ML053140197

G20050706 - Jonathan M. Block Ltr 2.206 Acknowledgement Letter - Vermont Yankee Emergency Evacuations

ML053140197
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	12/07/2005
From:	Catherine Haney Plant Licensing Branch III-2
To:	Block J - No Known Affiliation
SHea J, NRR/DLPM, 415-1388
Shared Package
ML053140204	List: ML053140197 ML053140207 ML053140216
References
2.206, G20050706, TAC MC8632
Download: ML053140197 (6)

Text

December 7, 2005 Mr. Jonathan M. Block 94 Main Street P.O. Box 566 Putney, VT 05346

Dear Mr. Block:

Your petition dated October 11, 2005, addressed to Mr. Luis Reyes, Executive Director for Operations at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has been referred to me pursuant to Section 2.206 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 2.206). You requested that the NRC issue an emergency order for a temporary closure or de-rating of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VY) as a result of flooding and storm damage to the city of Keene, the town of Hinsdale, and other portions of New Hampshire that are part of existing evacuation routes for VY in an emergency event and within the effluent pathway.

In a teleconference on October 18, 2005, the NRC Petition Manager, Mr. James Shea, informed you that your emergency request for temporary plant closure or de-rating was denied, based on an evaluation by the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA) regarding the State of New Hampshires establishment of alternate evacuation routes during the recent flooding. In that teleconference, you raised additional concerns about whether FEMA and the State of New Hampshire have plans for an evacuation if an event were to occur at VY simultaneously with a natural disaster such as the recent flooding. Specifically, you were concerned with how people would evacuate from the city of Keene and the town of Hinsdale while roads were flooded and if there were alternative assembly points and decontamination centers for people who normally would evacuate through these flooded areas. Finally, you asked what the NRC is doing to ensure that contingency evacuation plans are in place.

On October 26, 2005, we informed you that your additional concerns regarding emergency planning had been accepted for review by the NRC staff pursuant to Section 2.206 of the Commissions regulations. You also were informed that we would take action by including the enclosed proposed Directors Decision with this petition acknowledgment letter and address your original petition along with your additional concerns regarding evacuation planning during a VY event simultaneously occurring with a natural disaster. Please provide comments to me on any portions of the proposed decision that you believe involve errors and on any issues in the petition that you believe have not been fully addressed. The NRC staff is making a similar request of the licensee. The NRC staff will then review any comments provided by you and the licensee, and consider them in the final version of the Directors Decision with no further opportunity to comment.

Please provide your comments within 30 days of the date of this letter.

J. M. Block For your information, I have enclosed a copy of the notice regarding your petition, that is being filed with the Office of the Federal Register for publication. Additionally, Management Directive 8.11, Review Process for 10 CFR 2.206 Petitions, and the associated brochure NUREG/BR-0200, Public Petition Process, prepared by the NRC Office of Public Affairs are available in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML041770328 and ML013600445.

Please feel free to contact Mr. James Shea, Petition Manager, at 301-415-1388 to discuss any questions related to this petition.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Catherine Haney, Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-271

Enclosures:

1. Federal Register Notice

2. Proposed Directors Decision cc w/encls: See next page

J. M. Block For your information, I have enclosed a copy of the notice regarding your petition, that is being filed with the Office of the Federal Register for publication. Additionally, Management Directive 8.11, Review Process for 10 CFR 2.206 Petitions, and the associated brochure NUREG/BR-0200, Public Petition Process, prepared by the NRC Office of Public Affairs are available in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML041770328 and ML013600445.

