The Sanatoga Post

SANATOGA PA – The “anticipation of potential civil disturbance issues over the controversial topic” of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license review for Exelon Corp.’s Limerick Generating Station created 32 hours of overtime staffing for the Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Police Department, the Board of Commissioners learned Monday (Oct. 3, 2011).

The Nuclear Reulartory Commission held hearings Sept. 22 at Sunnybrook Ballroom on the re-licensing of Limerick Generating Station

The NRC has already paid the township to cover the $1,468 cost of its added manpower, police Chief Michael Shade reported. “I just received its check,” he told board members during their first of two monthly meetings.

The NRC held two hearings Sept. 22 at Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Sanatoga PA, for public comments related to environmental and safety concerns over whether the nuclear reactor facilities should be re-licensed to operate for another 20-year period. The police department provided a substantial presence, with at least four officers stationed inside the ballroom for each session.

Both went smoothly, and commenters were orderly and generally courteous, NRC representatives agree. Although there was no indication the hearings were deemed a situation that required emergency management, they were significant enough to be the lead subject of the October monthly report submitted to commissioners by township emergency management coordinator (EMC) and police Lt. Michael Foltz.

As part of the increased security detail, Foltz wrote, an off-site EMC command post was set up at Sunnybrook and voluntarily manned for more than eight hours by Deputy Coordinator Chris Wilcox. Wilcox “monitored and logged activities” a part of his duties, Foltz wrote. The lieutenant himself was part of the police detail.

The police presence was not lost among some in attendance. State Rep. Tom Quigley, who testified during the Sept. 22 afternoon session, sent Shade an e-mail the following day to personally thank him and his officers for being available. “You can never tell with issues like this,” Quigley wrote, “so better safe than sorry. I still maintain that just the presence of the police has a calming effect on most people.”

Related (to federal re-licensing of Limerick Generating Station):

• Police Detail At Limerick Hearings Cost $1,468
• Local Voices Endorse, Worry Over Nuclear Relicensing
• NRC Holds Public Meetings Thursday At Sunnybrook
• NRC Holds Public Meetings Sept. 22 At Sunnybrook
• NRC Legal Notice: Meetings Ahead At Sunnybrook
• NRC Staffers Stop By, Say ‘Hi’ To Commissioners
• Exelon Nuclear Renewals Win Two Early Endorsements
• Exelon Officially Asks To Extend LGS Operating Licenses
• Meeting Wednesday To Review Limerick Nuclear Safety
• LGS License Renewals Topic At May Chamber Breakfast

Related (to the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners’ meeting of Oct. 3):

• Police Detail At Limerick Hearings Cost $1,468
• Pruss Hill Bridge Might Re-Open With Weight Limit

SANATOGA PA – About 150 people arrived Thursday (Sept. 22, 2011) for two hearings at Sunnybrook Ballroom in Sanatoga over whether the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) should allow the twin nuclear reactors at Exelon Corp.’s Limerick Generating Station to be licensed for operation beyond 2024, more than a decade from now. And just as the size of the crowd was about evenly divided between the meetings, so too, it seemed, were its opinions.

Some praised the Limerick operation, its safety record, and its positive effects on the economy. Others openly worried about environmental safety, the inability to evacuate area residents if an emergency arose, and the storage and disposal of spent fuel rods.

• Watch a video (above) of opinions expressed during the evening meeting, or see it at The Post’s YouTube user account.
• See a gallery of photos (below) from the evening meeting. Click on any thumbnail image to enlarge it.

The evening meeting, which began at 7 and followed an afternoon session that began at 2, appeared well controlled. People were there for a serious purpose, many said, but they smiled and waved at neighbors they knew, looked at several display tables and talked with representatives staffing them, and generally treated differing opinions respectfully.

There was, however, a significant law enforcement presence to ensure the meetings were orderly. The Lower Pottsgrove Police Department placed four officers inside the ballroom during the evening proceeding as a precaution. No trouble was expected, one officer said, “but you never know and you don’t want to take chances,” he added.

