Text

Availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed License Renewal of LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2
	ML16007A112
Person / Time
Site:	LaSalle
Issue date:	02/08/2016
From:	James Danna; Division of License Renewal
To:	Mcpeek K, Melius T, Shull A; US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service
	Dennis Logan 415-0490
References
	Download: ML16007A112 (12)
	v • d • e

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 February 8, 2016 Mr. Tom Melius Regional Director U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region (Region 3) 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite 990 Bloomington, MN 55437-1458

SUBJECT:

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE PROPOSED LICENSE RENEWAL OF LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, AND THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS DETERMINATION THAT LICENSE RENEWAL WOULD HAVE NO EFFECT ON FEDERALLY LISTED OR PROPOSED SPECIES OR CRITICAL HABITATS

Dear Mr. Melius,

With this letter, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC; the staff) is forwarding you a copy of its draft plant-specific Supplement 57 to NUREG-1437, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, regarding LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 (LaSalle), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA); Title 10, Part 51 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 51); and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). This letter refers to the enclosed document as the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

The purpose of this letter is twofold: (1) to notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) that the NRC staff has determined that the proposed license renewal of LaSalle would have no effect on Federally proposed or listed species or proposed or designated critical habitat under FWSs jurisdiction and (2) to provide FWS with information on the NEPA public comment period and associated public meeting for the draft SEIS.

Project Summary LaSalle is a two-unit, nuclear power plant located in rural LaSalle County in northern Illinois about 120 km (75 mi) southwest of downtown Chicago. LaSalle is owned and operated by Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon Generation). The site occupies 1,568 ha (3,875 ac),

including an 833 ha (2,058 ac) cooling pond. The generating facilities on the southwest portion of the site include a reactor building and related structures, a switchyard, administration buildings, warehouses, and other structures.

The cooling pond dissipates heat from electric generation primarily through evaporation. To keep dissolved solids from building up in the cooling pond, water from the pond is discharged through an open canal that flows into a pipeline to the Illinois River with a target annual average discharge rate of 114,000 L/min (30,000 gpm). Water losses from the pond to evaporation,

T. Melius discharge, and seepage are replaced by makeup water withdrawn at a screen house on the Illinois River. The normal water withdrawal rate is up to 227,125 L/min (60,000 gpm). The cooling water intake structure has an intake flume channeled into the bottom of the Illinois River and extending approximately 15 m (50 ft) out from the shoreline, bar grills, traveling screens with 3/8 in. (9.5 mm) square mesh, and no fish return system.

The NRCs Federal action is the decision whether to renew the LaSalle operating licenses for an additional 20 years of operation. Both units began commercial operation in 1984, at which time the NRC granted 40-year operating licenses. Exelon Generation proposes that NRC renew the current operating licenses for LaSalle, Units 1 and 2, for an additional 20 years beyond the current license expiration dates of April 17, 2022 for Unit 1 and December 16, 2023 for Unit 2.

The enclosed SEIS addresses the environmental impacts of the proposed Federal action and alternatives. Chapter 3 of the enclosed SEIS describes the affected environment, including terrestrial resources, aquatic resources, and ESA-protected species and critical habitats.

Chapter 4 assesses impacts to these and other environmental resources.

ESA No Effect Determination As part of preparing the SEIS, the NRC performed an assessment of whether the proposed license renewal of LaSalle would have the potential to adversely affect any Federally listed or proposed species or proposed or designated critical habitats. This assessment is documented in Sections 3.8, 4.8, and Appendix C of the SEIS. The NRC considers the SEIS to fulfill its obligation to prepare a biological assessment under ESA section 7(c) and 50 CFR 402.12.

Accordingly, the NRC did not prepare a separate biological assessment for the proposed LaSalle license renewal.

In Section 3.8 of the SEIS, the NRC describes the action area and the ESA-protected species and critical habitats that have the potential to be present in the action area. This section includes information pursuant to 50 CFR 402.12(f)(1), (2), and (3). Section 4.8 of the SEIS provides an assessment of the potential effects of the proposed LaSalle license renewal on the species and critical habitat present and the NRCs effect determinations, which are consistent with those identified in Section 3.5 of the Endangered Species Consultation Handbook.1 The NRC also addresses alternatives to the proposed action. This section includes information pursuant to 50 CFR 402.12(f)(4) and (5).

In Section 4.8, the NRC staff concludes that the proposed license renewal would have no effect on any ESA-protected species or critical habitats. The NRC understands that FWS does not typically provide its concurrence with no effect determinations by Federal agencies2 and that an agencys finding of no effect requires no further informal consultation or the initiation of formal consultation. Nonetheless, because the SEIS constitutes the NRCs biological assessment, the NRC staff is submitting a copy for your review in accordance with 50 CFR 402.12(j). The NRC welcomes any comments you may have on potential effects to ESA-1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. 1998. Endangered Species Consultation Handbook: Procedures for Conducting Consultation and Conference Activities Under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. March 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

2 [FWS] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013. Consultations: Frequently Asked Questions. Available at

<http://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/faq.html>.

T. Melius protected species and critical habitats. Please tell us within 30 days from the date of receipt of this letter if you do not agree with the staffs no effect determination. You can submit your comments by letter directly to me or through the NEPA comment process described below.

Should you need to discuss the project before making a determination, please contact Dr.

Dennis Logan of my staff. Mr. Logans contact information is below.

NEPA Comment Period and Public Meetings Pursuant to NEPA, the NRC is seeking comments on the draft SEIS through April 4, 2016.

During the comment period, the NRC staff plans to hold a public meeting at LaSalle County, Emergency Operations Center, 711 East Etna Road, Ottawa, Illinois 61350, on March 22, 2016, 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The meeting will be transcribed and will include a presentation of the contents of the draft SEIS and the opportunity for interested government agencies, organizations, and individuals to provide comments on the draft report. I invite you and your staff to attend the public meetings and to submit comments on the draft SEIS. See the enclosed Federal Register notice or go to http://www.Regulations.gov and search for documents filed under Docket ID NRC-2014-0268 for additional information on the NEPA process and on how to submit comments.

Conclusion I look forward to future coordination with your offices to ensure the continued protection of Federally listed species and designated critical habitats at LaSalle and other NRC-licensed operating nuclear plants in your respective regions. If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Dr. Dennis Logan, Ecologist, at 301-415-0490 or by e-mail at dennis.logan@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

James G. Danna, Chief Environmental Review and Project Management Branch Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-374

Enclosures:

As stated

T. Melius UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 February 8, 2016 Ms. Alisa Shull Chief, Endangered Species U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region (Region 3) 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite 990 Bloomington, MN 55437-1458

SUBJECT:

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE PROPOSED LICENSE RENEWAL OF LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, AND THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS DETERMINATION THAT LICENSE RENEWAL WOULD HAVE NO EFFECT ON FEDERALLY LISTED OR PROPOSED SPECIES OR CRITICAL HABITATS

Dear Ms. Shull,

With this letter, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC; the staff) is forwarding you a copy of its draft plant-specific Supplement 57 to NUREG-1437, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, regarding LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 (LaSalle), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA); Title 10, Part 51 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 51); and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). This letter refers to the enclosed document as the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

The purpose of this letter is twofold: (1) to notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) that the NRC staff has determined that the proposed license renewal of LaSalle would have no effect on Federally proposed or listed species or proposed or designated critical habitat under FWSs jurisdiction and (2) to provide FWS with information on the NEPA public comment period and associated public meeting for the draft SEIS.

Project Summary LaSalle is a two-unit, nuclear power plant located in rural LaSalle County in northern Illinois about 120 km (75 mi) southwest of downtown Chicago. LaSalle is owned and operated by Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon Generation). The site occupies 1,568 ha (3,875 ac),

including an 833 ha (2,058 ac) cooling pond. The generating facilities on the southwest portion of the site include a reactor building and related structures, a switchyard, administration buildings, warehouses, and other structures.

