ML051560004

6-2-05 - Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant License Renewal Review (TAC No. MC6441) (SHPO Number: 2004-2193)

ML051560004
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	06/02/2005
From:	Jennifer Davis, Flemming J, Kuo P NRC/NRR/DRIP/RLEP
To:	Archabal N State of MN, Historical Society
Flemming J, RLEP/DRIP/NRR, 415-5787
References
SHPO # 2004-2193, TAC MC6441
Download: ML051560004 (4)

Text

June 2, 2005 Dr. Nina M. Archabal State Historic Preservation Officer Minnesota Historical Society State Historic Pres. Office 345 Kellogg Blvd West St. Paul, MN 55102-1906

SUBJECT:

MONTICELLO NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT LICENSE RENEWAL REVIEW (TAC NO. MC6441) (SHPO Number: 2004-2193)

Dear Dr. Archabal:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is reviewing an application to renew the operating license for Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant (Monticello), which is located in Wright County, Minnesota, on the southern bank of the Mississippi River. The nearest large city is St. Cloud, 22 miles to the northwest and upstream of the Monticello site. The Twin Cities area of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and their surrounding suburbs, is approximately 30 miles to the southeast of the site. Monticello is operated by Nuclear Management Company (NMC) and owned by Northern States Power Company, a wholly owned utility operating subsidiary of Xcel Energy, Inc. The application for renewal was submitted by NMC on March 24, 2005, pursuant to NRC requirements at Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 54 (10 CFR Part 54).

The NRC has established that, as part of the staff review of any nuclear power plant license renewal action, a site-specific Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to its

?Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (GEIS),

NUREG-1437, will be prepared under the provisions of 10 CFR Part 51, the NRC regulation that implements the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). In accordance with 36 CFR 800.8, the SEIS will include analyses of potential impacts to historic and archaeological resources.

In the context of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, the NRC staff has determined that the area of potential effect (APE) for a license renewal action is the area at the power plant site and its immediate environs that may be impacted by post-license renewal land-disturbing operations or projected refurbishment activities associated with the proposed action. The APE may extend beyond the immediate environs in those instances where post-license renewal land-disturbing operations or projected refurbishment activities specifically related to license renewal may potentially have an effect on known or proposed historic sites.

This determination is made irrespective of ownership or control of the lands of interest.

While preparing its application, NMC contacted your office by letter dated February 10, 2005.

In that letter, NMC stated there are no plans to significantly alter current operations or engage in any land-disturbing activities during the license renewal period. NMC further stated that it is currently revising existing site procedures to incorporate guidance for the handling of items of

N. Archabal potential historic and archaeological significance, and cultural resources during any land-disturbing activities. Your office responded by letter dated March 30, 2005, stating that no historic properties listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places will be affected by the proposed action.

On June 30, 2005, the NRC will conduct two public NEPA scoping meetings at the Monticello Community Center, 505 Walnut Street in Monticello, Minnesota. You and your staff are invited to attend. 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 February 2006. If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Ms. Jennifer A. Davis, Project Manager, at 301-415-3835 or JXD10@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 No.: 50-263 cc: See next page

N. Archabal of potential historic and archaeological significance, and cultural resources during any land-disturbing activities. Your office responded by letter dated March 30, 2005, stating that no historic properties listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places will be affected by the proposed action.

On June 30, 2005, the NRC will conduct two public NEPA scoping meetings at the Monticello Community Center, 505 Walnut Street in Monticello, Minnesota. You and your staff are invited to attend. 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 February 2006. If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Ms. Jennifer A. Davis, Project Manager, at 301-415-3835 or JXD10@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 No.: 50-263 cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

D. Matthews/F. Gillespie L. M. Padovan P.T. Kuo Jan Strasma, OPA A. Kugler A. Stone, RIII J. Davis B. Burgess, RIII S. Imboden J. Adams, RIII J. Flemming R. Orlikowski, RIII D. Merzke P. Lougheed, RIII N. Dudley RLEP R/F A. Hodgdon, OGC C. Quinly (LLNL)

M. Thorpe-Kavanaugh R. Schaaf Adams Accession Number: ML051560004 Document Name:E:\\Filenet\\ML051560004.wpd OFFICE LA:RLEP GE:RLEP PM:RLEP OGC SC:RLEP PD:RLEP NAME EHylton JFlemming Jdavis (SFI for)

AHodgdon AKugler PTKuo DATE 05/19/05 05/23/05 05/25/05 05/26/05 06/1/05 06/2/05 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant cc:

Jonathan Rogoff, Esquire Vice President, Counsel & Secretary Nuclear Management Company, LLC 700 First Street Hudson, WI 54016 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Resident Inspector's Office 2807 W. County Road 75 Monticello, MN 55362 Manager, Regulatory Affairs Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Nuclear Management Company, LLC 2807 West County Road 75 Monticello, MN 55362-9637 Robert Nelson, President Minnesota Environmental Control Citizens Association (MECCA) 1051 South McKnight Road St. Paul, MN 55119 Commissioner Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 520 Lafayette Road St. Paul, MN 55155-4194 Regional Administrator, Region III U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 801 Warrenville Road Lisle, IL 60532-4351 Commissioner Minnesota Department of Health 717 Delaware Street, S. E.

Minneapolis, MN 55440 Douglas M. Gruber, Auditor/Treasurer Wright County Government Center 10 NW Second Street Buffalo, MN 55313 Margo Askin Head Librarian, Monticello Public Library 200 W. 6th Street Monticello, MN 55362 Commissioner Minnesota Department of Commerce 85 7th Place East, Suite 500 St. Paul, MN 55101-2198 Manager - Environmental Protection Division Minnesota Attorney Generals Office 445 Minnesota St., Suite 900 St. Paul, MN 55101-2127 John Paul Cowan Executive Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer Nuclear Management Company, LLC 700 First Street Hudson, WI 54016 Nuclear Asset Manager Xcel Energy, Inc.

414 Nicollet Mall, R.S. 8 Minneapolis, MN 55401 Mr. Fred Emerson Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708 Patrick Burke License Renewal Project Manager Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Nuclear Management Company, LLC 2807 West County Road 75 Monticello, MN 55362-9637 Mr. Douglas F. Johnson Director, Plant Life Cycle Issues Nuclear Management Company, LLC 700 First Street Hudson, WI 54016 Amy Wittmann Branch Librarian, Buffalo Public Library 18 Northwest Lake Boulevard Buffalo, MN 55313