ML13101A043
| ML13101A043 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Prairie Island  |
| Issue date: | 04/12/2013 |
| From: | Jean Trefethen NRC/FSME/DWMEP/EPPAD/ERB |
| To: | |
| Jean Trefethen | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML13101A030 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML13101A043 (3) | |
Text
Site Visit Summary Prairie Island Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation Goodhue County, Minnesota Introduction By letter dated October 20, 2011, as supplemented on February 29, 2012, Northern States Power Company d/b/a Xcel Energy (NSPM) submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the renewal of the NRC site-specific license SNM-2506 for the Prairie Island (PI) Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) located in Goodhue County, Minnesota. The application requests a license renewal for a 40-year period. The current 20-year license is set to expire on October 31, 2013. The PI ISFSI is licensed to use 48 Transnuclear Incorporated 40 (TN-40) and Transnuclear Incorporated 40 Heat Transfer (TN-40HT) casks to store spent fuel from the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant (PINGP).
As part of the review of this application, the NRC staff is conducting an environmental review in accordance with the Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 51 (10 CFR Part 51),
which implements the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). The NRC staff is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) to assess the environmental impacts of the proposed actions.
The NRC staff conducted a site visit of the PI ISFSI on November 7, 2012. In addition, the NRC staff met with representatives of the Prairie Island Indian Community (PIIC) on November 5, 2012, to learn more about the PIIC concerns with respect to the proposed ISFSI license renewal. Meetings with the PIIC Tribal Council and a tour of the PIIC reservation were also held on November 6, 2012. The NRC staff also met with the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) on November 6, 2012 to gather information regarding the cultural and archeological resources in the vicinity of the PI ISFSI.
Meeting with PIIC Representatives, PIIC Tribal Council, and PIIC Reservation Tour Date: November 5-6, 2012
Participants:
Jean Trefethen, Project Manager, NRC Allan Barker, Regional Governmental Liaison Officer, NRC NRC Staff Supporting the PI ISFSI Safety Evaluation Report (SER):
Steve Ruffin, Project Manager, NRC Meraj Rahimi, Project Manager, NRC Matt Learn, Project Manager, NRC Matt Gordon, Project Manager, NRC Zhian Li, Project Manager, NRC Joe Borowsky, Project Manager, NRC Amy Hester, Principal Investigator, Research Scientist, CNWRA Eric Hollins, CNWRA (consultant in the area of environmental justice)
Enclosure
2 Randy Withrow, Archeologist, Louis Berger Group Ron Johnson, PIIC Secretary Heather Westra, PIIC Land and Environment Department Philip Mahowald, PIIC General Counsel The NRC staff met with representatives of the PIIC to learn and gather information regarding the potential impacts of the proposed PI ISFSI license renewal. The NRC recognizes the PIICSs expertise in the following areas: historical and cultural resources, land use, socioeconomics, and environmental justice. During the meeting, the PIIC representatives indicated that the PIIC would provide the NRC staff with information to support the NRC staffs review of the proposed license renewal. This information was initially submitted to the NRC staff in support of the 2010 PINGP license renewal. The PIIC representatives indicated that the information provided as part of the PINGP license renewal would be updated to support the proposed ISFSI license renewal EA.
On November 6, 2012, the NRC staff participated in a tour of the PIIC reservation and met with the PIIC Tribal Council members.
Meeting with Minnesota SHPO and City of Red Wing Windshield Survey Date: November 6, 2012
Participants:
Jean Trefethen, Project Manager, NRC Amy Hester, Principal Investigator, Research Scientist, CNWRA Eric Hollins, CNWRA (consultant in the area of environmental justice)
Randy Withrow, Archeologist, The Louis Berger Group Kelly Gragg-Johnson, Review and Compliance Specialist, Minnesota SHPO On November 6, 2012, the NRC staff met with the Minnesota SHPO representatives at the SHPO office in St. Paul, Minnesota. The NRC staff provided an overview of the proposed ISFSI license renewal. On April 25, 2012, the NRC sent a letter to the SHPO requesting input to facilitate the identification of local resource areas that may be affected by the proposed renewal.
By letter dated May 29, 2012, the Minnesota SHPO provided comments on the project, concluding that no historic properties would be affected by the proposed undertaking. The NRC staff also noted that NRC had received additional information from the PIIC regarding concerns about potential cultural resources that could be associated with future abandonment or expansion of the site. The NRC staff noted that no changes were anticipated as part of this license renewal request and any future expansions would need to be reviewed and approved by the NRC.
PI ISFSI Site Tour Date: November 7, 2012
3
Participants:
Kevin Hsueh, Environmental Review Branch Chief, NRC Jean Trefethen, Project Manager, NRC Allan Barker, Regional Governmental Liaison Officer, NRC Diana Diaz Toro, Project Manager, NRC Steve Ruffin, Project Manager, NRC Meraj Rahimi, Technical Specialist, NRC Matt Learn, Technical Specialist, NRC Matt Gordon, Technical Specialist, NRC Zhian Li, Technical Specialist, NRC Joe Borowsky, Technical Specialist, NRC Amy Hester, Principal Investigator, Research Scientist, CNWRA Eric Hollins, CNWRA (consultant in the area of environmental justice)
Randy Withrow, Archeologist, The Louis Berger Group Ron Johnson, PIIC Secretary Heather Westra, PIIC Land and Environment Department Philip Mahowald, PIIC General Counsel Xcel Energy (NSPM) Representatives On November 7, 2012, the NRC staff participated in an information gathering site visit to the PI ISFSI. The purpose of the site visit was to observe the site, ISFSI, surrounding areas including nearby roads, buildings, infrastructure, utilities, the sites vegetation and terrain, the PIICs tribal lands, and to collect information to assist in the evaluation of potential impacts from the proposed ISFSI license renewal. The NRC staff observed there were 28 TN-40 casks on the ISFSI pad. During the ISFSI tour, NSPM noted they plan to place six TN-40HT casks at the ISFSI in 2013. NSPM indicated that an expansion of the PI ISFSI to construct additional pads is tentatively scheduled in 2019. NSPM noted that surface water runoff from the ISFSI is directed to a culvert that discharges onto the ground surface outside of the earthen berm. NSPM noted that they do not expect any changes or additional berm work needed for a future ISFSI expansion.
With respect to NSPMs National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, NSPM explained that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MNPCA) has not issued an updated NPDES permit, but that the MNPCA should publish the draft permit for comment in 2013.
During the site visit, NSPM provided a copy of their Cultural Resource Management Plan, updated in September 2010, construction photographs, and original ISFSI design specifications for review. NSPM also provided a summary of previous archeological studies conducted at the site. With respect to the discussions between the NSPM and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), NSPM indicated that FWS has not responded to NSPMs May 2011 request for information regarding threatened or endangered species that could be affected by the proposed project.