ML20210N129

Forwards NRC Response to W Batton Ltr Expressing Support of Renewal Application for Calvert Cliffs Plants as Requested in Ltr

ML20210N129
Person / Time
Site:	Calvert Cliffs
Issue date:	08/05/1999
From:	Collins S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Olszewski J AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
References
NUDOCS 9908110028
Download: ML20210N129 (5)

Text

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.- [ l August 5, 1999 y

Mr.' John Olszewski, Sr.

County Council 7* District  ;

North Point Government Center j 7701 Wise Avenue  !

Dundalk, MD 21222

DearMr Olszewski:

I am responding to your letter to Chairman Dicus of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of July 20,1999, in which you refer to a letter from William Batton, President of the New 7* Democratic Civic Club, Inc. In its letter, the Club expresses support of the renewal application of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company for the Calvert Cliffs plants, as well as concems about the lack of specificity related to the regulatory specifications for license renewal and the length of time set aside for public comment.

As you have requested in your July 20,1999 letter, we have enclosed the NRC staff response to Mr. Batton. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely, Roy P. Zimmerman signed for I

Samuel J. Collins, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

As stated Distribution: See next page

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\ ***** / July 20, 1999 Mr. William C. Batton, President The New 7* Democratic Civic Club, Inc.

1936 Merritt Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21222-4628

Dear Mr. Batton:

I am responding to your letter to Chairman Jackson of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), of June 24,1999, in which you express your support for the renewal of the operating licenses for Baltimore Gas and Electric Company's (BG&E) Calvert Cliffs plants. In your letter, you also voice your belief that the Commission's regulations for license renewallack specificity and state your concern about the length of time set aside for public comment.

BG&E submitted a license renewal application for its two Calvert Cliffs plants, which is the 'irst such application, in April 1998. The NRC staff issued a safety evaluation report on the application in March 1999. The safety evaluation report contained a number of open and confirmatory items that BG&E responded to in a letter to the NRC dated July 2,1999. The staff is reviewing BG&E's response and plans to issue a final safety evaluation in November 1999.

On February 24,1999, the staff also issued a draft plant-specific supplement to NUREG-1437,

" Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (GEIS) for the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant." The staff is now considering public comments received by May 20,1999, and plans to issue a final supplemental environmental impact statement in mid-November 1999.

Regarding your belief that the Commission's r9gulations for license renewal lack specificity, Part 54, " Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Power Plants," of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 54) sets forth the requirements applicants for license renewal must meet and the standards by which the NRC evaluates their applications.

Part 54 defines what types of plant structures and equipment fall within the scope of license renewal. The regulations next set forth the criteria for determining which structures and components within the scope of license renewal require aging management. The applicant must demonstrate that it will manage the aging of these structures and components so that they will continue to function as intended for the license renewal period.

In reviewing the applications, the NRC staff follows Part 54 and the guidance provided in a draft standard review plan (SRP), " Standard Review Plan for the Review of License Renewal Applications for Nuclear Power Plants," and a draft environmental standard review piari, NUREG-1555, " Environmental Standard Review Plan," both of which provide sufficiently clear, specific, and measurable review criteria. The license renewal SRP is available to the public on Enclosure

._%M.h 3pp.__- __ _ __

( Mr. William C. Batton -2 July 20,1999 the NRC's web site (http://www.nrc. gov), and both SRPs can be obtained from the NRC Public Document Room (2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20555) and the local public document rooms located near each plant site. The staff is confident that the standards set forth in Part 54 and the SRPs, and which the staff applies in its review, are specific and objective.

Regarding your concem about the length of time (30 days) set aside for public comments, this

.per id o , spec e-ifi 1 in the Federal Register notice that provided the opportunity for a hearing regarding the re 1ewal of the Calvert Cliffs operating licenses, was not a public comment period.

Rather, it is a time Wit generally provided in connection with licensing actions, within which an interested member of the public may request a formal hearing pursuant to 10 CFR Section 2.714 of the Commission's regulations. After this period, the regulations afford a petitioner en additional period in which to identify the technical issues he or she wishes to litigate. The l

- Commission's objectives are to provide a fair hearing process, to avoid unnecessary delays in I the NRC's review and hearing processes, and to produce a complete record that supports ,

agency decision making on matters related to the NRC's responsibilities for protecting public l health and safety. We believe the current process achieves these goals.

There is also a formal process for providing input into the staffs environmertal review of a license renewal application. The Commission's regulations in 10 CFR Part 51 allow for an opportunity to provide comments on the scope of the environmental review, and in 10 CFR Section 51.73, require a minimum 45-day period for an opportunity to comment on the staffs preliminary environmental conclusions, set forth in the plant-specific supplement to the GEIS. Sixty and seventy-five day periods were provided, respectively,1or these purposes with respect to Calvert Cliffs.

Finally, there are opportunitie3 to raise questions on individuallicense renewal applications at public meetings, which are held in the NRC offices in Rockville, Maryland and in the vicinity of the facility applying for license renewal. Information provided by the license renewal applicants, as well as NRC evaluations, findings, and recommendations, are made available to the public in such meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss questions which arise during the staffs review of the application and an applicant's responses to these questions. And, of course, members of the public are free to correspond with the staff in writing.

Because the license renewal process is new, the staff expects to make improvements in the j effectiveness and efficiency of reviews and will take your request as encouragement to look for i r

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Mr. William C. Batton J01y 20,1999 additional ways to provide for even greater public involvement. I trust the information set forth above addresses your concems. I appreciate your comments, and you may rest assured that the Commission will continue to seek improvements in its license renewal review process.

Sincerely, i

irector Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation I

I l

Mr. John Olszewski, Sr.

County Council 7* District North Point Government Center 7701 Wise Avenue Dundalk, MD 21222

Dear Mr. Olszewski:

I am responding to your letter to Chairman Dicus of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of July 20,1999, in which you refer to a letter from William Batton, President of the New 7" Democratic Civic Club, Inc. In its letter, the Club expresses support of the renewal application of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company for the Calvert Cliffs plants, as well as concerns about the lack of specificity related to the regulatory specifications for license renewal and the length of time set aside for public comment. In your July 20,1999, letter you said you wanted to add your voice to the Club's concems.

In the enclosed NRC staff response to Mr. Batton, we have addressed these issues. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely, Samuel J. Collins, Director

'OV .t of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

As stated Distribution: See next page

• See previous concurrence G:\RLSB\SOLORIO\ Letter to 7th District Councilman Olsgewski.wpd OFFICE Tech Ed RLSB nh OGC, /,g RLSB:BC NAME BCalure DLShd df  ; CIGrimes DATE 7/30/99* 8/3/99 7/ $99 7/ 30/99*

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John Olszewski, Sr. I Cou Council 7* District North 'nt Government Center '

7701 Wise venue Dundalk, MD 1222 Dear Mr. Olszewsk .

I am responding to your er to Chairman Dieus of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of July 20,1999, in 'ch you refer to a letter from William Batton, President of the New 7* Democratic Civic Club, Inc. his letter, the Club expresses support of the renewal application of Baltimore Gas and ctric Company for the Calvert Cliffs plants, as well as concerns about the lack of specificity lated to the regulatory specifications for license renewal j and the length of time set aside for pub comment. In your July 20,1999, letter you said you wanted to add your voice to his concerns, in the enclosed NRC staff response to Mr. Batto we have addressed these issues. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contac e.

Sincerely, Samuel J. Collins, Di ctor Office of Nuclear React Regulation

Enclosure:

As stated Distribution: See next page

• See previous concurrence G:\RLSBiSOLORIO\ Letter to 7th District Councilman Olsgewski.wpd 3

OFFICE Tech Ed RLSB OGC RLSB:BC

-L NAME BCalure DLSolorM LJChandler ClGrimed DATE 7/30/99* "//W99 / /99 $99 OFFICE DRIP:DM ADIP NRR:D NAME DBMatthkh WFKane SJCollins DATE Tbf99 Y / /99 / /99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Mr. John Olszewski Sr.

'Cgnty Council 7" District 7701 ise Avenue North P t Government Center Dundalk, 21222

Dear Mr. Olsze i:

I am responding to yo letter to Chairman Jackson of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of June 30,1999, which you refer to a letter from the New 7* Democratic Civic Club, Inc. In its letter, the Club ex esses support'of the renewal application of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company for the Calve Cliffs plants as well as concerns about the lack of specificity related to the regulatory specifica s for license renewal and the length of time set aside for public comment.

Enclosed is the NRC staff's response to M . William Batton, President of the New 7* Democratic Civic Club, Inc. If you have further questions, lease do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincer ,

Samuel J. Collins, irector Office of Nuclear Re tor Regulation

Enclosure:

As stated Distribution: See next page G:\RLSB\SOLORIO\ Letter to 7th District Councilman Olsgewski.wpd OFFICE Tech Ed /g RLSB OGC RLSB:BC NAME BCalure DLSolorio* LJChandler* CIGrimes*

DATE 7'"!99* Ygg'f/ 7/15/99 7/19/99 7/16/99 OFFICE DRIP:D ADIP NRR:D NAME DBMatthews* WFKane* SJCollins DATE 7/19/99 7/19/99 7/ /99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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Burns Thadani, RES Miller, RI .

Mitchell, OEDO -

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