ML043650002
| ML043650002 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Brunswick  |
| Issue date: | 12/29/2004 |
| From: | Kuo P NRC/NRR/DRIP/RLEP |
| To: | Kurkul P US Dept of Commerce, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Emch R, NRR/DRIP/RLEP, 415-1590 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML043650002 (8) | |
Text
December 29, 2004 Ms. Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional Office One Blackburn Drive Gloucester, MA 09130-2298
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR LIST OF PROTECTED SPECIES WITHIN THE AREA UNDER EVALUATION FOR THE BRUNSWICK STEAM ELECTRIC PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL
Dear Ms. Kurkul:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is reviewing applications submitted by Carolina Power & Light Company (CP&L), now doing business as Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc., for the renewal of the operating licenses for the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2 (BSEP). BSEP is located in Brunswick County in southeastern North Carolina, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. As part of the review of the license renewal applications, the NRC is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) under the provisions 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. BSEP is situated on approximately 1,200 acres of land; 130 acres are occupied by generating facilities, support facilities, warehouses, parking areas, construction laydown areas, equipment storage areas, and roads. The remaining acreage consists of woodlands, open fields, wetlands and marshlands. The area immediately surrounding the plant is a mix of agricultural lands, woodlands, swamps, and marshes.
The BSEP circulating water system is a once-through heat dissipation system. Cooling water is drawn from the Cape Fear River by way of a three-mile long intake canal. The circulating water system includes the intake canal, intake structure, condensers, discharge canal, Caswell Beach pumping station, and the discharge pipes that move the heated effluent into the Atlantic Ocean.
BSEP transmission corridors are approximately 220 miles long and occupy 4,000 acres. These transmission line corridors are being evaluated as part of the SEIS process. The corridors pass through low population areas that are primarily forest, farm, and swamp lands. The lines cross numerous U.S. and State highways, the Cape Fear River, and Interstate 40. Four lines in a single 310-foot corridor make a short crossing of the Orton Plantation Waterfowl Impoundment, and the Jacksonville line makes a short crossing of the Holly Shelter Game Land. Corridors that pass through farm lands generally continue to be used as farm land. The transmission line corridors traverse Brunswick, Columbus, Bladen, Robeson, New Hanover, Pender, and Onslow
P. Kurkul counties in North Carolina. The transmission lines and site boundary are identified in Enclosures 1 and 2. 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 the vicinity of BSEP and its associated transmission lines. The NRC has requested the same information and list of species from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
On January 25-26, 2005, the NRC staff plans to conduct a site audit at the BSEP site. In addition, NRC staff plans to hold two public NEPA scoping meetings on January 27, 2005, at the Southport City Hall, 201 E. Moore Street, Southport, North Carolina 28461. Your staff is invited to attend both the site audit and the public meetings. The NRC staff will also forward to your office a copy of the draft SEIS along with a request for comments.
If you have any questions concerning BSEP, the license renewal application, or other aspects of this project, please contact Richard L. Emch, Jr., Senior Project Manager, at 301-415-1590 or by e-mail at RLE@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.: 50-324 and 50-325
Enclosures:
As stated cc w/encls.: See next page
P. Kurkul counties in North Carolina. The transmission lines and site boundary are identified in Enclosures 1 and 2. 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 the vicinity of BSEP and its associated transmission lines. The NRC has requested the same information and list of species from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
On January 25-26, 2005, the NRC staff plans to conduct a site audit at the BSEP site. In addition, NRC staff plans to hold two public NEPA scoping meetings on January 27, 2005, at the Southport City Hall, 201 E. Moore Street, Southport, North Carolina 28461. Your staff is invited to attend both the site audit and the public meetings. The NRC staff will also forward to your office a copy of the draft SEIS along with a request for comments.
If you have any questions concerning BSEP, the license renewal application, or other aspects of this project, please contact Richard L. Emch, Jr., Senior Project Manager, at 301-415-1590 or by e-mail at RLE@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.: 50-324 and 50-325
Enclosures:
As stated cc w/encl.: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
D. Matthews/F. Gillespie P.T. Kuo R. Emch A. Kugler C. Guerrero S. Hernandez J. Wilson S. K. Mitra B. Mozafari OGC E. DiPaolo, SRI J. Austin, RI P. Fredrickson, RII M. Parkhurst (PNNL) RLEP R/F Adams accession no.: ML043650002 Document name: E:\\Filenet\\ML043650002.wpd OFFICE RLEP:LA RLEP:GE RLEP:GS RLEP:PM RLEP:SC RLEP:PD NAME E. Hylton SHernandez CGuerrero REmch AKugler PTKuo (SSLee for)
DATE 12/27/04 12/28/04 12/28/ 04 12/28/04 12/28/04 12/29/04 OFFICIAL OFFICE COPY
Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2 cc:
Mr. Steven R. Carr Associate General Counsel - Legal Department Progress Energy Service Company, LLC Post Office Box 1551 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602-1551 Mr. David R. Sandifer, Chairperson Brunswick County Board of Commissioners Post Office Box 249 Bolivia, North Carolina 28422 Resident Inspector U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 8470 River Road Southport, North Carolina 28461 Mr. John H. ONeill, Jr.
Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge 2300 N Street NW Washington, DC 20037-1128 Ms. Beverly Hall, Section Chief Radiation Protection Section, Division of Natural Resources N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources 3825 Barrett Dr.
Raleigh, North Carolina 27609-7721 Mr. David H. Hinds Plant General Manager Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Carolina Power & Light Company Post Office Box 10429 Southport, North Carolina 28461-0429 Public Service Commission State of South Carolina Post Office Drawer 11649 Columbia, South Carolina 29211 Ms. Margaret A. Force Assistant Attorney General State of North Carolina Post Office Box 629 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 Mr. Robert P. Gruber Executive Director Public Staff - NCUC 4326 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4326 Mr. T. P. Cleary Director - Site Operations Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc.
Post Office Box 10429 Southport, North Carolina 28461-0429 Mr. Norman R. Holden, Mayor City of Southport 201 East Moore Street Southport, North Carolina 28461 Mr. Warren Lee Emergency Management Director New Hanover County Department of Emergency Management Post Office Box 1525 Wilmington, North Carolina 28402-1525 Mr. Chris L. Burton, Manager Performance Evaluation and Regulatory Affairs PEB 7 Progress Energy Post Office Box 1551 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602-1551 Mr. Edward T. ONeill Manager - Support Services Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Carolina Power & Light Company Post Office Box 10429 Southport, North Carolina 28461
Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2 cc:
Allen K. Brittain Superintendent, Security Brunswick Steam Electric Plant Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc.
P.O. Box 10429 Southport, North Carolina 28461-0429 Mr. Michael Heath Brunswick Steam Electric Plant P.O. Box 10429 Southport, North Carolina 28461-0429 Talmage B. Clements Manager - License Renewal Progress Energy P. O. Box 1551 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 Mr. Fred Emerson Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708 Ms. Ilene Brown NCUW William Randall Library 601 S. College Rd.
Wilmington, NC 28403-5616