ML053490299

E-mail, Daflucas, Entergy, to Ennis, NRR, VY EPU Draft EA Comments

ML053490299
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	12/08/2005
From:	Daflucas R Entergy Nuclear Operations
To:	Richard Ennis Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
%dam200601, BVY 05-108, TAC MC0761
Download: ML053490299 (6)

Text

I Rick Ennis - Comments on DRAFT EA Page 1 1 R

-C e

o R

A ae From:

"Daflucas, Ronda" <rdafluceentergy.com>

To:

"Rick Ennis" <RXE~nrc.gov>

Date:

12/8/05 4:20PM

Subject:

Comments on DRAFT EA Attached is Entergy's letter providing comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment.

<<BVY 05-108 final.pdf>

Ronda Daflucas Vermont Yankee Project Manager, NRR Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

802-258-4232 CC:

"Gucwa, Len" <LGUCW90@prod.entergy.com>, "Nichols, Craig"

<cnicholprod.entergy.com>, "Hobbs, Brian" <bhobbseprod.entergy.com>, "Devincentis, Jim"

<jdevinc@prod.entergy.com>, "Faison, Charlene" <CFaisondentergy.com>, "McCann, John"

<jmccanl entergy.com>

I c:\\temD\\GWI00001.TMP Page 1

\\tec---OO l TMPPaq 1

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Comments on DRAFT EA 12/8/05 4:19PM "Daflucas, Ronda" <rdaflucgentergy.com>

rdafluc(entergy.com i

Recipients nrc.gov owf4_po.OWFNDO RXE (Rick Ennis) entergy.com jmccanl CC (John McCann)

CFaison CC (Charlene Faison) prod.entergy.com jdevinc CC (Jim Devincentis) bhobbs CC (Brian Hobbs) cnichol CC (Craig Nichols)

LGUCW90 CC (Len Gucwa)

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Route nrc.gov entergy.com prod.entergy.com Size 218 1834 159877 223486 Date & Time 12/08/05 04:19PM None Standard No None No Standard

Entergy Nuclear Northeast Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Vennont Yankee P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500

.ntf.

,(

Tel 802 257 5271 December 8, 2005 Docket No. 50-271 BVY 05-108 TAC No. MC0761 Chief, Rules and Directives Branch Office of Administration U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Stop T-6D59 Washington, DC 20555-0001

Subject:

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Proposed Extended Power Uprate

References:

1) Federal Register: "Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to the Proposed License Amendment to Increase the Maximum Reactor Power Level," (Volume 70, Number 216), Pages 68106-68114, November 9, 2005

2) Entergy letter to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, "Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station, License No. DPR-28 (Docket No. 50-271), Technical Specification Proposed Change No. 263, Extended Power Uprate," BVY 03-80, September 10,2003

3) U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, "Final Environmental Statement Related to the Operation of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station, Docket No. 50-271," July 1972 In Reference 1, the NRC staff published the Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (Draft EA) related to Entergy's request for a license amendment (Reference 2, as supplemented) to increase the maximum reactor power level of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VYNPS) from 1593 megawatts thermal (MWt) to 1912 MWt.

Entergy has completed its review of the Draft EA and has comments related to its content.

Those comments are provided as Attachment 1 to this letter.

An assessment of the environmental impacts of the proposed extended power uprate (EPU) was performed by Entergy as part of the license application. The assessment confirmed that the environmental effects of the proposed EPU are consistent with those determined in 1972 and documented in the original Final Environmental Statement (Reference 3). Entergy agrees with the NRC staff's analysis and conclusion documented in the Draft EA. That is, the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.

i.

BVY05-108 Docket No. 50-271 Page 2 of 2 This.submittal does not include any new commitments. If you have any questions or require additional information; please contact me at (802) 258-4236.

Sincerely, A=.A ames M. DeVincentis Manager, Licensing Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Attachment (1) cc:

Mr. Samuel J. Collins Regional Administrator, Region 1 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 Mr. Richard B. Ennis, Project Manager Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Stop O 8 B1-Washington, DC 20555 USNRC Resident Inspector Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC P.O. Box 157 Vernon, Vermont 05354 Mr. David O'Brien, Commissioner VT Department of Public Service 112 State Street - Drawer 20 Montpelier, Vermont 05620-2601

BVY 05-1 08 Docket No. 50-271 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Proposed Extended Power Uprate Total number of pages in Attachment 1 (excluding this cover sheet) is 1.

Attachment I to BVY 05-108 Docket No. 50-271 Page 1 of 1 ENTERGY COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION RELATED TO EXTENDED POWER UPRATE No.

Location (Federal Register page) / Text Entergy Comment 1

(68108)

The "helper-cycle" mode of operation of the circulating "In the helper-cycle mode [of the water system is available; however, because of the circulating water system], only a portion provisions of the National Pollutant Discharge of the cooling water discharge flow is Elimination System (NPDES) Permit, the system is cycled through the cooling towers before operated in a "hybrid" cycle as described in the being discharged to the Connecticut Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VYNPS)

River."

Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) sections 11.6 and 11.9.

The circulating water system is designed to operate in any one of three modes of operation: open, closed, or hybrid cycle. In the hybrid cycle, all of the circulating water flow is cycled through the cooling towers, but only a portion is discharged to the river while the remainder is recycled.

The mode in which the circulating water system operates is a function of river temperature and flow.

2 (68108)

Entergy does not own or maintain the transmission "Entergy's transmission line right-of-way lines. The lines are owned and operated by different maintenance practices, including the transmission operators who ensure that proper ground management of vegetation growth, would clearances are met.

not change."

3 (68108)

It should be noted that Entergy's original environmental In the description of "Cooling Tower assessment for Extended Power Uprate (EPU) was Impacts."

based on the use of 125 horsepower cooling tower fan motors. In fact, twenty-one of the twenty-two cooling tower fan motors were increased in size from 125 horsepower to 200 horsepower. This upgrade will improve cooling tower performance, and lessen aesthetic impacts due to plume size associated with increased cooling tower operation at EPU. The conclusions in the Draft Environmental Assessment regarding cooling tower operation (including noise) are correctly stated.