Legalectric

(update at bottom, maybe success?!?)

Why do I feel like I’m caught in a Wellstone ad or Michael Moore film… all I’m looking for is the Prairie Island nuclear plant relicensing application. It’s in the news, it’s in the paper, it’s on the radio, and it sure isn’t anywhere to be found!

MPR – Xcel requests extensions on nuclear plant licenses

STrib – Xcel seeks 20 year extensions on two nuclear reactors

Beagle – Nuclear plant files to renew its license

Somebody has applied for relicensing of the Prairie Island nuclear generating plant. Who? Xcel? Nuclear Management Company? Damned if I know, and I’ve been digging for a while. two days now, and It’s elusive as hell, and that’s when my red flags go up and I start digging like my big black doggie going after a tennis ball stuck under the shelves.

First, I called NMC, because they’re the operator and the phone was answered by someone who hadn’t a clue, and I was transferred to someone who at least knew what I was talking about but had to refer me to someone in “Communications.”

Then I called Xcel, figuring if it was a project I had any interest in, poor Jimbo Alders would be stuck with it. Yup, he’d been working on it, and he was out, so they transferred me to Mark Suel (sp?) and I left a message.

So let’s look on the web:

It’s not on the Nuclear Management Company website

There’s nothing on the Xcel website. Monticello Relicensing is there, but Prairie Island? Nada…

By this time, I was getting a little irritated, and so called Amber Mensen, the Beagle reporter, to find out if she had a copy or knew where a copy was. Nope, no help or direction there…

Xcel’s Maria Martinka called in response to some call or message, and she hadn’t a clue and was conflating all the dockets (uprate, storage increase, and plant relicensing) and the Monticello and Prairie Island plants, and referred me to the NRC website. Reactors, Materials and Other Hearings.

So on to the NRC… but it’s not there. From that site, I got the name of the Project Manager for Prairie Island. CHAWLA, MAC L 301-415-8371 He called back and said it was reasonable to think that Xcel should make applications available… sigh… but he was too high on the food chain and to call Tommy Lee, 301-415-1458. Done.

OK, so now what… time to call in the big guns… OOPS, WHO DID I SEND THAT TO, NOW THEY’LL THINK I’M A TERRORIST AND I’LL NEVER GET THE DAMN THING… AAAAAAAAAAAGH, DELETE, DELETE, DELETE…

TO: Chris Clark and Mike Krikava:

WTF? Where’s the application?

XOXOXOXO,

CAO

… sigh…

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UPDATE: 3 minutes after emailing Chris & Mike:

I will see if I can get you one.  I am out of town today so it may take an extra day

————————–
Christopher Clark

THANK YOU!!!