ML19249A643

Notice of Issuance of Amend 1 to CPPR-162 & CPPR-163

ML19249A643
Person / Time
Site:	Phipps Bend
Issue date:	08/06/1979
From:	Sells D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
Shared Package
ML19249A634	List: ML19249A633 ML19249A636 ML19249A643
References
NUDOCS 7908240086
Download: ML19249A643 (2)

Text

,y 7590-01 s

UNITED STATES flUCLEAR REGULATORY-C0:!MISSIO!1

_DOCKETNOS.STN50-553 ANDS 1$5'Y54 TEf!NESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY fiOTICE OF ISSUANCE OF AMEilDMEf1TS TO C0!!STRUCTIO:1 PERMITS flotice is hereby given that the U.S. fluclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has issued Amendments No.1 to Construction Permits flos.

CPPR-162 and CPPR-153 issued to Tennessee Valley Authority for construction of the Phipps Bend fluclear Plant, Unit flos.1 and 2, located at the permittee's site in Hawkins County, Tennessee.

The amendments modify the construction permits to the extent they modify certain commitments made during the course of the environmental review.

The application for the amendments complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Commission's rules and regulations.

Prior public notice of these amendments is not required since the amendments do not involve a significant hazards consideration.

The Commission has determined that the issuance of this amendment will not result in any significant environmental impact and that pursuant to 10 CFR Section 51.5(d)(4) an environmental impact statement, or negative declaration and environmental impact appraisal need not be prepared in connection with issuance of this amendment.

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For furtner details with respect to this action, see (1) the aoplication for amendments dated January 3,1979; and (2) Amendments flo.1 to Construction Permit flos. CPPR-162 and CPPR-163. All of these items are available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 1717 H Street, fl.W.,

Washington, DC and in the Kingsport Public Library, Broad and flew Streets, Kingsport, Tennessee. A copy of items (2) may be obtained upon request addressed to the U.S. fluclear Regulatory Commission, W3shington, DC 20555, Attention: Director, Division of Site Safety and Environmental Analysis.

Dated at Bethesda,f4aryland, this 6th day of August 1979.

FOR THE flUCLEAR REGULATORY C05'4ISSION

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s; Donal'd,,f<. l Y..h '.

k-Sells, Ac.1ng Branch Chief Environmental Projects Branch 2 Division of Site Saf ':y and Environmental Anal. sis

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g TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY CH ATTANOOG A. TEN N ESS E5 37401 500C Chestnut street Tower II January 3,1979 s.

Mr. Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Co= mission Washington, DC 20555

Dear Mr. Denton:

In the Matter of the Application of ) Docket Nos. STN 50-553 Tennessee Valley Authority

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STN 50-55h As a result of TVA's continual reviev of its enrironmental obligations pertaining to the Phipos Bend Nuclear Plant (PENP), we have identified some commitments which we plan to change pending your review and approval.

The co=mitments, reference (s), the proposed changes, and supporting remarks are contained in Enclosure 1. identifies minor co=mitments that are not being implemented ao stated but rather as discussed under the heading Co=mitment as Pretently Being Innlemented.

Very truly youre,

& A6 J. E. Gillelend Assistsnt Manager of Power Enclosures Mr. James P. O'Reilly, Tarector (Enclosures) cc:

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Co= mission Region II - Suite 3100 101 Marietta Street Atlanta, Georgia 30303 I

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E::CLOCURE 1

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1.

Cc mit ent Revegetation efforts in rightsaf-way will include the reestablishment of some native species, as well as the establishment of cracccc (especially.

feacue) and other vildlife food and cover.

References

TRC FZ Section h.l.3.1, p. h-3, first complete parat;raph, second sentence.

Proposed Change Revegetation efforts in rights of way vill include the establishment of Crasses (especially fescue) and other vildlife food and cover (refer to ER Sections 4.3.2, 4.3.3, Appendix N1, and Questions h.9 and L.hl of

Jupplement 1).

Remarks Since native species vill naturally reinvade the area, the discussion regarding reestablishment of native species is not necessary and should be removed.

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Cc r.mitnen t Therefore, at least 6 =cnths prior to construction of the Phipps Eend transmission facilities or inmediately after the final route is determined, TVA vill be required to perform a ground survey of the proposed routes for protected biota (both flora and fauna).

?cterences NRC FEC Section h.l. 3.1, p. L h, firs t complete paragraph, seventh sentence.

