Sep 29, 2024: The case against restarting Three Mile Island’s Unit-1

UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001
June 17, 2015

Mr. Thomas Saporito, Consulting Associate Saprodani Associates

Dear Mr. Saporito:

This letter responds to the petition you filed in 2011 to then Executive Director for Operations of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission R.W. Borchardt. You filed your petition under Section 2.206, "Requests for Action Under this Subpart," of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 2.206) on March 12, 2011, and supplemented it with additional information on April 14, 2011, April 16, 2011, and May 25, 2011. In your petition you requested that NRC "ORDER [sic] the immediate shut-down of all nuclear power reactors in the U.S. which are known to be located on or near an earthquake fault-line." You cited the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident in Japan as the rationale for and basis of the petition.

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Three Mile Island

Feb. 3, 2015 – The NRC issued a report on its quarterly inspection for the three month-period ending Dec. 31, 2014. No findings were identified.

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station

Feb. 4, 2015 – The NRC issued its report of its quarterly inspection of Units 2 and 3 for the three-month period ending Dec. 31, 2014. No findings were identified.

April 20, 2015 – The NRC issued a report on its request for seismic hazard reevaluations at Unit 2 and 3. “Based on its review,” the report said, “the staff concludes that the licensee conducted the hazard reevaluation using present-day methodologies and regulatory guidance, it appropriately characterized the site given the information available, and met the intent of the guidance for determining the reevaluated seismic hazard. … Further, the licensee’s reevaluated seismic hazard is acceptable to address other actions associated” with recommendations.

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IN REMEMBRANCE...

The National Park Service announced yesterday that the Flight 93 National Museum will open to the public on September 10th, 2015, a day before the 14th anniversary of the terror attacks.  The center will be located in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County (about 75 miles from Pittsburgh).  The $26 million visitor center will include a permanent exhibit, walking trails and an overlook that will let visitors see the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 from a distance.

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Healey calls for better security at decommissioned sites and sites like Pilgrim that store spent fuel
ARTICLE | News | June 19, 2015 05:00 AM | By CapeCodToday Staff

Keeping in stride with her predecessor, Attorney General Maura Healey has called upon Congress to increase the safety at the country's nuclear power plants, particularly those that are decommissioned and those that store spent fuel. In a letter Thursday, Healey urged Congress to pass three bills sponsored or co-sponsored by Senator Edward Markey, according to a release from the AG's Office.

In a letter to US Senator James M. Inhofe, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Ranking Member Barbara Boxer, Healey wrote, "The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has long had an obligation to develop meaningful long-term solutions to the current on-site storage of nuclear waste in facilities across the country, yet it has failed to do so."

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Saturday, June 20, 2015

"No danger" from decades of Pa. nuclear leaks? By Ray Wallace

The nuclear industry is self-reporting these repeated uncontrolled radioactive leaks to groundwater under an industry-led “voluntary initiative” program. In our view, voluntary reporting is not a reliable or acceptable substitute for a comprehensive regulatory program aimed at protecting water resources.

-- From the Executive Summary of “Leak First, Fix Later: May 2015” at this current site: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/356082/26211375/1431107955223/LeakFirstSummary_May2015.pdf?token=pCtJ4Mq0yC15OZLocnFVxfeMisc%3D

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This Notice document was issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

For related information, Open Docket Folder
 

Action
Draft regulatory issue summary; request for comment.

Summary
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking public comment on the draft regulatory issue summary (RIS) addressing considerations for licensing high burnup spent fuel in dry storage and transportation. The purpose of this RIS is to provide information on some approaches acceptable to the NRC for demonstrating compliance with regulations in applications for issuance of dry storage cask certificate of compliance (CoCs), independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) licenses, and CoCs for transportation packages involving high burnup spent fuel (HBF).
 

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COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA., 17120

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
06/16/2015
 
DEP Assesses $8.9 million Civil Penalty against Range Resources for Failure to Repair Leaking Gas Well

HARRISBURG, PA -- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has notified Range Resources-Appalachia, LLC, of Fort Worth, TX that it intends to assess an $8.9 million civil penalty against the company, and has directed Range Resources to prevent methane and other substances from escaping from a leaking gas well and polluting groundwater and a stream in Lycoming County.

On May 11, 2015, DEP ordered Range Resources to submit a plan to remediate the defectively cemented gas well. However, the company failed to submit a satisfactory plan that made necessary repairs to prevent further leaks and pollution.

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Dear Mary,

ACT NOW!
Protect the most vulnerable from radiation exposure

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering rewriting its radiation exposure regulations, which currently do not protect developing children or pregnancy. These life stages are known to be uniquely vulnerable to radiation, and protecting them will protect everyone. Tell NRC to protect the most vulnerable from radiation exposure. Deadline is Monday, June 22, 2015. Read and sign the letter here  

MARCH FOR OUR CHILDREN: 6 moments from Day 1 on the road to the Statehouse

Follow the first day of the four-day "March for Our Children," organized by Massachusetts Downwinders, “a collaborative of individuals and groups across New England and beyond, sharing ideas, actions and support for the closing of Entergy's Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.” The walk culminates Tuesday with a 1 p.m. rally at the Statehouse.

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