ML100850427

G20100128/EDATS: OEDO-2010-0176 - Response Letter to Michael Mulligan March 2, 2010, Letter Vermont Yankee Maintenance and Testing of High Pressure Coolant Injection

ML100850427
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee
Issue date:	04/01/2010
From:	Quay T Division of Policy and Rulemaking
To:	Mulligan M - No Known Affiliation
Guzman R, NRR/DORL, 415-1030
Shared Package
ML100900205	List: ML100850427
References
2.206, EDATS: OEDO-2010-0176, G20100128, OEDO-2010-0176
Download: ML100850427 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 April 1,2010 Mr. Michael Mulligan P.O. Box 161 Hinsdale, NH 03451

Dear Mr. Mulligan:

I am responding on behalf of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to your letter dated March 2,2010. In your letter, you requested that the NRC (1) direct Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VY) to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the December 4, 2009, maintenance event, as referenced in NRC Integrated Inspection Report 05000271/2009005; (2) independently verify VY's internal investigation; (3) conduct an independent investigation of the on-site NRC resident inspectors; and (4) fine Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy), the licensee for VY, $1.00, based, in part, on your concern that they disregarded safety procedures when conducting a test of the high-pressure coolant injection (HPCI) system as a retest following maintenance activities. You also state, as a general concern, that Entergy, the NRC, and the industry had falsified and withheld information for economic reasons.

The NRC does not treat a general assertion of a safety problem, without supporting facts, as a formal petition under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations SUbpart 2.206 (10 CFR 2.206).

Nonetheless, we considered your letter as a request to take enforcement-related action (i.e., to modify, suspend, or revoke a license) under 10 CFR 2.206, "Requests for Action Under this Subpart." However, in accordance with NRC procedures that implement 10 CFR 2.206 contained in NRC Management Directive 8.11 "Review Process for 10 CFR 2.206 Petitions" (Agencywide Document Access and Management System Accession No. ML041770328), the NRC staff has determined that your petition does not meet the criteria for review under 10 CFR 2.206, as it presented general assertions of a safety concern, without supporting facts.

The NRC staff has forwarded your March 2,2010, letter to NRC Region I, who can respond, as needed, to your inquiries related to the stated events in the referenced Integrated Inspection Report 05000271/2009005 (ADAMS Accession No. ML073110213). The !\IRC staff has also referred your letter to the NRC Office of the Inspector General, who is charged with investigating claims of misconduct by NRC employees. You should be aware that you may forward your concerns directly to the OIG through the NRC public website - http://www.nrc.gov/insp gen/complaint.html or the OIG Hotline (1-800-233-3497) at anytime.

M. Mulligan -2 Thank you for your interest in these matters. If you have any further questions concerning this matter, please contact Senior Project Engineer, Thomas Setzer at Thomas.Setzer@nrc.gov or at 610-337-5165.

Sincerely, Theodore R. Quay, Deputy Director Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-271 cc: Distribution via Listserv

M. Mulligan - 2 Thank you for your interest in these matters. If you have any further questions concerning this matter, please contact Senior Project Engineer, Thomas Setzer at Thomas.Setzer@nrc.gov or at 610-337-5165.

Sincerely, I RAJ Theodore R. Quay, Deputy Director Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-271 cc: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION: G20100128 EDATS: OEDO-2010-0176 Public LPL 1-1 RtF RidsNrrOd Resource RidsNrrDorlLpl1-1 Resource RidsNrrPMVermontYankee Resource RidsNrrPMNineMilePoint Resource RidsNrrLASLittle Resource RidsNrrDorlDpr Resource RidsOgcRp Resource RidsNrrDorl Resource RidsOGCMailCenter Resource RidsNrrMailCenter Resource RidsRgn 1MailCenter Resource RidsAcrsAcnw&mMailCenter Resource RidsEDOMailcenter Resource RidsOpaMail Resource T. Blount, NRR T. Mensah, NRR RidsNrrDprPspb T. Setzer, RI D. Jackson, RI RidsOIGMailCenter Package Accession No.: ML100900205 Incoming Accession No.: ML100640425 Letter Accession No*.. IVIL100850427 *Concurrence via e-mail OFFICE LPL1-1/PM LPL1-1/LA* R1/BC* LPL1-1/BC DPR/DD NAME RGuzman SLittie DJackson JBoska for NSalgado TQuay DATE 3/31/10 4/01/10 4/01/10 4/1/10 4/1/10 OFFICIAL RECORD COpy