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| {{#Wiki_filter:September 13, 2011 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD AND OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY | | {{#Wiki_filter:September 13, 2011 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD AND OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY |
| __________________________________________ | | __________________________________________ |
| | In the Matter of ) |
| | ) |
| | NEXTERA ENERGY SEABROOK (LLC) ) |
| | [Also Known As FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT] ) |
| | ) |
| | SEABROOK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ) DOCKET NO. 50-443-LR |
| | ) |
| | Regarding the Renewal of Facility Operating License ) ASLBP No. 10-906-02-LR No-NFP-86 for a 20-Year Period ) |
| | __________________________________________ ) |
| | PETITIONERS MEMORANDUM IN REPLY TO OPPOSITIONS TO ADMISSION OF NEW CONTENTION IN THE SEABROOK RELICENSING PROCEEDING Pursuant to 10 C.F.R. § 2.309(h)(2), Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti-Pollution League and Sierra Club of New Hampshire [collectively the petitioners] hereby reply to the oppositions submitted by the applicant, NextEra Seabrook, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Staff to Petitioners new contention seeking consideration of the environmental implications of the Fukushima Task Force Report. |
| | Petitioners respectfully submit that the arguments by applicant and the NRC Staff regarding the timeliness and admissibility of the contention are without merit and the contention should be admitted. |
| | The arguments raised by the applicant and the NRC Staff in response to Petitioners contention are similar or identical to arguments made by the applicant and staff in response to Fukushima Task Force Report-related contentions that were filed in |
|
| |
|
| In the Matter of
| | other reactor licensing proceedings on the same day. Petitioners attach and incorporate by reference the attached Reply Memorandum, which addresses the most common arguments that are made in the responses and was prepared by counsel for intervenors in several of the cases 1 The Reply Memorandum discusses the effect of the NRC Commissioners recent decision regarding the Emergency Petition that was submitted by Petitioners and many other intervenors and petitioners in April 2011. |
| ) ) NEXTERA ENERGY SEABROOK (LLC) ) [Also Known As FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT]
| | Union Electric Co., d/b/a/ Ameren Missouri (Callaway Plant, Unit 2) et al., CLI-11-05, __ |
| ) ) SEABROOK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
| | NRC __ (Sept. 9, 2011) (CLI-11-05). 2 Petitioners reply to arguments by the applicant and NRC Staff that are particular to this proceeding that the new contention is not specific enough to the NextEra license renewal application, the Environmental Review and the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for this application. It is our fundamental contention that the entire application does not reflect the real-world implications of the Fukushima disaster and that, in particular, NEPA requires that the applicant to do so. On the most basic and rational level of argument, the application was submitted prior to March 11, 2011. Thus, the application does not reflect the undisputable tragic events of an unprecedented nuclear catastrophe that began in March 2011 and continues today, nor does it reflect the recommendations contained in the July 2011 Fukushima Task Force 1 |
| ) DOCKET NO. 50
| | The Reply Memorandum was prepared by Diane Curran (counsel for the intervenor in the Diablo Canyon license renewal proceeding and Watts Bar operating license proceeding), Mindy Goldstein (counsel for some of the intervenors in the Vogtle and Turkey Point COL proceedings), and Jason Totoui (counsel for some of the intervenors in the Turkey Point COL proceeding). |
| -443-LR ) Regarding the Renewal of Facility Operating License
| | 2 Because the applicant and the NRC Staff have not had an opportunity to address the effect of CLI-11-05 on the timeliness and admissibility of Petitioners contention, Petitioners would not object to a response by the applicant and the Staff to their arguments regarding the relevance of CLI-11-05 to their contention. |
| ) ASLBP No. 10
| |
| -906-02-LR No-NFP-86 for a 20
| |
| -Year Period
| |
| ) __________________________________________
| |
| ) PETITIONERS' MEMORANDUM IN REPLY TO OPPOSITIONS TO ADMISSION OF NEW CONTENTION IN THE SEABROOK RELICENSING PROCEEDING Pursuant to 10 C.F.R. § 2.309(h)(2), Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti
| |
| -Pollution League and Sierra Club of New Hampshire
| |
| [collectively "the petitioners
| |
| "] hereby reply to the oppositions submitted by the applicant, NextEra Seabrook, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ("NRC") Staff to Petitioners' new contention seeking consideration of the environmental implications of the Fukushima Task Force Report. Petitioners respectfully submit that the arguments by applicant and the NRC Staff regarding the timeliness and admissibility of the contention are without merit and the contention should be admitted.
