NEW ENGLAND COALITION, BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NRC DECIDES TO TAKE UP CITIZEN ENFORCEMENT PETITION ON ENTERGY VERMONT YANKEE LEAKS

Contact: Raymond Shadis ___________________________       

Consultant to New England Coalition- 207-882-7801

Cell- 207-380-5994

 

On April 26, 2010, New England Coalition received notice from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’ s 10 CFR 2.206 Petition Review Board as follows:

 

The purpose of this e-mail is to inform you of the action taken by a Petition Review Board (PRB) on the 2.206 petitions from Mr. Mulligan, Mr. Shadis, and Mr. Saporito, for enforcement against Vermont Yankee (VY) due to the tritium leak.  The PRB, with the approval of the NRR Office Director, consolidated these petitions for review in accordance with the guidance in MD 8.11. The PRB met on April 22, 2010, and considered these 2.206 petitions (as consolidated) and made an initial recommendation to accept the petitions for review, in part.   

 

All of you stated that the tritium leak is just one example of many maintenance and management failures at VY.  You each raised a concern regarding what you perceive as the NRC's failure to look at failures at VY in an integrated manner.  Although the individual petition is written to request enforcement action due to the tritium leak, during the each transcribed phone call, all of you urged the NRC to take a broader approach to assess operational/performance failures at VY collectively, instead of individually.  This concern meets the criteria for review in accordance with MD 8.11.

 

With regards to the primary concern raised in these petitions (the leak itself), the PRB determined that it meets the criteria for review.

 

There were a number of additional requests contained within each petition.  The PRB determined that they either:

  • Did not meet the criteria for review (failed to provide sufficient facts or there was another NRC proceeding in which the petitioner could be a party) or,
  • Met the criteria for rejection (issue reviewed, evaluated, and resolved).

 

For Mr. Shadis and Mr. Saporito, we are offering you a 2nd opportunity to address the PRB to provide comment on the initial recommendation in accordance with MD 8.11.  If you do not have any comments on the initial recommendation, the PRB will issue an acknowledgement letter to convey the PRB's final recommendation to accept the petitions for review, in part. 

 

Thanks

Jim Kim

NRR/DORL

301-415-4125

 

 

 

And on April 28th;

Mr. Saporito and Mr. Shadis,

 

The phone call to address the Petition Review Board (PRB) has been confirmed for Wednesday, May 5th at 9:30 am.  Please call the NRC Operations Center at 1-800-772-3842 and press the PIN code 2206 to be connected to the Vermont Yankee petition line.  Each of you will have approximately 35 minutes to provide your comments on the PRB's initial recommendation.  Mr. Saporito will address the PRB first, then Mr. Shadis will address the PRB immediately following Mr. Saporito.  Since both of you are addressing the PRB, the phone call is expected to last approximately 2 hours.

 

Thanks

Jim Kim

 

NEC’s Enforcement petition stressed that NRC oversight had not foreseen nor prevented the series of component, maintenance, and management failures at Entergy Vermont Yankee which began with Entergy’s purchase and takeover of the plant in 2002. NEC pointed to such high visibility failures as the transformer fire, the cooling tower collapse, and the recent pipe leaks, as well as a series of low profile failures including steam dryer cracks, reactor nozzle cladding cracks, steam condenser and torus in-leakage, and the like.  NEC requested that the NRC submit Vermont Yankee to a diagnostic evaluation team inspection in order that it can evaluate both NRC and VY performance since Entergy assumed management of the besieged and troubled facility.

 

NEC assumes that the public may listen in to the May 5th meeting by dialing the above number and using the passcode; asking for the Vermont Yankee Petition Review Board meeting.

 

Thomas Saporito’s contact information:

 

Thomas Saporito, Executive Director
EndangeredPlanetEarth.blogspot.com
Post Office Box 8413, Jupiter, FL 33468
Phone: 561-972-8363 Fax: 561-952-4810
Electronic Mail: saporito3@gmail.com

 

 

END

 

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