ML18025A318

From kanterella
Jump to navigation Jump to search
NRC Email to Furtak NMFS 012418
ML18025A318
Person / Time
Site: Westinghouse
Issue date: 01/24/2018
From: Jessie Quintero
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
To: Furtak S
US Dept of Commerce, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
References
Download: ML18025A318 (2)


Text

Quintero, Jessie From: Quintero, Jessie Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 4:51 PM To: 'Sarah Furtak - NOAA Federal' Cc: Grange, Briana

Subject:

NRC's Response to NMFS Questions re: Consultation No. SER-2017-18839 (Westinghouse License Renewal)

Attachments: NRC Responses to NMFS Questions regarding SER-2017-18839.pdf

Dear Ms. Furtak,

With this email, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is providing responses to the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) questions submitted to the staff on December 12, 2017, related to the Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF) proposed license renewal (NMFS Consultation No. SER2017 18839). The NMFSs questions with the NRC staffs responses are attached. Our response includes reference to a figure of the discharge piping. However, the figure is proprietary and should remain nonpublic. Therefore, that figure will be sent under separate email with password protection.

The NRC staff submitted a Biological Evaluation to the NMFS on August 15, 2017, that contained the NRC staffs analysis of the impacts to the shortnose sturgeon within the Congaree River as a result of the proposed continued operation of the CFFF for an additional forty years. The primary pathway for CFFF operations to affect the shortnose sturgeon is through the discharge of liquid effluent directly into the Congaree River, 3.5 miles downstream of the CFFF property. CFFF liquid effluent is a combined stream of treated sanitary waste and process wastes and is permitted through the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) under the conditions of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit No. SC0001848.

WEC releases stormwater into upper Sunset Lake through one combined outfall that is permitted through an SCDHEC issued Industrial Storm Water General NPDES Permit (No. SCR000000). Storm water from the CFFF site does not directly flow into the Congaree River, and therefore, potential effects to river water quality are minimal.

Although groundwater contamination has been detected at the CFFF site, it is contained within the site boundary and is expected to remain within that boundary for the foreseeable future. WEC maintains an active environmental monitoring program in accordance with SCDHEC and NRC requirements. The monitoring required as part of the NRC license includes fish and river water sampling. If in the future, monitoring trends indicate that contamination is increasing or moving offsite, the SCDHEC could require corrective actions or additional remedial measures in order to ensure that environmental impacts are minimized.

Based on the staffs Biological Evaluation and the above considerations, the NRC staff has determined that continued operation of the CFFF under the terms of a renewed license may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the shortnose sturgeon. The NRC has provided supplemental information, including the enclosed responses that further supports this determination. Additionally, as indicated in the NRC staffs responses to the NMFSs October 12, 2017, requests for additional information, the NRC has made a no effect determination for the Atlantic sturgeon and its critical habitat because neither the species nor its critical habitat occur in the action area.

The NRC staff has provided to the NMFS its August 15, 2018, Biological Evaluation; responses to the NMFSs September 22, 2017, October 12, 2017, and December 12, 2017, requests for additional information; copies of WECs Environmental Report; copies of the NPDES permit and permit rationale; as well as various figures and other relevant information. The NRC staff believes this information is sufficient to allow NMFS to complete its review of the proposed CFFF license renewal. Therefore, the NRC respectfully requests that the St. Petersburg NMFS field office provide their 1

concurrence on the NRCs not likely to adversely affect determination for shortnose sturgeon within 30 days of the receipt of this email.

If you have further questions, please contact either me or the staff biologist, Ms. Briana Grange (Briana.Grange@nrc.gov).

Thanks, Jessie Muir Quintero

Jessie Muir Quintero Project Manager, NMSS/FCSE/ERB U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Phone: 301.415.7476 Office: TWFN 4D56 Mailstop: TWFN 4B16 Email: Jessie.Quintero@NRC.gov

2