| |
| The arguments raised by the applicant and the NRC Staff in response to Petitioner's contention are similar or identical to arguments made by the applicant and staff in response to Fukushima Task Force Report
| |
| -related contentions that were filed in other reactor licensing proceedings on the same day. Petitioners attach and incorporate by reference the attached Reply Memorandum, which addresses the most common arguments that are made in the responses and was prepared by counsel for intervenors in several of the cases 1 The Reply Memorandum discusses the effect of the NRC Commissioners' recent decision regarding the Emergency Petition that was submitted by Petitioners and many other intervenors and petitioners in April 2011. Union Electric Co., d/b/a/ Ameren Missouri (Callaway Plant, Unit 2) et al., CLI 05, __ NRC __ (Sept. 9, 2011) ("CLI 05").2 Petitioners reply to arguments by the applicant and NRC Staff that are particular to this proceeding that the new contention is not specific enough to the NextEra license renewal application, the Environmental Review and the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for this application. It is our fundamental contention that the entire application do es not reflect the real
| |
| -world implications of the Fukushima disaster and that, in particular, NEPA requires that the applicant to do so. On the most basic and rational level of argument, the application was submitted prior to March 11, 2011. Thus, the application does not reflect the undisputable tragic events of an unprecedented nuclear catastrophe that began in March 2011 and continue s today, nor does it reflect the recommendations contained in the July 2011 Fukushima Task Force | |
|
| |
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| 1 The Reply Memorandum was prepared by Diane Curran (counsel for the intervenor in the Diablo Canyon license renewal proceeding and Watts Bar operating license proceeding), Mindy Goldstein (counsel for some of the intervenors in the Vogtle and Turkey Point COL proceedings), and Jason Totoui (counsel for some of the intervenors in the Turkey Point COL proceeding).
| | Report. Thus, the NextEra application and Environment Report does not real world reflect events that began in mid-March 2011 and continue today, nor do they reflect the July 2011 Fukushima Task Force Report. |
| 2 Because the applicant and the NRC Staff have not had an opportunity to address the effect of CLI 05 on the timeliness and admissibility of Petitioners contention, Petitioners would not object to a response by the applicant and the Staff to their arguments regarding the relevance of CLI 05 to their contention.
| | Reply as to Publics Burden to Show Necessity for Changing Scope of NEPA Consideration The point repeatedly overlooked by the Applicant and Staff oppositions is that the burden placed on Intervenors or other members of the public to trigger consideration of new information is quite low, particularly when the NEPA process is, as here, not even consummated at the DEIS stage. |
| | To [require an EIS], a plaintiff need not show that significant effects will in fact occur ... raising substantial questions whether a project may have a significant effect is sufficient. (Emphasis supplied). Anglers of the Au Sable v. U.S. Forest Service, Case |
| | #05-10152-BC (E.D. Mich. N.D. 2005) at 13-14, citing Idaho Sporting Congress v. |
| | Thomas, 137 F.3d 1146, 1149-50 (9th Cir. 1998) (EIS required if substantial questions are raised about effects on environmental quality). The Court must not substitute [its] |
| | judgment of the environmental impact for the judgment of the agency, once the agency has adequately studied the issue. Crounse Corp. v. Interstate Commerce Commn, 781 F.2d 1176, 1193 (6th Cir. 1986). However, [i]t is [the Courts] role . . . to determine whether the agency has, in fact, adequately studied the issue and taken a hard look at the environmental consequences of its decision. Id. The harm NEPA seeks to prevent is complete when the agency makes a decision without considering information NEPA requires be placed before the decision-maker and public. Sierra Club |
| | : v. Marsh, 872 F.2d 497, 500 (1st Cir. 1989). "The injury of an increased risk of harm due to an agency's uninformed decision is precisely the type of injury {NEPA} was designed |
|
| |
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| Report. Thus, the NextEra application and Environment Report does not real world reflect events that began in mid
| | to prevent. Comm. to Save the Rio Hondo v. Lucero, 102 F.3d 445, 448-49 (10th Cir. |
| -March 2011 and continue today, nor do they reflect the July 2011 Fukushima Task Force Report.
| | 1996). |
| Reply as to Public's Burden to Show Necessity for Changing Scope of NEPA Consideration The point repeatedly overlooked by the Applicant and Staff oppositions is that the burden placed on Intervenors or other members of the public to trigger consideration of new information is quite low, particularly when the NEPA process is, as here, not even consummated at the DEIS stage.
