ML11165A179

G20110446/LTR-11-0340/EDATS: SECY-2011-0337 - Ltr. Senator Scott P. Brown Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant Safety Concerns

ML11165A179
Person / Time
Site:	Pilgrim
Issue date:	06/02/2011
From:	Brown S US SEN (Senate)
To:	Schmidt R Office of Congressional Affairs
Shared Package
ML11182B022	List: ML11165A179 ML11182B023
References
G20110446, LTR-11-0340, SECY-2011-0337
Download: ML11165A179 (6)

Text

EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM: DUE: 07/01/11 EDO CONTROL: G20110446 DOC DT: 06/02/11 FINAL REPLY:

Senator Scott P. Brown TO:

Schmidt, OCA FOR SIGNATURE OF : ** GRN ** CRC NO: 11-0340 Borchardt, EDO DESC: ROUTING:

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant Safety Concerns Borchardt (EDATS: SECY-2011-0337) Weber Virgilio Ash Muessle OGC/GC DATE: 06/14/11 Leeds, NRR Dean, RI ASSIGNED TO: CONTACT: Burns, OGC Schmidt, OCA EDO Rihm SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

Please prepare response in accordance with OEDO Notice 2009-0441-02 (ML093290179). NRR and Region I to provide input to Roger Rihm, OEDO, if required. Roger Rihm to coordinate response with OGC and OCA.

S,ec-q - (b ý'i S cc(/ -0 (

EDATS Number: SECY-2011-0337 Source: SECY GeneralInfomaio Assigned To: OEDO OEDO Due Date: 7/1/2011 11:00 PM Other Assignees: SECY Due Date: 7/6/2011 11:00 PM

Subject:

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant Safety Concerns

==

Description:==

CC Routing: NRR; Regionl; OGC; OCA ADAMS Accession Numbers - Incoming: NONE Response/Package: NONE Othe Infomaton Cross Reference Number: G20110446, LTR- 11-0340 Staff Initiated: NO Related Task: Recurring Item: NO File Routing: EDATS Agency Lesson Learned: NO OEDO Monthly Report Item: NO Poes

'I Inomtd . I Action Type: Letter Priority: Medium Sensitivity: None Signature Level: EDO Urgency: NC )

Approval Level: No Approval Required OEDO Concurrence: NO OCM Concurrence: NO OCA Concurrence: NO Special Instructions: Please prepare response in accordance with OEDO Notice 2009-0441-02 (ML093290179). NRR and Region I to provide input to Roger Rihm, OEDO, if required. Roger Rihm to coordinate response with OGC and OCA.

Docmen I Inomtn I Originator Name: Senator Scott P. Brown Date of Incoming: 6/2/2011 Originating Organization: Congress Document Received by SECY Date: 6/13/2011 Addressee: Rebecca Schmidt, OCA Date Response Requested by Originator: NONE Incoming Task Received: Letter Page 1 of I

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed: Jun 13, 2011 16:48 PAPER NUMBER: LTR- 11-0340 LOGGING DATE: 06/09/2011 ACTION OFFICE:

AUTHOR: SEN Scott Brown AFFILIATION: CONG ADDRESSEE: Rebecca Schmidt

SUBJECT:

Constituent correspondence - concerns about the possibility of a nuclear disaster occurring at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant ACTION: Signature of EDO DISTRIBUTION: OCA to Ack LETTER DATE: 06/02/2011 ACKNOWLEDGED No SPECIAL HANDLING:

NOTES:

FILE LOCATION: ADAMS DATE DUE: 07/06/2011 DATE SIGNED:

EDO -- G20110446

SCOTT P. BROWN COMMITTEES:

MASSACHUSETTS HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 359 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICEBUILDING 22i2444 DC 20510 WASHINGTON, ,it~. t . . ARMED SERVICES (202) 228-2646 FAX VETERANS' AFFAIRS 2400 JFK FEDERAL BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20510 SMALL BUSINESS BOSTON, MA 02203 (617) 565-3170 (617) 723-7325 FAX Ms. Rebecca Schrn idt Director, Office of Cdngresidnal Affmirs U*.S. Nuclear Regulatory CommiissiMn Washington, DC 20555 June 2, 2011 To Ms. Schmidt, I am writing to you today on behalf of a few constituents who are concerned about the possibility of a nuclear disaster occurring because they believe the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth, Massachusetts in unsafe.

