FENOC Submits Requests to NRC as Part of Plan to Shutdown Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station

AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) today filed two license amendment requests with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to address modifications necessary to prepare for the permanent shutdown and placement in a safe storage state of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station (DBNPS) in Oak Harbor, Ohio.

The requests are consistent with the previously announced plans to shut down the Davis-Besse facility by May 31, 2020, absent legislative support and meaningful market reforms.

The requested amendments include:

• Modification of the DBNPS plant Technical Specifications and operating license to reflect the facility's permanently defueled condition, which will require a reduced number of systems, structures, and components due to the permanent removal of fuel from the reactor vessel.
• Modification of the Post-Shutdown Emergency Plan to adjust staffing needed to safely and effectively support the facility following permanent cessation of plant operations.

The requested amendments were developed by the DBNPS Decommissioning Team and are based on existing NRC guidelines.

FENOC has requested the NRC review and approve the requested amendments within 12 months. During this time, FENOC will continue to operate the facility according to relevant regulations, requirements and guidelines. FENOC announced the planned plant closures in March 2018 in connection with the pending Chapter 11 proceeding.

"While we proceed on a clear path toward a shutdown and placement of our nuclear facilities in a safe storage state, we continue to believe that appropriate legislative relief is warranted to preserve the safe, secure, reliable and clean energy these facilities provide," said Don Moul, President and Chief Nuclear Officer of FENOC.

Should FENOC receive the necessary legislative relief and meaningful market reforms to allow the facility to avert a shutdown and continue operating, the license amendment requests could be withdrawn.

Copies of the documents can be found on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) website (www.nrc.gov) in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS).  

SOURCE FirstEnergy Solutions