| | Moreover, since Joint Intervenors submitted Contention, we have experienced a major earthquake in the Mid-Atlantic States that according to initial USGS and NRC evaluations triggered ground motion approximately double that which the North Anna nuclear power station closest to the epicenter was designed to withstand. The implications of this earthquake on seismic standards for all U.S. reactors, and especially those, like Seabrook, relatively close to the epicenter, are not yet fully understood but are likely to be significant and at the least certainly provide substantial new information about seismic risk in our region. |
| "To [require an EIS], a plaintiff need not show that significant effects will in fact occur ... raising substantial questions whether a project may have a significant effect is sufficient." (Emphasis supplied). Anglers of the Au Sable v. U.S. Forest Service, Case #05-10152-BC (E.D. Mich. N.D. 2005) at 13
| | In addition, since Joint Intervenors submitted Contention, we have experienced Hurricane Irene, which caused extensive flooding up much of the Eastern Seaboard, with major impacts on New Jersey and on up into Vermont, raising additional safety concerns and potential environmental impacts. Natural disasters are now clearly not just limited to the Japanese coastline. |
| -14, citing Idaho Sporting Congress v. Thomas, 137 F.3d 1146, 1149
| | While perhaps these events should arguably form the basis of yet another new contention, petitioners suggest that they also fall into the broader concerns addressed by the new contention and simply reflect additional urgency for a revision of the license renewal application, its ER and the DSEIS. |
| -50 (9th Cir. 1998) (EIS required if "substantial questions are raised" about effects on environmental quality).
| |
| The Court must not "substitute [its] judgment of the environmental impact for the judgment of the agency, once the agency has adequately studied the issue." Crounse Corp. v. Interstate Commerce Comm'n ,
| |
| 781 F.2d 1176, 1193 (6th Cir. 1986). However, "[i]t is
| |
| [the Court's] role . . . to determine whether the agency has, in fact, adequately studied the issue and taken a
| |
|
| |
|
| 'hard look' at the environmental consequences of its decision."
| |
| Id. The harm NEPA seeks to prevent is complete when the agency makes a decision without considering information NEPA requires be placed before the decision
| |
| -maker and public. Sierra Club v. Marsh, 872 F.2d 497, 500 (1st Cir. 1989). "The injury of an increased risk of harm due to an agency's uninformed decision is precisely the type of injury {NEPA} was designed to prevent." Comm. to Save the Rio Hondo v. Lucero, 102 F.3d 445, 448
| |
| -49 (10 th Cir. 1996). Moreover, since Joint Intervenors submitted Contention, we have experienced a major earthquake in the Mid
| |
| -Atlantic States that according to initial USGS and NRC evaluations triggered ground motion approximately double that which the North Anna nuclear power station closest to the epicenter was designed to withstand. The implications of this earthquake on seismic standards for all U.S. reactors, and especially those, like Seabrook, relatively close to the epicenter, are not yet fully understood but are likely to be significant and at the least certainly provide substantial new information about seismic risk in our region.
| |
| In addition, since Joint Intervenors submitted Contention, we have experienced Hurricane Irene, which caused extensive flooding up much of the Eastern Seaboard, with major impacts on New Jersey and on up into Vermont, raising additional safety concerns and potential environmental impacts. Natural disasters are now clearly not just limited to the Japanese coastline.
| |
| While perhaps these events should arguably form the basis of yet another new contention, petitioners suggest that they also fall into the broader concerns addresse d by the new contention and simply reflect additional urgency for a revision of the license renewal application, its ER and the D SEIS.
| |
| Both the Applicant and the NRC have argued that the Petitioners contention is not timely and inadmissible. The Petitioners simple answer is that the contention is in fact timely as in fact the event upon which it is based has not yet ended nor are its consequences reliably contained nor is the accident brought to any facsimile of finality. | | Both the Applicant and the NRC have argued that the Petitioners contention is not timely and inadmissible. The Petitioners simple answer is that the contention is in fact timely as in fact the event upon which it is based has not yet ended nor are its consequences reliably contained nor is the accident brought to any facsimile of finality. |
| At page 10 | | At page 10-11 of the Applicant reply, they make the argument for the petitioners in saying, With respect to environmental contentions, [t]he petitioner may amend [its] |
