ML15026A570
| ML15026A570 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Byron  |
| Issue date: | 02/03/2015 |
| From: | Lois James Division of License Renewal |
| To: | |
| Lois James, 301-415-3306 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML15026A570 (20) | |
Text
Preliminary Results of the License Renewal Environmental Review For Byron Station February 3, 2015
Exelon has applied to renew the Byron operating licenses.
The NRC:
is reviewing that application.
is reviewing the environmental impact of license renewal.
has developed preliminary results of that review.
wants your comments on those results.
2 Meeting Details
Meeting Agenda
- NRC presentation
- Questions & Answers about the presentation materials
- Public Comments 3
Ground Rules
- Speak into a microphone
- Identify yourself and your group
- Minimize background noise
- Silence personal electronics 4
Overview and Purpose NRC presentation NRCs regulatory role Summary of environmental review Upcoming milestones and how to submit comments outside this meeting Your comments 5
6 NRCs Regulatory Oversight NRC regulates commercial use of nuclear materials including nuclear power plants NRCs mission:
Protect public health and safety Promote common defense and security Protect the environment
7 Environmental Review Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) addresses issues common to all plants Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) addresses site-specific issues for Byron license renewal Review proposed action (license renewal) and alternatives
NEPA: Purpose and Need for Proposed Federal Action
- Proposed action - issuance of a renewed license for Byron Station.
- Purpose - to provide a power generation option for energy-planning decisionmakers to meet future system generating needs beyond the current license term.
- Need for power is an energy-planning decision making responsibility of certain Federal and state regulators and utility officials.
8
How Impacts are Defined NRC-defined impact levels:
SMALL - Effects are not detectable or are so minor that they will neither destabilize nor noticeably alter any important attribute of the resource.
MODERATE - Effects are sufficient to alter noticeably, but not to destabilize, important attributes of the resource.
LARGE - Effects are clearly noticeable and are sufficient to destabilize important attributes of the resource.
9
How Impacts are Defined
- Special Status Species (Endangered Species Act)
- no effect
- may affect but not likely to adversely affect
- may affect and is likely to adversely affect
- Cultural and Historic resources (National Historic Preservation Act)
- effects on historic properties
- disproportionally high and adverse impacts 10
Cumulative Impacts Overall impacts to environment including past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions Preliminary findings
- SMALL TO MODERATE cumulative impacts for terrestrial resources
- MODERATE cumulative impacts for aquatic ecology and global climate change
- SMALL cumulative impacts in all other areas 11
Site-Specific Environmental Review of Byron Station Resource Areas Impact Land Use & Visual Resources SMALL Air Quality & Noise SMALL Geological Environment SMALL Water Resources SMALL Terrestrial Resources SMALL Aquatic Resources SMALL Special Status Species and Habitats No effect Historic and Cultural Resources No adverse effect Socioeconomics SMALL Human Health SMALL Environmental Justice No disproportionally high and adverse impacts Waste Management SMALL 12
Alternatives Alternative energy sources analyzed (power replacement)
New nuclear Integrated gasification combined cycle Natural-gas combined-cycle Combination - Natural-gas combined-cycle, Wind, and Solar Purchase Power No action alternative 13
Preliminary Conclusion The NRCs preliminary recommendation is that the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for Byron Station are not great enough to deny the option of license renewal for energy-planning decisionmakers 14
Continued Storage Rule NRCs Continued Storage Rule generically addresses the environmental impacts of continuing to store spent fuel after the licensed life of a reactor Environmental impacts from continued storage are identified in Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel (NUREG-2157)
Final Rule was issued September 19, 2014 http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/wcd.html 15
Environmental Review Milestones 16 Application Received Notice of Intent Scoping Public Meeting Scoping Period Ended Scoping Summary Report Draft SEIS Draft SEIS Public Meeting Draft SEIS Comments Due Final SEIS May 29, 2013 August 6, 2013 August 20, 2013 September 27, 2013 May 28, 2014 December 31, 2014 February 3, 2015 February 20, 2015 July 2015
Additional Information Environmental PM:
Lois James (800) 368-5642, Ext. 3306 Lois.James@nrc.gov The draft SEIS can be viewed at:
Byron Public Library District, 100 S. Washington St., Byron, Illinois NRCs Web site (www.nrc.gov):
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1437/
17
Submitting Comments After the Meeting By mail:
Chief, Rules, Announcements, and Directives Branch (RADB)
Division of Administrative Services Mailstop 3WFN-06-44M U.S. NRC, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 In person: 11545 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland Internet: www.regulations.gov, docket ID: NRC-2013-0178 Comments due by February 20, 2015 18
BACKUP SLIDE 19
Cumulative Impacts Resource Areas Impact DSEIS Section Air Quality & Noise SMALL 4.16.1 Geology and Soils SMALL 4.16.2 Surface Water Resources SMALL 4.16.3.1 Groundwater Resources SMALL 4.16.3.2 Terrestrial Ecology SMALL - MODERATE 4.16.4 Aquatic Ecology MODERATE 4.16.5 Historic and Cultural Resources SMALL 4.16.6 Socioeconomics SMALL 4.16.7 Historic and Cultural Resources SMALL 4.16.8 Environmental Justice No disproportionally high and adverse impacts 4.16.9 Waste Management SMALL 4.16.10 Global Climate Change MODERATE 4.16.11 20