ML20003C811

Comments on NRC Projected Schedule for Licensing Facility in June 1982.Delays in Target Date for Licensing Will Hinder Public Svc Commission Efforts to Regulate Util Rates & Will Increase Economic Burden on Consumers

ML20003C811
Person / Time
Site:	Summer
Issue date:	03/09/1981
From:	Recasha Mitchell SOUTH CAROLINA, STATE OF
To:	Ahearne J NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
References
NUDOCS 8103180497
Download: ML20003C811 (2)

Text

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h Offi:e ef the Seendt? SI Dc:he::ng & Se:Nc L. The Honorable John F. Ahearne, Cha i rman ga e s c-- United States Nuclear Regulatory Commissien Washingto.% D. C. 20555 M, '@ j RE: South Carolina Electric and Gas Company - V. C. Summer .h Nuclear Station  ;;wn; J-

Dear Chairman Ahearne:

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ee We are distressed by your January 30,1981 rs art to the , D'! [:l United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and ~

Water Development, on the status of licensing of nuclear power .:g.g.. reactors. Your report announces dramatic delays in licensir.g ndi?- schedules for a number of nuclear plants including South ~ Carolina Electric and Gas Company's V. C. Summer Nuclear Station, .. ....== Unit No. 1. According to your projected schedule, Summer will *~ not be licensed until June 1982, six months later than you projected in your December Report. The cost escalaciens resul ting f rom this delay are sure to be immense. We are informed that they may approach one .. hundred twenty-five million dollars (S125,000,000) for a six ~ == month delay. This is nearly twenty-one million dollars . . _ . . ($21,000,000) per month. While this Agency does not regulate "~

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the rates of the Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper), ..-.z one-third owner of the Summer Plant, we do regulate South Carolina eli Electric and Gas Company's rates. Al so, we a re not insensitive to the economic burden even to Santee Cooper's cus tome'rs. We earnestly strive to keep rates reasonable in South Carolina. It ._...m... is most difficult under the best of circumstances. It becomes ~" even more difficult and # ustrating wnen this type of r.cn-productive ex::ense is foisted upon our uti1itles and their ratepasers. This Commission certainly does not advocate a lessening of administrative vigor in the effort to insure safety in Yb I 4.,~ _ _ s - = smev ,oa

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The Honorable John F. Ahear 2, Chairman . . . .

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March 4, 1981 - ' ~": f ~' Page Two .

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nuclear operations. We ao, however, urge sericus ' consideration of the very real economic burdens posed j ' .,_; by increased licensing delays which in this case seem to ,._

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have little or nothing to do wi tn new safety or environmental . . . . . . _ . _ . . issues. We urge the Corrrnission to direct their Staff to get .] on with the task of license review and issuance, to establish = = = 1icensing as a high prfority as It should be, and to mobi1ize the manpower necessa y to reduce these delays. {,; _ , , _ , _ _ , Yours very truly, '7

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p ,y, Rudolph Mitchell .f Chairman  ;=,..

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l'- n-- - . = r-.a # PM:ngg . , , , . cc: The Honorable James B. Edwards  ;;;_-.,: _ Secretary of Energy .;.c.27 "~],

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