| -11 of the Applicant reply, they make the argument for the petitioners in saying , "With respect to environmental contentions, "[t]he petitioner may amend [its] contentions or file new contentions if there are data or conclusions in the NRC draft or final environmental impact statement, environmental assessment, or any supplements relating thereto, that differ significantly from the data or conclusions in the applicant's documents." 10 C.F.R. § 2.309(f)(2). | | contentions or file new contentions if there are data or conclusions in the NRC draft or final environmental impact statement, environmental assessment, or any supplements relating thereto, that differ significantly from the data or conclusions in the applicants documents. 10 C.F.R. § 2.309(f)(2). Absent such circumstances, an intervenor may file new contentions only with leave of the presiding officer upon a showing that the new contention is based on information that was not previously available and is materially different than information previously available, and that the contention has been submitted in a timely fashion. Id. [NextEra The Petitioiners reply that the NRC Task Force Report is in fact based on a very real nuclear catastrophe that is unfortunately still unfolding at Fukushima now surpassing six months old; an accident that has not yet been contained and is still currently of considerable consequence to the entire world. The environmental consequence of this ongoing accident has not been reliably bounded. As such, the NRC Task Force Report holds perhaps greater import than the average NRC report. |
| Absent such circumstances, an intervenor may file new contentions only with leave of the presiding officer upon a showing that the new contention is based on information that "was not previously available" and is "materially different than information previously available," and that the contention "has been submitted in a timely fashion." Id." [NextEra The Petitioiners reply that the NRC Task Force Report is in fact based on a very real nuclear catastrophe that is unfortunately still unfolding at Fukushima now surpassing six months old; an accident that has not yet been contained and is still currently of considerable consequence to the entire world. The environmental consequence of this ongoing accident has not been reliably bounded. As such, the NRC Task Force Report holds perhaps greater import than the average NRC report. | |
| | |
| Moreover, because the meltdowns took place in March 2011 and the Task Force Report was issued in July 2011, it would have been astonishingly prescient for the Petitioners | | Moreover, because the meltdowns took place in March 2011 and the Task Force Report was issued in July 2011, it would have been astonishingly prescient for the Petitioners |
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| |
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| to have been able to submit this as a contention as part of our initial petition to i ntervene, filed in October 2010. We are but joint petitioners, not Seers. | | to have been able to submit this as a contention as part of our initial petition to intervene, filed in October 2010. We are but joint petitioners, not Seers. |
| Respectfully signed and submitted electronically by digital certificate, ----------/s/------------------ | | Respectfully signed and submitted electronically by digital certificate, |
| Paul Gunter Beyond Nuclear | | ----------/s/------------------ |
| | | Paul Gunter Beyond Nuclear 6930 Carroll Avenue Suite 400 Takoma Park, MD 20912 Tel. 301.270.2209 ext.3 Email: paul@beyondnuclear.org |
| 6930 Carroll Avenue Suite 400 | |
| | |
| Takoma Park, MD 20 912 Tel. 301.270.2209 ext. | |
| 3 Email: paul@beyondnuclear.org | |
| | |
| -------/s/------------------- | | -------/s/------------------- |
| Doug Bogen | | Doug Bogen Executive Director Seacoast Anti-Pollution League PO Box 1136 Portsmouth, NH 03802 E-mail: bogen@metrocast.net Tel: 603.431.5089 |
| | |
| Executive Director Seacoast Anti | |
| -Pollution League PO Box 1136 | |
| | |
| Portsmouth, NH 03802 | |
| | |
| E-mail: bogen@metrocast.net Tel: 603.431. | |
| 5089 | |
| | |
| ---------/s/--------------- | | ---------/s/--------------- |
| Kurt Ehrenberg | | Kurt Ehrenberg Sierra Club of New Hampshire 40 North Main Street Concord, NH 03301 Email: kurtehrenberg@gmail.com Tel: 603.498.2275 September 13, 2011}} |
| | |
| Sierra Club of New Hampshire | |
| | |
| 40 North Main Street | |
| | |
| Concord, NH 03301 Email: kurtehrenberg@gmail.com Tel: 603.498. | |
| 2275 September 13, 2011}} | |
|
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Category:Legal-Correspondence/Miscellaneous
MONTHYEARML20318A3762020-11-13013 November 2020 Letter to ASLB Re Proprietary Review of LBP-20-12 ML20279A4882020-10-0505 October 2020 Certificate of Service ML20272A2752020-09-28028 September 2020 Attachment 1 to Nextera'S Answer Opposing C-10's Motion for Leave to File a Reply and Motion for Leave to File INT053 (Curran E-mail) ML20272A2762020-09-28028 September 2020 Attachment 2 to Nextera'S Answer Opposing C-10's Motion for Leave to File a Reply and Motion for Leave to File INT053 (NextEra Affidavit) ML20010D3722020-01-10010 January 2020 Certificate of Service of Exhibit NRC091 and NRC Staff Updated Exhibit List ML20013E1342020-01-10010 January 2020 Certificate of Service for NER077 and NER005-R4 ML20003E7622020-01-0303 January 2020 Cover Letter - Seabrook License Amendment Proceeding, Docket No. 50-443 LAR ML19354C4462019-12-20020 December 2019 Cover Letter ML19354C4502019-12-20020 December 2019 Certificate of Service ML19354C4512019-12-20020 December 2019 Revised Exhibit List ML19353D4142019-12-19019 December 2019 Cover Letter Submitting Supplemental Testimony by Victor E. Saouma, Ph.D, Revised Exhibit List, C-10 Response to NextEra Motion ML19353D4172019-12-19019 December 2019 Appendix a: NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC, Docket No. 50-443-LA-2 September 