ML14191A699

July 2, 2014 Summary of Meeting with Ppl Susquehanna, LLC, Pre-Submittal Meeting Regarding Future Submittal for a License Transfer Amendment for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2

ML14191A699
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	07/31/2014
From:	Whited J A Plant Licensing Branch 1
To:
Whited J A
References
TAC MF4297, TAC MF4298
Download: ML14191A699 (4)

Text

LICENSEE: PPL Susquehanna, LLC FACILITY: Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2

SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF JULY 2, 2014, MEETING WITH PPL SUSQUEHANNA, LLC RE: PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING REGARDING FUTURE SUBMITTAL FOR A LICENSE TRANSFER AMENDMENT FOR SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 (TAC NOS. MF4297 AND MF4298) Background On July 2, 2014, a Category 1 public meeting was held between members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and representatives of PPL Corporation (PPL). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss PPL's plans and schedule regarding a future submittal of a license transfer license amendment request (LAR) for the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 (SSES). A license transfer LARwill be needed because PPL and Riverstone Holdings, LLC (Riverstone) have announced a definitive agreement to combine their merchant power generation businesses into a new stand-alone, publicly-listed independent power producer that, following closing, will be called Talen Energy Corporation (Talen). The proposed LARwill transfer the license for SSES from PPL to Talen. The meeting notice dated June 16, 2014, can be found in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at Accession No. ML 14167A435. Meeting On July 2, 2014, the NRC staff held a public meeting with PPL to discuss the plans and schedule regarding a future submittal of a license transfer LAR for SSES. During the meeting, PPL gave a presentation that helped outline the creation of Talen. This presentation can be found in ADAMS at Accession No. ML 14182A322. PPL further outlined the financial qualifications of Talen and explained, in detail, how the combination of Riverstone and PPL would take place to form Talen. PPL stated that there will be no change to the management or operating procedures of SSES, as a result of the license transfer. They also stated that PPL Susquehanna, LLC's (PPL Susquehanna) role as the licensed operator for SSES will not change. During the meeting, PPL discussed some cost-cutting 'synergies' that will be employed after the formation of Talen, but noted that these 'synergies' will not override nuclear safety. It was also stated during the meeting that after the formation of Talen, Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc., the other licensee for SSES, will still own 10 percent of SSES. During the meeting, PPL noted the required approvals that were needed before Talen can be formed. The list of required approvals includes: the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of Justice, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, and the NR PPL stated that it intends to submit the license transfer LAR on July 11, 2014, with a requested approval date of December 31, 2014. The NRC staff reminded PPL that it normally takes a year to receive a decision on LARs. PPL understood this point, but indicated that they will still be requesting a shortened turn-around time. Since the time of the meeting, PPL Susquehanna has submitted the license transfer LAR. It can be found in ADAMS at Package Accession No. ML 14195A110. During the meeting, a member of the public requested information on how the NRC staff dispositions license transfer LARs. Specifically, this individual was requesting a copy of the NRC staff's guidance on reviewing a license transfer LAR. The Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Office Instruction LIC-1 07, "Procedures for Handling License Transfers," was publically available at the time of the meeting. However, since then, the document has been made publically available and can be found in ADAMS at Accession No. ML081910478. In addition to the Office Instruction, the following NRC public webpage explains the license transfer process: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/license-transfers-mergers.html After the discussion between PPL and the NRC staff, a few members of the public had questions or comments, mostly relating to the process by which the NRC staff grants license transfer LARs or if the LAR application will be publicly available after it has been submitted. One member of the public asked the NRC staff if a license transfer LAR had ever been approved when the licenses being transferred were associated with power plants that were in the Degraded Cornerstone Column of the Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix. The NRC staff stated that a licensee's position in the Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix is not something that is reviewed as part of the LAR. However, the technical qualifications of the new licensee will be reviewed as part of the license transfer LAR. No Public Meeting Feedback forms were received. A list of the meeting attendees is provided in the Enclosure. Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-4090 or Jeffrey.Whited@nrc.gov. Docket Nos. 50-387 and 50-388