Proposed Change After the location of the rights of vay have been determined, TVA biologists vill review any deviations in the route by helicopter not previously assessed in the initial survey to determine if field surveys of any identified sensitive areas are varranted.

Remarks TVA has a comprehensive siting approach for transmission lines which is designed to identify and eliminate pctential conflicts with sensitive oruniquenaturalandculturalresourcefeaturesinthe(Erliestphas[

of the transmission line routing process. This is accomplished through a combination of helicopter observations and ground inspections of proposed corridors before final route selection. Areas which are known to support populations of State or Federally listed threatened, endangered, or otherwise sensitive vildlife and plant species are identified and carefully avoided during the initial phases of line siting. Corridors are then flovn to determine the presence of possible critical or sensitive habitats (i.e., caves, cedar glades, bogs, etc. ), which could support previously unknown populations of threatened or endangered species. If such hubitats are identified during the overflights, the areas are relocated on the ground and inspected to determine whether or not sensitive

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s vildlife and plant species are present or -if the habitat is actually suit-able for such species. In either case, these areas are also avoided during the early siting phase.

After the location of the rights of vay has been determined, TVA biologists vill review any deviations in the route by helicopter nct previously assessed in the initial survey, to determine if field surveys of any identified sensitive areas are warranted. If any such areas may be jeopardised, steps will be taken to avoid impacting the areas of concern.

T7A believes that this comprehensive approach ta transmission line routing should satisfy the staff concerning the routing of T7A transmission lines and their potential for adverse impacts to populations of State or Federally listed threatened or endangered species. T7A biologists who regularly deal with TVA's transmission line siting projects believe that the current procedures are more than adequate to protect sensitive species and critical habitats.

Furthernore, additional ground inspection, as proposed in the commitment, of several hundred miles of trancaission line corridors, which have been previously evaluated, is considered time-consuning, costly and provides no additional degree of assurance.

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3 Com.nitment Tordon 101 vill be used at the rate of 10 lbs/ acre--which is within the present EPA allowable limits.

Reference Appendix N2; Construction Permit Appendix A, p. 3, item 23; c.

NRC FE3 Section 4.5.1.1, p. h-lk, item 23; FE3 Section 5.6.1, p.

5-30.

Proposed Change Tordon 101 vill be used at the rate of 10 lbs/ acre--which is within the present EPA allovsble limits or sir.ilar approved herbicides vill be used within the limits established b:r EPA.

Remarks If different EPA approved herbicides are used for the PB'iP transmission lines, TVA vill prcvide information to the staff si=ilar to that previously provided to the Federal Working Group on Pest Management relating to the use of the herbicides (refer to Enclosure 1, items 8 and 10 of a letter from J. E. Gilleland to H. R. Denton dated June 30, 1977).

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Co=mitment Acreages cf aquatic habitat lost due to constrdetier. (dredging or filling) of intake and discharge facilities will be documented utilir.ing measurements from aerial photographs. Baselire (Section 2.7, Appendix F) and preoperational information (Section 6.2) vill permit quantification and evaluation of these losses.

Reference ER Section 6.1.1.2.1, p. 6.1-3, second paragraph, first and second sentences.

Proroced Ch1nce Acreases of aquatic habitat lost due to construction (dredging or filling) of intake and discharge facilities vill be minimal and vill not result in significant locces. If at some future date, the acreage of aquatic Labitat lost to permanent structures is required for impact assessment, such a deter =ination could adequately be made from existing engineering drawings, maps, or those color aerial photographs nov being taken on an annual basis to monitor construction effects on aquatic macrophytes near

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the site (ER Section 6.1.1.2.3, p. 6.1-5).

Remarks The small area of aquatic habitat permanently lost was determined to be insignificant in terms of fish population reductions (PBNP ER Section 4.1.2.2).

It is our understanding that the NRC has concurred with this accessment (NRC FES Section 4.3.2.1).

Since habitat (and ultimately fish bicmass) loss was determined to be insignificant, docu=entatio2:of such losses vould not appear to provide useful information.

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j j, L aJ In any event, aerial photography would reveal only areas lost to pet ~anent ::tructures above water, and vou.ld not reveal any da age to spevning habitat outside these structures.

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5 Connitnent A set of five ground water observation wells vas installed at the site in 1974. Collections vill begin before initial c1 caring and construction. Quarterly grab samples vill'be collected from these wells and analyzed for the following parancters: Tenperature, pH, conductivity, alkalinity, solids (dissolved and suspended), chemical oxycen demand, nitrogens (nitrate plus nitrite, organic, and annonia), phosphorus (soluble and total), fecal coliforms, copper.

nickel, zine, chromium, boron, sodium, sulfate, manganese, cadmium, and lead.