2019 Evidentiary Hearing Exhibits Revised September 18, 2019 ML19353D4222019-12-19019 December 2019 Certificate of Service ML19351F1352019-12-17017 December 2019 NextEra Energy Seabrook Llc'S Errata to Responsive Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law ML19351F1362019-12-17017 December 2019 NextEra Energy Seabrook Llc'S Corrected Responsive Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law ML19340A8542019-12-0606 December 2019 Notice of Withdrawal for Jennifer E. Scro ML19339H1352019-12-0505 December 2019 Letter to C-10 Re Mineralogical Data ML19304B3502019-10-31031 October 2019 Letter to ASLB Re Seabrook License Amendment Proceeding ML19301C9082019-10-28028 October 2019 Letter to ASLB, License Amendment Proceeding Re Two Proposed Exhibits: INT049 and INT050 ML19291C4412019-10-18018 October 2019 Joint Motion to Correct the Transcript for the Evidentiary Hearing Held September 24-27, 2019 ML19291C4422019-10-18018 October 2019 Attachment 1 - NON-PROPRIETARY Corrections ML19267A3962019-09-24024 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit for Brian S. Bonilla ML19266A6552019-09-23023 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of William L. Parks ML19266A6412019-09-23023 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Christine Thomas ML19266A6422019-09-23023 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Christopher W. Bagley ML19266A6432019-09-23023 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Debbie Hendell ML19266A6452019-09-23023 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Edward J. Carley ML19266A6462019-09-23023 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Glenn Bell ML19266A6472019-09-23023 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Jaclyn Hulbert ML19266A6502019-09-23023 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Lindsay Robertson ML19265A0202019-09-22022 September 2019 Certificate of Service ML19265A0092019-09-22022 September 2019 Revised Appendix a September 2019 Evidentiary Hearing Exhibits List ML19265A0082019-09-22022 September 2019 Letter to ASLB Regarding Seabrook License Amendment Proceeding ML19265A0012019-09-22022 September 2019 Cover Letter Re NER076 (NextEra Response to INT030) ML19263D3632019-09-20020 September 2019 NRC Staff Revised Exhibit List for Seabrook September 2019 Evidentiary Hearing Exhibits ML19266A6492019-09-20020 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Kenneth Browne ML19262F1262019-09-19019 September 2019 NextEra Cover Letter Re Exhibits NER050 to NER075 ML19261A7592019-09-18018 September 2019 Staff Revised Testimony Cover Letter ML19266A6512019-09-16016 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Matthew Sherman ML19266A6522019-09-16016 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Michael K. Collins ML19266A6532019-09-16016 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Oguzhan Bayrak ML19266A6542019-09-16016 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Said Bolourchi ML19266A6482019-09-16016 September 2019 Non-Disclosure Affidavit of John W. Simons ML19254F1612019-09-11011 September 2019 Certificate of Service for Exhibits INT031 and INT032, Revised Exhibit List ML19235A3192019-08-23023 August 2019 Certificate of Service ML19197A2022019-07-16016 July 2019 RE-FILED Letter from Diane Curran to Annette L. Vietti-Cook Re Non-Disclosure Affidavit of Natalie H. Treat ML19197A1952019-07-16016 July 2019 Letter from Diane Curran to Annette Vietti-Cook Attaching Non-disclosure Affidavit of Natalie H. Treat ML19161A3732019-06-10010 June 2019 Certificate of Service ML19143A1332019-05-23023 May 2019 Joint Supplemental Information Regarding Plant Tour ML19129A3572019-05-0909 May 2019 Joint Proposal Regarding Plant Tour 2020-09-28
[Table view] Category:Legal-Intervention Petition
MONTHYEARML12181A1732012-06-20020 June 2012 Letter to Ms. Vietti-Cook Withdrawal of Appearance of Eric J. 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and Nextera Energy Seabrook, Llc., Response in Opposition to the First of the Coast and New England Coalition'S Supplement to Its Petition ML1034707042010-12-13013 December 2010 NextEra Energy Seabrook, Llc'S Response Opposing Nec/Friends of the Coast'S Supplement to Its Petition ML1034705912010-12-13013 December 2010 NRC Staff'S Objections to the Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition'S Supplement ML1032703242010-11-23023 November 2010 Certificate of Service (for Friends of the Coast/New England Coalition Reply and Request for Extension of Time) ML1032606572010-11-22022 November 2010 Combined Reply of Joint Petitioners (Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti-Pollution League and New Hampshire Sierra Club) to Answers of NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission ML1032703272010-11-22022 November 2010 Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition Reply to Nextera and NRC Staff Answers to Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition Petition for Leave to Intervene, Request for Hearing, and Admission of Contentions ML1032703222010-11-22022 November 2010 Friends of the Coast/New England Coalition'S Request for Extension of Time ML1032700012010-11-22022 November 2010 Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition Reply to Nextera and NRC Staff Answers to Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition Petition for Leave to Intervene, Request for Hearing, and Admission of Contentions