The cooling pond dissipates heat from electric generation primarily through evaporation. To keep dissolved solids from building up in the cooling pond, water from the pond is discharged through an open canal that flows into a pipeline to the Illinois River with a target annual average discharge rate of 114,000 L/min (30,000 gpm). Water losses from the pond to evaporation,

A. Shull discharge, and seepage are replaced by makeup water withdrawn at a screen house on the Illinois River. The normal water withdrawal rate is up to 227,125 L/min (60,000 gpm). The cooling water intake structure has an intake flume channeled into the bottom of the Illinois River and extending approximately 15 m (50 ft) out from the shoreline, bar grills, traveling screens with 3/8 in. (9.5 mm) square mesh, and no fish return system.

The NRCs Federal action is the decision whether to renew the LaSalle operating licenses for an additional 20 years of operation. Both units began commercial operation in 1984, at which time the NRC granted 40-year operating licenses. Exelon Generation proposes that NRC renew the current operating licenses for LaSalle, Units 1 and 2, for an additional 20 years beyond the current license expiration dates of April 17, 2022 for Unit 1 and December 16, 2023 for Unit 2.

The enclosed SEIS addresses the environmental impacts of the proposed Federal action and alternatives. Chapter 3 of the enclosed SEIS describes the affected environment, including terrestrial resources, aquatic resources, and ESA-protected species and critical habitats.

Chapter 4 assesses impacts to these and other environmental resources.

ESA No Effect Determination As part of preparing the SEIS, the NRC performed an assessment of whether the proposed license renewal of LaSalle would have the potential to adversely affect any Federally listed or proposed species or proposed or designated critical habitats. This assessment is documented in Sections 3.8, 4.8, and Appendix C of the SEIS. The NRC considers the SEIS to fulfill its obligation to prepare a biological assessment under ESA section 7(c) and 50 CFR 402.12.

Accordingly, the NRC did not prepare a separate biological assessment for the proposed LaSalle license renewal.

In Section 3.8 of the SEIS, the NRC describes the action area and the ESA-protected species and critical habitats that have the potential to be present in the action area. This section includes information pursuant to 50 CFR 402.12(f)(1), (2), and (3). Section 4.8 of the SEIS provides an assessment of the potential effects of the proposed LaSalle license renewal on the species and critical habitat present and the NRCs effect determinations, which are consistent with those identified in Section 3.5 of the Endangered Species Consultation Handbook.3 The NRC also addresses alternatives to the proposed action. This section includes information pursuant to 50 CFR 402.12(f)(4) and (5).

In Section 4.8, the NRC staff concludes that the proposed license renewal would have no effect on any ESA-protected species or critical habitats. The NRC understands that FWS does not typically provide its concurrence with no effect determinations by Federal agencies4 and that an agencys finding of no effect requires no further informal consultation or the initiation of formal consultation. Nonetheless, because the SEIS constitutes the NRCs biological assessment, the NRC staff is submitting a copy for your review in accordance with 50 CFR 402.12(j). The NRC welcomes any comments you may have on potential effects to ESA-3 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. 1998. Endangered Species Consultation Handbook: Procedures for Conducting Consultation and Conference Activities Under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. March 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

4 [FWS] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013. Consultations: Frequently Asked Questions. Available at

<http://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/faq.html>.

A. Shull protected species and critical habitats. Please tell us within 30 days from the date of receipt of this letter if you do not agree with the staffs no effect determination. You can submit your comments by letter directly to me or through the NEPA comment process described below.

Should you need to discuss the project before making a determination, please contact Dr.

Dennis Logan of my staff. Mr. Logans contact information is below.

NEPA Comment Period and Public Meetings Pursuant to NEPA, the NRC is seeking comments on the draft SEIS through April 4, 2016.

