ML24348A255
| ML24348A255 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Arkansas Nuclear  |
| Issue date: | 12/13/2024 |
| From: | Mahesh Chawla NRC/NRR/DORL/LPL4 |
| To: | Couture P Entergy Nuclear Operations |
| References | |
| L-2024-LLE-0030 | |
| Download: ML24348A255 (4) | |
Text
From:
Mahesh Chawla Sent:
Friday, December 13, 2024 12:55 PM To:
Couture III, Philip Cc:
Keele Jr, Riley D; Clark, Robert; REID, MARK; Tony Nakanishi; tam Tran; Fred Miller; Kosmas Lois; Hannah McLatchie; John Dixon; Alfred Sanchez; Brian Tindell; Timothy DeBey; Erin Tinger
Subject:
ANO 1 & 2 - Exemptions - 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8)(i) and (ii) for use of Decommissioning Trust Funds for Disposal of MRC During Operations - EPID:
Dear Mr. Couture,
By letter dated November 13, 2024 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML24318C273), Entergy Operations, Inc. (EOI)(licensee) submitted exemption requests from 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8)(i) and (ii) for Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO) Units 1 and 2 to allow the immediate withdrawal of a small portion of the funds from the ANO Unit 1 and Unit 2 nuclear decommissioning trust funds (DTF) to facilitate the prompt disposal of certain retired Major Radioactive Components (MRCs). Specifically, EOI seeks approval to use the DTFs, not to exceed $20 million per Unit, to promptly dispose of the following MRCs: Unit 1 -
Two steam generators and one reactor vessel closure head that were removed from service in 2005, and Unit 2 - Two steam generators that were removed from service in 2000. The purpose of this e-mail is to provide the results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs acceptance review of this exemptions request. The basis for EOIs exemption request and includes supporting information outlined in "Interim Staff Guidance on the Use of the Decommissioning Trust Fund During Operations for Major Radioactive Component Disposal (REFS-ISG-2024-01)," to assist the Staffs review of this request.
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.
Pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.12, the NRC may grant exemptions from the agencys regulatory requirements if they are: (1) Authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety, and are consistent with the common defense and security. (2) The Commission will not consider granting an exemption unless special circumstances are present. The NRC regulations in 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8)(i) provide that decommissioning trust funds may be used by licensees if: (A) The withdrawals are for expenses for legitimate decommissioning activities consistent with the definition of decommissioning in § 50.2; (B) The expenditure would not reduce the value of the decommissioning trust below an amount necessary to place and maintain the reactor in a safe storage condition if unforeseen conditions or expenses arise and (C) The withdrawals would not inhibit the ability of the licensee to complete funding of any shortfalls in the decommissioning trust needed to ensure the availability of funds to ultimately release the site and terminate the license. Section 50.2 defines the term "decommission" as: to remove a facility or site safely from service and reduce residual radioactivity to a level that permits (1) release of the property for unrestricted use and termination of the license; or (2) release of the property under restricted conditions and termination of the license.
The NRC staff has reviewed your application and concluded that it does provide technical information in sufficient detail to enable the NRC staff to complete its detailed technical review and make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed amendment in terms of regulatory requirements and the protection of public health and safety and the
environment. Given the lesser scope and depth of the acceptance review as compared to the detailed technical review, there may be instances in which issues that impact the NRC staffs ability to complete the detailed technical review are identified despite completion of an adequate acceptance review. If additional information is needed, you will be advised by separate correspondence.
Based on the information provided in your submittal and discussions during the pre-licensing meeting on September 30, 2024 (Ref: ML24310A015 for the meeting summary), the NRC staff has estimated that this licensing request will take approximately 150 hours0.00174 days <br />0.0417 hours <br />2.480159e-4 weeks <br />5.7075e-5 months <br /> to complete. The NRC staff expects to complete this review in approximately 8 months, which is August 1, 2025.
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 communicated during the routine interactions with the assigned project manager. These estimates are based on the NRC staffs initial review of the application, and they could change, due to several factors including requests for additional information, and unanticipated addition of scope to the review. Additional delay may occur if the submittal is provided to the NRC in advance or in parallel with industry program initiatives or pilot applications.
If you have any questions, please contact me.
Mahesh(Mac) Chawla, Project Manager Licensing Branch LPL4 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Phone: (301) 415-8371 Email: Mahesh.Chawla@nrc.gov
Hearing Identifier:
NRR_DRMA Email Number:
2670 Mail Envelope Properties (SJ0PR09MB104057FE1B37474B1DD735BA8F1382)
Subject:
ANO 1 & 2 - Exemptions - 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8)(i) and (ii) for use of Decommissioning Trust Funds for Disposal of MRC During Operations - EPID L-2024-LLE-0030 Sent Date:
12/13/2024 12:54:54 PM Received Date:
12/13/2024 12:54:00 PM From:
Mahesh Chawla Created By:
Mahesh.Chawla@nrc.gov Recipients:
"Keele Jr, Riley D" <rkeele@entergy.com>
Tracking Status: None "Clark, Robert" <RCLARK@entergy.com>
Tracking Status: None "REID, MARK" <mreid1@entergy.com>
Tracking Status: None "Tony Nakanishi" <Tony.Nakanishi@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "tam Tran" <Tam.Tran@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Fred Miller" <Fred.Miller@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Kosmas Lois" <Kosmas.Lois@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Hannah McLatchie" <Hannah.Mclatchie@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "John Dixon" <John.Dixon@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Alfred Sanchez" <Alfred.Sanchez@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Brian Tindell" <Brian.Tindell@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Timothy DeBey" <Timothy.DeBey@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Erin Tinger" <erin.tinger@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Couture III, Philip" <pcoutur@entergy.com>
Tracking Status: None Post Office:
SJ0PR09MB10405.namprd09.prod.outlook.com Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 5224 12/13/2024 12:54:00 PM Options Priority:
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