The 13-year time lag between Thursday’s meetings and the expiration of current licenses at Limerick, in 2024 and 2029 respectively, was mentioned by several commenters as a concern. They wondered how the NRC could adequately judge, so far in advance, if Exelon would be a suitable candidate for relicensing.

Related (to federal re-licensing of Limerick Generating Station):

• Police Detail At Limerick Hearings Cost $1,468
• Local Voices Endorse, Worry Over Nuclear Relicensing
• NRC Holds Public Meetings Thursday At Sunnybrook
• NRC Holds Public Meetings Sept. 22 At Sunnybrook
• NRC Legal Notice: Meetings Ahead At Sunnybrook
• NRC Staffers Stop By, Say ‘Hi’ To Commissioners
• Exelon Nuclear Renewals Win Two Early Endorsements
• Exelon Officially Asks To Extend LGS Operating Licenses
• Meeting Wednesday To Review Limerick Nuclear Safety
• LGS License Renewals Topic At May Chamber Breakfast

Other coverage:

• Nuclear regulators hear comments about Limerick plant (WFMZ-TV)
• Terrorism, Cost, Evacuation Discussed At Nuke Hearings  (Pottstown Patch)
• Tweeting Live From The NRC’s Hearings (Limerick Patch)
• Pros, cons aired at hearing on Limerick nuclear plant (The Mercury)

WASHINGTON DC – Two public meetings to be conducted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which are intended to give area residents an opportunity to comment on environmental issues they think the NRC should consider as it contemplates requests to renew operating licenses for Exelon Nuclear’s Limerick Generating Station, will be held Thursday (Sept. 22, 2011) at 2 and 7 p.m. in Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Sanatoga PA, the commission announced.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

An open house, during which residents can also personally meet with NRC staff members, will be held for an hour before each of the two meetings, at 1 and 6 p.m. respectively. Also at the meetings, staff members will describe the license renewal review process.

Related (to federal re-licensing of Limerick Generating Station):

• Police Detail At Limerick Hearings Cost $1,468
• Local Voices Endorse, Worry Over Nuclear Relicensing
• NRC Holds Public Meetings Thursday At Sunnybrook
• NRC Holds Public Meetings Sept. 22 At Sunnybrook
• NRC Legal Notice: Meetings Ahead At Sunnybrook
• NRC Staffers Stop By, Say ‘Hi’ To Commissioners
• Exelon Nuclear Renewals Win Two Early Endorsements
• Exelon Officially Asks To Extend LGS Operating Licenses
• Meeting Wednesday To Review Limerick Nuclear Safety
• LGS License Renewals Topic At May Chamber Breakfast

Editor’s Note: The graphic at top was submitted to The Sanatoga Post by Ikeda King, a licensing assistant in the NRC’s Division of License Renewal, along with a request for our publication’s quote for the cost of advertising what her letter described as the above “legal notice.” Although The Post accepts, and receives revenue from, all kinds of advertisements, it notified King that it will report the announcement of these meetings as news and will not charge the NRC an advertising fee.

WASHINGTON DC – Two public meetings to be conducted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which are intended to give area residents an opportunity to comment on environmental issues they think the NRC should consider as it contemplates requests to renew operating licenses for Exelon Nuclear’s Limerick Generating Station, will be held Sept. 22 (2011; Thursday) at 2 and 7 p.m. in Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Sanatoga PA, the commission announced.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

An open house, during which residents can also personally meet with NRC staff members, will be held for an hour before each of the two meetings, at 1 and 6 p.m. respectively. Also at the meetings, staff members will describe the license renewal review process.

