NOC-AE-12002937, Request for NRC Staff to Suspend Safety Review of the South Texas Project License Renewal Application (TAC Nos. ME4936 and ME4937)

Request for NRC Staff to Suspend Safety Review of the South Texas Project License Renewal Application (TAC Nos. ME4936 and ME4937)

ML12359A062
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	12/11/2012
From:	Rencurrel D South Texas
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NOC-AE-12002937, TAC ME4936, TAC ME4937
Download: ML12359A062 (3)

Text

Nuclear Operating Company South Texas Project Electric Generathn$Station P0. Box 28.9 Wadsworth, Texas 77483 December 11, 2012 NOC-AE-1 2002937 10 CFR 54 STI: 33632263 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555-0001 South Texas Project Units 1 & 2 Docket Nos. STN 50-498, STN 50-499 Request for NRC Staff to Suspend Safety Review of the South Texas Project License Renewal ADplication (TAC Nos. ME4936 and ME4937)

References:

1. STPNOC Letter dated October 25, 2010, from G. T. Powell to NRC Document Control Desk, "License Renewal Application" (NOC-AE-1 0002607) (ML103010257)

2. Commission Memorandum and Order (CLI-12-16) to Suspend Final Licensing Decisions on Reactor License Applications Pending Completion of Remanded Waste Confidence Proceeding, dated August 7, 2012 (ML12220A099)

3. SRM COMSECY-12-0016, "Staff Requirements - COMSECY-12-0016 -

Approach for Addressing Policy Issues Resulting from Court Decision to Vacate Waste Confidence Decision and Rule", dated September 6, 2012 (ML12250A032)

This letter requests a temporary suspension of the safety review of the South Texas Project (STP), Units 1 and 2, license renewal application. By Reference 1, STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) submitted an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the renewal of Facility Operating Licenses NPF-76 and NPF-80, for STP Units 1 and 2, respectively. By Reference 2, the NRC announced a suspension in issuance of final license decisions in reactor licensing cases, pending the completion on a remanded Waste Confidence decision to account for a recent court decision. By Reference 3, the Commission directed the NRC staff to establish a schedule to publish a final rule and environmental impact statement to support an updated Waste Confidence decision in September 2014.

In view of the length of time before the updated Waste Confidence decision rule will be completed, STPNOC requests that the NRC staff suspend its safety review of the STP, Units 1 and 2, license renewal application until January 1, 2014, except to the limited extent necessary to issue the Safety Evaluation Report with Open Items and place its work in a status that can be readily resumed in 2014 without duplicating effort it has already completed.

NOC-AE-12002937 Page 2 Suspension of license renewal activities will allow STPNOC to refocus resources to support the near-term operations of Units 1 and 2 and to work on current open issues associated with the license renewal application.

This request does not pertain to the activities associated with the environmental review of the STP Units 1 and 2 license renewal application. STPNOC requests that the review of the environmental review activities continue and that an update of the milestones associated with these activities be published when available.

STPNOC will continue to meet the requirements of 10 CFR 54.21(b) for meeting the annual update obligation to identify any change to the current licensing basis that materially affects the contents of the LRA, including the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) supplement.

There are no regulatory commitments included with this letter. Regulatory commitments associated with the STP, Units 1 and 2, license renewal application will be reviewed and extended by separate correspondence, as appropriate.

If there are any questions regarding this letter, please contact Ken Taplett at (361) 972-8416 or me at (361) 972-7867.

6iSRencurrel Senior Vice President kjt

NOC-AE-12002937 Page 3 cc:

(paper copy) (electronic copy)

Regional Administrator, Region IV A. H. Gutterman, Esquire U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Kathryn M. Sutton, Esquire 1600 East Lamar Boulevard Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Arlington, TX 76011-4511 Balwant K. Singal John Ragan Senior Project Manager Chris O'Hara U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Jim von Suskil One White Flint North (MS 8 B13) NRG South Texas LP 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 NRC Resident Inspector Kevin Polio U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Richard Pena P. O. Box 289, Mail Code: MN116 City Public Service Wadsworth, TX 77483 C. M. Canady C. Mele City of Austin City of Austin Electric Utility Department 721 Barton Springs Road Peter Nemeth Austin, TX 78704 Crain Caton & James, P.C.

Richard A. Ratliff John W. Daily Texas Department of State Health License Renewal Project Manager (Safety) Services U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission One White Flint North (MS 011-F1) Alice Rogers Washington, DC 20555-0001 Texas Department of State Health Services Tam Tran Balwant K. Singal License Renewal Project Manager John W. Daily (Environmental) Tam Tran U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission One White Flint North (MS 011 F01)

Washington, DC 20555-0001