ML11308A244
| ML11308A244 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Grand Gulf  |
| Issue date: | 10/28/2011 |
| From: | Entergy Operations |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| GNRO-2011/00093 | |
| Download: ML11308A244 (15) | |
Text
ENERCON Excellence-Every project. Every doy.
Dr. Sherry Surrette Mississippi Natural Heritage Program Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks*
2148 Riverside Drive Jackson, MS 39202
SUBJECT:
Grand Gulf Nuclear Station License Renewal Application
Dear Dr. Surrette,
February 4, 2011 In 2011, Entergy plans to apply to the Nuclear' Regulatory Commission (NRC) for renewal of the operating license for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (GGNS), which is located in Claiborne County, Mississippi'on the east bank of the Mississippi River at River Mile 406, approximately 25 miles south of Vicksburg, Mississippi and 37 miles north-northeast of Natchez, Mississippi. The existing operating license for GGNS was issued for a 40-year term that expires in 2024. If the NRC approves the application, Entergy will then have the option to continue operating GGNS until 2044. In conjunction with this effort, Enercon is gathering information on Entergy's behalf relative to this license renewal project.
The NRC requires that the license renewal application for GGNS include an environmental report assessing potential environmental impacts from operation during the license renewal term. One of these potential environmental impacts would be the effect of license renewal on threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat located on the GGNS site, its immediate environs (6-mile radius), and transmission line corridors constructed for purposes of connecting the plant to the existing transmission system. Accordingly, the NRC requires that the environmental report for each license renewal application assess such a potential effect (10 CFR 51.53). Later, during its review of the license renewal environmental report pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the NRC may request information from your office to ensure compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
Enercon is contacting you now in order to obtain input regarding issues that may need to be addressed in the GGNS license renewal environmental report, and to assist Entergy in identifying any information your staff believes would be helpful to expedite NRC's review. The 2,100 acre GGNS site consists primarily of woodlands and former farms as well as two lakes, Hamilton Lake and Gin Lake (see Figure 1). The land in the vicinity of the GGNS site is mostly rural. There are two transmission corridors containing a single-circuit 500-kV transmission lines that were constructed for purposes of connecting GGNS to the regional electricity grid (see Figure 2). These transmission Corporate' Headquarters 5100 East Skelly Drive Suite 450 Tulsa, OK 74135 phone 918. 665.7693 fax 918.665.7232 enercon.com
Dr. Sherry Surrette Mississippi Natural Heritage Program Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Page 2 of 4 corridors are considered by the NRC to be within the scope of its environmental reviews for renewal of the GGNS operating license. Entergy's Transmission group owns and operates these two lines. The total length of the two corridors is approximately 66 miles, and cross Claiborne, Warren, Jefferson and Franklin Counties in Mississippi.
Based on a review of information available and previous consultations, Enercon has included Table 1 which lists federally-or state-listed threatened or endangered species at the station site, the immediate environs, or the transmission line corridors (see Figures 1 and 2). No designated critical habitat was identified by Enercon for these species during the review. However, even with the presence of these species or habitats, Entergy does not expect GGNS operations during the license renewal term to adversely affect any threatened and endangered species or designated critical habitats since there are no plans to alter current operations during the 20-year license renewal period, and any maintenance activities necessary to support continued operation of GGNS would be limited to currently developed areas of the site. Although administrative procedural controls are in place to comply with applicable state and federal laws to preserve biological resources when facility expansion or land disturbance activities do occur, no expansion is planned or needed in support of license renewal. In addition, Entergy's Transmission group has established maintenance procedures for transmission lines that involve minimal disturbance of land, wetlands, and streams and are protective of threatened and endangered species, and designated critical habitats when present.
