ML080840027

Request for List of State Protected Species within the Area Under Evaluation for the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1, LRA Review

ML080840027
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	04/04/2008
From:	Lund A NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR
To:	Densmore D State of PA, US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service
Lopas, S, DLR/REBA - 415-1147
References
Download: ML080840027 (10)

Text

April 4, 2008 Mr. David Densmore U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Pennsylvania Field Office 315 South Allen Street, Suite 322 State College, PA 16801-4850

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR LIST OF PROTECTED SPECIES WITHIN THE AREA UNDER EVALUATION FOR THE THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION REVIEW

Dear Mr. Densmore:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff) is reviewing an application submitted by AmerGen Energy Company, LLC (AmerGen), for the renewal of the operating license for Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1). TMI-1 is located on Three Mile Island, which is situated in the Susquehanna River, in Londonderry Township of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, about 2.5 miles north of the southern tip of Dauphin County. As part of the review of the license renewal application (LRA), the NRC is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) under the provisions of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 51 (10 CFR Part 51), the NRCs regulation that implements the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The SEIS 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.

AmerGen is requesting renewal of its operating license for TMI-1 for a period of 20 years beyond the expiration of the current license term of April 2014. The proposed action would include the use and continued maintenance of existing plant facilities and transmission lines.

For the purpose of license renewal, AmerGen plans to replace the TMI-1 steam generators, and estimates that the total area disturbed by construction, decontamination, and laydown activities would be less than 10 acres, all of which would be previously disturbed property within the bounds of the TMI-1 flood protection dike.

The TMI-1 site encompasses several properties that total approximately 440 acres, including:

the physical plant location on 200 acres of the 370-acre Three Mile Island; St. Johns Island and Evergreen Island (also referred to as Sand Beach Island), together totaling 31 acres; a 6.4-acre section of Shelley Island, which is part of the western half of the TMI-1 Exclusion Area; and a 32-acre strip of land east of Three Mile Island along the eastern shore of the Susquehanna River; please see the attached site boundary map. The TMI-1 site is surrounded by fencing and contains few areas of undeveloped or undisturbed land; undeveloped land on Three Mile Island lies south of TMI-1 facilities. The majority of this land lies under the ten-year flood level, and contains wetlands and fallow field areas surrounded by a woodland buffer. Riparian buffer areas are intact around the perimeter of the island, although forested riparian areas only occur on the southern part of the island.

D. Densmore TMI-1 utilizes two hyperbolic natural draft cooling towers for dissipating heat from the plant steam cycle. The circulating water and service water systems withdraw water from the Susquehanna River, and are supplemented by three groundwater wells. TMI-1 has a permit with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission for consumptive use of river water up to 18 million gallons per day, on a monthly average, for electric generation. River water enters the intake structure located on the western bank of the island, passes under a skimmer wall, through automated trash racks with 1-inch vertical bar spacing, through 3/8-inch-mesh traveling screens, through the river water pumps, and finally through 1/8-inch-mesh strainers before entering the heat exchangers. Approximately 3000 gallons per minute of cooling tower blowdown are discharged to the Susquehanna River through a 48-inch-diameter river discharge line.

Four 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines totaling 5.6 miles of corridor and approximately 142 acres connect TMI-1 to the regional transmission system; please see the attached TMI-1 transmission system map. Two of these lines connect the plant with the substation at Middletown Junction, east of the Susquehanna River; each of these lines extends 1.5 miles. A third line extends for 4.1 miles to the west side of the Susquehanna River, where it connects to a 230-kV line terminating into the substation near Jackson - this line crosses the river twice.

The fourth line extends 0.7 miles east across the Susquehanna River to the TMI-1 500-kV substation.

To support the SEIS preparation process and to ensure compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the NRC requests information on Federally listed, proposed, and candidate species and critical habitat that may be in the vicinity of TMI-1 and its associated transmission line corridors. In addition, please provide any information you consider appropriate under the provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act.

The NRC staff plans to hold two public NEPA scoping meetings on May 1, 2008. The first session will be held in the afternoon and an identical session will be held later that evening. The afternoon session will be held at the Elks Movie Theatre, 4 West Emaus Street, Middletown, PA 17057. The evening session will be held at Londonderry Elementary School, 260 Schoolhouse Road, Middletown, PA 17057. The first meeting will convene at 1:30 p.m. and will continue until 4:30 p.m., as necessary. The second meeting will convene at 7:00 p.m. and will continue until 10:00 p.m., as necessary. In addition, during the week of April 28, 2008, the NRC plans to conduct a site audit. You and your staff are invited to attend both the public meetings and the site audit. 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 December 2008.

D. Densmore If you have any questions concerning the NRC staffs review of this license renewal application, please contact Ms. Sarah Lopas, License Renewal Project Manager, at 301-415-1147 or sll2@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Louise Lund, Branch Chief Projects Branch 1 Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-289

Enclosures:

1. Site Boundary Map

2. TMI-1 Transmission System Map cc w/encls.: See next page

ML080840027 OFFICE LA:DLR PM:DLR:RPB1 BC:DLR:RPB1 NAME SFigueroa SLopas LLund DATE 3/25/08 4/1/08 4/4/08

Letter to D. Densmore from L. Lund, April 4, 2008 DISTRIBUTION:

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR LIST OF STATE-PROTECTED SPECIES WITHIN THE AREA UNDER EVALUATION FOR THE THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 1, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION REVIEW HARD COPY:

DLR RF E-MAIL:

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Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 cc:

Site Vice President - Three Mile Island Director Nuclear Station, Unit 1 Bureau of Radiation Protection AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Pennsylvania Department of P. O. Box 480 Environmental Protection Middletown, PA 17057 Rachel Carson State Office Building P.O. Box 8469 Vice President - Operations, Mid-Atlantic Harrisburg, PA 17105-8469 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-N Plant Manager - Three Mile Island Nuclear Kennett Square, PA 19348 Station, Unit 1 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Vice President - Licensing and Regulatory P. O. Box 480 Affairs Middletown, PA 17057 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Regulatory Assurance Manager - Three Warrenville, IL 60555 Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC Regional Administrator P.O. Box 480 Region I Middletown, PA 17057 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road Ronald Bellamy, Region I King of Prussia, PA 19406 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road Chairman King of Prussia, PA 19406 Board of County Commissioners of Dauphin County Michael A. Schoppman Dauphin County Courthouse Framatome ANP Harrisburg, PA 17120 Suite 705 1911 North Ft. Myer Drive Chairman Rosslyn, VA 22209 Board of Supervisors of Londonderry Township Dr. Judith Johnsrud R.D. #1, Geyers Church Road National Energy Committee Middletown, PA 17057 Sierra Club 433 Orlando Avenue Senior Resident Inspector (TMI-1) State College, PA 16803 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 219 Eric Epstein Middletown, PA 17057 TMI Alert 4100 Hillsdale Road Director - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Harrisburg, PA 17112 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E Correspondence Control Desk Kennett Square, PA 19348 AmerGen Energy Company, LLC P.O. Box 160 Kennett Square, PA 19348

Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 cc:

Manager Licensing - Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 Exelon Generation Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E Kennett Square, PA 19348 Christopher M. Crane President and Chief Executive Officer AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Mr. Charles G. Pardee Chief Nuclear Officer AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Assistant General Counsel AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way Kennett Square, PA 19348 Associate General Counsel Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Frederick W. Polaski Manager License Renewal Exelon Nuclear 200 Exelon Way Kennett Square, PA 19348 Albert A. Fulvio License Renewal Senior Project Manager Exelon Nuclear 200 Exelon Way Kennett Square, PA 19348