ML25198A305
| ML25198A305 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palisades  |
| Issue date: | 07/17/2025 |
| From: | Naber A NRC/OGC |
| To: | |
| SECY RAS | |
| References | |
| RAS 57412, 50-255-LA-3, ASLBP 24-986-01-LA-BD01 | |
| Download: ML25198A305 (0) | |
Text
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE COMMISSION In the Matter of HOLTEC DECOMMISSIONING INTERNATIONAL, LLC, AND HOLTEC PALISADES, LLC (Palisades Nuclear Plant)
Docket Nos. 50-255-LA-3 NOTIFICATION The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Staff is filing this notification to inform the participants in this matter that the Staff has provided the Commission with a Notification of Significant Licensing Action stating that, on or about July 24, 2025, the Staff intends to issue a final no significant hazards consideration determination and license amendment approving changes to the operating license and technical specifications to support the reauthorization of power operations at Palisades Nuclear Plant. Concurrently with the issuance of this license amendment, the NRC staff intends to issue its approval of a license transfer application, exemption request, and three license amendment requests related to the reauthorization of power operations at Palisades Nuclear Plant.
The Notification of Significant Licensing Action is attached.
Respectfully submitted,
/Signed (electronically) by/
Anita Ghosh Naber Counsel for NRC Staff Mail Stop: O-15-B05 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Telephone: (301) 415-0764 E-mail: anita.ghoshnaber@nrc.gov Dated July 17, 2025
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE COMMISSION In the Matter of HOLTEC DECOMMISSIONING INTERNATIONAL, LLC, AND HOLTEC PALISADES, LLC (Palisades Nuclear Plant)
Docket Nos. 50-255-LA-3 Certificate of Service Pursuant to 10 C.F.R. § 2.305, I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing notification, dated July 17, 2025, have been served upon the Electronic Information Exchange (the NRCs E-Filing System), in the captioned proceeding, this 17th day of July 2025.
/Signed (electronically) by/
Anita Ghosh Naber Counsel for NRC Staff Mail Stop: O-15-B05 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Telephone: (301) 415-0764 E-mail: anita.ghoshnaber@nrc.gov Dated July 17, 2025
July 17, 2025 OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION NOTIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT LICENSING ACTION LICENSEE:
Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC Holtec Palisades, LLC Palisades Nuclear Plant Docket No. 50-255
SUBJECT:
PROPOSED ISSUANCE OF LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR WHICH A HEARING HAS BEEN REQUESTED (EPID L-2023-LLA-0174)
This is to inform the Commission that a final no significant hazards consideration determination and license amendment approving changes to the operating license and technical specifications to support the reauthorization of power operations at Palisades Nuclear Plant (Palisades) will be issued on or about July 24, 2025. This action is being taken in response to the license amendment request dated December 14, 2023 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML23348A148), as supplemented by letters dated July 9, 2024 (ML24191A422), and December 19, 2024 (ML24354A111) (Power Operations Technical Specifications (TS) Amendment).
Palisades is located in Covert, Michigan, in Van Buren County, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Palisades is a pressurized-water reactor with a thermal rating of 2,565 megawatts thermal. Commercial operations of Palisades began on December 31, 1971. Palisades ceased power operations on May 20, 2022. In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.82(a)(2), the Palisades license does not authorize power operations or emplacement or retention of fuel in the reactor vessel.
On August 7, 2024, the NRC published in the Federal Register (FR) an opportunity to request a hearing and an opportunity to comment on its proposed no significant hazards consideration determination (89 FR 64486). In response, the NRC received two initial hearing requests on the Power Operations TS Amendment from 1) Mr. Alan Blind on behalf of himself and Bruce Davis, Karen Davis, Jody Flynn, Thomas Flynn, Christian Moevs, Dianne Ebert, Mary Huffman, and Chuck Huffman, filed on September 9, 2024; and 2) Beyond Nuclear, Dont Waste Michigan, Michigan Safe Energy Future, Three Mile Island Alert, and Nuclear Energy Information Service (collectively, Petitioning Organizations), filed on October 7, 2024. On March 3, 2025, the Petitioning Organizations filed a motion for leave to file new and amended contentions based on the publication of the Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact. On March 31, 2025 (ML25090A164), the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (the Board) issued a CONTACT: Justin C. Poole, NRR 301-415-2048 Memorandum and Order denying both initial hearing requests. On April 25, 2025 (ML25115A265), the Petitioning Organizations appealed the Boards decision on their initial hearing request. On June 20, 2025 (ML25171A153), the Board issued an Order denying the Petitioners Organizations motion for leave to file new and amended contentions. On July 15, 2025 (ML25196A132), the Petitioning Organizations appealed the Boards decision on the new and amended contentions. Both appeals are pending before the Commission. The NRC also received public comments (available at www.regulations.gov under docket NRC-2024-0130).
The NRC staffs consideration of these comments is discussed in its evaluation of the Power Operations TS Amendment.
In accordance with the Commissions regulations, the State of Michigan was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments on June 3, 2025. The State official had no comments.
Concurrently with the issuance of the Power Operations TS Amendment, the NRC staff will issue its approval of 1) a license transfer application seeking NRC consent to, and a conforming amendment for, a transfer of operating authority from Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC to Palisades Energy, LLC; 2) an exemption request from the 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2) restriction that prohibits reactor power operations and retention of fuel in the reactor vessel by allowing for a one-time rescission of the docketed 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1) certifications; 3) a license amendment request to revise the administrative controls section of the Palisades technical specifications to support the resumption of power operations at Palisades; 4) a license amendment request to revise the Palisades site emergency plan; and 5) a license amendment request to revise the Palisades main steam line break analysis. The staff is issuing its approval of these six actions concurrently, on or about July 24, 2025, to reauthorize power operations at Palisades. Although the staff plans to issue these actions on or about July 24, 2025, the exemption and license amendments are conditioned such that the plant cannot return to an operational status, and would not be authorized to receive or load fuel, earlier than August 25, 2025. This is in line with the licensees July 1, 2025, Notification of Readiness for Transition to Power Operations Licensing Basis letter (ML25182A066).
NOTE: Information to be added after issuance of the amendment Date of amendment issued:
Date received by licensee:
Date the Petitioning Organizations were notified:
- via eConcurrence NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL3/PM NRR/DORL/LPL3/LA NRR/DORL/LPL3/BC OGC - NLO NAME JPoole SLent IBerrios AGhoshNaber DATE 07/07/2025 07/07/2025 07/08/2025 07/10/2025 OFFICE NRR/DORL/D(A)
NRR/D(A)
EDO(A)
NAME JPelton GBowman MKing DATE 07/11/2025 7/14/2025 07/17/25