ML16021A299

Comley Letter - November 2015 Final Public

ML16021A299
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	11/19/2015
From:	Fred Bower Reactor Projects Branch 3
To:	Comley S We The People
BOWER, FL
Shared Package
ML15233A395	List: ML15233A430 ML15239B062 ML16021A038 ML16021A042 ML16021A299 ML16021A327 ML16047A176 ML16067A014 ML16067A025
References
Download: ML16021A299 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I 2100 RENAISSANCE BLVD., SUITE 100 KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 19406-2713 November 19, 2015 Stephen B. Comley, Sr., Founder - We the People A National Whistleblower Organization

Dear Mr. Comley:

I am responding to your recent correspondence (ML15323A003)1 with Scott Burnell of the NRC Office of Public Affairs (OPA) that raises current and historic safety and security concerns at Seabrook Station. We have communicated your concerns with Chairman Burns office as you requested. As a number of your issues involve current emergency preparedness and security at Seabrook Station, this office was requested to respond to these concerns.

In your correspondence, you asked the NRC about an informational meeting on emergency preparedness held in Rowley, MA on June 1, 2015. The NRC was not involved in this meeting because it centered on Massachusetts emergency preparedness. The meeting was requested by Massachusetts State and local representatives, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) attended. As noted to you previously (ML14043A360), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has Federal jurisdiction on matters involving offsite emergency preparedness around commercial nuclear facilities. Because the meeting involved offsite emergency preparedness, the NRC would not have had a role in this State-centered discussion.

As you have concerns that first responders in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire do not have the capacity to promptly and safely mobilize an evacuation in the event of a nuclear emergency, we urge you to discuss these concerns with the FEMA Region I staff in Boston, Massachusetts. The name and contact information for the Boston office was previously provided to you in our letter dated February 12, 2014 (ML14043A360).

If FEMA identifies inadequacies with the offsite emergency preparedness plan for Seabrook Station, the NRC will take appropriate actions, as required by NRC regulations in 10 CFR 50.47.

In the last three years, no first responders in New Hampshire or Massachusetts have advised this office of inadequacies in their ability to respond to a radiological emergency at Seabrook Station.

You also questioned the 2014 decision by NextEra, the Seabrook Station licensee, to stop manning a security booth on the access road to the site. We noted to you in earlier correspondence (ML15092A539) that this security booth is not required by NRC regulations.

1 Designation in parentheses refers to an Agency-wide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) accession number. Documents referenced in this letter are publicly-available using the accession number in ADAMS.

S. Comley Because a number of similar questions on security at other sites have been received by the NRC, the NRC OPA issued a statement on the security regulations for nuclear power plants on the NRCs website (http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1425/ML14253A476.pdf). This document specifically responds to your question regarding public access to licensee property outside of the NRC-required security areas.

Finally, you also mentioned information you provided to the NRC staff concerning alleged past wrongdoing by current and former NRC staff, and you now admit the existence of tape recordings of alleged whistleblowers discussing counterfeit parts, among other issues, that were the subject of a subpoena in the early 1990s. This information has been transmitted to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for whatever action it deems is appropriate. As you are aware, the OIG is an independent and objective unit that conducts and supervises audits and conducts investigations relating to the NRC's programs and operations. We suggest you contact their office at their toll free hotline number (1-800-233-3497) to learn their decision regarding the handling of your concerns.

If you have additional questions or concerns related to Seabrook Station, or additional information to provide in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact Richard Barkley of my staff at (610) 337-5328.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Fred L. Bower III, Chief, Reactor Projects Branch 3 Division of Reactor Projects

ML16021A299 (PUBLIC) x Non-Sensitive x Publicly Available SUNSI Review Sensitive Non-Publicly Available OFFICE RI/DRP RI/RC NLO RI/DRP NAME RBarkley/RSB PJehle/PJehle FBower/ FLB DATE 11/18/15 11/18/15 11/18/ 15 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I 2100 RENAISSANCE BLVD., SUITE 100 KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 19406-2713 November 19, 2015 Stephen B. Comley, Sr., Founder - We the People A National Whistleblower Organization

Dear Mr. Comley:

I am responding to your recent correspondence (ML15323A003)1 with Scott Burnell of the NRC Office of Public Affairs (OPA) that raises current and historic safety and security concerns at Seabrook Station. We have communicated your concerns with Chairman Burns office as you requested. As a number of your issues involve current emergency preparedness and security at Seabrook Station, this office was requested to respond to these concerns.

In your correspondence, you asked the NRC about an informational meeting on emergency preparedness held in Rowley, MA on June 1, 2015. The NRC was not involved in this meeting because it centered on Massachusetts emergency preparedness. The meeting was requested by Massachusetts State and local representatives, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) attended. As noted to you previously (ML14043A360), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has Federal jurisdiction on matters involving offsite emergency preparedness around commercial nuclear facilities. Because the meeting involved offsite emergency preparedness, the NRC would not have had a role in this State-centered discussion.

As you have concerns that first responders in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire do not have the capacity to promptly and safely mobilize an evacuation in the event of a nuclear emergency, we urge you to discuss these concerns with the FEMA Region I staff in Boston, Massachusetts. The name and contact information for the Boston office was previously provided to you in our letter dated February 12, 2014 (ML14043A360).

If FEMA identifies inadequacies with the offsite emergency preparedness plan for Seabrook Station, the NRC will take appropriate actions, as required by NRC regulations in 10 CFR 50.47.

In the last three years, no first responders in New Hampshire or Massachusetts have advised this office of inadequacies in their ability to respond to a radiological emergency at Seabrook Station.

You also questioned the 2014 decision by NextEra, the Seabrook Station licensee, to stop manning a security booth on the access road to the site. We noted to you in earlier correspondence (ML15092A539) that this security booth is not required by NRC regulations.

1 Designation in parentheses refers to an Agency-wide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) accession number. Documents referenced in this letter are publicly-available using the accession number in ADAMS.

S. Comley Because a number of similar questions on security at other sites have been received by the NRC, the NRC OPA issued a statement on the security regulations for nuclear power plants on the NRCs website (http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1425/ML14253A476.pdf). This document specifically responds to your question regarding public access to licensee property outside of the NRC-required security areas.

Finally, you also mentioned information you provided to the NRC staff concerning alleged past wrongdoing by current and former NRC staff, and you now admit the existence of tape recordings of alleged whistleblowers discussing counterfeit parts, among other issues, that were the subject of a subpoena in the early 1990s. This information has been transmitted to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for whatever action it deems is appropriate. As you are aware, the OIG is an independent and objective unit that conducts and supervises audits and conducts investigations relating to the NRC's programs and operations. We suggest you contact their office at their toll free hotline number (1-800-233-3497) to learn their decision regarding the handling of your concerns.

If you have additional questions or concerns related to Seabrook Station, or additional information to provide in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact Richard Barkley of my staff at (610) 337-5328.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Fred L. Bower III, Chief, Reactor Projects Branch 3 Division of Reactor Projects

ML16021A299 (PUBLIC) x Non-Sensitive x Publicly Available SUNSI Review Sensitive Non-Publicly Available OFFICE RI/DRP RI/RC NLO RI/DRP NAME RBarkley/RSB PJehle/PJehle FBower/ FLB DATE 11/18/15 11/18/15 11/18/ 15