ML12075A022
| ML12075A022 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Saint Lucie  |
| Issue date: | 03/26/2012 |
| From: | Susco J NRC/NRR/DLR/RERGUB |
| To: | Dohner C US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Balsam B | |
| References | |
| Download: ML12075A022 (6) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 March 26,2012 Ms. Cindy Dohner Southeast Regional Director U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1875 Century Blvd., Suite 400 Atlanta, GA 30345-3319
SUBJECT:
REQUEST TO INITIATE FORMAL SECTION 7 CONSULTATION AT THE ST. LUCIE PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2
Dear Ms. Dohner:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the staff) is writing to request initiation of formal section 7 consultation under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), at St. Lucie Plant, Units 1 and 2 (St. Lucie). St. Lucie is located on Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County, Florida. The island is a barrier island bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Indian River Lagoon to the west.
Florida Power and Light Company (FPL), which owns and operates St. Lucie, intends to construct a sheet pile seawall to protect the facility's cooling water discharge canal. The cooling system withdraws water from the Atlantic Ocean to cool the condensers of the two operating reactors. The Atlantic Ocean provides cooling and receiving waters for both units' condensers and auxiliary cooling systems through common intake and discharge canals with ocean piping.
A series of storms and hurricanes between 2004 and 2005 have eroded the beach seaward of the cooling system's discharge canal. FPL undertook several dune restoration projects, but subsequent storms have eroded these restoration efforts. FPL intends to complete construction of the sheet pile seawall prior to the 2012 hurricane season to prevent further erosion. As such, FPL will need to perform work on the beach during sea turtle nesting season. The beach in the vicinity of St. Lucie is known nesting habitat for the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea),
loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles.
St. Lucie's NRC operating license technical specifications stipulate that the facility must have two shutdown cooling loops operable and at least one shutdown cooling loop in operation.
Continued erosion of the beach in front of the discharge canal could result in St. Lucie not meeting this technical specification of its NRC operating license. Because FPL is constructing the sheet pile seawall in an effort to comply with conditions of its NRC operating license, the NRC believes that consultation under section 7, rather than section 10, of the ESA is appropriate.
The ESA regulations at 50 CFR 402. 14(a) stipulate that Federal agencies must initiate formal section 7 consultation in cases where an action may affect listed species or critical habitat. This project may result in the incidental take of nesting sea turtles. Thus, the NRC is requesting formal section 7 consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
The NRC staff is in the process of preparing a biological assessment to support this request.
understand that FPL has coordinated with Mr. Jeffrey Howe at the FWS Vero Beach Field Office and has provided him with preliminary information on the project. I have also enclosed the I
I C. Dohner
- 2 information that FPL has provided to the NRC on the project. The NRC requests that the FWS begin its assessment of impacts with this information in an effort to conclude consultation before sea turtle nesting season begins.
Please contact Ms. Briana Balsam, Biologist, of my staff with any questions you may have on this project. You can reach her at 301-415-1042 or bye-mail atBriana.Balsam@nrc.gov.
have also forwarded a copy of this letter to Mr. Jeffrey Howe at the FWS Vero Beach Field Office. Mr. Howe has been the NRC and FPL's main point of contact to date for this project.
Sincerely,
~-**l...'1 - /").'.'..41.*./!l
-! '. '/~
Jeremy~~co~~cting 'i ~ I 1t Environmental Review and Guidance Update Branch Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-335 and 50-389
Enclosure:
Email from J. Gless, FPL, to D. Logan, NRC (ML12073A151) cc: Listserv
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 March 26, 2012 Mr. Larry Williams Vero Beach Field Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1339 20th St.
Vero Beach, FL 32960
SUBJECT:
REQUEST TO INITIATE FORMAL SECTION 7 CONSULTATION AT THE ST. LUCIE PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2
Dear Mr. Williams:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the staff) is writing to request initiation of formal section 7 consultation under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), at St. Lucie Plant, Units 1 and 2 (St. Lucie). St. Lucie is located on Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County, Florida. The island is a barrier island bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Indian River Lagoon to the west.
Florida Power and Light Company (FPL), which owns and operates St. Lucie, intends to construct a sheet pile seawall to protect the facility's cooling water discharge canal. The cooling system withdraws water from the Atlantic Ocean to cool the condensers of the two operating reactors. The Atlantic Ocean provides cooling and receiving waters for both units' condensers and auxiliary cooling systems through common intake and discharge canals with ocean piping.
A series of storms and hurricanes between 2004 and 2005 have eroded the beach seaward of the cooling system's discharge canal. FPL undertook several dune restoration projects, but subsequent storms have eroded these restoration efforts. FPL intends to complete construction of the sheet pile seawall prior to the 2012 hurricane season to prevent further erosion. As such, FPL will need to perform work on the beach during sea turtle nesting season. The beach in the vicinity of St. Lucie is known nesting habitat for the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea),
loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles.
St. Lucie's NRC operating license technical specifications stipulate that the facility must have two shutdown cooling loops operable and at least one shutdown cooling loop in operation.
Continued erosion of the beach in front of the discharge canal could result in St. Lucie not meeting this technical specification of its NRC operating license. Because FPL is constructing the sheet pile seawall in an effort to comply with conditions of its NRC operating license, the NRC believes that consultation under section 7, rather than section 10, of the ESA is appropriate.
The ESA regulations at 50 CFR 402.14(a) stipulate that Federal agencies must initiate formal section 7 consultation in cases where an action may affect listed species or critical habitat. This project may result in the incidental take of nesting sea turtles. Thus, the NRC is requesting formal section 7 consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
The NRC staff are in the process of preparing a biological assessment to support this request.
understand that FPL has coordinated with Mr. Jeffrey Howe at the FWS Vero Beach Field Office and has provided him with preliminary information on the project. I have also enclosed the I
I L. Williams
- 2 information that FPL has provided to the NRC on the project. The NRC requests that the FWS begin its assessment of impacts with this information in an effort to conclude consultation before sea turtle nesting season begins.
Please contact Ms. Briana Balsam, Biologist, of my staff with any questions you may have on this project. You can reach her at 301-415-1042 or bye-mail atBriana.Balsam@nrc.gov.
have also forwarded a copy of this letter to Mr. Jeffrey Howe at the FWS Vero Beach Field Office. Mr. Howe has been the NRC and FPL's main point of contact to date for this project.
Sincerely, Jeremy J~' Actin. hie; ~
Environ~CReview and Guidance Update Branch Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-335 and 50-389
Enclosure:
Email from J. Gless, FPL, to D. Logan, NRC (ML12073A151 )
cc: Listserv
ML12075A022 OFFICE LA:RPB2:DLR PM:RERB:DLR AB:RERB:DLR BC:RERB:DLR NAME IKing BBalsam DLogan JSusco (JRikhoff for)
DATE 03/22/2012 03/22/2012 03/26/2012 03/26/2012
Letter to C. Dohner et a/. from J. Susco dated March 26, 2012.
SUBJECT:
REQUEST TO INITIATE FORMAL SECTION 7 CONSULTATION AT THE ST. LUCIE PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 DISTRIBUTION:
E-MAIL:
PUBLIC RidsNrrDlr Resource RidsNrrDlrRpb1 Resource RidsNrrDlrRpb2 Resource RidsNrrDlrRarb Resource RidsNrrDlrRasb Resource RidsNrrDlrRapb Resource RidsOgcMailCenter Resource RidsNrrPMStLucie BBalsam DLogan Almboden Jeffrey.howe@fws.gov Larry. williams@fws.gov