1.0 Site Identification
| Type of Site: |
Power Reactor Facility |
| Location: |
Buchanan, NY |
| License No.: |
DPR-64 |
| Docket No.: |
50-286 |
| License Status: |
DECON |
| Permanently Shutdown: |
04/30/2021 |
| Fuel Removed: |
05/11/2021 |
| Project Manager: |
Karl Sturzebecher |
2.0 Site Status Summary
Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 (Indian Point Unit 3) is located on the east bank of the Hudson River in the Village of Buchanan in upper Westchester County, New York. It is about 24 miles north of the New York City. Indian Point Unit 3 is a facility with a Westinghouse four-loop pressurized water reactor that began operation in 1976 and was licensed to generate 3,216 megawatts – thermal (MWt). Power operations ceased at Indian Point Unit 3 on April 30, 2021, and the fuel was permanently removed from the reactor vessel and placed in the spent fuel pool. The NRC was notified via letter from HDI for Unit No. 3 about the Certifications of Permanent Cessation of Power Operations and Permanent Removal of Fuel from the Reactor Vessel on May 11, 2021 (ADAMS Accession No. ML21131A157)
To view previous operating reactor information for Indian Point Unit 3, please visit the Operating section above.
On November 21, 2019, Entergy and Holtec submitted a License Transfer Application requesting NRC approval to transfer the Indian Point Facility Operating Licenses for Units 1, 2, and 3, as well as the general license for the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) to Holtec, as the licensed owner, and to Holtec Decommissioning International (HDI), as the licensed operator. On November 23, 2020, the NRC issued an order approving the transfer and draft conforming license amendments and concluded that Holtec and HDI are financially and technically qualified to own and decommission Indian Point and to manage spent fuel at Indian Point.
HDI submitted a Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR), including a Site-Specific Decommissioning Cost Estimate For Indian Point Nuclear Generating Units 1, 2, and 3 on December 19, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19354A698).
Since then, HDI on behalf of Holtec Indian Point 2, LLC and Holtec Indian Point 3, LLC, has requested exemptions from certain emergency preparedness and planning (EP) requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, “Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities.” HDI’s proposed exemptions would scale the NRC’s EP requirements for the site to a level commensurate with the permanent cessation of operations and permanent removal of fuel from the reactor vessels of Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 1, 2, and 3 (IP1, IP2, and IP3) collectively, Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC).
- IPEC Emergency Planning Exemption – This would allow HDI to reduce IPEC emergency planning requirements consistent with the permanently shutdown and defueled condition of Indian Point 1 (IP1), Indian Point 2 (IP2), and Indian Point 3 (IP3).
- IPEC PDEP and EALS License Amendment - The proposed changes would revise the IPEC Emergency Plan and Emergency Action Level (EAL) scheme to support the permanent cessation of power operations and permanent removal of fuel from the IPEC reactor vessels. In addition, this request contains the proposed IPEC Permanently Defueled Emergency Plan (PDEP) and the Permanently Defueled EAL scheme for NRC review and approval.
- Exemption from 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1) - A request for exemption from 10 CFR 50.54(w)(1) to reduce the IPEC minimum onsite insurance coverage to $50 million.
- Exemption from 10 CFR 140.11(a)(4) – A request for an exemption from 10 CFR 140.11(a)(4) for IPEC to reduce the required level of primary offsite liability insurance to $100,000,000 and eliminate the requirement to carry secondary financial protection for IPEC.
- LAR - Revise License Condition to Eliminate Cyber Security Plan Requirements
3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues
None
4.0 Estimated Date For Closure
According to the licensee’s PSDAR, License termination is estimated for 2062.
5.0 Public Interest
There has been recent interest regarding effluent discharges from Indian Point during decommissioning. The NRC has assembled the responses to several questions related to this process, which can be found on the FAQ page about Indian Point Effluent Releases.
The NRC regulates the disposal of radioactive waste under several regulatory provisions (see 10 CFR 20.2001; 20.1301; 20.2003; 20.2004; 20.2005; 10 CFR 35.92), such as transferring the material or waste to an authorized recipient, storing it for decay (decay-in-storage), and safely releasing it into the environment (effluent release). Any disposal method may be chosen if it meets the applicable NRC regulations. The NRC regulations governing radioactive releases are based on the dose to the public, whatever the volume of the release.