ML070710145

Email from Rikhoff to Mullins Regarding SSES Draft Land Use Sections, Batch 1

ML070710145
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	03/07/2007
From:	Jeffrey Rikhoff NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/REBA
To:	Alicia Mullins NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/REBB
References
TAC MD3021, TAC MD3022
Download: ML070710145 (9)

Text

Alicia Mullins- SSES DSEIS Land Use Sections, Batch 1.Pag*  %

From: Jeffrey Rikhoff To: Alicia Mullins Date: 03/07/2007 9:47:38 AM

Subject:

SSES DSEIS Land Use Sections, Batch 1 Alicia, Sorry for the delay in getting these to you. Attached are completed working drafts of SSES DSEIS Sections 4.4.3, Offsite Land Use - License Renewal Period and 4.4.4, Public Services: Transportation Impacts During Operations for your review. I hope to send you the balance of the sections (2.2.1, 2.2.8.3, and 2.2.8.4) later today.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks, jeff Jeffrey Rikhoff U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission NRR/DLR/REBA Socioeconomist, O-8C5 301/415-1090 JJ R2@nrc.gov CC: Eric Benner; Jennifer Davis

PaQe 1 Ic:\temp\G W}00003 IMP I

Pqe 1 11

]

Mail Envelope Properties (45EED081.A7E: 3 : 9342)

Subject:

SSES DSEIS Land Use Sections, Batch 1 Creation Date 03/07/2007 9:47:29 AM From: Jeffrey Rikhoff Created By: JJR2@nrc.gov Recipients nrc.gov OWGWPO01 .HQGWDO01 EJB 1 CC (Eric Benner) nrc.gov OWGWPOO3.HQGWDOO1 JXD 10 CC (Jennifer Davis) nrc.gov TWGWPOO1 .HQGWDOO1 AXM7 (Alicia Mullins)

Post Office Route OWGWPO01 .HQGWDO01 nrc.gov OWGWPOO3.HQGWDOO1 nrc.gov TWGWPOO1 .HQGWDOOI nrc.gov Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 1284 03/07/2007 9:47:30 AM TEXT.htm 1125 4.4.3 SSES.doc 31744 03/07/2007 9:40:06 AM 4.4.4 SSES.doc .21504 03/07/2007 9:42:39 AM Options Expiration Date: None Priority: Standard ReplyRequested: No Return Notification: None Concealed

Subject:

No Security: Standard Junk Mail Handling Evaluation Results Message is not eligible for Junk Mail handling Message is from an internal sender

c\mp\GW}OOOO3.TMP" - ~age2 Junk Mail settings when this message was delivered Junk Mail handling disabled by User Junk Mail handling disabled by Administrator Junk List is not enabled Junk Mail using personal address books is not enabled Block List is not enabled

JiA[ýý!ýins - 4.4.3 SSES.doc Pag~e 1!1 I Alicia Mullins 4.4.3 SSES.doc I

Paqe 1~I SSES DSEIS 4.4.3 Offsite Land Use - License Renewal Period Offsite land use during the license renewal term is a Category 2 issue (10 CFR 51, Subpart A, Appendix B, Table B-i). Table B-1 of 10 CFR 51 Subpart A, Appendix B notes that "significant changes in land use may be associated with population and tax revenue changes resulting from license renewal."

Section 4.7.4 of the GElS defines the magnitude of land-use changes as a result of plant operation during the license renewal term as follows:

SMALL - Little new development and minimal changes to an area's land-use pattern.

MODERATE - Considerable new development and some changes to the land-use pattern.

LARGE - Large-scale new development and major changes in the land-use pattern.

Tax revenue can affect land use because it enables local jurisdictions to provide the public services (e.g., transportation and utilities) necessary to support development. Section 4.7.4.1 of the GElS states that the assessment of tax-driven land-use impacts during the license renewal term should consider (1) the size of the plant's payments relative to the community's total revenues, (2) the nature of the community's existing land-use pattern, and (3) the extent to which the community already has public services in place to support and guide development. If the plant's tax payments are projected to be small relative to the community's total revenue, tax-driven land-use changes during the plant's license renewal term would be SMALL, especially where the community has pre-established patterns of development and has provided adequate public services to support and guide development. Section 4.7.2.1 of the GElS states that if tax payments by the plant owner are less than 10 percent of the taxing jurisdiction's revenue, the significance level would be SMALL. If the plant's tax payments are projected to be medium to large relative to the community's total revenue, new tax-driven land-use changes would be MODERATE. If the plant's tax payments are projected to be a dominant source of the community's total revenue, new tax-driven land-use changes would be LARGE. This would be especially true where the community has no pre-established pattern of development or has not provided adequate public services to support and guide development.