Enclosure:

List of Attendees cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServ Jeffrey A. Whited, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 1-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation LIST OF ATTENDEES JULY 2. 2014. MEETING WITH PPL SUSQUEHANNA, LLC PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING REGARDING FUTURE SUBMITTAL FOR A LICENSE TRANSFER AMENDMENT SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 TAC NOS. MF4297 AND MF4298 NRC Louise Lund, NRR/DORL Jeffrey Whited, NRR/DORL Diane Render, NRR/DORL Robert Gladney, NRR/DORL Molly Keefe, NRR/DRA Tomeka Terry, NRO/DNRL Timothy Lupoid, NMSS/SFST Catherine Kanatas, OGC Neil Sheehan, Rl PPL Susquehanna. LLC Timothy Rausch Rocco R. Sgarro John Tripoli EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS Benjamin Beasley, NRR/DORL John Lamb, NRR/DORL Eliza Mitchell, NRR/DORL Andrea George, NRRIDORL Michael Dusaniwskyj, NRR/DIRS Michael Takacs, NRO/DNRL Susan Uttal, OGC Jonathan Greives, Rl Jeremy McGuire Damon Obie Spiegel & McDiarmid LLP for Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc. Scott Strauss David Dulick Todd Sallade William Huang Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Larry Winker Rich Janati Members of the Public Eric Epstein, TMI Alert Michael McAuliffe, Platts David Lei, Pillsbury Darani Reddick, Winston & Strawn Enclosure

-2-PPL stated that it intends to submit the license transfer LAR on July 11, 2014, with a requested approval date of December 31, 2014. The NRC staff reminded PPL that it normally takes a year to receive a decision on LARs. PPL understood this point, but indicated that they will still be requesting a shortened turn-around time. Since the time of the meeting, PPL Susquehanna has submitted the license transfer LAR. It can be found in ADAMS at Package Accession No. ML 14195A110. During the meeting, a member of the public requested information on how the NRC staff dispositions license transfer LARs. Specifically, this individual was requesting a copy of the NRC staff's guidance on reviewing a license transfer LAR. The Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Office Instruction LIC-1 07, "Procedures for Handling License Transfers," was publically available at the time of the meeting. However, since then, the document has been made publically available and can be found in ADAMS at Accession No. ML081910478. In addition to the Office Instruction, the following NRC public webpage explains the license transfer process: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/license-transfers-mergers.html After the discussion between PPL and the NRC staff, a few members of the public had questions or comments, mostly relating to the process by which the NRC staff grants license transfer LARs or if the LAR application will be publicly available after it has been submitted. One member of the public asked the NRC staff if a license transfer LAR had ever been approved when the licenses being transferred were associated with power plants that were in the Degraded Cornerstone Column of the Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix. The NRC staff stated that a licensee's position in the Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix is not something that is reviewed as part of the LAR. However, the technical qualifications of the new licensee will be reviewed as part of the license transfer LAR. No Public Meeting Feedback forms were received. A list of the meeting attendees is provided in the Enclosure. Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-4090 or Jeffrey.Whited@nrc.gov. /RAJ Docket Nos. 50-387 and 50-388

Enclosure:

List of Attendees cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServ DISTRIBUTION: PUBLIC RidsAcrsAcnw_MaiiCTR Resource RidsNrrPMSusquehanna Resource ADAMS Accession No* ML14191A699 OFFICE LPL 1-2/PM LPL 1-2/LA NAME JWhited ABaxter DATE 07/30/14 07/30/14 Jeffrey A Whited, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 1-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation LPL 1-2 Reading File RidsNrrDorllpl1-2 Resource List of Attendees LPL 1-2/BC (A) BSchaaf (REnnis for) 07/31/14 RidsNrrLAABaxter Resource RidsRgn1 MaiiCenter Resource LPL 1-2/PM JWhited 07/31/14 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY