ML061300669

06/07/2006 - Forthcoming Meeting to Discuss the Environmental Scoping Process for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Vynps), License Renewal Application (LRA)

ML061300669
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	05/10/2006
From:	Emch R NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/REBB
To:	Rani Franovich NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/REBB
Hernandez S, NRR/DLR/REBB, 415-4049
References
Download: ML061300669 (14)

Text

• Commission's Policy Statement on "Enhancing Public Participation in NRC Meetings," 67 Federal Register 36920, May 28, 2002

.May 10, 2006MEMORANDUM TO:Rani L. Franovich, Branch ChiefEnvironmental Branch B Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

FROM:Richard L. Emch Jr., Senior Project Manager /RA/Environmental Branch B Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

SUBJECT:

FORTHCOMING MEETING TO DISCUSS THE ENVIRONMENTALSCOPING PROCESS FOR VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWERSTATION (VYNPS), LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (LRA) DATE AND TIME:Wednesday, June 7, 2006, (Two identical sessions)First session:1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Second session:7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.LOCATION:Latchis Theatre50 Main Street Brattleboro, VT 05301CATEGORY 3:*This is a Category 3 Meeting. The public is invited to participate in thismeeting by providing comments and asking questions throughout the meeting.PURPOSE:To discuss the environmental scoping process for the LRA for VYNPS. These meetings will provide members of the public with the opportunityto provide comments regarding environmental issues that the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) should consider during itsreview of the LRA. These meetings are being conducted as part of the scoping process outlined in 10 CFR Part 51 to support development of an environmental impact statement related to the LRA. See the enclosed Agenda and Federal Register notice (71 FR 20733). The LRAis available on the NRC's Web page athttp://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/vermont-yankee.html and in ADAMS (Accession Number ML060300086).

CONTACTS:Richard Emch, NRR Samuel Hernandez, NRR301-415-1590301-415-4049 R. Franovich-2-RLE@NRC.GOVSHQ@NRC.GOVPURPOSE (Cont.):Both formal sessions will be preceded by an informal

?open house"beginning one hour prior to each session for those who wish to attend.

The open house will provide members of the public with an opportunityto talk informally one-on-one with NRC staff. Members of the publicmay register to present oral comments at this meeting by contacting Mr. Emch at 800-368-5642, ext. 1590, or via e-mail at RLE@nrc.gov byMay 31, 2006. Those who wish to make comments may also register at the meeting within 15 minutes of the start of each session. Individual oral comments may be limited by the time available, depending on the number of persons who register. In addition to the environmental scoping meeting described above, theNRC will hold an informal open house at the Quality Inn & Suites, 1380Putney Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301, on Tuesday, June 6, 2006, from 2:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m., as necessary. At the open house, NRC staffwill be available to provide information about the environmental reviewprocess for license renewal of nuclear plants. During the open house, members of the public will have the opportunity to provide formalcomments on the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS eitherverbally or in writing to a transcriptionist. Comments provided to the transcriptionist will be considered in the same manner as commentsprovided during the scoping meetings described above. No formal comments on the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS willbe accepted at the open houses during informal discussions with the staff.ACCOMMODATIONS:If special equipment or accommodations are needed to attend orpresent information at the public meeting, the need should be broughtto the attention of Mr. Emch at 800-368-5642, ext. 1590 or via e-mail at RLE@nrc.gov, no later than May 24, 2006, to provide the NRC staffadequate notice to determine whether the request can be accommodated. PARTICIPANTS:NRCMembers of the Public Who Register to SpeakF. CameronR. Franovich R. Emch et. alArgonne National LaboratoryD. Miller et. alDocket No. 50-271

Enclosures:

1. Agenda

2. Federal Register Noticecc w/encls: See next page R. Franovich-2-PURPOSE (Cont.):Both formal sessions will be preceded by an informal

?open house"beginning one hour prior to each session for those who wish to attend.

The open house will provide members of the public with an opportunityto talk informally one-on-one with NRC staff. Members of the publicmay register to present oral comments at this meeting by contacting Mr. Emch at 800-368-5642, ext. 1590, or via e-mail at RLE@nrc.gov byMay 31, 2006. Those who wish to make comments may also register at the meeting within 15 minutes of the start of each session. Individual oral comments may be limited by the time available, depending on the number of persons who register. In addition to the environmental scoping meeting described above, theNRC will hold an informal open house at the Quality Inn & Suites, 1380Putney Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301, on Tuesday, June 6, 2006, from 2:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., as necessary. At the open house, NRC staffwill be available to provide information about the environmental reviewprocess for license renewal of nuclear plants. During the open house, members of the public will have the opportunity to provide formalcomments on the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS eitherverbally or in writing to a transcriptionist. Comments provided to the transcriptionist will be considered in the same manner as commentsprovided during the scoping meetings described above. No formal comments on the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS willbe accepted at the open houses during informal discussions with the staff.ACCOMMODATIONS:If special equipment or accommodations are needed to attend orpresent information at the public meeting, the need should be broughtto the attention of Mr. Emch at 800-368-5642, ext. 1590 or via e-mail at RLE@nrc.gov, no later than May 24, 2006, to provide the NRC staffadequate notice to determine whether the request can be accommodated. PARTICIPANTS:NRCMembers of the Public Who Register to SpeakF. CameronR. Franovich R. Emch et. alArgonne National LaboratoryD. Miller et. alDocket No. 50-271

Enclosures:

DISTRIBUTION: See next page

1. Agenda

2. Federal Register Noticecc w/encls: See next pageAdams Accession No.: ML061300669Document Name: E:\Filenet\ML061300669.wpdOFFICELA:DLRGE:DLR:REBBPM:DLR:REBBBC:DLR:REBBNAMEY. EdmondsS. HernandezR. EmchR. FranovichDATE5/10/06 5/10/06 5/10/06 5/1006 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY Memo to: Rani L. Franovich from Richard L. Emch, dated: May 10, 2006

SUBJECT:

FORTHCOMING MEETING TO DISCUSS THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPINGPROCESS FOR VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION (VYNPS),LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (LRA) Hard CopyS. Hernandez R. EmchE-Mail PublicPMNS B. Boger (RidsNrrAdro)

F. Gillespie / P.T. Kuo (RidsNrrDlr)

R. Franovich (RidsNrrDlrRebb)

R. Emch R. Schaaf S. Hernandez A. Mullins S. Hoffman D. Miller (david.s.miller@anl.gov)

F. Cameron, OGC OGC (RidsOGCMailRoom)

M. Lemoncelli, OGC J. Eads J. Shea R. Shane, OCA B. Keeling, OCA T. Combs, OCA OPA (RidsOpaMail)

D. McIntyre, OPA C. Anderson, RI D. Pelton, RI B. Sienel, RI N. Sheehan, RI D. Screnci, RI R. Jasinski, NRR Technical Communications Assistant Samuel Lee, EDO Contact, RI C. Colleli, OIG R. Wild, OIG J. Storch, OIG DLR Staff Enclosure 1AGENDA FOR PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSSENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING PROCESS FOR VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWERSTATION, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATIONWEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2006Two Meeting Sessions - 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.*I.Welcome and Purpose of Meeting 15 minutes (F. Cameron)

II.Overview of License Renewal Process 10 minutes (R. Franovich)

III.Overview of Environmental Review Process 20 minutes (R. Emch)IV. Public CommentsAs Required (F. Cameron)

V.Closing/Availability of Transcripts5 minutes (F. Cameron)*The NRC staff will host informal discussions one hour prior to each meeting session. No formalcomments on the proposed scope of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be acceptedduring the informal discussions. To be considered, comments must be provided either at the transcribed public meetings (see agenda, above) or in writing, as described in the attached Federal Register notice. [Federal Register: April 21, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 77)][Notices]

[Page 20733-20735]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-271]

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct Scoping ProcessEnergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy) has submitted an application for renewal of FacilityOperating License No. DPR-28 for an additional 20 years of operation at the Vermont YankeeNuclear Power Station (VYNPS). VYNPS is located in the town of Vernon, Vermont, in Windham County on the west shore of the Connecticut River immediately upstream of the Vernon Hydroelectric Station. The operating license for VYNPS expires on March 21, 2012. The application for renewal, datedJanuary 25, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated March 15, 2006, was submitted pursuant toTitle 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 54. A notice of receipt and availabilityof the application, which included the environmental report (ER), was published in the FederalRegister on February 6, 2006 (71 FR 6102). A notice of acceptance for docketing of the application for renewal of the facility operating license was published in the Federal Register onMarch 27, 2006, (71 FR 15220). The purpose of this notice is to inform the public that the U.S.Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will be preparing an environmental impact statement(EIS) related to the review of the license renewal application and to provide the public an opportunity to participate in the environmental scoping process, as in defined in 10 CFR 51.29.

In addition, as outlined in 36 CFR 800.8, ``Coordination with the National Environmental PolicyAct, the NRC plans to coordinate compliance with Section 106 of the National HistoricPreservation Act in meeting the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).In accordance with 10 CFR 51.53(c) and 10 CFR 54.23, Entergy submitted the ER as part of theapplication. The ER was prepared pursuant to 10 CFR Part 51 and is publicly available at the NRC Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike,Rockville, Maryland, 20852, or from the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access andManagement System (ADAMS). The ADAMS Public Electronic Reading Room is accessible at http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm. The Accession Number for the ER isML060300086. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS, or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC's PDR referencehttp://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/vermont-yankee.html. Inaddition, the ER is available for public inspection near the VYNPS at the following four public libraries: Vernon Free Library, 567 Governor Hunt Rd, Vernon, VT 05354; Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301; Hinsdale Public Library, 122 Brattleboro Road, Hinsdale, NH, 03451; and Dickinson Memorial Library, 115 Main St, Northfield, MA 01360. This notice advises the public that the NRC intends to gather the information necessary toprepare a plant-specific supplement to the Commission's ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, (NUREG-1437) related to the reviewof the application for renewal of the VYNPS operating license for an additional 20 years.

Possible alternatives to the proposed action (license renewal) include no action and reasonable alternative energy sources. The NRC is required by 10 CFR 51.95 to prepare a supplement tothe GEIS in connection with the renewal of an operating license. This notice is being published in accordance with NEPA and the NRC's regulations found in 10 CFR Part 51.The NRC will first conduct a scoping process for the supplement to the GEIS and, as soon aspracticable thereafter, will prepare a draft supplement to the GEIS for public comment.Participation in the scoping process by members of the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal government agencies is encouraged. The scoping process for the supplement to the GEIS will be used to accomplish the following:

a.Define the proposed action which is to be the subject of the supplement to the GEIS.

b.Determine the scope of the supplement to the GEIS and identify the significant issues to beanalyzed in depth.c.Identify and eliminate from detailed study those issues that are peripheral or that are notsignificant.d.Identify any environmental assessments and other ElSs that are being or will be preparedthat are related to, but are not part of, the scope of the supplement to the GEIS beingconsidered.e.Identify other environmental review and consultation requirements related to the proposedaction.f.Indicate the relationship between the timing of the preparation of the environmental analysesand the Commission's tentative planning and decision-making schedule.g.Identify any cooperating agencies and, as appropriate, allocate assignments for preparationand schedules for completing the supplement to the GEIS to the NRC and any cooperatingagencies.h.Describe how the supplement to the GEIS will be prepared, and include any contractorassistance to be used.The NRC invites the following entities to participate in scoping:i.The applicant, Energy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

j.Any Federal agency that has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to anyenvironmental impact involved, or that is authorized to develop and enforce relevant environmental standards.k.Affected State and local government agencies, including those authorized to develop andenforce relevant environmental standards.l.Any affected Indian tribe.

m.Any person who requests or has requested an opportunity to participate in the scopingprocess.v.Any person who has petitioned or intends to petition for leave to intervene.In accordance with 10 CFR 51.26, the scoping process for an EIS may include a public scopingmeeting to help identify significant issues related to a proposed activity and to determine the scope of issues to be addressed in an EIS. The NRC has decided to hold public meetings for theVYNPS license renewal supplement to the GEIS. The scoping meetings will be held at the Latchis Theatre, 50 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301, on Wednesday, June 7, 2006.There will be two sessions to accommodate interested parties. The first session will conv ene at1:30 p.m. and will continue until 4:30 p.m., as necessary. The second session will conv ene at 7p.m. with a repeat of the overview portions of the meeting and will continue until 10 p.m., asnecessary. Both meetings will be transcri bed and will include: (1) An overview by the NRC staffof the NEPA environmental review process, the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS,and the proposed review schedule; and (2) the opportunity for interested government agencies, organizations, and individuals to submit comments or suggestions on the environmental issues or the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS. Additionally, the NRC staff will hostinformal discussions one hour prior to the start of each session at the same location. No formal comments on the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS will be accepted during theinformal discussions. To be considered, comments must be provided either at the transcribed public meetings or in writing, as discussed below. Persons may register to attend or present oral comments at the meetings on the scope of the NEPA review by contacting the NRCEnvironmental Project Manager, Mr. Richard L. Emch, Jr., by telephone at 1-800-368-5642, extension 1590, or by e-mail to the NRC at RLE@nrc.gov no later than May 31, 2006. Membersof the public may also register to speak at the meeting within 15 minutes of the start of each session. Individual oral comments may be limited by the time available, depending on the number of persons who register. Members of the public who have not registered may also have an opportunity to speak, if time permits. Public comments will be considered in the scopingprocess for the supplement to the GEIS. Mr. Emch will need to be contacted no later than May24, 2006, if special equipment or accommodations are needed to attend or present information at the public meeting, so that the NRC staff can determine whether the request can beaccommodated.In addition to the environmental scoping meeting described above, the NRC will hold an informalopen house at the Quality Inn & Suites, 1380 Putney Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301, onTuesday, June 6, 2006, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., as necessary. At the open house, NRC staff willbe available to provide information about the environmental review process for license renewal of nuclear plants. During the open house, members of the public will have the opportunity toprovide formal comments on the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS either verballyor in writing to a transcriptionist. Comments provided to the transcriptionist will be considered inthe same manner as comments provided during the scoping meetings described above. No formal comments on the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS will be accepted at theopen house during informal discussions. Members of the public may send written comments on the environmental scope of the VYNPSlicense renewal review to: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, Mailstop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, 20555-0001, and should cite the publication date and page number of thisFederal Register notice. Comments may also be delivered to the NRC, Room T-6D59, TwoWhite Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.during Federal workdays. To be considered in the scoping process, written comments should be postmarked by June 23, 2006. Electronic comments may be sent by e-mail to the NRC atVermontYankeeEIS@nrc.gov, and should be sent no later than June 23, 2006, to be consideredin the scoping process. Comments will be available electronically and accessible throughADAMS at http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm. Participation in the scoping process for the supplement to the GEIS does not entitle participantsto become parties to the proceeding to which the supplement to the GEIS relates. Notice of opportunity for a hearing regarding the renewal application was the subject of the aforementioned Federal Register notice (71 FR 15220). Matters related to participation in any hearing are outside the scope of matters to be discussed at this public meeting.At the conclusion of the scoping process, the NRC will prepare a concise summary of thedetermination and conclusions reached, including the significant issues identified, and will senda copy of the summary to each participant in the scoping process. The summary will also beavailable for inspection in ADAMS at http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm. The staff willthen prepare and issue for comment the draft supplement to the GEIS, which will be the subjectof separate notices and separate public meetings. Copies will be available for public inspectionat the above-mentioned addresses, and one copy per request will be provided free of charge.After receipt and consideration of the comments, the NRC will prepare a final supplement to theGEIS, which will also be available for public inspection.Information about the proposed action, the supplement to the GEIS, and the scoping processmay be obtained from Mr. Emch at the aforementioned telephone number or e-mail address.Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12 th day of April 2006.For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.Rani Franovich, Branch Chief, Environmental Branch B, Division of License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:Regional Administrator, Region I U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415Mr. David R. LewisPillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman, LLP 2300 N Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20037-1128Mr. David O'Brien, CommissionerVermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2601Mr. James Volz, ChairmanPublic Service Board State of Vermont 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2701Operating Experience CoordinatorVermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station 320 Governor Hunt Road Vernon, VT 05354Mr. G. Dana Bisbee, Esq.Deputy Attorney General 33 Capitol Street Concord, NH 03301-6937Chief, Safety Unit Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place, 19th Floor Boston, MA 02108Ms. Deborah B. KatzBox 83 Shelburne Falls, MA 01370Ms. Carla A. White, RRPT, CHPRadiological Health Vermont Department of Health P.O. Box 70, Drawer #43 108 Cherry Street Burlington, VT 05402-0070Mr. James M. DeVincentisManager, Licensing Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500Resident InspectorVermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