Population-related Impacts Since PPL Susquehanna has estimated that at most, five non-outage employees may be needed during the license renewal period; there would be no noticeable change in land use conditions in the vicinity of the SSES site. Therefore, the staff concluded that there would be no land use impacts during the license renewal period and no mitigation.

Tax-Revenue-Related Impacts In the past, PPL Susquehanna paid real estate taxes to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for power generation, transmission, and distribution facilities. Under authority of the Pennsylvania Utility Realty Tax Act (PURTA), real estate taxes collected from all utilities (water, telephone, electric, and railroads) were redistributed to the taxing jurisdictions within the Commonwealth.

In Pennsylvania, these jurisdictions include counties, cities, townships, boroughs, and school Working Draft - For Internal Use Only

~M~llh~ - .43SE~do6Pagj21I I SSES DSEIS districts. The distribution of PURTA funds was determined by formula, and was not necessarily based on the individual utility's effect on a particular government entity.

In 1996, Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act became law, which allows consumers to choose among competitive suppliers of electrical power. As a result of utility restructuring, Act 4 of 1999 revised the tax base assessment methodology for utilities from the depreciated book value to the market value of utility property. Additionally, as of January 1, 2000, PPL Susquehanna was required to begin paying real estate taxes directly to local jurisdictions, ceasing payments to the Commonwealth's PURTA fund.

As previously discussed in chapter 2, PPL Susquehanna pays annual real estate taxes to Luzerne County, Berwick Area School District, and Salem Township. For the five-year period from 2000 through 2004, tax payments to Luzerne County represented between 1.8 and 2.4 percent of the County's total annual property tax revenues, and payments to the Berwick Area School District represented approximately 5.5 to 6.9 percent of the School District's total revenues. PPL Susquehanna's tax payments to Salem Township make up a much larger percentage of that township's tax collection. For the period 2001 through 2004, tax payments to Salem Township represented 50.3 to 53.9 percent of the township's total revenues. Since PPL Susquehanna started making payments to local jurisdictions, population levels and land use conditions in Salem Township has not changed significantly, which might indicate that these tax revenues have had little or no affect on land use activities within the township.

However, discontinuing the current level of tax revenues however would likely have a significant negative economic impact on the township.

Since PPL Susquehanna has indicated that there would be no major plant refurbishment or license renewal-related construction activities necessary to support the continued operation of the SSES beyond the end of the existing operating license term during the license renewal period, there would be no increase in the assessed value of SSES and annual property taxes to Salem Township, the Berwick Area School District, and Luzerne County would remain relatively constant throughout the license renewal period. Based on this information, there would be no tax revenue-related land-use impacts during the license-renewal period and no mitigation.

Working Draft - For Internal Use Only

Aicia Mullins - 4.4.4 SSES.doc P§Yýi SSES DSEIS 4.4.4 Public Services: Transportation Impacts During Operations Table B-1, 10 CFR Part 51 states: "Transportation impacts (level of service) of highway traffic generated... during the term of the renewed license are generally expected to be of small significance. However, the increase in traffic associated with additional workers and the local road and traffic control conditions may lead to impacts of moderate or large significance at some sites." All applicants are required by 10 CFR 51.53(c)(3)(ii)(J) to assess the impacts of highway traffic generated by the proposed project on the level of service of local highways during the term of the renewed license.

Since PPL Susquehanna has estimated that at most, five non-outage employees may be needed during the license renewal period; there would be no noticeable change in traffic volume and levels of service on roadways in the vicinity of the SSES site. Therefore, the staff concluded that there would be no transportation impacts during the license renewal period and no mitigation.

Working Draft - For Internal Use Only

SSES DSEIS 4.4.3 Offsite'Land Use-License Renewal Period Offsite land use during the license renewal term is a Category 2 issue (10 CFR 51, Subpart A, Appendix B, Table B-1). Table B-1 of 10 CFR 51 Subpart A, Appendix B notes that "significant changes in land use may be associated with population and tax revenue changes resulting from license renewal."

Section 4.7.4 of the GElS defines the magnitude of land-use changes as a result of plant operation during the license renewal term as follows:

SMALL - Little new development and minimal changes to an area's land-use pattern.

MODERATE - Considerable new development and some changes to the land-use pattern.

LARGE - Large-scale new development and major changes in the land-use pattern.

Tax revenue can affect land use because it enables local jurisdictions to provide the public services (e.g., transportation and utilities) necessary to support development. Section 4.7.4.1 of the GElS states that the assessment of tax-driven land-use impacts during the license renewal term should consider (1) the size of the plant's payments relative to the community's total revenues, (2) the nature of the community's existing land-use pattern, and (3) the extent to which the community already has public services in place to support and guide development. If the plant's tax payments are projected to be small relative to the community's total revenue, tax-driven land-use changes during the plant's license renewal term would be SMALL, especially where the community has pre-established patterns of development and has provided adequate public services to support and guide development. Section 4.7.2.1 of the GElS states that if fax payments by the plant owner are less than 10 percent of the taxing jurisdiction's revenue, the significance level would be SMALL. If the plant's tax payments are projected to be medium to large relative to the community's total revenue, new tax-driven land-use changes would be MODERATE. If the plant's tax payments are projected to be a dominant source of the community's total revenue, new tax-driven land-use changes would be LARGE. This would be especially true where the community has no pre-established pattern of development or has not provided adequate public services to support and guide development.

Population-related Impacts Since PPL Susquehanna has estimated that at most, five non-outage employees may be needed during the license renewal period; there would be no noticeable change in land use conditions in the vicinity of the SSES site. Therefore, the staff concluded that there would be no land use impacts during the license renewal period and no mitigation.

Tax-Revenue-Related Impacts In the past, PPL Susquehanna paid real estate taxes to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for power generation, transmission, and distribution facilities. Under authority of the Pennsylvania Utility Realty Tax Act (PURTA), real estate taxes collected from all utilities (water, telephone, electric, and railroads) were redistributed to the taxing jurisdictions within the Commonwealth.

In Pennsylvania, these jurisdictions include counties, cities, townships, boroughs, and school Working Draft - For Internal Use Only

SSES DSEIS districts. The distribution of PURTA funds was determined by formula, and was not necessarily based on the individual utility's effect on a particular government entity.

In 1996, Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act became law, which allows consumers to choose among competitive suppliers of electrical power. As a result of utility restructuring, Act 4 of 1999 revised the tax base assessment methodology for utilities from the depreciated book value to the market value of utility property. Additionally, as of January 1, 2000, PPL Susquehanna was required to begin paying real estate taxes directly to local jurisdictions, ceasing payments to the Commonwealth's PURTA fund.

As previously discussed in chapter 2, PPL Susquehanna pays annual real estate taxes to Luzerne County, Berwick Area School District, and Salem Township. For the five-year period from 2000 through 2004, tax payments to Luzerne County represented between 1.8 and 2.4 percent of the County's total annual property tax revenues, and payments to the Berwick Area School District represented approximately 5.5 to 6.9 percent of the School District's total revenues. PPL Susquehanna's tax payments to Salem Township make up a much larger percentage of that township's tax collection. For the period 2001 through 2004, tax payments to Salem Township represented 50.3 to 53.9 percent of the township's total revenues. Since PPL Susquehanna started making payments to local jurisdictions, population levels and land use conditions in Salem Township has not changed significantly, which might indicate that these tax revenues have had little or no affect on land use activities within the township. However, discontinuing the current level of tax revenues however would likely have a significant negative economic impact on the township.

Since PPL Susquehanna has indicated that there would be no major plant refurbishment or license renewal-related construction activities necessary to support the continued operation of the SSES beyond the end of the existing operating license term during the license renewal period, there would be no increase in the assessed value of SSES and annual property taxes to Salem Township, the Berwick Area School District, and Luzerne County would remain relatively constant throughout the license renewal period. Based on this information, there would be no tax revenue-related land-use impacts during the license-renewal period and no mitigation.

Working Draft - For Internal Use Only

SSES DSEIS 4.4.4 Public Services: Transportation Impacts During Operations Table B-i, 10 CFR Part 51 states: "Transportation impacts (level of service) of highway traffic generated... during the term of the renewed license are generally expected to be of small significance. However, the increase in traffic associated with additional workers and the local road and traffic control conditions may lead to impacts of moderate or large significance at some sites." All applicants are required by 10 CFR 51.53(c)(3)(ii)(J) to assess the impacts of highway traffic generated by the proposed project on the level of service of local highways during the term of the renewed license.

Since PPL Susquehanna has estimated that at most, five non-outage employees may be needed during the license renewal period; there would be no noticeable change in traffic volume and levels of service on roadways in the vicinity of the SSES site. Therefore, the staff concluded that there would be no transportation impacts during the license renewal period and no mitigation.

Working Draft - For Internal Use Only