ML072390229

G20070590/EDATS: SECY-2007-0295/LTR-07-0562 - Ltr Fm Patrick Leahy, Bernard Sanders, and Peter Welch to Chairman Klein Occurrence at the Vermont Yankee Power Plant on August 21, 2007

ML072390229
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee
Issue date:	08/23/2007
From:	Leahy P, Sanders B, Welch P US Congress, US HR (House of Representatives), US SEN (Senate)
To:	Klein D NRC/Chairman
Norris B, RGN-1/DRP/Br6 610-337-5111
Shared Package
ML072480264	List: ML072390229 ML072570246
References
CORR-07-0135, G20070590, LTR-07-0562, SECY-2007-0295
Download: ML072390229 (4)

Text

EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM: DUE: 09/06/07 EDO CONTROL: G20070590 DOC DT: 08/23/07 FINAL REPLY: Senator Patrick Leahy Senator Bernard Sanders Representative Peter Welch TO: Chairman Klein FOR SIGNATURE OF :** PRI **CRC NO: 07-0562 Chairman Klein DESC: ROUTING: Vermont Yankee Power Plant -Structure DATE: 08/24/07 Reyes Virgilio Kane Ash Ordaz Cyr/Burns Dyer, NRR Schmidt, OCA Quinones, OEDO Cox, OEDO Fields, OEDO ASSIGNED TO: RI CONTACT: Collins SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS: A separate response to each Congressman needs to be prepared for the signature of the Chairman.&-Un;S6CV-oi EDATS Number: SECY-2007-0295 Initiating Office: SECY Genera Inorato Assigned To: Region I Other Assignees:

Subject:

Vermont Yankee Power Plant -Structure

Description:

CC Routing: NRR; OCA ADAMS Accession Numbers -Incoming:

NONE OEDO Due Date: 9/6/2007 5:00 PM SECY Due Date: 9/10/2007 5:00 PM Response/Package:

NONE OhrInfomaion Cross Reference Number: G20070590, LTR-07-0562 Related Task: File Routing: EDATS Staff Initiated:

NO Recurring Item: NO Agency Lesson Learned: NO I Prcs Inomtn II Action Type: Letter Priority:

Medium Sensitivity:

None Signature Level: Chairman Klein Urgency: N(OEDO Concurrence:

YES OCM Concurrence:

NO OCA Concurrence:

NO Special Instructions:

A separate response to each Congressman needs to be prepared for the signature of the Chairman.)Originator Name: Sen. P. Leahy, Sen. B. Sanders, Rep. P. Date of Incoming:

8/23/2007 Welch Originating Organization:

Congress Document Received by SECY Date: 8/24/2007 Addressee:

Chairman Klein Date Response Requested by Originator:

NONE Incoming Task Received:

Letter Page 1 of I OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed: Aug 24, 2007 10:09 PAPER NUMBER: ACTION OFFICE: LTR-07-0562 EDO LOGGING DATE: 08/24/2007 AUTHOR: AFFILIATION:

ADDRESSEE:

SUBJECT:

ACTION: DISTRIBUTION:

LETTER DATE: ACKNOWLEDGED SPECIAL HANDLING: SEN Patrick Leahy CONG Chairman Dale Klein Occurrence at the Vermont Yankee power plant on August 21, 2007 Signature of Chairman RF, OCA to Ack 08/23/2007 No Corer. Correspondence NOTES: FILE LOCATION: AkDAMS DATE DUE: 09/10/2007 DATE SIGNED: EDO --G20070 5 9 0 Aug-23-2007 06:40 PM Rep. Peter Welch 202-225-6790 1/1 August 23, 2007 The Honorable Dale Klein Chairman U,S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001

Dear Chairman Klein:

We are writing in response to the alarming events that occurred at Vermont Yankee power plant on August 21, 2007. It is our understanding that a non-safety related portion of one cooling tower cell at the plant collapsed.

We f-urther understand from your staff at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that there was no threat to the public's health with this accident and that the plant began to power down to 40% immediately following the accident.We are concerned about the cause of this structural failure, especially about the implications for the cooling tower cell(s) that are related to the safe operation of the plant. We understand from your staff that the licensee, Entergy Vermont Yankee, is currently examining this accident to detennine the cause of the collapsed tower and whether there was any evidence of structural deficiencies prior to the collapse.

However, the NRC, has not yet committed to undertaking a thorough investigation of the safety related cooling towers cell(s) that are located on the same site and could potentially have similar structural issues. We find this extremely troubling.

We therefore request you undertake an immediate and thorough investigation to determine if there are similar structural deficiencies in any and all portions of the safety related cooling towers cell(s) at the facility.

Furthermore, we ask you to examine the structural integrity'of the remaining towers and institute any additional precautions to prevent other collapses that would jeopardize the safety of the cooling towers and that could present a risk to the public's health or safe operation of the facility.

Finally we request an evaluation of any preventive actions thae the licensee and/or NRC took in the past related to the safe and efficient operation of all of the cooling towers at the facility.Please continue to keep us thoroughly informed as more information becomes available.

We are committed to assisting Vermont and the NRC to ensure the safety at Vermont Yankee. We appreciate your timely attention to this issue.A Sincerely, United States Senator United States Senator United States Representative 1 P:-:n7' fzE P nl