GO2-10-097, Operating License Renewal

Operating License Renewal

ML102160123
Person / Time
Site:	Columbia
Issue date:	07/22/2010
From:	Coleman D Energy Northwest
To:	Whitlam R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, State of WA, Dept of Archaeology & Historic Preservation
References
GO2-10-097
Download: ML102160123 (2)

Text

Gregory V. Cullen ENERGY mgma, ff Inr% a-WAN Regulatory Programs P.O. Box 968, Mail Drop PE20 1MWKTmr1mWE;Am21 Richland, WA 99352-0968 Ph. 509-377-6105 F. 509-377-4317 gvcullen @energy-northwest.com July 22, 2010 G02-10-097 Robert G. Whitlam, PhD State Archaeologist Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation P.O. Box 48343 Olympia, WA 98504-8343

Subject:

COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION OPERATING LICENSE RENEWAL

References:

1. Letter dated April 10, 2008, G.V. Cullen (EN) to A. Brooks (WDAHP),

"Request for Information on Archaeological and Historic Resources"

2. Letter dated May 8, 2008, G.V. Cullen (EN) to R.G. Whitlam (WDAHP),

"Request for Information on Archaeological and Historic Resources"

3. Letter dated May 21, 2008, R.G. Whitlam (WDAHP) to G.V. Cullen (EN), "Columbia Generating Station License, Log No.: 121007-20-NRC"

4. Letter dated July 31, 2008, G.V. Cullen (EN) to R.G. Whitlam (WDAHP), "Request for Information on Archaeological and Historic Resources"

5. Letter dated August 5, 2008, R.G. Whitlam (WDAHP) to G.V. Cullen (EN), "Columbia Generating Station License, Log No.: 121007-20-NRC"

Dear Dr. Whitlam:

The subject of the referenced correspondence is the renewal of the operating license for Columbia Generating Station (Columbia) in Benton County. In References 1 and 2 we identified the location, described the planned activity, and requested information on occurrences or concerns regarding archaeological or historic resources in the site area.

In Reference 3 you acknowledged the project area description and requested copies of any subsequent correspondence. With Reference 4 we expanded the project description to include transmission lines constructed and operated by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), and in Reference 5 you acknowledged the revised description.

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that we subsequently reassessed the scope of our project and determined that the BPA transmission lines described in Reference 4 should not have been included as part of the project footprint. Although these lines were part of the original project description (circa 1972), BPA later reconfigured its

Robert G. Whitlam COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION OPERATING LICENSE RENEWAL Page 2.

transmission system and constructed the H.J. Ashe Substation, subject to separate environmental reviews. Thus, as described in Reference 1, the Columbia interconnection to the electrical transmission grid is at the H.J Ashe Substation one-half mile north of the plant and not at the Hanford Substation 171/2 miles to the northwest.

The Ashe-Hanford line and other lines out of Ashe Substation are operated and maintained by BPA as part of the Pacific Northwest Federal Transmission System and would remain in service without regard to renewal of the Columbia license.

Our application for renewal of the operating license was submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in January 2010. In the application we described the project footprint as we first described it to your office in References 1 and 2. We understand that the NRC has initiated consultation with your office regarding our application. It is also our understanding, based on discussions during an NRC site visit the week of June 7, 2010, that the staff concurs with our description of the project scope and will use it as a basis for describing the area of potential effect (APE).

We apologize for any confusion we caused by overstating the scope of our license renewal project in Reference 4. Please contact Abbas Mostala, License Renewal Project Manager, by telephone at (509) 377-4197 or e-mail at aamostala@energy-northwest.com if you require additional information.

Respectfully, D.W. Coleman Manager, Regulatory Programs cc: Dan Doyle (NRC)