Agenda - 06-24-2008-6e2 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

MEMORANDUM TO: Orange County Board of Commissioners FROM: Laura Blackmon, County Manager DATE: June 24, 2008 SUBJECT: Shearon Harris Expansion Application In February 2008, Progress Energy, the Raleigh based utility that provides electrical service to much of North Carolina, filed an application with the NRC for a license to construct two addition reactors with associated additional waste fuel pool storage at its Shearon Harris nuclear power plant. While publicly maintaining that it is unsure that the reactors will ever be needed or built, the NRC currently plans to move ahead with the permitting process, giving opponents of the Harris proposal until August 4, 2008, to evaluate the proposal and to file an intervention. Progress Energy and Duke Power, another North Carolina based utility are also in a hearing process with the NC Utilities Commission that will allow the utilities to present their respective long-term forecasts as to power demand. The hearings, which will occur at the end of June 2008, serve to allow the utilities to request that the Utilities Commission approve the integration of costs related to planning new construction into their respective rate structures. The hearings serve as a precursor for Progress Energy and the NC Utilities. Commission to apply for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (a de facto approval to construct new power generation facilities). There is at least one serious problem with the August 4, 2008 deadline given for NRC's hearing, intervention and permitting process. Progress Energy is basing it's proposed design for the two new reactors around the Westinghouse Model AP4100 reactor system. However, the design for this system has yet to be completely developed or reviewed and approved by the NRC. The design/review/ approval process for the Westinghouse Model AP4100 will not be completed before 2011. The design, which is apparently in its 15t" or 16t" iteration, has at least some iterations in which the spent fuel rods in the storage pools will have an especially dense storage configuration (and a corresponding greater potential for spontaneous combustion of the spent fuel in the event of a low water condition in the pools). The North Carolina Waste Awareness and Reduction Network (NCWARN), has recently filed a motion with the NRC to delay the permit application process until the .design of the Westinghouse Model AP4100 reactor has been completed, reviewed and approved. Those who wish to formally intervene in the permitting process will be extremely limited in their ability to evaluate and present technical information (contentions) based on that design.