ML19207A740
| ML19207A740 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000363 |
| Issue date: | 07/24/1979 |
| From: | Benedict R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908220236 | |
| Download: ML19207A740 (4) | |
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- pa asog'o, UNITED STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION y
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
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Jut 2 4 mg DOCKET NO. 50-363 APPLICANT: JERSEY CEA
, PCWER AND LIGHT COMPANY FACILITY:
FORKED RIVER NUCLEAR STATION
SUBJECT:
MEETING HELD ON JUNE 20, 1979 A meeting with the applicant's representatives was held in Bethesda, Maryland on June 20, 1979. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the applicant's request for an extension to the Forked River construction permit. The m^ iting participants are listed in the Enclosure.
The staff presented some of its thoughts concerning not only the construction permit extension but also the potential difficulties in conducting an operating license review in the future considering :he rather long elapsed time since isE"ance of the construction permit.
The construction permit application was filed in 1970 and the construction permit was issued in 1973. Plant construction has proceeded slowly and is now only about 3" complete. Homver, approximately 350 million dollars has been expenced in design and equipnent procurement. Assuning construction does not begin again for tw or three years, the plant design would be about 15 years old when the MIC begins the operating license review. The design would probably deviate consider-
~ bly from the then-current Standard Review Plan's acceptance criteria, making the a
staff's review more difficult and more time consuning. For example, the ASME Code to whir.5 the reactor vessel was purchased war, the 1971 edition. The containment vessel was designed in accordance with Section VIII of the ASME code rather than Section III, z.s would be the case for plants of more recent design. The seismic design critaria are old, but the applicant believes that a re-analysis would show
- nat the plant eld meet current criteria.
The NRC environmental review s:: cumpleted in 1973. Since then, additional generic environmental concerns nave arisen that will have to be addressed.
The reasons for needing an extension tc the construction permit were, as given in the applicant's August 31, 1978 lettt;r, p. imarily financial in nature. In order to show good cause for the extensior, the factors contributing to the celay should be beyond the applicant's certrol. As writt.n in the August 31 letter, it is not clear to the staff that the factors cited were indeed beyond the applicant's control. Furthermore, the occurrence of the accident at ihree Mile Island Unit 2 has unaoubtecly exacercated the acclicant' c financial con-dition, raising questions about the aoplicant's financial capability to complete the construction of Forked River.
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7908220Z%
- 2*M.t. Arnold cf General Public Utilities, the parent corporation of the applicant, presented a brief chronology of events since the issuanceof the construction perm 1t in July 1973. Construction was lalted in '.974 due to financial difficul-ties, and was begun again in 1977. On ;tgust 31,1978 the applicant filed a request to extend the latest date for ces:pletion oT construction from October 4, 1978 to February 1,1985. On April % 1i79, construction was halted in order to conserve funds that might be needed, as a result of the accident at Three Mile Island thit 2, for other purposes. The substructure is about 60". complete, but construction has not reached above grade level. Most major equiptent items are in storage at the site.
The applicant stated that it has upgraded the design as far as practicable to facilitate the process for obtaining an operating license.
This included reviews of the Regulatory Guides through Regulatory Guide 1.96, and of the Stan-dard Rev%w Plan. Tney have kept up-to-date on the operating license review of San Onofre thits 2 and 3, which is similar in design to Forked Riser, and have updated the Forked River design in some areas.
Mr. Arnold explained that ocean cooling, as an alternative to the cooling tower, is more expen-ive and is less desirable environmentally. He stated that the State of New Jersey may be willing to grant a variance on the salt deposition 1imit such that the cooling tower will be acceptable.
According to Mr. Arnold, Jersey Central will be short on its base load capability and on reserves by 1981, and GPU's coranitnent to the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) pool will also be short. GPU will install gas turbines to try to meet the shortage. Forked River cons;.ruction will not begin again for at least two years. Jersey Central will probably try to buy participation in other plants to carry them into the 1980's, and may 1.cok for participation in the Forked River
. plant by other utilities.
As a Tc:; ult of the discussions at this meeting, the applicant agreed to send us a letter that (1) states that construction work has been halted, (2) reqasts that we not take action at this time regarding their August 31, 1978 request for CP extension, and (3) states that they will notify us when a decision has been made to re-start construction work.
In addition, they said they will provide detailed information supporting a showing of good cause for constructior; permit extension and a detailed description of plant design changes intended to meet new safety and environmental standards.
.d.cY U R. A. Benedict Light Water Reactors Branch No. 2 Division of Project Management
Enclosure:
Attendance List ccs w/ enclosure:
See next page BA74[J77 y
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J1!. t 4 379 Mr. Ivan R. Finfrock, Jr.
Vice President Jersey Central Power and Light Ccmpany Madison Avenue at Punce 3cwl Road Morristown, New Jersey 07'.'60 M. Kenneth Pastor, Project Manager GPU Service Corporation 260 Cherry Hill Road Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 Mr. E. G. Wallace Licensing Manager GPU Service Corporation 250 Cherry Hill Road Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 deorge F. Trowbridge, Esq.
Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trewbridge 1800 M Street, N. W.
Washington, D. C.
20036 Joseph W. Ferraro, Jr. dsq.
Tenuty Attorney General State of New Jersey
- 1partment of '.aw & Pubi te Safety 1100 Raymond Boulevard Newark. New Jersey 07102 Mr. Keith Onsdor7'
.0ecartment of the Public Advocate 520 E. State Street Trenton, New Jersey G8625 nre@
9410
s ENCLOSURE JUL 3 4 g ATTENDANCE LIST
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FORKED RIVER WETING OF JUNE 20, 1979 GENERAL PUBLIC UTILITIES R. C. Arnold J. Graham R. W. Heward J. R. Thorpe E. G. Wallace G. F. Tro2 ridge (Shaw, Pittman, Potts and Tradridge)
NRC - STAFF R. Baer R. Benedict J. Cutchin, IV R. Gilbert M. Karlowic W. Kreser M. Yasnik J. Petersen F. Schroeder D. Vassallo N
3M DI'
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