Related (to federal re-licensing of Limerick Generating Station):

• Police Detail At Limerick Hearings Cost $1,468
• Local Voices Endorse, Worry Over Nuclear Relicensing
• NRC Holds Public Meetings Thursday At Sunnybrook
• NRC Holds Public Meetings Sept. 22 At Sunnybrook
• NRC Legal Notice: Meetings Ahead At Sunnybrook
• NRC Staffers Stop By, Say ‘Hi’ To Commissioners
• Exelon Nuclear Renewals Win Two Early Endorsements
• Exelon Officially Asks To Extend LGS Operating Licenses
• Meeting Wednesday To Review Limerick Nuclear Safety
• LGS License Renewals Topic At May Chamber Breakfast

Editor’s Note: The graphic at top was submitted to The Sanatoga Post by Ikeda King, a licensing assistant in the NRC’s Division of License Renewal, along with a request for our publication’s quote for the cost of advertising what her letter described as the above “legal notice.” Although The Post accepts, and receives revenue from, all kinds of advertisements, it notified King that it will report the announcement of these meetings as news and will not charge the NRC an advertising fee. The graphic will also appear in The Post on Sept. 20, also without an advertising fee.

WASHINGTON DC – Two public meetings to be conducted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which are intended to give area residents an opportunity to comment on environmental issues they think the NRC should consider as it contemplates requests to renew operating licenses for Exelon Nuclear’s Limerick Generating Station, will be held Sept. 22 (2011; Thursday) at 2 and 7 p.m. in Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Sanatoga PA, the commission announced.

An open house, during which residents can also personally meet with NRC staff members, will be held for an hour before each of the two meetings, at 1 and 6 p.m. respectively. Also at the meetings, staff members will describe the license renewal review process.

Related (to federal re-licensing of Limerick Generating Station):

• NRC Legal Notice: Meetings Ahead At Sunnybrook
• NRC Staffers Stop By, Say ‘Hi’ To Commissioners

Editor’s Note: The graphic at top was submitted to The Sanatoga Post by Ikeda King, a licensing assistant in the NRC’s Division of License Renewal, along with a request for our publication’s quote for the cost of advertising what her letter described as the above “legal notice.” Although The Post accepts, and receives revenue from, all kinds of advertisements,  on Monday (Aug. 29) it notified King that it will report the announcement of these meetings as news and will not charge the NRC an advertising fee. The graphic will appear in The Post on two other days, Sept. 8 and 20, also without an advertising fee.

Limerick's twin cooling towers

SANATOGA PA – The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has let Lower Pottsgrove‘s political leadership know, officially, that its representatives are in town for the next 22 months.

They’ve begun to conduct the necessary inspections, paperwork and meetings that will be part of the application by Exelon Nuclear to re-license its Units 1 and 2 reactors in the Limerick Generating Station (LGS), just east of the township border at the intersection of Evergreen and Sanatoga roads, Limerick PA, for another 20 years.

NRC Senior Project Manager Lisa Regner, who deals with environmental issues and said she just completed a re-licensing assignment in California; and Senior Project Manager Rob Kuntz, who handles safety issues, introduced themselves Thursday night (July 7, 2011) to the Board of Commissioners. They invited board members to contact them at any time with questions or comments regarding the re-licensing procedure.

“Our purpose tonight is just to make you aware of the process,” Regner said, and noted that at least two public meetings about re-licensing are anticipated for August or September.

She clarified, however, that the meetings would not be “hearings” at which the process or Exelon’s specific re-licensing requests could be challenged. Those would be held separately, Regner said, and were formal proceedings for which objections must be filed at least 60 days in advance and usually are presented by attorneys.

Neither the meeting or hearing dates have yet been announced.

“It’s our job to ensure Limerick’s safe operations” for the 20-year renewal period beyond October 2024, for Unit 1, and June 2029, for Unit 2, Kuntz explained.

Is it standard, Commissioner James Kaiser asked, to consider renewal applications so far in advance – in Limerick’s case, 13 years and 18 years, respectively – of the units’ license expiration?

Yes, Regner replied; in fact, power plant operators are allowed by the NRC to apply for re-licensing up to 20 years before expiration dates. That’s due in part, she said,  to the number of plants that must be reviewed, the limited NRC staff available for reviews, and the amount of time reviews require.

Solicitor R. Kurtz Holloway wondered how much study NRC teams would give to on-site storage of spent nuclear fuel rods.

