NRC clears 2 pieces of Entergy's Yankee spinoff
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By SUSAN SMALLHEER Rutland Herald STAFF - Published: October 30, 2009
BRATTLEBORO – Federal regulators gave two green lights to Entergy Nuclear Thursday, saying recent changes Entergy made to the proposed spinoff of its five nuclear reactors, including Vermont Yankee, did not warrant additional review.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission also gave Entergy Nuclear another month next year to complete an important test of its reactor containment system in spring, a test that has already been postponed for five years.
In the case of the spinoff, which would create a company called Enexus, changes Entergy made to the deal recently won the support of the Vermont Department of Public Service, which acts as the ratepayer advocate. However, the Vermont Public Service Board still hasn't approved the proposal. Additionally, New York State regulators also have yet to sign off on the deal.
Neil Sheehan, spokesman for the NRC, said his agency gave final approval to the Enexus deal in 2008, and then had given Entergy another six months to consummate the deal. That extension expires in January, he said.
Entergy had asked for a "threshold determination" in August to make sure the company didn't have to resubmit its application, since it had made changes – some say improvements – to the deal.
However, Sheehan said Entergy still had to submit information on how it is going to fully fund the decommissioning fund for Vermont Yankee.
"They still owe us a response on that," Sheehan said, noting that issue was being dealt with in a separate proceeding before the NRC.
Sheehan said the NRC gave Entergy an additional month to complete the test of the containment system surrounding the reactor, largely to accommodate the plant's refueling outage schedule.
The plant is slated to shut down in April for its regular refueling and maintenance outage.
The containment test, which Sheehan called "a big deal," can only occur when the plant is shut down.
"This is a major undertaking," said Sheehan.
The extension of the containment test was a minor extension, Sheehan said.
Robert Williams, spokesman for Entergy Nuclear in Vermont, said that Entergy Nuclear had asked for the determination in August to make sure the changes wouldn't create any confusion.
"We had filed with the NRC to insure that they were informed of the changes in the proposal, that they had previously approved … and to ascertain whether they needed any further license changes. We don't have any pending issues on Enexus," Williams said.
The Vermont Legislature is conducting hearings into the memorandum of understanding that Entergy reached with the Department of Public Service.
As for the so-called "leak rate test," he said the containment will be pressurized to check for any leaks.
"It was last done in 2002. It's a matter of pressurizing it and watching the overall pressure on the system," he said.
Raymond Shadis, a senior technical advisor for the New England Coalition, said while a month extension seemed like a minor thing, he noted Entergy had already gotten a five-year extension.
"The only way that the industry can keep running and Entergy can keep gathering in the profits is for them to cut corners in safety. This idea of increasing the intervals between maintenance and surveillance has been ongoing in the industry for the last 15 years," he said.
"This is part of a trend, not just for Vermont Yankee, to keep using up the margins of safety," Shadis said.
susan.smallheer@rutlandherald.com
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