ML081850414
| ML081850414 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Prairie Island  |
| Issue date: | 07/21/2008 |
| From: | Rani Franovich NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/REBB |
| To: | Mahowald P Prairie Island Indian Community |
| Leous, JP, DLR/REBB 301-415-2864 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML081850414 (8) | |
Text
July 21, 2008 Mr. Philip R. Mahowald General Counsel Prairie Island Indian Community 5636 Sturgeon Lake Road Welch, MN 55089
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR SCOPING COMMENTS CONCERNING THE PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION REVIEW
Dear Mr. Mahowald:
As you know, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff) recently received an application from Nuclear Management Company, LLC (NMC), for the renewal of the operating licenses for the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 (PINGP), located near Red Wing, Minnesota, approximately 39 miles southeast of Minneapolis.
Under NRC regulations, the original operating license for a nuclear power plant is issued for up to 40 years. The license may be renewed for up to an additional 20 years if NRC requirements are met. The current operating licenses for PINGP will expire in August 9, 2013 and October 29, 2014. The proposed license renewal for PINGP Units 1 and 2 would include the use and continued maintenance of existing plant facilities and transmission lines. For the purpose of license renewal, NMC plans to replace the PINGP steam generators. As part of this refurbishment activity, NMC also plans to establish a temporary construction area approximately 100 yards northwest of the turbine building and to build permanent warehouses within existing plant boundaries. NMC states that there will be no clearing of previously-undisturbed areas.
Provided for your information is the PINGP site boundary map (Enclosure 1) and transmission system map (Enclosure 2).
The NRC has established that, as part of the staffs 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 Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 51, the NRCs regulation that implements the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Additionally, as outlined in Section 51.28(b), the NRCs process includes an opportunity for public and inter-governmental participation. In accordance with 36 CFR 800.8(c), the SEIS will include analyses of potential impacts to historic and cultural resources.
The NRC recognizes the Prairie Island Indian Communitys (PIIC) expertise in historic and archeological resources, land use, socioeconomics and environmental justice. As outlined in our Memorandum of Understanding, the PIIC has offered to contribute to staffs analysis in these areas.
P. Mahowald The GEIS considered the environmental impacts of renewing nuclear power plant operating licenses for a 20-year period on all currently operating sites. In the GEIS the NRC staff identified 92 environmental issues and developed generic conclusions related to environmental impacts for 69 of these issues that apply to all plants or to plants with specific design or site characteristics. For the remaining 23 issues, plant-specific analyses will be documented in a SEIS. As part of its environmental review, staff considers any new and significant information related to Category 1 issues dispositioned generically in the GEIS. If new and significant information is identified that calls into question conclusions reached in the GEIS, staffs analysis will be documented within the SEIS for PINGP.
The SEIS will document the staffs review of environmental impacts related to land use, environmental justice, terrestrial ecology, aquatic ecology, hydrology, cultural resources, and socioeconomic issues (among others), and will contain a recommendation regarding the environmental acceptability of the license renewal action.
In addition to the PIICs involvement in the NRCs technical review of land use, socioeconomics, cultural resources and archeology and environmental justice, we are soliciting your comments on the full scope of the environmental review. Please submit any comments that you may have to offer on the scope of the environmental review by September 22, 2008. Written comments should be submitted by mail to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Mail Stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington D.C. 20555-0001. Electronic comments may be submitted to the NRC by e-mail at PrairieIslandEIS@nrc.gov.
To accommodate interested members of the public, the NRC will hold two public scoping meetings for the PINGP license renewal environmental review on July 30, 2008. The first session will be held in the afternoon and an identical session will be held later that evening.
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.
Additionally, the NRC staff will host informal discussions one hour before the start of each session. Both sessions will be held at the Red Wing Public Library, 225 East Avenue, Red Wing, MN 55066.
The PINGP license renewal application and the GEIS are available on the internet at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/prairie-island.html. In addition, the Red Wing Public Library has agreed to make the license renewal application and the GEIS available for public inspection; 225 East Avenue, Red Wing, MN 55066. The staff expects to publish the draft SEIS in March 2009. Although the PIIC will be involved in preparing specific sections of the SEIS related to areas of its specialized expertise, a copy of the document will be sent to you for your review and comment on the entire draft SEIS. The NRC will hold another set of public meetings in the site vicinity to solicit comments on the draft SEIS.