After your revieW of the information provided in this letter, I would appreciate you sending a letter detailing any concerns you may have about potential impacts to threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat on the GGNS property, immediate environs, or along the transmission line corridors, or alternatively, confirming our conclusion these species or habitats will not be adversely affected as a result of renewing the GGNS operating license for an additional 20 years. Entergy will include copies of this letter and your response in the environmental report submitted to the NRC as part of the GGNS license renewal application.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (918) 665-7693 or through my email address, jthomas@enercon.com. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Ja es A. Thomas anager, Electric Utilities Environmental Services Attachment -
6-Mile Map 50-Mile Map cc:
Rick Buckley (Entergy)
Table 1 Federal and State-Listed Species Scientific Name Common Name Federal MS LA On-Site Vicinity Transmission Status Status Status 16-mile)
ROW Mammals Puma con c%r coryi Florida Panther E
E E
No No No Ursus americanus /uteo/us Louisiana Black Bear T
E T
Yes Yes Yes Ursus americanus American Black Bear T
E Yes Yes Yes Birds Ha/iaeetus /eucocepha/us Bald Eagle E
E Yes Yes Yes Mycteria americana Wood Stork E
E Yes Yes Yes Sterna antil/arum atha/assos Interior Least Tern E*
E*
E No Yes Yes Picoides borealis Red-Cockaded Woodpecker E
E No '
No Yes Eudocimus a/bus White Ibis S2, S3
'Yes Yes Yes Reptiles AI/igator mississippiensis American Alligator T(S/A)
Yes Yes Yes Fish Scaphirhynchus a/bus Pallid Sturgeon E
E E
Yes Yes No Etheostoma rubrum Bayou Darter T
E No Yes No Crystal/aria asprel/a Crystal Darter E
Yes Yes No Macrhybopsis meeki Sicklefin Chub S1 Yes Yes Macroinvertebrates Potami/us capax Fat Pocketbook Mussel E
E No No Yes Quadru/a cylindrica Rabbitsfoot Mussel CS No Yes Yes
Table 1 (Continued)
Federal and State-Listed Species Scientific Name Common Name Federal Status MS Status Insects Epitheca spinosa Plants Lindera melissifolia T = Threatened E = Endangered CS = Candidate Species Robust Baskettail Pond berry S1 = Critically Imperiled in Mississippi S2 = Imperiled in Mississippi S3 = Rare or uncommon in Mississippi T (S/A) = Threatened by similarity of appearance.
S1 E
E LA Status Yes No Vicinity IS-mile)
Yes No Transmission ROW Yes
- Interior least terns belong to a subspecies of least terns and are protected Federally, and by the state of Mississippi under the species name.
Sterna antillarum athalassos is the subspecies endemic to the project region and is therefore specified above.
Figure 1 Location of GGNS, 6-Mile Radius Map c{>
He&copt9f Pad
[3 lkban Areas
~
Aclirta RallOld, I] RllCAlaoon AfI~a l.-::J Grand Gull Nude_ Station (GGNS) _
lakes and Ponds
~
AbandOfled RI~.cIs Pmdpal HistOOcal Sile c::J &.Mile (10 km) Vlmity
-- Highways
-,.--Nlllulal Gas Une L~
County Boundary GGNS But;ling' OhM Principal Roadl.
-~J Statl! Boundary Existing Transmission Cofridor County/local Roeds
Figure 2 Location of GGNS, 50-Mile Radius Map
.-0-11:1 __ -== ___ Miles o
10 15 20
~ Airpons
..... Existing Transmission Corridor Interstate U.S, Highway State Highway/Road Natchez Trace Parkway
-+- Rail
() 6*Mile Radus o 50-Mile Radius Surface Water GGNS Property d
State Wildlife Mgmt Areas
([J State Parks
~
National Forest r:. National \\lVildlife Refuge EJ Urban Areas
MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES, AND PARKS February 23,2011 J ames Thomas Enercon 5100 East Skelly Dri e Suite 450 Tulsa. OK 74135 Sam Polles, Ph.D.
