SRS Watch has requested of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that key construction completion dates be released to the public about the construction of the $30+ billion Vogtle nuclear reactors by Southern Nuclear (parent of Georgia Power) in Georgia, but the NRC has failed to affirmatively respond to the request:
“2022/02/22 Vogtle COL Docs – FW: Request that Vogtle construction schedules be immediately released by NRC to the public, Feb. 22 request by SRS Watch, Columbia, SC”
These items were requested, that should be part of the public record so that it is known if already much delayed strat-up dates will be met for the new units:
- Combined license operational programs and other license conditions implementation schedule
- Preoperational test procedure completion schedule
- Unit 3 inspections, tests, analyses, and acceptance criteria (ITAAC) closure schedule
- Unit 4 ITAAC closure schedule
SRS Watch request, posted in the NRC’s digital library (ADAMS) on March 1, 2022: https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML22053A177
The NRC apparently will not direct Southern Nuclear to release the schedules. It thus appears that the NRC is aiding Southern Nuclear’s effort to keep the schedules hidden from the public, behind a questionable claim of confidentiality.
Below is the NRC emailed response of February 24, 2022. The point is not for SRS Watch to file a FOIA request but rather for the NRC to require Southern Nuclear to release the schedules.
Mr. Clements,
In your email below, you requested that information in a February 11, 2022 letter from Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC) to the NRC be immediately released to the public. Specifically, the information consists of the following:
- Combined license operational programs and other license conditions implementation schedule
- Preoperational test procedure completion schedule
- Unit 3 inspections, tests, analyses, and acceptance criteria (ITAAC) closure schedule
- Unit 4 ITAAC closure schedule
Per the February 11, 2022 letter, this schedule information was withheld because it was considered confidential commercial information. If you would like to submit this request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), please let me know by responding to this email and I will forward your request to the NRC FOIA officer to begin that process. Additional information regarding the FOIA and how the NRC will process a FOIA request can be found on the NRC public website:
The NRC does provide information about the status of ITAAC closures for Vogtle Units 3 and 4 on its public website. This information is updated monthly. Links to these reports are provided below.
- Unit 3 ITAAC Status Report (ML22026A056)
- Unit 3 ITAAC Dashboard Report (ML22026A058)
- Unit 4 ITAAC Status Report (ML22026A057)
- Unit 4 ITAAC Dashboard Report (ML22026A059)
As you requested your email dated February 22, 2022, has been entered into the Agency’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under Accession No. ML22053A177 under Docket Numbers 52-025 and 52-026 for Vogtle Units 3 and 4, respectively. Similarly, this email response will also be entered into ADAMS.
Sincerely,
Cayetano (Tanny) Santos
Vogtle Project Office
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
301-415-7270
Photo: Aerial shot of Vogtle nuclear power plant, with old units in operation and new units under construction, by High Flyer. DOE’s Savannah River Site is in the background, across the Savannah River, in South Carolina. It is not by chance that the two largest, failed US nuclear construction projects – Vogtle and DOE’s plutonium fuel (MOX) project – are located within miles of each other.