ML20199A411

Responds to to Chairman Jackson Re Decommissioning Funding Assurance Activities in State of New Hampshire

ML20199A411
Person / Time
Issue date:	11/12/1997
From:	Roe J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Patch D NEW HAMPSHIRE, STATE OF
References
NUDOCS 9711170159
Download: ML20199A411 (4)

Text

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Novomber 12. 1997

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y Mr. Douglas L. Patch, Chairman Nuclear Decommissioning Finance Committee State House Concord, NH 03301

Dear Chairman Patch:

I am responding to your letter of October 0,1997, to Chairman Jackson of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in which you describe decommissioning funding assurance activities in the State of New Hampshire. The NRC would be interested in your committee's recommendations concerning what financial assurance protections ought to be in place to provide additional assurance that adequate funding would be available to decommission nuclear power facilities, 11 the recommendations are provided before November 24,1997, they will be considered as formal comments on the proposed rule on " Financial Assurance Requirements for Decommissioning Nuclear Power Reactors"(62 FR 47588). If they are received after that date, they will be provided to the appropriate agency personnel involved with our rulemaking activities on the same topic for their consideration.

Sincerely, David B. Matthews/for Jack W. Roe, Acting Director Divisiois of Reactor Program Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation DISTRIBUTION: See next page OFFICE PGEB (A)SC:PGEB (A)BC:PGJB (A)D:D/th/,

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L' ACTION EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM: DUE: / / EDO CONTROL: G970745 DOC DT: 10/09/97 FINAL REPLY:

D:uglas L. Patch Stato of Now Hampshire ~

Nuc1 Car Decommissioning Finance Committee TO:

Chairman Jackson FOR SIGNATURE OF : ** GRN t*

CRC NO: 97-1018 DESC: ROUTING:

FINANCIAL ASSURANCE ISSUE -- GREAT BAY POWER Callan DECOMMISSIONING FUNDING EXEMPTION / DECOMMISSIONING Thadani OF THE SEABROOK NUCLEAR FACILITY Thompson Norry Blahn Burns DATE: 10/20/97 Bangart, SP Miller, RI ASSIGNED TO: CONTACT: Paperiello,NMSS Cyr, OGC NRR _ Collins, SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

For Appropriate Action.

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'1 o OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

,, CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER: CRC-97-1018 LOGGING DATE: Oct 17 97 ACTION OFFICE: EDO -

AUTHOR: DOUGLAS PATCH AFFILIATION: NEW HAMPSHIRE ,

ADDRESSEE: CHAIRMAN JACKSON -

LETTER DATE: Oct 9 97 FILE CODE:

SUBJECT:

FINANCAL ASSURANCE ISSUE---GREAT BAY POWER DECOMMISSION FUNDING EXEMPTION ACTION: Appropriate DISTk7BUTION: CHAIRMAN, COMRS, OGC, DSB SPECIAL HANDLING: NONE CONSTITUENT:

NOTES:

DATE DUE:

SIGNATURE: . DATE SIGNED:

AFFILIATION:

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EDO -- G970745

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• • • • STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE DOUGLAS L. PATCH '

GEORGIE A. THOMAS CHAIRMAN , SECRETARY

,n r NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING FINANCE COMMITTEE State House  !

Concord, New Hampshire 03301

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October 9, 1997 l

Honorable Shirley Jackson Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555

Dear Chairman Jackson:

I am writing to you in my capacity as the Chairman of the New Hampshire Nuclear Decommissioning Finance Committee (NDFC) concerning the financial assurance issue. This Committee, established by our Legislature in 1981 to " provide assurance of adequate funding by utilities for the decommissioning" of nuclear electric generating facilities in our state, is composed of eight individuais, including two legislators, various state officials and representatives of the town where the facility is located and of the lead company. The NDFC has asked me to communicate with you regarding an informal proceeding we will be conducting this fall on the financial assurance issue.

Attorney Robert Backus, who represents one of the parties taking an active part in the financing of decommissioning proceedings before the NDFC, wrote two letters to you, in July and August of this year, concerning the Great Bay Power Decommission Funding Exemption and brought this issue and the letters he sent you to the attention of the NDFC. As a consequence of his raising the issue, as well as the fact that our Legislature is considering legislation en this same issue, and the fact that our Legislature and Public Utilities Commission have taken steps toward competition in the electric industry, the NDFC has undertaken an informal proceeding this fall to consider this issue. The NDFC has scheduled two days of informal hearings, on October 29 and November 6, to hear presentations from various parties on the issue of whether more financial assurance protections ought to be in place to assure that there is adequate funding available to decommission the Seabrook Nuclear Facility. It is the NDFC's hope that this process will culminate in a recommendation to our Legislature on this issue which we would also send to the NRC.

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Honorable Shirley Jackson Chairman U.S. Nuclear-Regulatory Commission l Page 2 i I

We further understand that the NRC has an open rulemaking  ;

docket in which it is considering this issue and that there is a deadline of November 24 for comments. We will endeavor to complete our proceeding and come up with a recommendation by that time.

I hope this will be of interest to your agency. - We will provide whatever information and comments we can. Thank you for your consideration.

si e el ,

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Dougla L. Patch C airman cca NDFC Members NDFC Service List Honorable Jeanne Shaheen, Governor Honorable Beverly Hollingworth, State senator 4

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NRR NEW CODES FORM Effective 5/12/96

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