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1 <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 24, 2008 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ;~ w ~, <br />SUBJECT: Report and Resolution Regarding the Progress Energy Proposal and Permitting <br />of Two Addition Nuclear Reactors at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Resolution in opposition to the County Engineer, 919-245-2303 <br />permitting of or issuing a Certification of <br />Convenience and Necessity for the <br />construction of two addition nuclear <br />reactors at the Shearon Harris nuclear <br />power plant <br />County Manager's Memorandum <br />PURPOSE: To provide a report, a resolution and a recommendation regarding formal <br />intervention into the permitting of two additional nuclear reactors at the Shearon Harris nuclear <br />power plant to the BOCC for the Board consideration/review, revision and/or adoption. <br />BACKGROUND: The citizens and elected officials of Orange County have, for some years, <br />been aware of the potential for widespread and lethal consequences resulting from an airborne <br />release of the tremendous quantity of radioactive material available from the spent nuclear fuel <br />stored in Shearon Harris nuclear power plant's "temporary" waste storage pools. As of February <br />2008, Progress Energy has made a permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission <br />(NRC) for the construction of two new reactors with associated addition waste fuel rod storage <br />pools. Progress Energy is likewise making a presentation to the NC Public Utilities Commission <br />on its projected long term power generation demands. This is generally the prelude to an <br />application to the Utilities Commission for the issuance of a Certificate of Convenience and <br />Necessity, which is the Utility Commission's de facto permit to construct new generating <br />facilities. <br />The timeline raising issues and objections about the plant expansion in the NRC permitting <br />process is very tight. The current deadline is August 4, 2008. However, NC WARN has filed a <br />legal motion with the NRC seeking extension of the deadline on the basis that the reactor <br />technology proposed by Progress Energy has not yet reached the final design phase, let alone <br />been review and permitted by NRC staff. The projected completion of the technology design, <br />reviewed and permitted is not before 2011. <br />Given these circumstances and the fact that along with the reactors come with additional spent <br />fuel rod storage, this is an issue of longstanding concern for the BOCC and citizens of the <br />County and the region. Furthermore, given the Board's other lingering concerns related to plant <br />security against sabotage and terrorism, ongoing fire protection and area emergency planning <br />evacuation issues, it is assumed the Board, on behalf of the citizens of the County and region <br />