Executive Director Re:
Entergy - Grand Gulf Nuclear Station Operating License Renewal Claiborne County, Mississippi To Whom It May Concern, R# 8192 In response to your request for information dated February 4, 2011, we have searched om:
database for occurrences of state or federally listed species. and species of special concern that occur within 2 miles of the site of the proposed project. Please find our concerns and recommendations below.
Federal State State Scientific Name Common Name Status Status Rank Crystallaria asprella Crystal Darter LE Sl Sr.rmhirhyn.chus altus Pillli(j ~tlJrgf.O)1 l.. E
- LF.
31 Ursus americanus luteolus Louisiana Black Bear LT, SAT LE SI Macrhybopsis meek; Sicklefin Chub SI Ursus americanus Black Bear PS LE Sl Eudocimus albus White Ibis S2B,S3N Mycteria americana Wood Stork PS:LE LE S2N Ichthyomyzon castaneus Chestnut Lamprey S3 fCliobus niger Black Buffalo S3 Po/yodon spathula Paddlefish 53._
Cycleptus elnngatus*
Blue Sucker
. S3 I
! S" Piethodon webster; i Webster's Salamander
_ 1._' J I
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science 2148 Riverside Drive Jackson, Mississippi 39202-1353 (601) 354-7303
State Rank S I -
Critically imperiled in Mississippi because of extreme rarity (S or fewer occurrences or very few remaining individuals or acres) or because of some factor(s) making it vulnerable to extirpation.
S2 -
Imperiled in Mississippi because of rarity (6 to 20 occurrences or few remaining individuals or acres) or because of some factor(s) making it vulnerable to extirpation.
S3 -
Rare or uncommon in Mississippi (on the order of 21 to 100 occurrences).
State and Federal Status LE E n~an gered -
A species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of ils range.
L T Threatened -
A species likely to become endangered in foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
Based on information provided, we conclude that if best management practices are properly implemented, monitored, and maintained (particularly measures to prevent, or at least, minimize negative impacts to water quality), the proposed project likely poses no adverse threat to listed species or their habitats.
Please feel free to contact us if we can provide any additional information, resources, or assistance that will help minimize negative impacts to this area. We are happy to work with you to ensure that our state's precious natural heritage is conserved and preserved for future Mississippians.
SinC~
J oelle Carney, Database Manager/Biologist Mississippi Natural Heritage Program (601) 354-7303 The Mississippi Natural Heritage Program (MNHP) has compiled a database that is the most complete source of information about Mississippi's rare, threatened, and endangered plants, animals, and ecological communities. The quantity and quality of data collected by MNHP are dependent on the research and observations of many individuals and organizations. In many cases, this information is not the result of comprehensive or site-specific field surveys; most natural areas in Missi~sippi have not been thoroughly surveyed and new occurrences of plant and animal species are often discovered. Heritage reports summarize the existing information known to the MNHP at the time ofthe request and cannot always be considered a definitive statement 0 11 the presence, absence or condition of biological elements on a particular site.
ENERCON Excellence-Every project Every day Ms. Carolyn Michon Assistant Data Manager Louisiana Natural Heritage Program Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Post Office Box 9aOOO Baton Rouge, LA 70a9a-9000
SUBJECT:
Grand Gulf Nuclear Station License Renewal Application
Dear Ms. Michon,
February 4, 2011 In 2011, Entergy plans to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for renewal of the operating license for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (GGNS), which is located in Claiborne County, Mississippi on the east bank of the Mississippi River at River Mile 406, approximately 25 miles south of Vicksburg, Mississippi and 37 miles north-northeast of Natchez, Mississippi. The existing license for GGNS was issued for a.
40-year term that expires in 2024. If the NRC approves the application, Entergy will then have the option to continue operating GGNS until 2044. In conjunction with this effort, Enercon is gathering information on Entergy's behalf relative to this license renewal project.
