ML023380701
| ML023380701 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Summer  |
| Issue date: | 11/27/2002 |
| From: | Kuo P Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs |
| To: | Casey Smith Cherokee Nation |
| Suber G, NRR/DRIP/RLEP 301-415-1124 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML023380701 (6) | |
Text
November 27, 2002 Principal Chief Chad Smith Cherokee Nation P.O. Box 948 Tahlequah, OK 74465
SUBJECT:
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REVIEW OF THE VIRGIL C. SUMMER NUCLEAR STATION LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION
Dear Mr. Smith:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking input for its environmental review of an application from South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G) to renew its operating license for Unit 1 of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station (Summer), located approximately 15 miles west of Winnsboro and 26 miles northwest of Columbia, South Carolina. As described below, the NRC process includes an opportunity for public participation in the environmental review. The NRC will hold public scoping meetings for the Summer license renewal supplement to the NRCs Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (GEIS) (NUREG-1437). These scoping meetings will be held at the White Hall Fellowship Room at the White Hall A.M.E. Church located at 8594 State Highway 215 South in Jenkinsville, South Carolina. There will be two sessions to accommodate interested parties.
The first session will convene at 1:30 p.m. and will continue until 4:30 p.m., as necessary. The second session will convene at 7:00 p.m., with a repeat of the overview portions of the meeting, and will continue until 10:00 p.m., as necessary. Additionally, the NRC staff will host informal discussions one hour before the start of each session at the White Hall Fellowship Room. No comments on the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS will be accepted during the informal discussions. To be considered, comments must be provided either at the transcribed public meetings or in writing. Summer is in close proximity to lands that may be of interest to the Cherokee Nation. We want to ensure that you are aware of our efforts and, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.28(b), the NRC invites the Cherokee Nation to provide input to the scoping process relating to the NRCs environmental review of the application. The application and the environmental review process are described below.
Under NRC regulations, the original operating license for a nuclear power plant is issued for up to 40 years. The license may be renewed for up to an additional 20 years if NRC requirements are met. The current operating license for Summer will expire in 2022. SCE&G submitted an environmental report as part of its application for renewal of the Summer operating license on August 6, 2002. The application is electronically available for inspection from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html, which provides access through the NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room (PERR) link. If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. In addition, the application can be viewed on the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/summer.html.
A paper copy of the document can be viewed at the NRC's PDR, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland; at the Thomas Cooper Library, 1322 Greene Street, Columbia, South Carolina; and at the Fairfield County Library,
C. Smith 300 Washington Street, Winnsboro, South Carolina. Also, the GEIS assesses the scope and impact of environmental effects that would be associated with license renewal at any nuclear power plant site. A copy of this document can also be found on the NRCs website or at the NRC's PDR.
The NRC is gathering information for the document, which will be a Summer-specific supplement to the GEIS. The supplement will contain the results of the review of the environmental impacts on the area surrounding the Summer site that are related to terrestrial ecology, aquatic ecology, hydrology, cultural resources, and socioeconomic issues (among others) and will contain a recommendation regarding the environmental acceptability of the license renewal action.
Please submit any written comments the Cherokee Nation may have to offer on the scope of the environmental review by December 31, 2002. Comments should be submitted either by mail to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Mail Stop T-6 D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, or by Internet at VCSummerEIS@nrc.gov.
At the conclusion of the scoping process, the NRC staff will prepare a summary of the significant issues identified and the conclusions reached and will send a copy to you.
The NRC will prepare a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for public comment and will hold another set of public meetings in the site vicinity to solicit comments on the draft. A copy of the draft SEIS will be sent to you for your review and comment. After consideration of public comments received on the draft, the NRC will prepare a final SEIS. The issuance of a final environmental statement for Summer is planned for March 2004. If you need additional information regarding the environmental review process, please contact Gregory Suber, Project Manager, at (301) 415-1124.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Pao-Tsin Kuo, Program Director License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.: 50-395 cc: See next page
C. Smith 300 Washington Street, Winnsboro, South Carolina. Also, the GEIS assesses the scope and impact of environmental effects that would be associated with license renewal at any nuclear power plant site. A copy of this document can also be found on the NRCs website or at the NRC's PDR.
