ML18026A057

Susquehanna Units 1 and 2 - Pennsylvania Power & Light Company'S Response to Motion of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation Dated September 27, 1976

ML18026A057
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	10/21/1976
From:	Silberg J E Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML18026A057 (8)

Text

October"',1976UNITED'STATESOFAMERICANUCLEARREGULATORYCO&MISSIONBeforeThommi:ss'ionINTHEMATTEROF))PENNSYLVANIAPOWER6LIGHT)COMPANY)(SusquehannaSteamElectric)Station,Units162))DocketNos.30-38PENNSYLVANIAPOWER'S(LIGHTCOMPANY'SRESPONSETOMOTIONOFVERMONTYANKEENUCLEARPOWERCORPORATIONDATED'EPTEMBER.'27,1976InadocumentdatedOctober13,1976,theSecretaryoftheCommissioninvitedthepartiesinvolvedinallpendingshowcauseproceedingsonfuelcycleissuestorespondtoamotionfiledonSeptember27,1976,bytheVermontYankeeNuclearPowerCorporationinDocketNo.50-271.ThismotionsoughttherecallofthoseportionsoftheGeneralStatementofPolicy-EnvironmentalEffectsoftheUraniumFuelCycle,41Fed.Reg.34707(August16,1976)whichdirected'AtomicSafetyandLicensingBoards,AtomicSafetyandLicensingAppealBoards,andtheNRCStaff(inshowcauseproceedings)toconsiderthesuspensionormodificationofanynuclearpowerplantlicenseonfuelcyclegrounds.TheOctober13,*1976,documentalsostatedthattheCommissionwasconsideringthesuspensionofallpendingshowcauseproceedingsonfuelcycleissuesinlightoftheOctober8, 1976,orderoftheU.S.CourtofAppealsfor.theD.'.Circuitstayingtheissuanceofthemandate'-in"'Natura'1'ResourcesDefenseCouncil.,Xnc.v.NRCandinlightofthepublicationbytheCommissionofasupplementtoitsEnvironmentalSurveyoftheNuclearFuelCycleandanoticeofproposedrulemakinglookingtowardstheadoptionofaninterimfuelcyclerule.,PennsylvaniaPower6LightCompany,theholderofconstruc-tionpermitsfortheSusquehannaSteamElectricStation,Units1and2,submitsthefollowingcommentsontheVermontYankeemotion.ByletterdatedSeptember21,1976,totheDirectorofNuclearReactorRegulation,theCompanyrespondedtothe'Petitionforintervention".filedbytheEnvironmentalCoali-tiononNuclearPowerwhichrequestedthesuspensionoftheconstructionpermitsfortheSusquehannafacility.AstheCommissionrecognized'nitsAugust13,1976,GeneralStatementofPolicy,theCourtofAppealsinNRDC,notwithstandingthedefectswhichitfoundinthefuelcyclerule,didnotsuspendtheoperatinglicenseoftheVermontYankeefacilityinvolvedinthatcase.NordidthecourtinthecompanioncaseofAeschlimanv.NRCsuspendtheMidlandPlantconstructionpermitsnotwithstandingthesameperceiveddefect.AstheCommissionnoted,"thecourtrefusedanex-plicitrequesttosetasidetheselicenses."41Fed.Reg.34707.TheNRCdid,however,viewtheCourt'srulingascallingfortheCommissiontoresolvethequestionofsuspendingormodifying existinglicensespendingtheissuanceof.newfuelcycleregu-lationsonacase-by-casebasis'where"suchasuspensionormodificationwasrequested..:Thiscase-by-casedeterminationwastobe,basedon'theequitablefactorsoutlinedintheGeneralStatementofPolicy.41Fed.Reg.at34709.Absentsucharequest,theCommissionannouncedthatitwould'ua~sontedeterminewhethertoinitiateshowcauseproceedingsforalloutstandinglicenses'aseduponinformationintherevisedenvironmentalsurvey.Id.TheOctober8,1976,orderoftheNRDCCourt,webelieve,indicatesthattheCommissionerredinitsviewthattheCourtexpectedtheNRCtoconsidersuspendingexistingoperatingIlicensesandconstructionpermits.Thatorderstayedtheissu-anceofthemandateofthe'RDCdecision.Theoperativelanguageoftheorderisasfollows:[I]tis...FURTHERORDERED,bytheCourt,thattheforegoingmotionsforstayofmandatearegranted,andtheClerkisdirectednottoissuethemandateherein'priortoOctober31,1976,onconditionthattheUnitedStatesNuclearRegulatoryCommissionshallmakeanylicensesgrantedbetweenJuly21,1976,andsuchtimewhenthemandateisissuedsubjecttotheout-comeoftheproceedingsherein.l/Sinceapet@tv.onforcertiorarioftheNRDCdec@saonhasbeenfiledbyVermontYankeeNuclearPowerCorporationanddocketedintheSupremeCourt,themandatecannotnowissuependingfurtherorderoftheSupremeCourt.Rule41,Fed.R.App.P.

