PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE TO DISCUSS NRC ACTIVITIES PINPP

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION III
2443
WARRENVILLE RD. SUITE 210
LISLE, IL 60532-4352
June 2, 2017
Mr. Scott D. Northard
Acting Site Vice President
Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant
Northern States Power Company, Minnesota
1717 Wakonade Drive East
Welch, MN 55089–9642
SUBJECT:
PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE TO DISCUSS NRC ACTIVITIES, AND 2016
END-OF-CYCLE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF PRAIRIE ISLAND
NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2
Dear Mr. Northard:
This letter is to inform you that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will conduct
a Category 3 public open house from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (CDT) on July 12, 2017,
at the Foot Room at the Red Wing Public Library. The purpose of this meeting is to provide an open public forum for the Agency to discuss NRC activities with the public.
In addition, members of the NRC will be available to discuss the assessment of Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant’s performance.
Xcel is encouraged to attend this meeting.
If you have any questions regarding this meeting, please contact
me at 630–829–9628.
Sincerely,
/RA Karla Stoedter Acting for/Kenneth Riemer,
Chief Branch 2
Division of Reactor Project s
Docket Nos. 50–282, 50–306, 72–010
License Nos. DPR–42; DPR–60;
SNM–2506

SUBJECT:
PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE TO DISCUSS NRC ACTIVITIES, AND 2016
END-OF-CYCLE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF PRAIRIE ISLAND
NUCLEAR
GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2

This one is tonight.

Brian, did you attend this one? I was not able to make it.

Yes.

It was informal although I might have learned more because I stuck myself to one fella (mostly) to keep on asking questions. My only problem was that I’m not sure I knew what questions to ask.

One thing I can say, by the number of people that showed up, it appears Xcel Energy is taking good care of the community and neighbors. I think there were 5 names on the guest sheet.

I had 3 questions.
At the Corp meeting it was said that Xcel wanted to raise the discharge water temp to 10 degrees (by law it can only be 5 degrees higher then the intake temp). Currently I was told, it seldom varies more then 3 degrees.

The answer to the question was “no”, they are not looking to raise the discharge water temp.

I asked about news reports stating the plant would be closed down or decommissioned earlier then it’s license expiration date.

Xcel stated they have “no plans of shutting down early”.
They felt that a study for the Utilities Commission that talked about the what the cost of power would be if the plant were to shut down was misunderstood. Xcel studies the cost of power for the future by going through a number of different paths. This helps them plan for the future and gives them an idea of what power will cost 10, 15 and 20 years from now.

The last question I asked was about the PINPP restricted area. Specifically since the up and down stream boundaries are not marked, how is the law abiding boater to know they are in a restricted area if they do not have a Navionics card in their gps or have their smart phone opened to Navionics.

Some said there are signs out there already which there isn’t. They were going to take a boat ride to check into it.

Besides the above we talked about the good ol days when there was less security. Also when a boat was out crabbing near a nuke power plant (just after 911) and two blackhawk copters hovered next to the crabber and they swung their cannons towards the crapping boat. He left quickly.

Which helped make my point. If the average fisherman knows he shouldn’t be in a location, they won’t go there. But there has to be something that tells us the boundaries.

I’m glad I went…oh btw, last year, reactor 1 and 2 had a few “green” conditions but otherwise came out of the year with flying colors. (If I recall, green is something that needs to be reported to the NRC but presents no unsafe condition to the public or the reactors)

Good info BK. Please update when you hear back on the boundaries and any other info they offer.