TMI Update: Jan 14, 2024

No: 14-054                                                                           August 25, 2014

CONTACT: Scott Burnell, 301-415-8200

NRC Approves Power Uprate For Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a request by Exelon Generation Co. to increase the generating capacity of Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3, by 12.4 percent each.

The NRC staff determined Exelon could safely increase the reactors’ output primarily by upgrading certain plant systems and components. NRC staff also reviewed Exelon’s evaluations showing the plant’s design can handle the increased power level.

The NRC’s safety evaluation of the plant’s proposed power uprate focused on several areas, such as the nuclear steam supply systems, instrumentation and control systems, electrical systems, accident evaluations, radiological consequences, operations and training, testing, and technical specification changes. For added confidence in the analysis, the NRC staff also conducted independent confirmatory calculations and audits of selected areas.

The power uprate authorizes Peach Bottom, located approximately 18 miles south of Lancaster, Pa., to increase each boiling water reactor’s generating capacity by approximately 140 megawatts electric. Exelon plans to implement Unit 2’s uprate during the fall 2014 refueling outage and Unit 3’s uprate during the fall 2015 refueling outage.

The NRC published a notice about the power uprate application in the Federal Register on April 9, 2013. The agency’s evaluation of the Peach Bottom uprate will be available through the NRC’s ADAMS electronic document database by entering Accession Number ML14133A046.

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BEFORE THE PENNSYLVANIA ENVIRONMENTAL HEARING BOARD

ERIC JOSEPH EPSTEIN, Pro se                     :

                                      Appellant                     :    EHB DOCKET NO. _______ 

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA,       :

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL            :

PROTECTION; EXELON GENERATION          :

CORPORATION, LLC; EXELON                       :

CORPORATION AND PSEG NUCLEAR, LLC  :
 

NOTICE OF APPEAL

AND NOW, comes Appellant Eric Joseph Epstein, Pro se , (“Appellant,” “Epstein,” or “Mr. Epstein,”) in this matter, and sets forth the following Notice of Appeal from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Approval of Water Quality Certification under Section 401 of the Federal Clean Water Act for the Extended Power Uprate for Exelon Generation Company, LLC’s Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station.

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Commission approves publication of the Final Rule and Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel

Greetings,

NRC Approves Final Rule on Spent Fuel Storage and Ends Suspension of Final Licensing Actions for Nuclear Plants and Renewals

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday approved a final rule on the environmental effects of continued storage of spent nuclear fuel and will lift its suspension of final licensing actions on nuclear power plant licenses and renewals once the rule becomes effective.

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Unit 2 - Notice of Public Meeting on September 3, 2014

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Anti-nukers, congressmen fret over Entergy finances, requested subsidies

By RICHIE DAVIS

Recorder Staff
Monday, August 25, 2014
(Published in print: Tuesday, August 26, 2014)

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently reopened a year-old petition from anti-nuclear groups concerned about Entergy Corp.’s financial ability to safely operate its nuclear plants, including Vermont Yankee.

The original petition, filed before Entergy announced plans to shut the 620-megawatt Vernon, Vt., reactor at the end of 2014 for economic reasons, had called for NRC staff to seek detailed financial information from Entergy Corp., but after the company balked, arguing such scrutiny was beyond NRC’s purview, the commissioners backed down.

After a letter last November from Congressmen Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders of Vermont to the NRC the agency has again sought financial information from Entergy.

The congressmen said “financial distress and the failure to maintain sufficient operating funds would be expected to signal the potential for future degradations in safety brought about by a licensee’s need to conserve funding.”

Meanwhile, Entergy last month reported a 55 percent decline in second-quarter earnings compared to the corresponding period last year, forcing it to eliminate 800 jobs nationwide.

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Routine Releases of Radioactive Materials from U.S. Nuclear Plants
Dave Lochbaum
Union of Concerned Scientists
August 2014
Revision 0
 

The idea for this material came during a November 2013 workshop on radiation monitoring conducted by the Bellefonte Efficiency & Sustainability Team (BEST) and the Mothers Against Tennessee River Radiation (MATRR) in Chattanooga, TN (check out http://www.matrr.org/).

Thanks to Garry Morgan and Gretel Johnston of BEST/MATRR for reviewing drafts and providing very helpful feedback.

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Good Day:
 
I made the attached presentation during an NRC Commission briefing on Fukushima lessons learned and status this morning. The chair and co-chair of the NAS committee that authored the report issued last week also made presentations, which are or soon will be archived (somewhere) on the NRC's website.
 
Thanks,
Dave Lochbaum
UCS

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Join NIRS and a cast of thousands for the nuclear-free, carbon-free contingent to the People's Climate March September 21 in New York City. Details for the event are evolving rapidly; check here regularly for new materials and information.

The route of the March has now been agreed to with NYPD:

- Assemble in area north of Columbus Circle
- leave Columbus Circle and go east on 59th Street
- turn onto 6th Ave. and go south to 42nd Street
- turn right onto 42nd Street and go west to 11th Ave
- turn left on 11th Ave. and go south to 34th Street

End Location: on 11th Ave. in the streets between 34th Street and 38th Street

Time of the March, assembly location for Nuclear-Free, Carbon-Free Contingent and other details are not completed. We will update here as more information is confirmed.

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