ML081910224
| ML081910224 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Beaver Valley |
| Issue date: | 06/24/2008 |
| From: | Sarah Lopas NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR |
| To: | Shellenberger P US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Sayoc, Manny, NRR/DLR/RLRB 415-1924 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML081910224 (3) | |
Text
From: Sarah Lopas Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 1:56 PM To:
Pamela_Shellenberger@fws.gov Cc:
Emmanuel Sayoc
Subject:
RE: USFWS Project #2008-0311 (Beaver Valley Power Station License Renewal)
Pam, thank you for the quick response. Your suggestions will be incorporated into our draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, and will be communicated to FENOC. They are similar to FBC and PADEP instructions - and I believe PADEP is the agency that has authority/responsibility (via their encroachment permit) in making sure FENOC implements these measures.
Thanks again, Sarah Lopas 301.415.1147 Division of License Renewal U.S. NRC
Original Message-----
From: Pamela_Shellenberger@fws.gov [1]
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 1:02 PM To: Sarah Lopas
Subject:
Re: USFWS Project #2008-0311 (Beaver Valley Power Station License Renewal)
- Sarah, You are correct, it is likely federally listed mussels are not present in the portion of the Ohio River where BVPS is located - the New Cumberland Pool. We would recommend that best management practices (silt fence around any spoil piles, conduct dredging during low flow periods) be implemented in order to minimize sediment runoff into the river.
Pamela Shellenberger Fish and Wildlife Biologist Endangered Species Program U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 315 South Allen Street, Suite 322 State College, PA 16801 814-234-4090 x241 814-234-0748 Fax Sarah Lopas
<Sarah.Lopas@nrc.
gov>
To "pamela_shellenberger@fws.gov" 06/19/2008 12:32 <pamela_shellenberger@fws.gov>
cc Emmanuel Sayoc
<Emmanuel.Sayoc@nrc.gov>
Subject USFWS Project #2008-0311 (Beaver Valley Power Station License Renewal)
Hi Pam, Sorry for the bit of phone tag lately. I decided just to email - and if we need to schedule a call to discuss this further we most certainly can - at your convenience. I have CC'ed Manny Sayoc, who is the Project Manager for the Beaver Valley Power Station (BVPS) license renewal environmental review. I am the aquatic ecology reviewer for this project.
So a quick background - we wrote the PA Field Office a letter on Nov. 2, 2007, asking for a list of T&E species that may be impacted by license renewal at BVPS. We received a response from your office on November 20, 2007 - and two endangered mussels (Clubshell and Northern riffleshell) were listed as occuring in the Allegheny River - which is a tributary of the Ohio River, where BVPS is located. However, it was noted that both mussels have "not been found recently in 13 streams of of historical occurrence in Butler, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, and Westmoreland Co."
So it is likely these mussels are not present in the portion of the Ohio River where BVPS is located - the New Cumberland Pool. However, other non-endangered freshwater mussels have been making a small comeback around dam tailwaters and higher current areas around small islands in the Ohio, suggesting the potential for a recolonization of listed mussels. (I have attached both letters for your reference.)
Since that letter, FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) declared that they may undertake refurbishment at the plant - they would replace the steam generators for one of their units. They replaced Unit 1's steam generators and the vessel head back in 2006. The new equipment was delivered to the site via barge up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. To
accommodate the barge - BVPS's barge slip had to be dregded about 50 feet beyond what their current Army Corps (USACE) dredging permit allows. To get a modification of their current permit (valid through 2011) - they submitted an application to USACE, as well as the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (PADEP), and also the PA Fish & Boat Commission. They consulted with the Fish & Boat Commission regarding T&E aquatic species - to which the Fish & Boat Commission requested that dredging not take place during April-July to avoid the spawning period of State-listed fish, as well as implementing best management procedures to avoid siltation/run-off into the river. However, no mention was made of impacts to mussels that may occur in the New Cumberland Pool. PADEP granted the permit modification, and reiterated the April-July restriction and best management procedures.
It is the NRC belief that the one-time maintenance dredging would not impact endangered mussels in the New Cumberland Pool (if they do indeed occur there -
which FWS documentation seems to suggest they likely do not)
- primarily because the location of the dredging is in an area of the pool where the substrate is not suitable for colonization of mussels. The third attachment to this email is a package of information from FENOC detailing the dredging project (location, bathymetry survey, etc.), as well as their communications with PADEP, Fish & Boat Commission, and USACE. It is expected that FENOC would undergo the same application/T&E species consultation process if they replace the steam generators for the other unit (the new steam gens would come via barge again).
So - after all that (!) - Do you have any other concerns or information that could help us in evaulating the impact of the one-time dredging on the mussels?
Thank you!
Sarah Lopas Sarah L. Lopas Project Manager, Division of License Renewal U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Mail Stop O-11F1 (301) 415.1147 office (301) 415.2002 fax sarah.lopas@nrc.gov (See attached file: FENOC Dredging Information.pdf)(See attached file:
NRC letter to USFWS.pdf)(See attached file: USFWS letter to NRC.pdf)