ML1032606692010-11-22022 November 2010 Errata of Joint Petitioners (Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti-pollution League and New Hampshire Sierra Club) ML1031905292010-11-15015 November 2010 NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLCs Answer Opposing the Petition to Intervene and Request for Hearing of Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti-Pollution League, and New Hampshire Sierra Club ML1031907642010-11-15015 November 2010 NRC Staff'S Answer to Petitions to Intervene and Requests for Hearing Filed by (1) Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition and (2) Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti-Pollution League, and New Hampshire Sierra Club ML1030504922010-11-0101 November 2010 Attachment C (resubmitted)-Economic Consequences of a Rad/Nuc Attack: Cleanup Standards Significantly Affect Cost ML1032703262010-10-18018 October 2010 Declaration of Deborah Grinnell ML1032703232010-10-18018 October 2010 Declaration of Deborah Breen ML1032703192010-10-18018 October 2010 Declaration of Sandra Gavutis ML1032703252010-10-12012 October 2010 Declaration of Diane M. Teed ML1032703212010-09-30030 September 2010 Declaration of Peter Kellman ML1032703182010-09-29029 September 2010 Declaration of Karen Stewart ML1032703202010-09-20020 September 2010 Declaration of Mary Lampert ML0617800572006-06-16016 June 2006 Constellation'S Answer to Petition to Intervene by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 97 2012-06-20
[Table view] Category:Responses and Contentions
MONTHYEARML12181A1732012-06-20020 June 2012 Letter to Ms. Vietti-Cook Withdrawal of Appearance of Eric J. Epstein from the Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant Docket No. 52-039-COL Proceeding and TMI-Alert Inc.'S Support for the Petition to Suspend Final Decisions in All Pending Licensing ML12172A3962012-06-18018 June 2012 Petition to Suspend Final Decisions in All Pending Reactor Licensing Proceedings from Friends of the Earth ML11257A0042011-09-13013 September 2011 Certificate of Service for Intervenors' Memorandum in Reply to Nextera and NRC Staff Oppositions to Admission of Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition'S Contention Re NEPA Requirement to Address Safety & Environmental Implications ML11257A0022011-09-13013 September 2011 Reply Memorandum Regarding Timeliness and Admissibility of New Contentions Seeking Consideration of Environmental Implications of Fukushima Task Force Report in Individual Reactor Licensing Proceedings ML11257A0032011-09-13013 September 2011 Intervenors' Reply and Memorandum in Reply to Nextera and NRC Staff Oppositions to Admission of Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition'S Contention Re NEPA Requirements to Address Safety and Environmental Implications of the Fukushi ML11256A3562011-09-13013 September 2011 Reply Memorandum Regarding Timeliness and Admissibility of New Contentions Seeking Consideration of Environmental Implications of Fukushima Task Force Report in Individual Reactor Licensing Proceedings ML11256A3572011-09-13013 September 2011 Petitioners' Memorandum in Reply to Oppositions to Admission of New Contention in the Seabrook Relicensing Proceeding ML11249A1392011-09-0606 September 2011 Answer of NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC, Opposing Motions to Admit New Contention ML1110900102011-04-18018 April 2011 Amendment and Errata to Emergency Petition to Suspend All Pending Reactor Licensing Decisions and Related Rulemaking Decisions Pending Investigation of Lessons Learned from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident ML1035601642010-12-22022 December 2010 NextEra Energy Seabrook, Llc'S Answer to Nec/Friends of the Coast'S Motion for Leave to File a Reply ML1035602852010-12-22022 December 2010 NRC Staff'S Response in Opposition to Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition'S Motion for Leave to Reply ML1035500572010-12-20020 December 2010 Motion by Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition for Leave to Rely to NRC Staff Objections: Nextera Energy Seabook, LLC, Response in Opposition to the Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition Supplement to Its Petition ML1035500582010-12-20020 December 2010 Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition'S Reply to NRC Staff Objections; and Nextera Energy Seabrook, Llc., Response in Opposition to the First of the Coast and New England Coalition'S Supplement to Its Petition ML1034707042010-12-13013 December 2010 NextEra Energy Seabrook, Llc'S Response Opposing Nec/Friends of the Coast'S Supplement to Its Petition ML1034705912010-12-13013 December 2010 NRC Staff'S Objections to the Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition'S Supplement ML1032703242010-11-23023 November 2010 Certificate of Service (for Friends of the Coast/New England Coalition Reply and Request for Extension of Time) ML1032606572010-11-22022 November 2010 Combined Reply of Joint Petitioners (Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti-Pollution League and New Hampshire Sierra Club) to Answers of NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission ML1032703272010-11-22022 November 2010 Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition Reply to Nextera and NRC Staff Answers to Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition Petition for Leave to Intervene, Request for Hearing, and Admission