P.O. Box 176 Vernon, VT 05354Director, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency ATTN: James Muckerheide 400 Worcester Rd.

Framingham, MA 01702-5399Mr. Jonathan M. Block, Esq.Main Street

P.O. Box 566 Putney, VT 05346-0566Mr. John F. McCannDirector, Licensing Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Gary J. TaylorChief Executive Officer Entergy Operations 1340 Echelon Parkway Jackson, MS 39213Mr. John T. HerronSr. VP and Chief Operating Officer Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:

Mr. Oscar LimpiasVice President, Engineering Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Christopher SchwartzVice President, Operations Support Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Michael J. ColombDirector of Oversight Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Travis C. McCulloughAssistant General Counsel Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Jay K. ThayerSite Vice President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500Mr. James H. Sniezek5486 Nithsdale Drive Salisbury, MD 21801Ms. Stacey M. LousteauTreasury Department Entergy Services, Inc.

639 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113Mr. Raymond ShadisNew England Coalition Post Office Box 98 Edgecomb, ME 04556Mr. James P. MatteauExecutive Director Windham Regional Commission 139 Main Street, Suite 505 Brattleboro, VT 05301Mr. William K. ShermanVermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620-2601Mr. Michael D. Lyster5931 Barclay Lane Naples, FL 34110-7306Ms. Charlene D. FaisonManager, Licensing 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. James RossNuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708Mr. Peter DeyoChairman, Vernon Select Board 567 Governor Hunt Road Vernon, VT 05354Mr. Jerry RemillardBrattleboro Town Manager 230 Main Street, Suite 208 Brattleboro, VT 05301Mr. Steven A. SteidleChair, Brattleboro Select Board 108 Meetinghouse Lane Brattleboro, VT 05301-8985Sen. Roderick M. GanderSenator, Windham District 43 Tyler Street Brattleboro, VT 05301 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:

Sen. Jeanette K. WhiteSenator, Windham District 35A Old Depot Road Putney, VT 05346Mr. Ed AnthesVermont Nuclear Free by 2012 PO Box 6325 Brattleboro, VT 05302Mr. John D. SmithChairman Board of Selectmen PO Box 13 Hinsdale, NH 03451Ms. Diana SidebothamThe New England Coalition PO Box 545 Brattleboro, VT 05302