P. Mahowald After consideration of public comments received, and collaborative work with the PIIC to resolve comments under the framework of the MOU, the NRC will prepare a final SEIS, which is scheduled to be issued in October, 2009. If you need additional information regarding the license renewal review process, please contact Mr. J.P. Leous, License Renewal Project Manager, at 301-415-2864 or at Justin.Leous@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
\\RA Andrew Stuyvenberg for\\
Rani Franovich, Branch Chief Projects Branch 2 Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-282 & 50-306
Enclosures:
As stated cc w/encls.: See next page
P. Mahowald After consideration of public comments received, and collaborative work with the PIIC to resolve comments under the framework of the MOU, the NRC will prepare a final SEIS, which is scheduled to be issued in October, 2009. If you need additional information regarding the license renewal review process, please contact Mr. J.P. Leous, License Renewal Project Manager, at 301-415-2864 or at Justin.Leous@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
\\RA Andrew Stuyvenberg for\\
Rani Franovich, Branch Chief Projects Branch 2 Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-282 & 50-306
Enclosures:
As stated cc w/encls.: See next page DISTRIBUTION: See next page ADAMS Accession Number: ML081850414 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY OFFICE LA:DLR PM:DLR:RPB1 PM:DLR:RPB2 BC:DLR:RPB2 NAME IKing JLeous RPlasse DStuyvenberg forRFranovich DATE 7/7/08 7/8/08 7/9/08 7/21/08
ENCLOSURE 1
ENCLOSURE 2
Letter to P. Mahowald from R. Franovich dated July 21, 2008 DISTRIBUTION:
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR SCOPING COMMENTS CONCERNING THE PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION REVIEW HARD COPY:
DLR RF E-MAIL:
PUBLIC B. Holian / S. Lee(RidsNrrDlr)
T. Combs, OCA T. Madden, OCA R. Shane, OCA B. Keeling, OCA R. Franovich (RidsNrrDlrRebb)
R. Rikhoff (RidsNrrDlrReba)
R.Plasse J. Leous M. Chawla R. Skokowski K.Stoedter P.Zurawski OPA (RidsOpaMail)
D. McIntyre, OPA V. Mitlyng D. Roth, OGC B. Mizuno OGC (RidsOGCMailRoom)
DLR/REBB
Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 cc:
Peter M. Glass Assistant General Counsel Xcel Energy Services, Inc.
414 Nicollet Mall (MP4)
Minneapolis, MN 55401 Manager, Regulatory Affairs Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Nuclear Management Company, LLC 1717 Wakonade Drive East Welch, MN 55089 Manager - Environmental Protection Division Minnesota Attorney General=s Office 445 Minnesota St., Suite 900 St. Paul, MN 55101-2127 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Resident Inspector's Office 1719 Wakonade Drive East Welch, MN 55089-9642 Administrator Goodhue County Courthouse Box 408 Red Wing, MN 55066-0408 Philip R. Mahowald General Counsel Prairie Island Indian Community 5636 Sturgeon Lake Road Welch, MN 55089 Heather Westra Prairie Island Indian Community 5636 Sturgeon Lake Road Welch, MN 55089 Gene Eckholt Nuclear Management Company, LLC 1717 Wakonade Drive East Welch, MN 55089 Jim Holthaus Nuclear Management Company, LLC 1717 Wakonade Drive East Welch, MN 55089 Katie Himanga, Mayor City of Lake City 205 West Center St.
Lake City, MN 55041 Commissioner Minnesota Department of Commerce 85 7th Place East, Suite 500 St. Paul, MN 55101-2198 Tribal Council Prairie Island Indian Community ATTN: Environmental Department 5636 Sturgeon Lake Road Welch, MN 55089 Nuclear Asset Manager Xcel Energy, Inc.
414 Nicollet Mall (MP4)
Minneapolis, MN 55401 Dennis L. Koehl Chief Nuclear Officer Nuclear Management Company, LLC 414 Nicollet Mall (MP4)
Minneapolis, MN 55401 Joel P. Sorenson Director, Site Operations Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Nuclear Management Company, LLC 1717 Wakonade Drive East Welch, MN 55089
Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 Joan Marshman 30129 County 2 Blvd.
P.O. Box 62 Frontenac, MN 55026 Kristen Eide-Tollefson Florence Township Commission P.O. Box 130 Frontenac, MN 55026