ML17309B083

La - (External_Sender) Quick Question?

ML17309B083
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	02/23/2017
From:	- No Known Affiliation
To:	Division of Operating Reactor Licensing
References
17-953-02-LA-BD01
Download: ML17309B083 (3)

Text

SeabrookLANPEm Resource From: Deborah Grinnell <grinnelldebbie2@gmail.com>

Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2017 3:13 PM To: Poole, Justin

Subject:

[External_Sender] Quick question?

Hi Justin, In the news article belowMax has said the comments are to be filed by March 9, Is this true???

Thank you, Debbie By Max Sullivan msullivan@seacoastonline.com

@MaxSullivanLive SEABROOK - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment regarding NextEra Energy Seabrook's proposal to address concrete degradation at Seabrook Station.

NextEra is in the process of having its license for Seabrook Station extended by 20 years and must first demonstrate to the NRC how it plans to address alkali silica reaction, or ASR, a chemical reaction that causes concrete degradation. ASR was discovered in several plant structures in 2010.

Last year, NextEra filed a license amendment request that would amend language in its license to include plans for addressing the degradation. The newly opened public comment period, which started Feb. 7, gives members of the public a chance to weigh in on the license amendment request before the NRC decides whether to approve it. Comments must be filed by March 9, and public hearings can be requested before an April 10 deadline.

NRC spokesperson Neil Sheehan said Monday there had been no public comment or hearing requests filed yet.

NextEra sent its initial license amendment proposal to address ASR last August, but the company was told in September it needed to provide more information. The NRC said it needed more details on how NextEra would monitor movement caused by degradation in the actual concrete structures. The commission also sought more information on how the plant's concrete's backfill, which strengthens the foundation of concrete structures, will be protected against ASR, as well as more technical 1

information on certain testing of the ASR.

In October, NRC officials said NextEra had provided sufficient information regarding its plan to address ASR, allowing the license amendment and renewal processes to move forward.

ASR commonly causes degradation in structures like bridges and dams and can lead to gradual movement of concrete. Seabrook Station is the first plant in the U.S. to have ASR reportedly found in its structures. The NRC has stated ASR is not a safety concern, but the commission is still determining if NextEra will be able to safely monitor the reaction down the road.

NRC officials say it should take until 2018 to approve or deny NextEra's license amendment request, which would then allow the NRC to complete the plant's full license renewal. Sheehan said there is no timetable set for the completion of the license renewal, though he said addressing ASR is the biggest hurdle that remains.

The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, which advises the NRC, will also hold a meeting on Feb. 24 at the NRC headquarters in Rockville, Md., to look at the license amendment request. The ACRS is an independent body of nuclear safety experts that advise the NRC in decision making.

Despite the NRC stating ASR is not a safety concern in Seabrook Station right now, activists against the nuclear industry have said too little is known about ASR and its effects to keep Seabrook Station open. Groups like No More Fukushimas, based in Newburyport, Massachusetts, have called for the immediate closure of Seabrook Station.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20170220/public-input-sought-on-seabrook-nuke-plant-degradation 2

Hearing Identifier: Seabrook_LA_NonPublic Email Number: 576 Mail Envelope Properties (7534DFEB-CE15-476F-AB22-79936FAD0437)

Subject:

[External_Sender] Quick question?

Sent Date: 2/23/2017 3:13:05 PM Received Date: 2/23/2017 3:13:09 PM From: Deborah Grinnell Created By: grinnelldebbie2@gmail.com Recipients:

"Poole, Justin" <Justin.Poole@nrc.gov>

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