Not much in Limerick’s specific case, Kuntz indicated, because the NRC has opted to deal with fuel rod storage as a “generic” topic that applies to all generating facilities. However, he added, specific issues or problems with fuel rod storage at Limerick should be brought to inspectors’ attention.

NRC inspection teams are expected to arrive from Rockville MD within coming weeks to begin their assessments, Regner said.

Related (to federal re-licensing of Limerick Generating Station):

• Police Detail At Limerick Hearings Cost $1,468
• Local Voices Endorse, Worry Over Nuclear Relicensing
• NRC Holds Public Meetings Thursday At Sunnybrook
• NRC Holds Public Meetings Sept. 22 At Sunnybrook
• NRC Legal Notice: Meetings Ahead At Sunnybrook
• NRC Staffers Stop By, Say ‘Hi’ To Commissioners
• Exelon Nuclear Renewals Win Two Early Endorsements
• Exelon Officially Asks To Extend LGS Operating Licenses
• Meeting Wednesday To Review Limerick Nuclear Safety
• LGS License Renewals Topic At May Chamber Breakfast

Related (to the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners’ July 7 meeting):

• NRC Staffers Stop By, Say ‘Hi’ To Commissioners
• Italian Restaurant Construction Could Start Within Weeks
• At Township DUI Check, They Got What They Paid For
• Police Radio Discussion Possible In Township’s Meeting

LOS ANGELES CA – The increased practice of uprating nuclear power generators in the United States, such as the uprate approved earlier this month for Exelon Nuclear’s Limerick Generating Station in Limerick PA, has expanded the nation’s nuclear capacity without financial risks, public anxiety and political obstacles, The Los Angeles Times newspaper reported Sunday (April 17, 2011). It has, however, spurred debate over the safety of pushing aging equipment beyond original specifications.

Limerick Generating Station

“The power boosts come from more potent fuel rods in the reactor core and, sometimes, more highly enriched uranium. As a result, the nuclear reactions generate more heat, which boils more water into steam to drive the turbines that make electricity,” The Times said.

The Limerick facility won approval last Monday (April 11, 2011) from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a 1.65-percent uprate from both of its two reactors. Such “tiny uprates have long been common,” according to The Times. But nuclear watchdogs and the commission’s own safety advisory panel “have expressed concern over larger boosts — some by up to 20 percent — that the NRC began approving in 1998. Twenty of the nation’s 104 reactors have undergone these “extended power uprates,” it reported.

• Read a story by reporters Alan Zarembo and Ben Welsh, titled “U.S. is increasing nuclear power through uprating” and published Sunday in The Los Angeles Times, here.

Related:

• Power Uprating, Like That In Limerick, On The Rise
• Exelon Wins Approval For Limerick Power Increase

LIMERICK PA – Exelon Nuclear‘s Limerick Generating Station (LGS) received federal government approval to produce more than 3 percent additional electricity than it currently generates, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Monday (April 11, 2011).

LGS Units 1 and 2 each will be allowed to increase their power generating capacity by 1.65 percent, in part because Exelon successfully showed the commission that it could more accurately measure feedwater flowing to the equipment, representative Neil Sheehan of the commission’s King of Prussia PA office reported.

A “careful evaluation determined that Exelon could safely increase the reactors’ power output,” a commission press release said. That review included “the company’s analysis showing the plant’s design can accommodate the increased power level,” it said.

The commission said its safety evaluation of the plant’s so-called “power uprate” also focused on several areas, including the nuclear steam supply systems, instrumentation and control systems, electrical systems, accident evaluations, radiological consequences, fire protection, operations and training, testing, and technical specification changes.

LGS operates boiling-water reactors. The uprate increases each unit’s power generating capacity from about 1,189 to 1,205 megawatts of electricity. At Unit 1, the increase is expected to take effect within 90 days. At Unit 2, which is now undergoing a refueling outage, will take effect within 90 days of its completion.

Exelon applied for the uprate last year (2010).