Reference ER Section 6.1.2.1, first paragraph: ?iRC FES p. 6-5, first paragraph.

t'rocosed Chance Ground water nonitorinc vill not be conducted during the construction phase.

Renarks TVA has determined that acquisition of ground water data during the construction phase at Phipps Bend is not necessary; therefore, we are r= questing that the ground water quality monitoring be deleted as a required activity durir4 this phase. !

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E"CLCSURE 2 1.

Comnitment As Precently Cited All potentially hazardous vasten vill be handled and stored in accordance with applicable reculations to ensure the protection of the employees, public, and environnent. These vastes vill be collected and transported to disposal facilities by a qualified aclid vaste management contractor, in accordance with applicable requirements of EPA's " Regulation for Acceptance and Reco== ended Procedtires for Disposal and Storage ("ay 1,197h)."

Reference Construction Pernit Appendix A, p. 3, item 8; IIRC FE3 Section h.5.1.2,

p. h-15, item 8; ER p. h.1-13, first complete paragraph.

Connittent As Presently Being Icelemented All potentially hazardous vastes vill be handled and stored in accordance with applicable regulations to ensure the protection of the employees, l ablic, and environ =ent.

These vastes vill be collected and transported to an approved disposal facility by a qualified solid vaste management contractor or by TVA in accordance with applicable laws and reCulations.

Reanrks EPA "Re.quiations for Accentance and Peconmended "rc edurec for Oicrocal and Storage (May 1, 197h)" pertains only to pesticides and pesticide containers and not all potential bszardous vastes.

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Commitnent As presently Cited Observations of waterfowl, shore birds, and other vetland species are =ade by bimonthly flichts in a small, single-engine aircraft each year during the period Novembar-April.

Reference a Section 6.1.3, n. 6.1-6, ?Iirrant ard %'ingrinc-Waterfowl - Wetlandu Investigations, first sentence Commitme,nt As Pre;ently Being Inclemented Observatiens of waterfowl, shore birds, and other vetland species are made every two weeks by flights in a small single-engine aircraft each year during the period "ovember-April.

Remarks T7A's aerial surveys have always been performed every two weeks rather than bimonthly.

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Commitment as Presently Cited Observations of vnterfowl, shore birds, and vetland birds are obtained by an observer and a pilot-observer from a small helicopter.

Surveys are conducted at 20-50 feet above the surface at an air speed of 25-30 miles per hour. Bimonthly counts from April through October cover all vetland habitats within a 5-nile radius of the plant site.

Surveys begin at sunrise and end before 11 a.m. EDT. Waterfowl are classified by sex and age; similar criteria are applied to other fauna when possible.

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Beference ER Section 6.1.3, p. 6.1-6/-7, Spring-Sumner Waterfowl Wetlands Investications, second paragraph.

Commitr.ent As Presently Beine L.mlenented Observations of waterfowl, and other birds are obtained by an observer and a pilot-observer from a small helicopter. Surveys are conducted at 20-50 feet above the surface at an air speed of 25-?' miles per hour. Counts which are conducted every two weeks f2 Jril through October cover all vetland habitats within a 5-nile radius of the plant site. Waterfowl are classified by sex and age; similar criteria are applied to other fauna when possible.

Femarks See remarks to Co=mitment 2.

The statement regarding the time period in which surveys are perfor=ed is a holdover from boat censusing which TVA no longer performs (see renu Es Cc=mitment k)..

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Commitment As presently Cited During overfli6 hts and boat censusing general condition of riparian and other vetland habitat vill be evaluated for construction i= pacts.

'crerence ER Section 6.1.3, p. 6.1-6/-7, sprinc-sunmer traterfowl 'Jetlands Investinations, fourth paragraph. first sentence.

Proposed Revision During overflichts general condition of riparian habitat vill be evaluated for construction impacts.

Connitment As Presently Being Innle=ented The use of boats in the spring of 1974 was changed to the use of helicopters beginning in the spring of 1975 and has thus presented advantages over the use of a boat. The helicopter has enabled the survey radius to be extended which better reflected the daily mobility of waterfowl and therefore measure a core realistic impact area In addition, there has been a si nificant time esving in that 6

previously a boat required one full day to survey a site; whereas, with a helicepter, 14 sites can be surveyed in 3 days. In summary, data collection from a helicopter enhances TVA's observation capabilities and also has proven to be highly cost efficient.

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