Theclearimportofthis'languageis-thatnewlicensescanbeissuednotwithstandingtheNRDC'decisionsolongasthoselicensesare"subjecttotheoutcomeoftheproceedings2/herein."IftheNRDCdecisionpermitstheCommissiontoissuenewlicensespendingtheoutcomeofthe.remandedfuelcyclerulemakingproceeding,itlogicallyfollowsthattheCommissionisneitherobligatednoroughttoconsidersuspen-sionofthe~existinlicensespendingthecompletionoftheremandedrulemakingproceedings.ItwouldcertainlydefyreasonfortheCourtofAppealstopermitNRCtoissuenewlicensesafterNRDC(subjecttocondition)andatthesametimetointendtheNRDCdecisiontobethepossiblecauseforthesus-pensionoflicenses-issuedbefore"NRDC.Thus,theappropriatecourseofactionforNRCatthistimewouldbetodeletefromtheGeneralStatementofPolicythoseprovisionsrelatingtosuspensionofexistinglicensesonfuelcyclegroundsandtosuspendallpendingshowcause/suspensionproceedingsbased3/onfuelcycleissues.2Thxs.provisionands.cates'thattheCommission'sGeneralState-mentofPolicywentbeyondthedictatesoftheNRDCdecisionwhenitbarredtheissuanceofnewfull-poweroperatinglicenses,constructionpermitsandlimitedworkauthorizations.3/TheOctober8,1976,orderevenraisesthequestionwhethertheCourtintended.the'RDCdecisiontoapplytoexistinglicensesatall.ByonlyrequiringthatlicensesissuedafterNRDCbesubjecttotheoutcomeoftheremandedrulemaking,itatleastimpliesthatlicensesissuedbefore'RDC'arenottobesubjecttothatoutcome.Ifthatisthecase,thenreconsiderationofexistinglicensesaftertherulemakinghasbeencompletedwouldbeinappropriateandunnecessary.

Thestayingofthemandateisobviouslyample'groundsformodificationbytheCommission'ofitssuspensioninstruc-tionssetforthintheGeneralPolicyStatement.TheCommissionitselfrecognizedthatamotiontorecallitsdecisiontocon-veneproceedingstoconsidersuspensionofexistinglicenseswouldbeappropriateifthemandatewerestayed.SeeCommissionMemorandumandOrder,'ermont'ahke'eNu'c'1'ear'o'w'er'Cor.(VermontYankeeNuclearPowerStation)and:'Con'sumers'owerComan(Mid-landPlant,Units1and2),September14,1976,slipop.at7.IntestimonybeforetheJointCommitteeonAtomicEnergyonAugust27,1976,theChairmanoftheCommissionstatedthat,dependingontheresultsoftherevisedenvironmentalsurvey,theNRCmight'eeka.stayofthemandatewhichifgrantedcould4/serveasthe'asisforadditionallicensingaction.Thus,theCommissionhasrecognizedthatastayofthemandatewouldbecause.tochangeitsHRDCimplementationpolicies.of'themandateservestomaintainthestatusquofor'ionofthestay.AlonuinGasTransmissionCo.v.Thestayingthedura-T~ownshiofSomerset,112F.Supp.86,90(D.N.J.1953).AstheSupremeCourtheldmorethansixtyyearsagotheappealmustberegardedaspendingandundisposedofuntilaman-dateissues.MerrimackRiverSavinsBankv.Ci'tofCl'a'Cen'ter,219U.S.4,Statementof.Marcus.A.Rowen,Chairman,U.S.NuclearRegu-latoryCommission,beforethe'ointCommitteeonAtomicEnergy,August=27,1976,p.9.

