ML040680881
| ML040680881 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Browns Ferry  |
| Issue date: | 03/05/2004 |
| From: | Kuo P NRC/NRR/DRIP/RLEP |
| To: | Goldman L US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Masnik M, NRR/DRIP/RGEB, 415-1191 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML040680881 (4) | |
Text
March 5, 2004 Mr. Larry Goldman Field Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Daphne Field Office P.O. Drawer 1190 Daphne, AL 36526
SUBJECT:
REQUESTS FOR A LIST OF PROTECTED SPECIES WITHIN THE AREA UNDER EVALUATION FOR THE BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT LICENSE RENEWAL
Dear Mr. Goldman:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is reviewing an application submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for the renewal of the operating licenses for Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Units 1, 2, and 3 (BFN). BFN is located in Limestone County, Alabama, 16 km (10 mi) southwest of Athens, Alabama. As part of the review of the license renewal application, the NRC is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) under the provision of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, which includes an analysis of pertinent environmental issues, including endangered or threatened species and impacts to fish and wildlife. This letter is being submitted under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934, as amended.
The proposed action would include the use and continued maintenance of existing plant facilities and transmission lines and would not result in significant new construction or disturbance. For the specific purpose of connecting BFN to the regional transmission system, there are seven 500-kilovolt (kV) lines and two 161-kV lines. These transmission line corridors are being evaluated as part of the SEIS process. The transmission line corridors traverse Limestone, Morgan, Lawrence, Franklin, and Colbert counties in Alabama; and Union, Lee, Tishomingo, and Itawamba counties in Mississippi. The site boundary and transmission lines are identified in Enclosures 1 and 2. The site boundary and transmission line corridors can also be viewed at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/browns-ferry/env-bfn-2.pdf the NRCs website at on pages E-70 and E-388, respectively.
The plant uses an open-cycle cooling system to dissipate waste heat to the environment.
Cooling water is drawn from Wheeler Reservoir on the Tennessee River into the turbine-generator condensers and discharging it back to the reservoir via large submerged diffuser pipes that are perforated to maximize uniform mixing into the flow-stream. Mechanical draft helper cooling towers are also used in the summer to reduce the heat load to the reservoir.
To support the environmental impact statement preparation process and to ensure compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the NRC requests a list of species and information on protected, proposed, and candidate species and critical habitat that may be in
L. Goldman the vicinity of BFN and its associated transmission lines. The NRC has requested the same information and list of species from NOAA Fisheries. In addition, please provide any information you consider appropriate under the provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act.
On March 30-31, 2004, we plan to conduct a site audit at the BFN site. We plan to hold two public NEPA scoping meetings on April 1, 2004, at the Athens State University Student Center Cafeteria Ballroom, 300 North Beaty Street, Athens, Alabama 35611-1999. You and your staff are invited to attend both the site audit and the public meetings. Your office will receive a copy of the draft SEIS along with a request for comments. The anticipated publication date for the draft SEIS is November 2004.
If you have any questions concerning BFN, the license renewal application, or other aspects of this project, please contact Dr. Michael Masnik, Senior Environmental Project Manager, at (301) 415-1191 or by e-mail at mtm2@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Pao-Tsin Kuo, Program Director License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos.: 50-259, 50-260, and 50-296 cc: See next page
L. Goldman the vicinity of BFN and its associated transmission lines. The NRC has requested the same information and list of species from NOAA Fisheries. In addition, please provide any information you consider appropriate under the provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act.
On March 30-31, 2004, we plan to conduct a site audit at the BFN site. We plan to hold two public NEPA scoping meetings on April 1, 2004, at the Athens State University Student Center Cafeteria Ballroom, 300 North Beaty Street, Athens, Alabama 35611-1999. You and your staff are invited to attend both the site audit and the public meetings. Your office will receive a copy of the draft SEIS along with a request for comments. The anticipated publication date for the draft SEIS is November 2004.
If you have any questions concerning BFN, the license renewal application, or other aspects of this project, please contact Dr. Michael Masnik, Senior Environmental Project Manager, at (301) 415-1191 or by e-mail at mtm2@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Pao-Tsin Kuo, Program Director License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos.: 50-259, 50-260, and 50-296 cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
DMatthews/FGillespie PTKuo MMasnik JTappert RSchaaf TTerry KJabbour JYerokun RHannah, RII KClark, RII CJulian, RII BHolbrook, SRI AHodgdon,OGC MScakchewsky,(PNNL)
RLEP R/F Accession No.: ML040680881 C:\\ORPCheckout\\FileNET\\ML040680881.wpd
- See Previous Concurrence OFFICE CE:RLEP:DRIP PM:RLEP:DRIP LA:RLEP:DRIP SC:RLEP:DRIP PD:RLEP:DRIP NAME T. Terry*
M. Masnik*
L. Jenkins*
J. Tappert P.T. Kuo DATE 02/17/04 02/17/04 02/19 /04 03/3/04 03/5/04 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT Tennessee Valley Authority cc:
Mr. Karl W. Singer, Senior Vice President Nuclear Operations Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. James E. Maddox, Acting Vice President Engineering & Technical Services Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Ashok S. Bhatnagar, Site Vice President Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 General Counsel Tennessee Valley Authority ET 11A 400 West Summit Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37902 Mr. Robert J. Adney, General Manager Nuclear Assurance Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Robert G. Jones, Plant Manager Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Mark J. Burzynski, Manager Nuclear Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority 4X Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Timothy E. Abney, Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant P.O. Box 149 Athens, AL 35611 State Health Officer Alabama Dept. of Public Health RSA Tower - Administration Suite 1552 P.O. Box 303017 Montgomery, AL 36130-3017 Chairman Limestone County Commission 310 West Washington Street Athens, AL 35611 Mr. Fred Emerson Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I St., NW., Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708 Mr. J. A. Scalice Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37404-2801