ML12114A017

G20120265/LTR-12-0150/EDATS: SECY-2012-0195 - Ltr. Reps. Edward J. Markey and John F. Tierney to Chairman Jaczko Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant - Degradation of Concrete

ML12114A017
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	04/13/2012
From:	Markey E, Tierney J US HR (House of Representatives)
To:	Jaczko G NRC/Chairman
Shared Package
ML12122B006	List: ML12114A017
References
G20120265, LTR-12-0150, SECY-2012-0195, CORR-12-0034
Download: ML12114A017 (5)

Text

EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM:

DUE: 05/08/12 EDO CONTROL: G20120265 DOC DT: 04/13/12 FINAL REPLY:

Representative Edward J.

Markey Representative John F. Tierney TO:

Chairman Jaczko FOR SIGNATURE OF :

PRI CRC NO: 12-0150 Chairman Jaczko DESC:

ROUTING:

Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant - Degradation of Concrete (EDATS: SECY-2012-0195)

DATE: 04/20/12 Borchardt Weber Virgilio Ash Mamish OGC/GC

Leeds, NRR

Dean, RI

Zobler, OGC

Schmidt, OCA ASSIGNED TO:

EDO CONTACT:

Rihm SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

Please prepare response in accordance with OEDO Notice 2009-0441-02 (ML093290179).

NRR and Region I to provide input to Roger Rihm,

OEDO, if required.

Roger Rihm will coordinate with OGC and OCA.

Te P (0-+e :&ý Etc-O Cq-7 z-D S ' S:EE~O

EDATS Number: SECY-2012-0195 Source: SECY

'GeneralInfrai n

Assigned To: OEDO Other Assignees:

Subject:

Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant - Degradation of Concrete

==

Description:==

CC Routing: NRR; Regionl; OGC; OCA ADAMS Accession Numbers -

Incoming: NONE OEDO Due Date: 5/8/2012 11:00 PM SECY Due Date: 5/10/2012 11:00 PM Response/Package: NONE I. Ote Inomto Cross Reference Number: G20120265, LTR-12-0150 Related Task:

File Routing: EDATS Staff Initiated: NO Recurring Item: NO Agency Lesson Learned: NO OEDO Monthly Report Item: NO Proes Infrato Action Type: Letter Priority: Medium Sensitivity: None Signature Level: Chairman Jaczko Urgency: N(

Approval Level: No Approval Required OEDO Concurrence: YES OCM Concurrence: NO OCA Concurrence: NO Special Instructions: Please prepare response in accordance with OEDO Notice 2009-0441-02 (ML093290179). NRR and Region I to provide input to Roger Rihm, OEDO, if required. Roger Rihm will coordinate response with OGC and OCA.

)

Originator Name: Representatives Edward J. Markey &

Date of Incoming: 4/13/2012 John F. Tiemey Originating Organization: Congress Document Received by SECY Date: 4/20/2012 Addressee: Chairman Jaczko Date Response Requested by Originator: NONE Incoming Task Received: Letter Page 1 of I

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed: Apr 20, 2012 09:20 PAPER NUMBER:

ACTION OFFICE:

LTR-12-0150 EDO LOGGING DATE:

04/13/2012 AUTHOR:

AFFILIATION:

ADDRESSEE:

SUBJECT:

ACTION:

DISTRIBUTION:

LETTER DATE:

ACKNOWLEDGED SPECIAL HANDLING:

REP Edward Markey CONG Gregory Jaczko Request meeting to discuss Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant degradation of concrete Signature of Chairman A

04/13/2012 No Commission Correspondence p

NOTES:

FILE LOCATION:

ADAMS 05/10/2012 DATE DUE:

DATE SIGNED:

EDO -- G20120265

vtonagtr of the Vniteb btateo Joue ot oAepre~entatibeo Ulaoingon, MC 20515 April 13, 2012 The Honorable Greg Jaczko Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852

Dear Chairman Jaczko:

We write to request that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) immediately plan and convene a public meeting at a location near the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant to discuss the alarming degradation of concrete found in a safety-related tunnel due to its exposure to water.

We believe that the NRC's current plan to conduct its sole meeting on this topic at its headquarters in Maryland on April 23 severely limits the ability of those who live and work near the facility to fully understand the nature of this safety-and aging-related problem. We additionally request that such a meeting be conducted using a traditional public format that allows attendees to hear all presentation materials, questions and answers, as opposed to the "open house" style meeting that NRC recently has started to utilize that seems to enable only small group or one-on-one question and answer sessions. It also would be our expectation that appropriate NRC technical subject matter experts be present and available at this meeting to answer questions the public may have. Finally, we encourage you to consider locations in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire for such a meeting.

We wrote you on June 8, 20111 urging the Commission to announce its intent to deny NextEra Energy Seabrook, the licensee for the Seabrook nuclear power plant, its June 1, 2010 request2 for a twenty-year operating license that would begin in 2030 and end in 2050. We made this request in part on the grounds that there are likely to be additional aging and other safety issues that could not possibly be contemplated or fully understood twenty years in advance of the nuclear reactor's end-of-licensed life. One such issue is clearly the degradation in safety-related concrete structures that led NRC to send a letter3 to NextEra requesting it to attend a meeting to discuss the issue at NRC headquarters on April 23, 2012. If safety structures that are supposed to help cool the Seabrook nuclear power plant are experiencing such alarming degradation during the reactor's 'adolescence', there is simply no way that the NRC can guarantee that it will remain safe when it enters its 'golden years' almost 40 years from now.

I http:i/markey.house.gov/document/201 I /letter-nrc-regarding-seabrook-0 http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/seabrook. html ADAMS accession number ML120480066 PRtNTEO ON RECYCLED PAPER

The concerns related to Seabrook's concrete structure were also raised by the International Atomic Energy Agency when it recently released a report4 detailing an inspection-conducted at the Seabrook plant. The inspection team found that the concrete degradation could have been identified earlier had the licensee taken steps to look for it, and that the licensee knew that water was present in proximity to the concrete structures.

We continue to believe that it is grossly premature, as a matter of general policy and in this specific case, to proceed with the license extension process for a nuclear reactor whose current license remains valid until 2030. The concrete degradation found at Seabrook amplifies these views. But it also raises more immediate questions about whether the reactor at Seabrook can be expected to safely operate during the next eighteen years of its existing license. We are pleased that the Commission is continuing to explore this matter, and we urge you to continue and expand upon these efforts. However, we also believe that any failure to conduct a second public meeting on the topic at a location near the Seabrook facility would further undermine the public trust in the Commission's ability and willingness to assure the safety of the reactor. We urge you to quickly schedule such a meeting, and look forward to your prompt response to this request.

Sincerely, Edward J. Markey John F. Tierney 4hitp:I//badupws.nre.g~ov/doesfML I 208/ML 12081 A I 05.pdf