Please feel free to contact Mr. James Shea, Petition Manager, at 301-415-1388 to discuss any questions related to this petition.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Catherine Haney, Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-271

Enclosures:

1. Federal Register Notice

2. Proposed Directors Decision cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION: See next page Package: ML053140204 Incoming: ML052910172 Response: ML053140197 Proposed Directors Decision: ML053140216 Federal Register Notice: ML053140207 OFFICE LPLI-1/PM LPLI-1/LA Tech Editor INSIR/BC LPLI-1/BC DORL/DD NAME JShea SLittle PKleene AMcMurtray RLaufer Rlaufer for CHolden DATE 11/10/05 11/14/05 11/16/05 11/15/05 1114/05 11/14/05 OFFICE DORL/D NRR/D DORL/D NAME CHaney JDyer CHaney DATE 11/15/05 12/05/05 12/07/05 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

DISTRIBUTION FOR LETTER TO JONATHAN M. BLOCK RE: REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY ENFORCEMENT ACTION UNDER 2.206 TO ADDRESS EVACUATIONS DURING AN EVENT AT VERMONT YANKEE COUPLED WITH STORM DAMAGE:

Dated: December 7, 2005 DISTRIBUTION: G20050706 PUBLIC RidsEdoMailCenter EDO Reading PDLI-1 Reading RidsNrrOd RidsNrrAdpt RidsOpaMail RidsOcaMailCenter RidsOcaaMailCenter RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsNrrWpcMail NRR Mail Room RidsNrrDORLLpdi RidsNrrDORLLpdi2 RidsNrrPMDSkay RidsNrrPMJShea LCox SLittle RidsAslbpDocket RidsRgn1MailCenter HCheng EJulian, SECY RidsOgc Rp RidsOigMailCenter

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:

Regional Administrator, Region I U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 Mr. David R. Lewis Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman, LLP 2300 N Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20037-1128 Ms. Christine S. Salembier, Commissioner Vermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2601 Mr. Michael H. Dworkin, Chairman Public Service Board State of Vermont 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2701 Chairman, Board of Selectmen Town of Vernon P.O. Box 116 Vernon, VT 05354-0116 Operating Experience Coordinator Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station 320 Governor Hunt Road Vernon, VT 05354 G. Dana Bisbee, Esq.

Deputy Attorney General 33 Capitol Street Concord, NH 03301-6937 Chief, Safety Unit Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place, 19th Floor Boston, MA 02108 Ms. Carla A. White, RRPT, CHP Radiological Health Vermont Department of Health P.O. Box 70, Drawer #43 108 Cherry Street Burlington, VT 05402-0070 Mr. James M. DeVincentis Manager, Licensing Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500 Resident Inspector Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 176 Vernon, VT 05354 Director, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency ATTN: James Muckerheide 400 Worcester Rd.

Framingham, MA 01702-5399 Jonathan M. Block, Esq.

Main Street P.O. Box 566 Putney, VT 05346-0566 Mr. John F. McCann Director, Nuclear Safety Assurance Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Gary J. Taylor Chief Executive Officer Entergy Operations 1340 Echelon Parkway Jackson, MS 39213

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:

Mr. John T. Herron Sr. VP and Chief Operating Officer Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Danny L. Pace Vice President, Engineering Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Brian OGrady Vice President, Operations Support Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Michael J. Colomb Director of Oversight Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. John M. Fulton Assistant General Counsel Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. Jay K. Thayer Site Vice President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500 Mr. Kenneth L. Graesser 38832 N. Ashley Drive Lake Villa, IL 60046 Mr. James Sniezek 5486 Nithsdale Drive Salisbury, MD 21801 Mr. Ronald Toole 1282 Valley of Lakes Box R-10 Hazelton, PA 18202 Ms. Stacey M. Lousteau Treasury Department Entergy Services, Inc.

639 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113 Mr. Raymond Shadis New England Coalition Post Office Box 98 Edgecomb, ME 04556 Mr. James P. Matteau Executive Director Windham Regional Commission 139 Main Street, Suite 505 Brattleboro, VT 05301 Mr. William K. Sherman Vermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620-2601 Venessa Quinn, Chief Radiological Emergency Preparedness Sec.

Department of Homeland Security 1800 S. Bell Street, Room 837 Crystal City-Arlington, VA 22202-3546 Deborah Bell, Chair Regional Assistance Committee FEMA, Region 1 99 High Street, 6th Floor Boston, MA 02110 Craig J. Fiore Radiological Emergency Preparedness Sec.

Department of Homeland Security 1800 South Bell Street-Room 839 Crystal City-Arlingong, VA 22202-3546