ML092100088

Request for List of State Protected Species within the Area Under Evaluation for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 2 Operating License Application Review

ML092100088
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	09/02/2009
From:	Milano P Watts Bar Special Projects Branch
To:	Jennings M US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service
Beissel, Dennis, DLR/REBA, 415-2145
References
Download: ML092100088 (4)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 September 2, 2009 Mary E. Jennings Field Supervisor Tennessee Field Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 446 Neal Street Cookeville, TN 38501

SUBJECT:

WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 2 - REQUEST FOR LIST OF PROTECTED SPECIES WITHIN THE AREA UNDER EVALUATION FOR THE OPERATING LICENSE APPLICATION ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

Dear Ms. Jennings:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the staff) is reviewing an application submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for an operating license for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 2 (WBN2), located in Rhea County, Tennessee at the northern end of the Chickamauga Reservoir, Tennessee River Mile 528. As part of the review of the operating license application, the NRC is preparing a Supplement to the Final Environmental Statement (FES) published in 1978. The Supplement to the FES will be prepared under Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 51, the NRC's regulation that implements the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The FES 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.

The proposed action in response to the application is the issuance of an operating license that would authorize TVA to possess, use, and operate a second Iightwater nuclear reactor (the facility), Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN) Unit 2, located on the applicant's site in Rhea County, Tennessee. Major bUildings at the plant were completed prior to 1985 so the existing footprint of Unit 2 remains as almost originally planned.

Steam generator make-up water, plant service water, and condensor cooling water are to be obtained from Tennessee River intakes located upstream of the plant. Existing Watts Bar Unit 1 and the planned WBN2 will both use a modified closed cycle cooling system with cooling towers. Discharge from the plant will also go to the Tennessee River.

Included in the NRC evaluation will be identification of new and significant information developed after the 1978 FES and a previous Supplement to the FES published by the NRC in 1995. This evaluation will include a review of the power plant site and transmission line corridors for terrestrial and aquatic ecologic effects, water resources impacts, and related issues.

To support the Supplemental FES for the WBN2 operating license 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 WBN2 and its

M. Jennings -2 associated transmission line rights-of-way. 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 a public environmental scoping meeting on or around Tuesday, October 6, 2009. In addition, during the week of October 5, 2009, the NRC plans to conduct an environmental site visit to obtain information needed for the Supplemental FES. You and your staff are invited to attend the public meeting and the site visit. Your office will receive a copy of the draft Supplemental FES along with a request for comments. The anticipated publication date for the draft Supplemental FES is April 2010.

If you have any questions concerning the NRC's review of this operating license application, please contact me at 301-415-6606 or bye-mail at JoeI.Wiebe@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Joel Wiebe, Senior Project Manager Watts Bar Special Project Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-391 cc: Distribution via Listserv

M. Jennings -2 associated transmission line rights-of-way. In addition, please provide any information you consider appropriate under the provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act.

You are invited to participate in the scoping process. The NRC staff plans to hold a public environmental scoping meeting on Tuesday, October 6, 2009. The scoping meeting will be held at the Magnuson Hotel at 1421 Murrays Chapel Road in Sweetwater, Tennessee, on Tuesday, October 6,2009. There will be two sessions to accommodate interested parties. The first session will be at 1:30 p.m. and the second at 6:30 p.m. Your office will also receive a copy of the draft supplemental FES along with a request for comments. The anticipated publication date for the draft supplemental FES is April 2010.

If you have any questions concerning the NRC's review of this operating license application, please contact me at 301-415-6606 or bye-mail at JoeI.Wiebe@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, IRAJ Joel Wiebe, Senior Project Manager Watts Bar Special Projects Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-391 cc: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION: RidsOgcRp Resource RidsRgn2MailCenter Resource PUBLIC RidsNrrDorlLp_WB Resource LPWB Reading File RidsNrrLABClayton Resource RidsNrrPMWattsBar2 Resource RidsAcrsAcnw_MailCTR Resource RidsNrrDlrRerb Resource DBeissel NRR RidsNRRDlrRerb AStegan PNNL Accession Number' ML092100088 OFFICE LA:DLR PM:LP-WB:DORL LA:DORL BC:RERB:DLR OGC/OR NAME I.King J. Wiebe B. Clayton B. Pham A.Jones/NLO DATE 8/04/09 8/18/09 8/17/09 08/10/09 09/01/09 OFFICE BC:LP PM:LP-WB:DORL WB:DORL NAME L. Raghavan J. Wiebe DATE 09/02/09 09/02/09 OFFICIAL RECORD COpy