During the comment period, the NRC staff plans to hold a public meeting at LaSalle County, Emergency Operations Center, 711 East Etna Road, Ottawa, Illinois 61350, on March 22, 2016, 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The meeting will be transcribed and will include a presentation of the contents of the draft SEIS and the opportunity for interested government agencies, organizations, and individuals to provide comments on the draft report. I invite you and your staff to attend the public meetings and to submit comments on the draft SEIS. See the enclosed Federal Register notice or go to http://www.Regulations.gov and search for documents filed under Docket ID NRC-2014-0268 for additional information on the NEPA process and on how to submit comments.

Conclusion I look forward to future coordination with your offices to ensure the continued protection of Federally listed species and designated critical habitats at LaSalle and other NRC-licensed operating nuclear plants in your respective regions. If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Dr. Dennis Logan, Ecologist, at 301-415-0490 or by e-mail at dennis.logan@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

James G. Danna, Chief Environmental Review and Project Management Branch Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-374

Enclosures:

As stated

A. Shul UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 February 8, 2016 Mr. Kraig McPeek Field Office Supervisor Rock Island Field Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1511 47th Avenue Moline, IL 61265

SUBJECT:

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE PROPOSED LICENSE RENEWAL OF LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, AND THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS DETERMINATION THAT LICENSE RENEWAL WOULD HAVE NO EFFECT ON FEDERALLY LISTED OR PROPOSED SPECIES OR CRITICAL HABITATS

Dear Mr. McPeek:

With this letter, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC; the staff) is forwarding you a copy of its draft plant-specific Supplement 57 to NUREG-1437, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, regarding LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 (LaSalle), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA); Title 10, Part 51 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 51); and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). This letter refers to the enclosed document as the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

The purpose of this letter is twofold: (1) to notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) that the NRC staff has determined that the proposed license renewal of LaSalle would have no effect on Federally proposed or listed species or proposed or designated critical habitat under FWSs jurisdiction and (2) to provide FWS with information on the NEPA public comment period and associated public meeting for the draft SEIS.

Project Summary LaSalle is a two-unit, nuclear power plant located in rural LaSalle County in northern Illinois about 120 km (75 mi) southwest of downtown Chicago. LaSalle is owned and operated by Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon Generation). The site occupies 1,568 ha (3,875 ac),

including an 833 ha (2,058 ac) cooling pond. The generating facilities on the southwest portion of the site include a reactor building and related structures, a switchyard, administration buildings, warehouses, and other structures.

The cooling pond dissipates heat from electric generation primarily through evaporation. To keep dissolved solids from building up in the cooling pond, water from the pond is discharged through an open canal that flows into a pipeline to the Illinois River with a target annual average discharge rate of 114,000 L/min (30,000 gpm). Water losses from the pond to evaporation,

K. McPeek discharge, and seepage are replaced by makeup water withdrawn at a screen house on the Illinois River. The normal water withdrawal rate is up to 227,125 L/min (60,000 gpm). The cooling water intake structure has an intake flume channeled into the bottom of the Illinois River and extending approximately 15 m (50 ft) out from the shoreline, bar grills, traveling screens with 3/8 in. (9.5 mm) square mesh, and no fish return system.

The NRCs Federal action is the decision whether to renew the LaSalle operating licenses for an additional 20 years of operation. Both units began commercial operation in 1984, at which time the NRC granted 40-year operating licenses. Exelon Generation proposes that NRC renew the current operating licenses for LaSalle, Units 1 and 2, for an additional 20 years beyond the current license expiration dates of April 17, 2022 for Unit 1 and December 16, 2023 for Unit 2.

The enclosed SEIS addresses the environmental impacts of the proposed Federal action and alternatives. Chapter 3 of the enclosed SEIS describes the affected environment, including terrestrial resources, aquatic resources, and ESA-protected species and critical habitats.

Chapter 4 assesses impacts to these and other environmental resources.

ESA No Effect Determination As part of preparing the SEIS, the NRC performed an assessment of whether the proposed license renewal of LaSalle would have the potential to adversely affect any Federally listed or proposed species or proposed or designated critical habitats. This assessment is documented in Sections 3.8, 4.8, and Appendix C of the SEIS. The NRC considers the SEIS to fulfill its obligation to prepare a biological assessment under ESA section 7(c) and 50 CFR 402.12.

Accordingly, the NRC did not prepare a separate biological assessment for the proposed LaSalle license renewal.

In Section 3.8 of the SEIS, the NRC describes the action area and the ESA-protected species and critical habitats that have the potential to be present in the action area. This section includes information pursuant to 50 CFR 402.12(f)(1), (2), and (3). Section 4.8 of the SEIS provides an assessment of the potential effects of the proposed LaSalle license renewal on the species and critical habitat present and the NRCs effect determinations, which are consistent with those identified in Section 3.5 of the Endangered Species Consultation Handbook.5 The NRC also addresses alternatives to the proposed action. This section includes information pursuant to 50 CFR 402.12(f)(4) and (5).

In Section 4.8, the NRC staff concludes that the proposed license renewal would have no effect on any ESA-protected species or critical habitats. The NRC understands that FWS does not typically provide its concurrence with no effect determinations by Federal agencies6 and that an agencys finding of no effect requires no further informal consultation or the initiation of formal consultation. Nonetheless, because the SEIS constitutes the NRCs biological assessment, the NRC staff is submitting a copy for your review in accordance with 50 CFR 402.12(j). The NRC welcomes any comments you may have on potential effects to ESA-5 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. 1998. Endangered Species Consultation Handbook: Procedures for Conducting Consultation and Conference Activities Under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. March 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

6 [FWS] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013. Consultations: Frequently Asked Questions. Available at

<http://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/faq.html>.

K. McPeek protected species and critical habitats. Please tell us within 30 days from the date of receipt of this letter if you do not agree with the staffs no effect determination. You can submit your comments by letter directly to me or through the NEPA comment process described below.

Should you need to discuss the project before making a determination, please contact Dr.

Dennis Logan of my staff. Mr. Logans contact information is below.

NEPA Comment Period and Public Meetings Pursuant to NEPA, the NRC is seeking comments on the draft SEIS through April 4, 2016.

During the comment period, the NRC staff plans to hold a public environmental meeting at LaSalle County, Emergency Operations Center, 711 East Etna Road, Ottawa, Illinois 61350, on March 22, 2016, 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The meeting will be transcribed and will include a presentation of the contents of the draft SEIS and the opportunity for interested government agencies, organizations, and individuals to provide comments on the draft report. I invite you and your staff to attend the public meetings and to submit comments on the draft SEIS. See the enclosed Federal Register notice or go to http://www.Regulations.gov and search for documents filed under Docket ID NRC-2014-0268 for additional information on the NEPA process and on how to submit comments.

Conclusion I look forward to future coordination with your offices to ensure the continued protection of Federally listed species and designated critical habitats at LaSalle and other NRC-licensed operating nuclear plants in your respective regions. If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Dr. Dennis Logan, Ecologist, at 301-415-0490 or by e-mail at dennis.logan@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

James G. Danna, Chief Environmental Review and Project Management Branch Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-374

Enclosures:

As stated

ML16007A112 *concurred via email OFFICE LA:DLR AB:RERP:DLR BC:RERP:DLR NAME IBetts* DLogan (DDrucker for) JDanna DATE 1/13/2015 2/3/16 2/8/16

Letter to T. Melius, A. Shull, and K. McPeek from J. Danna dated February 8, 2016

SUBJECT:

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE PROPOSED LICENSE RENEWAL OF LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, AND THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS DETERMINATION THAT LICENSE RENEWAL WOULD HAVE NO EFFECT ON FEDERALLY LISTED OR PROPOSED SPECIES OR CRITICAL HABITATS DISTRIBUTION:

HARD COPY:

Jon Duyvejonck Fish and Wildlife Biologist Rock Island Field Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1511 47th Avenue Moline, IL 61265 E-MAIL:

PUBLIC EndangeredSpecies Resource RidsNrrDlr Resource RidsNrrDlrRerb Resource RidsNrrDlrRerp Resource RidsNrrPMLaSalle Resource

DLogan DDrucker JDanna Jon Duyvejonck, FWS (jon_duyvejonck@fws.gov)