of Contentions ML1032703222010-11-22022 November 2010 Friends of the Coast/New England Coalition'S Request for Extension of Time ML1032700012010-11-22022 November 2010 Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition Reply to Nextera and NRC Staff Answers to Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition Petition for Leave to Intervene, Request for Hearing, and Admission of Contentions ML1032606692010-11-22022 November 2010 Errata of Joint Petitioners (Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti-pollution League and New Hampshire Sierra Club) ML1031905292010-11-15015 November 2010 NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLCs Answer Opposing the Petition to Intervene and Request for Hearing of Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti-Pollution League, and New Hampshire Sierra Club ML1031907642010-11-15015 November 2010 NRC Staff'S Answer to Petitions to Intervene and Requests for Hearing Filed by (1) Friends of the Coast and New England Coalition and (2) Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti-Pollution League, and New Hampshire Sierra Club ML1030504922010-11-0101 November 2010 Attachment C (resubmitted)-Economic Consequences of a Rad/Nuc Attack: Cleanup Standards Significantly Affect Cost ML1032703262010-10-18018 October 2010 Declaration of Deborah Grinnell ML1032703232010-10-18018 October 2010 Declaration of Deborah Breen ML1032703192010-10-18018 October 2010 Declaration of Sandra Gavutis ML1032703252010-10-12012 October 2010 Declaration of Diane M. 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September 13, 2011 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD AND OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
__________________________________________
In the Matter of )
)
NEXTERA ENERGY SEABROOK (LLC) )
[Also Known As FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT] )
)
SEABROOK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ) DOCKET NO. 50-443-LR
)
Regarding the Renewal of Facility Operating License ) ASLBP No. 10-906-02-LR No-NFP-86 for a 20-Year Period )
__________________________________________ )
PETITIONERS MEMORANDUM IN REPLY TO OPPOSITIONS TO ADMISSION OF NEW CONTENTION IN THE SEABROOK RELICENSING PROCEEDING Pursuant to 10 C.F.R. § 2.309(h)(2), Beyond Nuclear, Seacoast Anti-Pollution League and Sierra Club of New Hampshire [collectively the petitioners] hereby reply to the oppositions submitted by the applicant, NextEra Seabrook, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Staff to Petitioners new contention seeking consideration of the environmental implications of the Fukushima Task Force Report.
Petitioners respectfully submit that the arguments by applicant and the NRC Staff regarding the timeliness and admissibility of the contention are without merit and the contention should be admitted.
The arguments raised by the applicant and the NRC Staff in response to Petitioners contention are similar or identical to arguments made by the applicant and staff in response to Fukushima Task Force Report-related contentions that were filed in
other reactor licensing proceedings on the same day. Petitioners attach and incorporate by reference the attached Reply Memorandum, which addresses the most common arguments that are made in the responses and was prepared by counsel for intervenors in several of the cases 1 The Reply Memorandum discusses the effect of the NRC Commissioners recent decision regarding the Emergency Petition that was submitted by Petitioners and many other intervenors and petitioners in April 2011.
Union Electric Co., d/b/a/ Ameren Missouri (Callaway Plant, Unit 2) et al., CLI-11-05, __
NRC __ (Sept. 9, 2011) (CLI-11-05). 2 Petitioners reply to arguments by the applicant and NRC Staff that are particular to this proceeding that the new contention is not specific enough to the NextEra license renewal application, the Environmental Review and the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for this application. It is our fundamental contention that the entire application does not reflect the real-world implications of the Fukushima disaster and that, in particular, NEPA requires that the applicant to do so. On the most basic and rational level of argument, the application was submitted prior to March 11, 2011. Thus, the application does not reflect the undisputable tragic events of an unprecedented nuclear catastrophe that began in March 2011 and continues today, nor does it reflect the recommendations contained in the July 2011 Fukushima Task Force 1
The Reply Memorandum was prepared by Diane Curran (counsel for the intervenor in the Diablo Canyon license renewal proceeding and Watts Bar operating license proceeding), Mindy Goldstein (counsel for some of the intervenors in the Vogtle and Turkey Point COL proceedings), and Jason Totoui (counsel for some of the intervenors in the Turkey Point COL proceeding).
2 Because the applicant and the NRC Staff have not had an opportunity to address the effect of CLI-11-05 on the timeliness and admissibility of Petitioners contention, Petitioners would not object to a response by the applicant and the Staff to their arguments regarding the relevance of CLI-11-05 to their contention.
Report. Thus, the NextEra application and Environment Report does not real world reflect events that began in mid-March 2011 and continue today, nor do they reflect the July 2011 Fukushima Task Force Report.
