(iii), after the licensee submits an LTP the NRC must hold a public meeting near the site. The purpose of the meeting is for the NRC staff to discuss the NRCs review of the LTP and to request public comments on the LTP.
CONTACT:
Jack D. Parrott, NMSS/DUWP 301-415-6634 June 11, 2024
N. Warnek Pre-meeting The NRC meeting notice was published on the NRCs Public Meeting Notice System on May 10, 2024. The notice can be found in the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under Accession No. ML24131A119. Per the requirements of 10 CFR 50.82(a)(9)(iii) the meeting and public comment period were also noticed in the Federal Register on May 15, 2024 (89 FR 42510). Directions for submitting comments electronically or by mail were provided in the Federal Register Notice. The comment period for the LTP ends on July 15, 2024. To date, no written comments have been received. The NRC also publish a notice of the meeting in the Tri-Valley Herald on May 15 and 16, 2024. In addition, the NRC Region IV State Liaison Officer sent outreach e-mails about the meeting to representatives of local and State governments and any affected federally recognized native American tribes.
Meeting On May 21, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 pm PDT the NRC staff held a comment-gathering public meeting, at the SpringHill Suites Pleasanton, 7270 Johnson Drive, Pleasanton, California, to discuss the NRC license termination process and the content of the VBWR LTP that would allow for the termination of Facility Operating License DPR-1 for the VBWR. The meeting covered the background on the licensing and operation of the VBWR, the strategy for terminating the license and the NRCs process for approving the VBWR LTP. The meeting was held to take public questions and comments on the LTP.
Representatives from NRC, GEH, NorthStar Vallecitos LLC, (the decommissioning contractor and applicant for direct license transfer for the VBWR), members of the public and interested stakeholders attended the meeting. The meeting was held as a hybrid meeting meaning that participation was both in person and virtually through the MS Teams video meeting application.
Besides the NRC Project Manager, the NRC attendees in the meeting room were Chris Allen, Project Manager, NMSS; and, Nate Fuguet, Health Physicist, NMSS. NRC attendees via MS Teams were Stephanie Anderson, Senior Health Physicist, NRC Region IV and Jill Caverly, Senior Environmental Protection Manager, NMSS. A list of attendees in the meeting room is provided in Enclosure 1 (not all the names of those participating via MS Teams was captured).
Opening remarks for the meeting were given by the NRC Project Manager for the VBWR license. The NRC Project Manager then gave a presentation on the licensing and operation of the VBWR, the content and strategy of the VBWR LTP that would allow for the termination of license for the VBWR by transfer of the residual contamination in the VBWR reactor building to the adjacent Empire State Atomic Development Agency (ESADA) Vallecitos Experimental Superheat Reactor (EVESR) reactor license and the subsequent decommissioning of the EVESR license that would include the VBWR reactor building. The presentation given is provided as Enclosure 2 and can be found in ADAMS at Accession No. ML24158A390.
At the end of the presentations, members of the public and interested stakeholders were invited to ask questions, provide feedback, and make comments on the VBWR LTP. One question was asked. It was addressed by the NRC Project Manager at the meeting. The question and the response are summarized here:
N. Warnek Q1 - ERIC GOLDIN, member of the public, asked if there are state agencies involved in the review of this license transfer?
A1 - JACK PARROTT, Senior Project Manager, NRC, replied that there is a state license at the facility, and that that license was being transferred, as well. That agency, the California Department of Public Health was involved in reviewing the transfer of that license.
A transcript was made of the meeting and is provided as Enclosure 3 and is available in ADAMS at Accession No. ML24158A392. No Public Meeting Feedback forms were received.
Sincerely, Jack D. Parrott, Senior Project Manager Reactor Decommissioning Branch Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and Waste Programs Office of Nuclear Safety and Safeguards
Enclosures:
- 1. List of Attendees
- 2. NRC Presentation Slides
- 3. The transcript of the meeting cc w/enclosures: VBWR ListServ Signed by Parrott, Jack on 06/11/24
OFFICE NMSS/RDB/PM NMSS/RDB/BC NMSS/RDB/PM NAME JParrott NWarnek JParrott DATE 06/10/2024 06/10/2024 06/11/2024 LIST OF ATTENDEES PUBLIC MEETING ON THE LICENSE TERMINATION PLAN FOR THE VALLECITOS BOILING WATER REACTOR May 21, 2024 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission NRC HQ:
Jack Parrott Chris Allen Nate Fuguet Jill Caverly (MS Teams)
NRC Region IV:
Stephanie Anderson (MS Teams)
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy David Wise Carlos Martinez Jeff Smyly NorthStar Adam Ball Scott LaBuy Members of the Public Gary Stimmell Tawni Hardwick Jen Tucker Eric Goldin (MS Teams)
Presentation Slides ML24158A390 Meeting Transcript ML24158A392