The NRC is gathering information for the document, which will be a Summer-specific supplement to the GEIS. The supplement will contain the results of the review of the environmental impacts on the area surrounding the Summer site that are related to terrestrial ecology, aquatic ecology, hydrology, cultural resources, and socioeconomic issues (among others) and will contain a recommendation regarding the environmental acceptability of the license renewal action.
Please submit any written comments the Cherokee Nation may have to offer on the scope of the environmental review by December 31, 2002. Comments should be submitted either by mail to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Mail Stop T-6 D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, or by Internet at VCSummerEIS@nrc.gov.
At the conclusion of the scoping process, the NRC staff will prepare a summary of the significant issues identified and the conclusions reached and will send a copy to you.
The NRC will prepare a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for public comment and will hold another set of public meetings in the site vicinity to solicit comments on the draft. A copy of the draft SEIS will be sent to you for your review and comment. After consideration of public comments received on the draft, the NRC will prepare a final SEIS. The issuance of a final environmental statement for Summer is planned for March 2004. If you need additional information regarding the environmental review process, please contact Gregory Suber, Project Manager, at (301) 415-1124.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Pao-Tsin Kuo, Program Director License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.: 50-395 cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION see next page DOCUMENT NAME: C:\\ORPCheckout\\FileNET\\ML023380701.wpd OFFICE LA:RLEP PM:RLEP SC:RLEP PD:RLEP NAME HBerilla GSuber JTappert PTKuo DATE 11/27/2002 11/27/2002 11/27/2002 11/27/2002 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
DISTRIBUTION: Letter to C. Smith Re: Summer LRA Scoping Meeting, Dated: November 27, 2002 DMatthews/FGillespie PTKuo GSuber MKing, RII MWidman, RII SCahill, RII TNazario KCotton HBerilla JTappert RAuluck OGC TDoerr (LANL)
RLEP R/F
Mr. Stephen A. Byrne VIRGIL C. SUMMER NUCLEAR STATION South Carolina Electric & Gas Company cc:
Ms. Kathryn M. Sutton, Esquire Winston & Strawn Law Firm 1400 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20005-3502 Mr. R. J. White Nuclear Coordinator S.C. Public Service Authority c/o Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station Post Office Box 88, Mail Code 802 Jenkinsville, South Carolina 29065 Resident Inspector/Summer NPS c/o U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 576 Stairway Road Jenkinsville, South Carolina 29065 Chairman, Fairfield County Council Drawer 60 Winnsboro, South Carolina 29180 Mr. Henry Porter, Assistant Director Division of Waste Management Bureau of Land & Waste Management Department of Health & Environmental Control 2600 Bull Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201 Mr. Gregory H. Halnon, General Manager Nuclear Plant Operations South Carolina Electric & Gas Company Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Mail Code 303 Post Office Box 88 Jenkinsville, South Carolina 29065 Mr. Melvin N. Browne, Manager Nuclear Licensing & Operating Experience South Carolina Electric & Gas Company Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Mail Code 830 Post Office Box 88 Jenkinsville, South Carolina 29065 Mr. Stephen A. Byrne Senior Vice President, Nuclear Operations South Carolina Electric & Gas Company Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station Post Office Box 88 Jenkinsville, South Carolina 29065 Mr. William Suddeth Government Information Librarian Thomas Cooper Library University of South Carolina 1322 Greene St.
Columbia, South Carolina 29208 Ms. Sarah McMaster Director Fairfield County Library 300 Washington St.
Winnsboro, South Carolina 29180 Ronald B. Clary Manager, Plant Life Extension South Carolina Electric & Gas Company Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station Post Office Box 88 Jenkinsville, South Carolina 29065