NRC-11-0040, Enrico Fermi Atomic Power Plant Unit 1, Decommissioning Project Schedule and Cost Changes

Enrico Fermi Atomic Power Plant Unit 1, Decommissioning Project Schedule and Cost Changes

ML112290006
Person / Time
Site:	Fermi
Issue date:	08/16/2011
From:	Plona J Detroit Edison, DTE Energy
To:	NRC/FSME, Document Control Desk
References
NRC-11-0040, TAC J00334
Download: ML112290006 (4)

Text

Joseph H. Plona Site Vice President 6400 N.Dixie Highway, Newport, MI 48166 Tel: 734.586.5910 Fax: 734.586.4172 August 16, 2011 10 CFR 50.82(a)(7)

NRC-11-0040 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attention: Document Control Desk Washington D C 20555

References:

1) Enrico Fermi Atomic Power Plant, Unit 1 NRC Docket No. 50-16 NRC License Number DPR-9

2) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-00-0092 "Notification of Changes in Fermi 1 Schedule and Activities", dated November 6, 2000

3) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-07-0046, "Notification of Changes in Fermi 1 Decommissioning Cost", dated August 27, 2007

4) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-09-0017, "Proposed License Amendment - License Termination Plan",

dated March 25, 2009

5) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-09-0043, "License Termination Plan, Revision 1", dated June 30, 2009

6) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-10-0007, "License Termination Plan, Revision 2", dated March 23, 2010

7) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-10-0079, "License Termination Plan, Revision 3", dated December 20, 2010

8) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-11-0036, "License Termination Plan, Revision 4", dated June 29, 2011

USNRC NRC-11-0040 Page 2

9) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-07-0053, "Report on Groundwater Characterization", dated November 9, 2007

10) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-11-0018, "Fermi 1 Groundwater Site Conceptual Model", dated June 29, 2011

11) NRC Letter, "Report of April 7, 2010 Category 1 Meeting, Fermi 1 Docket 05-00016 (TAC No. J00334)", dated April 14, 2010

12) NRC Letter, "Acceptance Review of Proposed License Termination Plan and Amendment Request, Enrico Fermi Atomic Power Plant, Unit No. 1, License DPR-9",

(TAC No. J00334), dated June 11, 2009

13) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-09-0046, "Modeling Scenarios for Fermi 1 License Termination Plan Criteria",

dated August 27, 2009

14) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-09-0053, "Information Regarding the Fermi 1 License Termination Plan", dated October 23, 2009

15) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-09-0070, "Information Regarding the Fermi 1 License Termination Plan", dated December 3, 2009

16) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-09-0080, "Information Regarding the Fermi 1 License Termination Plan", dated December 15, 2009

17) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-09-0078, "Proprietary and Confidential Decommissioning Cost Information Regarding the Fermi 1 License Termination Plan per 10CFR2.390", dated February 12, 2010

18) Detroit Edison Letter, NRC-10-0008, "Submittal of Supporting Financial Information on the Fermi 1 License Termination Plan",

dated February 12, 2010

Subject:

Enrico Fermi Atomic Power Plant Unit 1 Fermi 1 Decommissioning Project Schedule and Cost Changes This letter provides the notification required by 10 CFR 50.82(a)(7) of changes to the Fermi 1 decommissioning project schedule and cost.

USNRC NRC-11-0040 Page 3 Fermi 1 is a permanently shutdown experimental sodium cooled breeder reactor, which last operated in 1972. It is in the SAFSTOR status and its possession only license expires in 2025.

In Reference 2, Detroit Edison informed the NRC and the State of Michigan of its intent to complete nuclear decommissioning of Fermi 1. Reference 3 reported a revision to the schedule and cost of the project. It also stated that the project would be assessed periodically and that a decision will be made whether to continue or revise the decommissioning plans. Based on a review performed this year, Detroit Edison has decided to return the Fermi 1 facility to a passive monitoring SAFSTOR status from the active final decontamination phase of SAFSTOR. The following major activities have been planned to be accomplished prior to returning to passive monitoring SAFSTOR status:

• Removal of the reactor vessel. (In Progress)

• Processing of sodium. (In Progress)

• Removal of liquid, salt and sludge produced by sodium processing. (In Progress)

• Removal of the radioactive liquid waste system, excepting the floor drains, associated embedded piping, and hot sump. Gross decontamination of the hot sump was performed to reduce removable contamination levels. (Complete)

• Removal of fuel pool liners. (Complete)

• Shipping the majority of accumulated low level radioactive waste to a disposal site.

(In Progress)

• Decontamination of operating floor surfaces to reduce loose contamination. (In Progress)

• Barricade or seal selected areas for which Final Status Surveys (FSS) have been completed - areas which will experience more than infrequent personnel traffic will not be maintained as completed FSS areas, though the FSS survey data may be used for characterization. (Planned)

Detroit Edison will inform the NRC if any of the listed activities will not be completed prior to return to the passive monitoring SAFSTOR status.

In Reference 4, Detroit Edison submitted the proposed License Termination Plan (LTP) for Fermi 1. Additional information and revisions were submitted in References 5 through 10 and 13 through 18 to support review by the NRC staff. Detroit Edison requests that the NRC cease reviewing the LTP, with the exception of the groundwater evaluation. The updated groundwater site conceptual model was submitted in Reference 10.

This letter documents all the submittals associated with the Fermi 1 LTP for the purpose of identification in one location. Detroit Edison requests that the NRC document the current status of their review, so that the information is available when active decommissioning of Fermi 1 resumes.

USNRC NRC-11-0040 Page 4 The LTP will be updated or resubmitted to the NRC for review and approval, including a revised schedule, cost estimate and any other plan revisions when the project resumes. Notification per 10 CFR 50.82(a)(7) will be made when the decision is made to restart the active decommissioning. Detroit Edison has not scheduled the length of the passive monitoring period.

For financial planning purposes, Detroit Edison has assumed that the final license termination could be extended to 2032, which is 60 years after shutdown, as per 10 CFR 50.82 (a)(3). The expected cost to complete the work planned for 2011, including preparing for return to passive SAFSTOR is approximately $16.8M. The cost of the remaining post-2011 decommissioning work, including monitoring for 19 years, followed by 2 years for the final decommissioning, is approximately $17M in 2011 dollars. The future years estimate currently includes a 30% contingency. Detroit Edison is paying for this year's decommissioning work as expenditures are incurred. A parent company guarantee for $20M covers the decommissioning cost estimate for future years.

If you have any questions, please contact Lynne S. Goodman, Manager - Fermi 1, at (734) 586-1205.

Sincerely, cc: T. Smith, NRC P. Lee, NRC Region III NRC Regional Administrator, Region III Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Resource Management Division-Radiological Protection Section NRC Resident Inspector - Fermi 2