The NRC requires that the license renewal application for GGNS include an environmental report assessing potential environmental impacts from operation during the license renewal term. One of these potential environmental impacts would be the effect of license renewal on threatened or endangered species located on the GGNS site, its immediate environs (6-mile radius), and transmission line corridors routed to connect the plant to the existing transmission system. Accordingly, the NRC requires that the environmental report for each license renewal application assess such a potential effect (10 CFR 51.53). Later, during its review of the license renewal environmental report pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the NRC may request information from your office to ensure compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
Enercon is contacting you now in order to obtain input regarding issues that may need to be addressed in the GGNS license renewal environmental report, and to assist Entergy in identifying any information your staff believes would be helpful to expedite NRC's review.
The 2,100 acre GGNS site consists primarily of woodlands and former farms as well as two lakes, Hamilton Lake and Gin Lake (see Figure 1). The land in the vicinity of the Corporate' Headquarters 5100 East Skelly Drive Suite 4S0 Tulsa, OK 74135 phone 918.665.7693 fax 918.665.7232 enercon.com
Ms. Carolyn Michon Assistant Data Manager Louisiana Natural Heritage Program Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Page 2 of 4 GGNS site is mostly rural. There are two transmission corridors containing a single-circuit 500-kV transmission lines that connect the GGNS site to the regional electricity grid (see Figure 2). These transmission corridors are considered by the NRC to be within the scope of its environmental reviews for the GGNS license renewal. Entergy's Transmission group owns and operates these two lines. The total length of the two corridors is approximately 66 miles, and cross Claiborne, Warren, Jefferson and Franklin Counties in Mississippi.
Based on a review of information available and previous consultations, Enercon has included Table 1 which lists federally-or state-listed threatened or endangered species within the vicinity of GGNS and the transmission corridors. However, Entergy does not expect GGNS operations during the license renewal term (an additional 20 years) to adversely affect threatened or endangered species at the station site, the immediate environs, or the transmission.line corridors because license renewal will not alter existing operations. There are no plans to alter current operations during the 20-year license renewal period, and any maintenance activities necessary to support continued operation of GGNS will.be limited to currently developed areas of the site. Although
. administrative procedural controls are in place to comply with applicable state and federal laws to preserve biological resources when facility expansion or land disturbance activities occur, no expansion is planned or needed in support of license renewal. In addition, Entergy's Transmission group has established maintenance procedures for transmission lines that involve minimal disturbance of land, wetlands, and streams and are protective of threatened or endangered species.
After your review of the information provided in this letter, I would appreciate you sending a letter detailing any concerns you have about potential impacts to threatened or endangered species or critical habitat in the area of GGNS or along the associated transmission corridors, or alternatively, confirming our conclusion that threatened of endangered species will not be adversely affected as a result of renewing the GGNS operating license for an additional 20 years. Entergy will include copies of this letter and your response in the environmental report submitted to the NRC as part of the GGNS license renewal application.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (918) 665-7693 or through my email address, jthomas@enercon.com. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Manager, Electric Utilities Environmental Services -Mile Map cc:
Rick Buckley (Entergy)
Table 1 Federal and State-Listed Species Scientific Name Common Name Federal MS LA On-Site Vicinity Transmission Status Status Status (S-mile)
ROW Mammals Puma concolor coryi Florida Panther E
E E
No No No Ursus americanus luteolus Louisiana Black Bear T
E T
Yes Yes Yes Ursus americanus American Black Bear T
E Yes Yes Yes Birds Haliaeetus leucocephalus Bald Eagle E
E Yes Yes Yes Mycteria americana Wood Stork E
E Yes Yes Yes Sterna antil/arum atha/assos Interior Least Tern E*
E*
E No Yes Yes Picoides borealis Red-Cockaded Woodpecker E
E No No Yes Eudocimus albus White Ibis S2, S3 Yes Yes Yes Reptiles AI/igator mississippiensis American Alligator T(S/A)
Yes Yes Yes Fish Scaphirhynchus albus Pallid Sturgeon E
E E
Yes Yes No Etheostoma rubrum Bayou Darter T
E No Yes No Crystal/aria asp reI/a Crystal Darter E
Yes Yes No Macrhybopsis meeki Sicklefin Chub S1 Yes Yes Macroin vertebrates Potami/us capax Fat Pocketbook Mussel E
E No No Yes Quadrula cylindrica Rabbitsfoot Mussel CS No Yes Yes
Table 1 (Continued)
Federal and State-Listed Species Scientific Name Common Name Federal Status MS Status Insects Epitheca spinosa Plants Lindera melissifolia T = Threatened E = Endangered CS = Candidate Species Robust BaskeUail Pondberry S1 = Critically Imperiled in Mississippi S2 = Imperiled in Mississippi S3 = Rare or uncommon in MissiSSippi T (S/A) = Threatened by similarity of appearance.
