ML20071G411

Request for Additional Information, GE Hitachi Request for Alternate Decommissioning Schedules for the Shutdown Reactors at the Vallecitos Nuclear Center

ML20071G411
Person / Time
Site:	Vallecitos Nuclear Center, Vallecitos
Issue date:	03/16/2020
From:	Jack Parrott Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs
To:	Feyrer M GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas
Parrott J
Shared Package
ML20071G409	List: ML20071G411 ML20071G413
References
(EPID L-2017-LLA-0052)
Download: ML20071G411 (3)

Text

March 16, 2020 Matt J. Feyrer, Site Manager GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Vallecitos Nuclear Center 6705 Vallecitos Rd.

Sunol, CA 94586

SUBJECT:

GE HITACHI REQUEST FOR ALTERNATE DECOMMISSIONING SCHEDULES FOR THE SHUTDOWN REACTORS AT THE VALLECITOS NUCLEAR CENTER - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (EPID L-2017-LLA-0052)

Dear Mr. Feyrer:

By letter dated July 10, 2015, and as supplemented by letter dated October 15, 2015, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) submitted a request for alternate decommissioning schedules for licenses DPR-1 (VBWR), DR-10 (EVESR), and TR-1 (GETR) at the GEH Vallecitos Nuclear Center (VNC).

On July 15, 2016, GEH revised its request to the form of an exemption from the decommissioning schedule requirements of § 50.82(a)(3) (for VBWR and EVESR) and § 50.82(b)(4)(i) (for GETR), i.e., the schedule requirements for the termination of reactor licenses.

The exemption request was made in accordance with 10 CFR 50.12, Specific Exemptions.

NRC staff review of the request resulted in a request for additional information to GEH by letter dated May 16, 2017.

GEH responded on July 31, 2017 by, in part, further addressing the exemption criteria of § 50.12(a)(1) regarding ensuring that the requested exemption will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety. Also, in September 2017 NMSS staff conducted a follow up onsite audit of GEHs responses to the 2017 RAIs. As a result of NRC staffs review this response, and the onsite audit, staff found that further information was needed to determine if the § 50.12(a)(1) exemption criteria could be satisfied. Therefore, by letter dated January 18, 2018 NRC staff requested additional information. Through several partial responses and adjustments to the response schedule, GEH provided its final response to this RAI on November 15, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19319B843).

The NRC staff has reviewed your request and concluded that there is enough information for the staff to make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed exemption to § 50.82(a)(3) for VBWR. However, the NRC staff has concluded that the information described in the enclosure to this letter is necessary to enable the staff to make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed exemption to § 50.82(a)(3) for EVESR and § 50.82(b)(4)(i) for GETR in terms of regulatory requirements and undue risks to public health and safety.

M. Feyrer The NRC staff requests that GEH supplement the request to address the information described in the enclosure within 30 days of the date of this letter. This will enable the NRC staff to resume its detailed technical review.

The information requested and associated time frame in this letter were discussed with Scott Murray of your staff on March 12, 2020.

If you have any questions, please call me at (301) 415-6634 or e-mail at Jack.Parrott@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Jack D. Parrott, Senior Project Manager Reactor Decommissioning Branch Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket Nos. 50-18, 50-183, and 50-70

Enclosure:

Additional Information Needed cc: GE Hitachi shutdown reactor service list

ML20071G411 Package No. ML20071G413 *by e-mail OFFICE NMSS/DUWP/RDB/PM NMSS/DUWP/RDB/BC NRR//DEX/ESEB/BC NAME J.Parrott B.Watson J.Colaccino*

DATE 03/11/2020 03/12/2020 03/12/2020 OFFICE NMSS/DUWP/DD NMSS/DUWP/RDB/PM NAME P.Holahan* J.Parrott DATE 03/16/2020 03/16/2020