The.40-year-old power plant is applying to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to renew its license and continue operations for another 20 years. My constituents are concerned that if this request is approved, Plymouth; and the entire state of Massachusetts will be subjected to unnecessary risk of a nuclear disaster for In:20,10i;the NRC calculated the odds of catastrophic failure in each of the 104 nuclear reactors existing in the United States. The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant ranked second for risk of severe core damage. This at-risk reactor has the same General Electric Mark 1 design as five of Japan's six Fukushima reactors which experienced catastrophic failure in March and are still emitting radiation, contaminating the air, sea, and groundwater. ...

In addition to the at-risk reactor core, another concern is that the spent fuel rods stored in the plant's storage pool far exceed the pool's capacity. The original design limit of the pool was 880 assemblies. When this limit was exceeded, the NRC modified the regulation and allowed the very same pool to store 3,859 assemblies. In Japan's March 2011 Nuclear Disaster, it was the spent-fuel pool that leaked large amounts of radiation causing the disaster. If the generators at the Pilgrim Plant were ever to fail, a disaster of the same or even worse caliber could occur.

As a United States Senator representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of my constituents and all of the citizens of Massachusetts. For this reason, I urge you to carefully. consider all public opinion before renewing the. Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant's license.

Thank you for your consideration on this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further information regarding this issue.,

Sincerely,:: ,- -

• Scott: P.: Brown : .

United States Senator http://scottbrown.senate.gov

From: 05/31/2011 13:55 #294 P.002/003 63 Puritan Way Duxbury, MA 02332 781-934-0595 May 30, 2011 The Honorable Scott Brown United States Senate 359 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC. 20510-2102

Dear Senator Brown:

I recently read the letter to the Editor from Carol Dwyer of Concord in The Boston Globe (May 21, 2011, page 10 - A section) which referred to a study from the NRC which recalculated the odds of catastrophic failure in the reactors of the 104 US nuclear power plants and the fact that the Pilgrim Nuclear Power plant was ranked 2 "dfor risk of severe core damage. A previous article in The Boston Globe was written on another report that deems US nuclear plants are unsafe due to problems with nuclear backup power (May 13, 2011, Page A2).

I am asking for your help. I live in Duxbury, at 63 Puritan Way and I am approximately 10 miles away from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is thinking of renewing the license for Pilgrim and based on the many issues raised in the articles (as indicated above) I think the license should not be renewed. My neighbors and I are very concerned about the disasters that could arise in Plymouth and in our town and surrounding towns if these issues are not addressed prior to renewing the license. Based on the horror of what happened recently in Japan, we are extremely concerned. Please look into this matter and get back to me.

Sincerely, Margaret Delaney MD/bjc FAX: 202-228-2646 05/31/2011 3: 04PM (GMT-04:00)

NRC mustn't renew continue operations for another 20 years ("Problems cited with pool's capacity. When the orig design limit of 88 assemblieE license for Pilgrim nuclear backup power: Report was exceededb Ch nuclear plant comes as panel deems US sites the rules to allow the same pot safe,"Page A2, May 13 to have 3,859 assemblies. This THE 40-YEAR-OLD Pilgrim When-in 261othe recal- storage pool is septi.ve to a nuclear power plant in Plymouth culated the odds of catastrophic disastrous fire, bhitf.it snit cons is unsafe, and the Nuclear Regu- failure in each of the 104 US ered in the NRC's reviews for latory Commission should reject reactors, Pilgrim ranked second license renewal. The spent fue*

its request to renew its license to ,*p ris of severe core dam". pool at Pilgrim contains many Th-Nl~igrini reactor is the same times the radiation in Chernob General Electric Mark 1 design as and a fire could contaminate a2 five of the six Fukushima re- area three times the size of Ma.,

Letters should be written exclusively to the Globe and actors, which are still, two sachusetts.

includename, address,and months after the March 11 earth- The NRC decisions on reneN daytime number. They should be quake, emitting high levels of ing licenses appear to be biasec 200 words orfewer; all are radiation into the groundwater, in favor of the power companie subject to editing.Letters to the sea, and air. The agency has approved every Most significant, the Pilgrim request - 66 in a row.

0 Editor,The Boston Globe, POBox En plant's highly radioactive spent We need to speak up.

55819, Boston, MA 02205-5819; fuel rods are stored in apool of CAROL DWYI letter@globe.corn;fax:617-929-2098. water at nearly four times the CO71(

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