S1 E
E LA Status Yes No Vicinity IS-mile)
Yes No Transmission ROW Yes
- Interior least terns belong to a subspecies of least terns and are protected Federally, and by the state of Mississippi under the species name.
Sterna antillarum athalassos is the subspecies endemic to the project region and is therefore specified above.
Figure 1 Location of GGNS, 6-Mile Radius Map o Helicopter Pad
[IJ Llman Araon
-+- ActiYe Rahad, 11 Reaeation Area C:J GrWId Gu. Nuclear SI<ltion (ooNS) _
Leba and Pond,
-+- Abandon$d Railroads I.!.
Principal Historical Site Cl $.Mile (to km) Vicinity
-- lYdhwaYIi Natural Go. U,8
[==J County Bounda'Y GGNS Bulldlngw; Qher Principal ROD State Bounda'Y Existing Transmll310n Corridor CounlylLocal Road.
Figure 2 Location of GGNS, 50-Mile Radius Map Miles 10 15 20
~ Airports existing Transmission Corridor Interstate U.S. Highway
=- State HighwaylRoad Natchez Trace Parkway
---t-Rail C) 6-Mile Radu.
o 50-Mile Radius Surface Water c::J GGNS Property
~
State VVildlife Mgmt Areas R State Parks
- 2) National Forest IT National Wildlife Refuge
[ill] Urban Areas
Date BOBBY JINDAL GOVERNOR Name Company Street Address City, State, Zip Project ProjectID Invoice Number
~tate.of 'JU.ouisiana DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES OFFICE OF WILDLIFE February 18, 2011 James A. Thomas ENERCON 5100 East Skelly Driv, Suite 450 Tulsa, OK 74135 Grand Gulf Nuclear Station License Renewal Application 5720]1 11021805 ROBERT J. BARHAM SECRETARY JIMMY L. ANTHONY ASSISTANT SECRETARY Personnel of the Habitat Section of the Coastal & on-Game Resources Division have reviewed the preliminary data for the captioned project. After careful review of our database, no impacts to rare, threatened, or endangered species or critical habitats are anticipated for the proposed project. No state or federal parks, wildlife refuges, scenic streams, or wildlife management areas are known at the specified site within Louisiana's boundaries.
The Louisiana Natural Heritage Program (LNHP) has compiled data on rare, endangered, or otherwise significant plant and animal species, plant communities, and other natural features throughout the state of Louisiana. Heritage reports summarize the existing information known at the time of the request regarding the location in question. The quantity and quality of data collected by the LNHP are dependent on the research and observations of many individuals. In most cases, this information is not the result of comprehensive or site-specific field surveys; many natural areas in Louisiana have not been surveyed. This report does not address the occurrence of wetlands at the site in question. Heritage reports should not be considered final statements on the biological elements or areas being considered, nor should they be substituted for on-site surveys required for environmental assessments. LNHP requires that this office be acknowledged in all reports as the source of all data provided here. If at any time Heritage tracked species are encountered within the project area, please contact the LNHP Data Manager at 225-765-2643. If you have any questions, or need additional information, please call 225-765-2357.
Sincerely,
~~
V Amity Bass, Coordinator NaturaJ Heritage Program P.O. BOX 98000
- BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA 70898-9000 ' PHONE (225) 765-2800 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER