ML19256E753
| ML19256E753 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Grand Gulf  |
| Issue date: | 10/30/1979 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19256E749 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7911150141 | |
| Download: ML19256E753 (4) | |
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3 \\
E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 s : '. J
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT APPRAISAL BY THE DIVISION OF SITE SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS SUPPORTING EXTENSION OF EXPIRATION DATES FOR CONSTRUCTION PERMITS NOS. CPPR-118 AND CPPR-119 GRAND GULF NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-416 AND 50-417 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT APPRAISAL Description of the Proposed Action By letter dated August 31, 1979, and as updated by letter dated September 25, 1979, Mississippi Power & Light Company filed a request with the Nuclear Regulatory Comission to extend the earliest and latest dates for completion of construct 1on of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, as specified in Construction Permits CPPR-118 and CPPR-119. The action proposed by the permittee is the issuance of an Order providing for extension of the ecrliest and latest construction completion dates of Units 1 and 2 as follows:
Unit 1:
From April 1, 1079 and October i, 1979, to September 1, 1980 and March 1. 1982.
Unit 2: From October 1,1980 and April 1,1981, to April 1,1983 and October 1,1984.
The staff's Final Environmental Statement (FES) relating to construction of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, was published in August 1973.
Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action ConstructionoftheGrandGulfNucigarStationisapproximately82%
(Unit 1) and 13% (Unit 2) complete.
At this stage of completion, most of the impacts to land, water, and ecosystems have already occurred.
Those that have not (e.g., impacts asscciated with start-up coerations) are expected to be as predicted in the staff's August 1973 FES. The remaining impacts of construction that can be expected as a result of the proposed action are principally those socioeconomic impacts associated with the construction labor force. The construction 1 abor force is presently at its peak anci totals about 4700 workers.2 In the staff's August 1973 FES, the peak construction force was estimated to be 260C workers. Based on this estimate, the FES discussed potential impact:
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of this labor force to the surrounding comunities. At that time, the staff indicated a concern over the region's ability to absorb the educational, medical, and traffic requirements associated with this labor force.
The staff has contacted certain local officials in order to establish the socioeconomic impacts tu t have occurred to date and that ccn be expected during the remaining period of construction. This environmental impact appraisal discusses the results of these staff contacts, and documents the staff conclusion that there will be no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed extension of the construction permit completion dates.
The staff has confirmed that traffic on U.S. Route 61 and on the county roadconnectingRoute61wjththesitehasincreasedconsiderablyover that predicted in the FES.
However, traffic congestion is being mitigated by the addition of a manually controlled traffic light at the intersection of U. S. Route 61 and the county road to the plant site and by the use of Mississippi Power & Light security personnel to assist in traffic control. The Claiborne County Road and Bridge Project, referred to in the FES, is ey.jected to be completed within the year and will provide an additional route for some comuters. Completion of this project will alleviate traffic congestfon in the area. Although the traffic situation is viewed as a serious problem by the County Sheriff's Office, the impacts from this problem will not increase as a result of the proposed action given that the construction is now at its peak, and will be decreasing during the time of extension of the construction permits.
Thus, the contribution of the construction force to traffic congestion and the overall traffic congestion that resul,ts from this project will be in sharp decline.
The anticipated sgortage of medical facilities in Claiborne County has not materialized.
A major addition and renovation of the Claiborne County Hospital was completet in 1977, and it is viewed as fully capable of handling the increased neeos of the County. Two additional doctors have been attracted to the region and a third do tor may also relocate there.
The Claiborne County hospital administrator believes that the improvements to the hospital and the location of r.ew doctors in the area were due entirely to the construction of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station.
Increased pressure on public schools has not materialized in the City of Vicksburg or in Claiborne County.5 The majority of construction workers havesettledinWarrenCountyand,giventhecurrentpeakconstructign force, the 1979-1980 school year is experiencing some overcrowding.
The ove N rowding is most pronounced at the elementary school level.
One school has had to add approximately ten temporary classrooms. The Warran County School Board is presently letting a contract for a new school that should be available in about a year and a half. The Warren County High School is also overcrowded, with an enrollment of approximately 1900 in a facility designed to accomodate 1600 students. Facilities of 1336 315
3-the junior high school are also strained, but the situation there is not viewed as serious. Superintendent Banks of the Warren County school system believes the system is meeting the needs of the students, but that any additional student load, particularly at the elementary school level, would make the system unmanageable. The construction project work force is reportedly presently at its peak, and the pemittee's latest construction manpower schedule projects that labor requirements will f a some 1200 legs by January 1981, and will have declined another 500 ' < Janyary 1982.' Thus, judging from the remaining work to be ccupliced.o extending the construction pemit for Grand Gulf should not result in any substantial net flow of additional students to Warren County Schools during the current school year. Furthemore, the student load attributed to the work force at Grand Gulf is expected to decline for the 1980-1981 school year. Accordingly, we fin.d that the impacts on schools from the construction work during the period of construction permit extension will be insignificant given that the construction work force will begin to decline and continue to decline over the next several years.
The requested extension of the earliest and latest completion dates to September 1,1980 and March 1,1982, for Unit 1 and April 1,1983 and October 1,1984 for Unit 2, are expected to shift comunity tapacts in time and extend the total time the region is subjected to these temporary impacts. The staff believes that, since the project is already in the midst of its peak manpower utilization, the communitic; surrounding the site have experienced the maximum level of socioeconomic trhpacts associated with constructiog of the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station that were predicted in the 1973 FES.
These impacts are not expected to worsen and will decrease with tir.? because of reduction in the labor force. Thus, any further impacts resulting from the proposed dction will be insignificant increments to those already experienced. Finally, extension of the permits will not result in impacts which have not already been identified oy the staff and may result in moderation of impacts compared to those associated with a more compressed construction schedule.
@ clusion and Basis for Negative Declaration On the basis of the foregoing analysis and the staff evaluation, it is concluded that there will be no significant incremental environmental impact attributable to the proposed extension of construction in addition to that alreaiy predicted and evaluated in the Comission's FES issued in August 19/3, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board's Partial Initial Decision of April 5,1974, and that Board's Initial Decision of August 30, 1974. Having reached this conclusion, the staff has further concluded that no environmental impact statement for the proposed action need be prepared, and that a negative declaration to this effect is appropriate.
Dated: October 30, 1979 1336 316
.. 1.
Letter, L. F. Dale, Mississippi Power a Light Co., to J. F. Stolz, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission, August 31, 1979.
2.
Telephone conversation with Paul Holton, Environmental Project Manager, Mississippi Power & Light Co., October 5,1979.
3.
Telephone conversation with John Cupit, Deputy Sheriff of Claiborne Coanty, October 5, 1979.
4.
Telephone conversation with E. P. Spencer, Hospital Administrator of Claiborne County, October 5, 1979.
5.
Telephone conversation with Dr. Robert Cochran, Vicksburg Board of Education, October 5, 1979.
6.
Telephone conversation with Mr. Sharp Banks, Superintendent, llarren County Board of Education, October 5, 1979.
7.
Telephone comunication fra Mr. Paul Holton, Mississippi Power & Light Company, Total Site Population Projections as of August 1979.
8.
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Summary of Aucust 21-22, 1979 Case Load Forecast Panel and Site Visit, Grand Gulf fluclear Station, September 12, 1979.
9.
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Final Environmental Statement, Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, Section 4.4, August 1973.
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