ML19263C880
| ML19263C880 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Peach Bottom  |
| Issue date: | 09/20/2019 |
| From: | Beard K US Dept of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service |
| To: | Briana Grange Division of Materials and License Renewal |
| Briana Grange 301-415-1042 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML19263C880 (4) | |
Text
From: Kristy Beard - NOAA Federal To: Grange, Briana Cc: Karen Greene - NOAA Federal
Subject:
[External_Sender] Re: NRC Issuance of Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Peach Bottom License Renewal; Opportunity for Public Comment; and Essential Fish Habitat Determinations Date: Friday, September 20, 2019 11:48:09 AM Thanks Briana.
We do not have staff time to review the SEIS and associated EFH information. Our lack of review and comment does not imply our support.
Kristy Kristy Beard Marine Habitat Resource Specialist Habitat Conservation Division NOAA Fisheries 200 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, MD 21401 http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
On Mon, Aug 5, 2019 at 9:19 AM Grange, Briana <Briana.Grange@nrc.gov> wrote:
Good morning Karen and Kristy, The purpose of this email is to notify you that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the proposed license renewal of Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 (Peach Bottom) in York County, Pennsylvania. During preparation of the SEIS, the NRC staff determined that the proposed action would result in no adverse effects to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH). This email describes the proposed action, summarizes the NRCs environmental review, and explains how the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) may submit public comments on the draft SEIS.
Proposed Action Peach Bottom is a two-unit nuclear power plant located along the western shore of Conowingo Pond on a 769-acre site near Delta, Pennsylvania, in York County. The plant lies approximately 19 miles south of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; 30 miles to the southeast of York, Pennsylvania; and 38 miles north of Baltimore, Maryland.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon) operates and maintains the plant. The NRC issued facility operating licenses for Peach Bottom in October 1973 (Unit 2) and July 1974 (Unit 3), and commercial operations began in July 1974 (Unit 2) and December 1974 (Unit 3). In 2003, the NRC issued renewed facility operating licenses authorizing an additional 20 years of plant operation through August 2033 (Unit 2) and July 2034 (Unit 3).
The NRCs Federal action is the decision whether to issue subsequent renewed operating licenses for Peach Bottom authorizing an additional 20 years of operation. If the NRC grants Exelon renewed licenses, the company could continue to operate Peach Bottom until August 2053 (Unit 2) and July 2054 (Unit 3).
National Environmental Policy Act Review In support of its review of the proposed action, the NRC staff prepared a draft SEIS to comply with NEPA and the NRCs environmental regulations at 10 CFR Part 51 that implement NEPA. The draft SEIS addresses the environmental impacts of the proposed action and relevant alternatives.
The draft SEIS is available online at:
https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1921/ML19210D453.pdf.
The NRC is accepting public comments on the draft SEIS pursuant to NEPA through September 23, 2019. You may submit comments either online or via U.S.
mail.
Online: Go to the Federal Rulemaking website at http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0130.
U.S. mail: Address comments to Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
The NRC staff will also hold a public meeting prior to the close of the public comment period to present an overview of the draft SEIS and to accept public comments on the document. The meeting will be held on September 12, 2019, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Peach Bottom Inn, 6085 Delta Road, Delta, PA 17314. The NRC staff will also host an open house one hour before the meeting for members of the public to meet with staff and sign in to speak.
EFH Determinations As part of its environmental review, the NRC staff evaluated the potential impacts of Peach Bottom subsequent license renewal on the EFH of the following six federally managed species:
Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) clearnose skate (Raja eglanteria) little skate (Leucoraja erinacea) red hake (Urophycis chuss) windowpane flounder (Scophthalmus aquosus) winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata)
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council and NMFS have not designated any portion of the Susquehanna River above Conowingo Dam as EFH. However, these agencies have designated EFH near the mouth of the Susquehanna River, and some of these species consume anadromous fish that inhabit the lower
Susquehanna River, including Conowingo Pond. Because of the potential for the proposed Peach Bottom license renewal to affect anadromous prey of EFH species, which could in turn affect the downstream abundance or availability of prey near the mouth of the Susquehanna River, the NRC staff conservatively chose to evaluate the effects of the proposed license renewal on anadromous prey to determine whether this would constitute a potential adverse effect.
The NRCs EFH analysis appears within the following sections of the draft SEIS.
Section 3.8.2 describes the relevant life history characteristics and EFH designations of the six federally managed species.
Section 4.8.1.4 evaluates the potential for the proposed action to impact EFH during the proposed license renewal term.
Appendix C.1 describes the NRCs obligations under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and relevant correspondence with the NMFS in connection with the NRC staffs review of the proposed action.
In Section 4.8.1.4 of the draft SEIS, the NRC staff finds that the proposed action would not result in any adverse impacts to EFH. The Peach Bottom subsequent license renewal would have no direct effects on the EFH of any species because no designated EFH is present in Conowingo Pond. All potential adverse impacts on EFH would be limited to loss of prey for those EFH species that consume anadromous prey species that migrate through Conowingo Pond. Atlantic herring, clearnose skate, and red hake do not consume anadromous prey fish. Therefore, subsequent license renewal would result in no effects on the designated EFH of these species. Although the remaining EFH specieslittle skate, windowpane flounder, and winter skateconsume anadromous prey fish, these fish constitute a minor portion of the three EFH species diet. Some anadromous prey fish are present in Conowingo Pond. The gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) is common in the pond, while all Alosa species have been rare in collections associated with Conowingo Pond aquatic studies. None of the available studies or other information indicates that impingement, entrainment, thermal effects, or indirect impacts to the habitat of these anadromous species would be noticeably affected from Peach Bottom operations during the subsequent license renewal term.
Accordingly, no adverse effects to EFH would result from loss of prey, and the NRC staff concludes that the proposed action would have no adverse effects on the designated EFH for little skate, windowpane flounder, or winter skate.
Because the NRC staff concludes that the proposed action would have no adverse effects on the EFH of any federally managed species, the NRC staff also finds that EFH consultation for the proposed action is not required.
Conclusion If you have any questions about this email, the NRCs draft SEIS, the NEPA public comment period, the NRCs upcoming public meeting, or the NRCs determination that EFH consultation is not required for the proposed action, please reach out to me by phone or email.
ML19211C601 OFFICE PM:MRPB:DMLR BC:MENB:DMLR AB:MENB:DMLR NAME DDrucker BBeasley BGrange DATE 7/30/19 8/2/19 8/5/19