Reply as to Publics Burden to Show Necessity for Changing Scope of NEPA Consideration The point repeatedly overlooked by the Applicant and Staff oppositions is that the burden placed on Intervenors or other members of the public to trigger consideration of new information is quite low, particularly when the NEPA process is, as here, not even consummated at the DEIS stage.
To [require an EIS], a plaintiff need not show that significant effects will in fact occur ... raising substantial questions whether a project may have a significant effect is sufficient. (Emphasis supplied). Anglers of the Au Sable v. U.S. Forest Service, Case
- 05-10152-BC (E.D. Mich. N.D. 2005) at 13-14, citing Idaho Sporting Congress v.
Thomas, 137 F.3d 1146, 1149-50 (9th Cir. 1998) (EIS required if substantial questions are raised about effects on environmental quality). The Court must not substitute [its]
judgment of the environmental impact for the judgment of the agency, once the agency has adequately studied the issue. Crounse Corp. v. Interstate Commerce Commn, 781 F.2d 1176, 1193 (6th Cir. 1986). However, [i]t is [the Courts] role . . . to determine whether the agency has, in fact, adequately studied the issue and taken a hard look at the environmental consequences of its decision. Id. The harm NEPA seeks to prevent is complete when the agency makes a decision without considering information NEPA requires be placed before the decision-maker and public. Sierra Club
- v. Marsh, 872 F.2d 497, 500 (1st Cir. 1989). "The injury of an increased risk of harm due to an agency's uninformed decision is precisely the type of injury {NEPA} was designed
to prevent. Comm. to Save the Rio Hondo v. Lucero, 102 F.3d 445, 448-49 (10th Cir.
1996).
Moreover, since Joint Intervenors submitted Contention, we have experienced a major earthquake in the Mid-Atlantic States that according to initial USGS and NRC evaluations triggered ground motion approximately double that which the North Anna nuclear power station closest to the epicenter was designed to withstand. The implications of this earthquake on seismic standards for all U.S. reactors, and especially those, like Seabrook, relatively close to the epicenter, are not yet fully understood but are likely to be significant and at the least certainly provide substantial new information about seismic risk in our region.
In addition, since Joint Intervenors submitted Contention, we have experienced Hurricane Irene, which caused extensive flooding up much of the Eastern Seaboard, with major impacts on New Jersey and on up into Vermont, raising additional safety concerns and potential environmental impacts. Natural disasters are now clearly not just limited to the Japanese coastline.
While perhaps these events should arguably form the basis of yet another new contention, petitioners suggest that they also fall into the broader concerns addressed by the new contention and simply reflect additional urgency for a revision of the license renewal application, its ER and the DSEIS.
Both the Applicant and the NRC have argued that the Petitioners contention is not timely and inadmissible. The Petitioners simple answer is that the contention is in fact timely as in fact the event upon which it is based has not yet ended nor are its consequences reliably contained nor is the accident brought to any facsimile of finality.
At page 10-11 of the Applicant reply, they make the argument for the petitioners in saying, With respect to environmental contentions, [t]he petitioner may amend [its]
contentions or file new contentions if there are data or conclusions in the NRC draft or final environmental impact statement, environmental assessment, or any supplements relating thereto, that differ significantly from the data or conclusions in the applicants documents. 10 C.F.R. § 2.309(f)(2). Absent such circumstances, an intervenor may file new contentions only with leave of the presiding officer upon a showing that the new contention is based on information that was not previously available and is materially different than information previously available, and that the contention has been submitted in a timely fashion. Id. [NextEra The Petitioiners reply that the NRC Task Force Report is in fact based on a very real nuclear catastrophe that is unfortunately still unfolding at Fukushima now surpassing six months old; an accident that has not yet been contained and is still currently of considerable consequence to the entire world. The environmental consequence of this ongoing accident has not been reliably bounded. As such, the NRC Task Force Report holds perhaps greater import than the average NRC report.
Moreover, because the meltdowns took place in March 2011 and the Task Force Report was issued in July 2011, it would have been astonishingly prescient for the Petitioners
to have been able to submit this as a contention as part of our initial petition to intervene, filed in October 2010. We are but joint petitioners, not Seers.
Respectfully signed and submitted electronically by digital certificate,
/s/------------------
Paul Gunter Beyond Nuclear 6930 Carroll Avenue Suite 400 Takoma Park, MD 20912 Tel. 301.270.2209 ext.3 Email: paul@beyondnuclear.org
/s/-------------------
Doug Bogen Executive Director Seacoast Anti-Pollution League PO Box 1136 Portsmouth, NH 03802 E-mail: bogen@metrocast.net Tel: 603.431.5089
/s/---------------
Kurt Ehrenberg Sierra Club of New Hampshire 40 North Main Street Concord, NH 03301 Email: kurtehrenberg@gmail.com Tel: 603.498.2275 September 13, 2011