527,536(1910).Ifanappealmustbeconsideredas"pendingandundisposedof",itwouldobviouslybeinappropriateforanagencytotake-thedrasticstepof"suspendinganexistinglicensebasedonsuchincomplete'judicia'1action.AbsenttheissuanceoftheCourtsmandate,thereisno'officialjudicialaction.AsstatedbytheEighthCircuit,"thiscourt,asdoesanyappellatecourt,actsformallyandofficiallyonlythroughitsmandate".~Bailev.Hen'sl'ee,309F.2d840,844(8thCir.1962).Morerecently,'heNinthCircuitdistinguishedbetweentheimmediateeffectivenessofamemorandumissuedinresponsetoamotionandtheabilitytostaya"judgment".throughastayofmandate.YorkInternational'ni'ldin,Inc.v.crane522F.2d1061,1066(9thCir.1975).TheCommissionwouldnotbewarrantedinusingajudicialpronouncementnotineffectasthebasisforthesuspensionofexistinglicenses.FurthersupportforamendingtheGeneralStatementofPolicyandsuspendingpendingshowcauseproceedingscanbefoundintherulemakingproceedingrecentlycommencedbytheICommission.Asshowninthenoticeofproposedrulemaking,"UraniumFuelCycleImpactsfromSpentFuelReprocessingandRadioactiveWasteManagement",41Fed.Reg.45849(October18,1976),theenvironmental'impactsofreprocessingandwastemanagementasdescribedintherevisedinterimtablesetforthinthenoticearenotsignificantlydifferentfromthoseinTableS-3,exceptfortheburialofsolidwastes(withouttheir releasetotheenvironment)rathe'rthantheirstorageinFretrievableform.Asnoted'intheCommission'spressreleaseaccompanyingthenoticeofproposedrulemaking,theenviron-mentalimpactsoffuelreprocessingandwastemanagementastheyrelatetoindividualnuclearplantscontinuetobesmall,evenwhenimpactswhichwerenotcompletelyaccountedforinthepastareconsidered.TheCommissionhasalsoindicatedthattheinterimfuelcyclerulecould'be'inplacewithinthree5/months.GiventhesefactorsandtheCommission'sjudgmentthatitspresentanalysisofreprocessingandwastemanagementimpactisunlikelytobedramaticallyinerror,asuspensionofexistinglicensespendingpromulgationofaninterimfuelcyclerulewould'notbesensibleadministrativepolicy.Forthereasonssetforthabove,PennsylvaniaPower&LightCompanyrespectfullyrequeststhattheCommissionmodifyitsGeneralStatementofPolicybydeletingthoseportionsrelatingtothesuspensionofexistinglicensesandsuspendingallpendingshowcause/suspensionproceedings'basedonfuelcycleissues.Respectfullysubmitted,SHAN,PITTNAN,POTTS&TROWBRIDGEDated:October21,1976ByJay+J.SibergCouns'elforPennsylvaniaPower&LightCompany5/SeestatementbyMarcusA.Rowen,Chairman,NRC,inPressReleaseNo.76<<221,October13,1976.

UNITEDSTATESOFAEKRICANUCLEARREGULATORYCOMMISSIONBefore'hommi's'sionIntheMatterofPENNSYLVANIAPOWER6LIGHTCOMPANY(SusquehannaSteamElectricStation,Units162)DocketNos.50-38750-388CERTIFICATEOF'SERVICEIherebycertifythatcopiesoftheforegoing"PennsylvaniaPower&LightCompany'sResponseToMotionOfVermontYankeeNuclearPowerCorporationDatedSeptember27,1976"wereservedasfollows:BYHANDDELIVERY:DEPOSITEDINTHEU.S.MAIL:OfficeoftheSecretaryU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionWashington,'-D.C.20555Docketing6ServiceSectionU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionWashington,D.C.20555OfficeoftheExecutiveLegalDirectorU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionWashington,D.C.20555Mr.ChaunceyKepford2576BroadStreetYork,PennsylvaniaMs.JudithH.Johnsrud433OrlandoDriveStateCollege,PennsylvaniaJayE.jSz,lbergzXlDated:October21,1976