ML17336A068

Expresses Support for FP&L Request for Waiver of Applicable Review Fees Upon FP&L Submittal of an Application for License Renewal for Turkey Point Units 3 & 4

ML17336A068
Person / Time
Site:	Turkey Point
Issue date:	04/01/1999
From:	Garcia J FLORIDA, STATE OF
To:	Shirley Ann Jackson, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML17336A067	List: ML17336A068
References
NUDOCS 9905060059
Download: ML17336A068 (5)

Text

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STATE OF FLORIDA JOE GARCIA CHAI~ f ~gila ~ CAPITALCIRCLE OFFICE CENTER 2540 Shumard Oak Boulevard I

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0855 (850) 4134042 4uNir Serbiu Kamlllis's'ioII

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April 1, 1999 The Honorable Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852

Dear Chairman Jackson:

On behalf of the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC), I am writing to express support for Florida Power Ec Light Company's (FPL) request for waiver of the applicable review fees upon FPL's submittal of an application for license renewal for Turkey Point Units 3 and 4.

The FPSC, pursuant to the Florida Statutes, has the authority to regulate electric utilities within the State of Florida. The FPSC is authorized to establish reasonable rates and charges and may allow utilities to recover from their customers prudently incurred costs relating to the operations of their power plants. In this regard, the FPSC has a substantial interest in minimizing external regulatory fees and charges imposed on electric utilities in Florida.

The FPSC recognizes the NRC's significant efforts to improve its current regulatory processes, including its process for reviewing license renewal applications. These efforts are likely to result in more efficient and less costly interaction between the NRC and its licensees, an outcome that we certainly support. In fact, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), of which the FPSC is a member, passed a resolution at its 1999 Winter Meetings in Washington, D.C., in support of the NRC's diligent efforts to improve its oversight of the nation's commercial nuclear power plants, For your convenience, we have attached a copy of this resolution.

The FPSC respectfully recognizes that the NRC's decision concerning whether to grant FPL's request for a fee waiver is contingent upon satisfaction of specific criteria, We understand that FPL will likelybe the first utilityto submit a license renewal application for a Westinghouse reactor. We .

also understand that the NRC has granted partial waivers of the applicable review fees to other utilities which wgre the first to apply for license renewal for a plant made by a certain manufacturer.

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The Honorable Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson Page 2 April l, l 999 We ask that FPL's request be given the utmost consideration. Given the precedent for partial fee waivers granted to other utilities, it seems appropriate that FPL also be granted a waiver. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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Sincerely, Joe Garcia Chairman JAG:kt Enclosure

Resolution Regarding the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Efforts to Improve its Regulatory Processes WHEREAS, State public utilitycommissions are concerned with the costs of the nuclear industry's compliance with Nuclear Regulatory Comm ssion (~C) regulations, in that these costs are passed on to the states'atepayers; and WHEREAS, Several state legislatures and public utilitycommissions have enacted legislation and

'ssued orders establishing electric competition in their states, and several other states are considering similar actions; and WHEREAS, Utilities including nuclear utilities, in states with and without electric competition, are reorienting themselves to become more competitive. and a'e seeking additional ways to reduce their costs:

and WHEREAS, The safety and reliability of the nuclear industry has improved markedly over the last decade, as evidenced by a decrease in the number of automatic shutdowns, a decrease in the number of significant safety problems, and a decrease in the number of outages caused by equipment problems; and WHEREAS, There is concern that the NRC's regulatory approach fails to recognize the improvements achieved by the nuclear industry in the areas of safety, reliability, and economic performance; and WHEREAS, The Senate Subcommittee on Clean Air and Wetlands, Private Property, and Nuclear Safety, at a July 30, 1998 hearing on NRC regulatory activities, expressed concerns regarding thc timeliness and the consistency of NRC decisions; and WHEREAS, The NRC has acknowledged that some of its regulatory activities could be improved to remove inefficiencies to mitigate subjective standards and improve clarity; and WHEREAS, The NRC has responded to the concerns expressed by the nuclear industry, Congress, and public interest groups by revamping its inspection and oversight program for commercial nuclear power plants to focus its attention on activities where potential risks are greater and on plants that have experienced performance problems; and WHEREAS, The NRC's proposed nuclear plant oversight program is anchored in the NRC's mission to ensure the continued public health and safety in the operation of such nuclear plants; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, convened at its 1999 Winter Meetings in Washington, D.C., urges the NRC to be cognizant of the potential impact deregulation may have on the safety and reliability ofnuclear plants; and be it further RESOLVED, That NARUC supports efforts by the NRC to improve its currentregulatory processes, while at the same time maintaining a high level of safety, as those efforts willlikely result in more efficient and less costly interaction between the NRC and nuclear plant licensees.

Sponsored by the Committee on Electricity