ML19305D439
| ML19305D439 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Allens Creek File:Houston Lighting and Power Company icon.png |
| Issue date: | 04/02/1980 |
| From: | Ballard R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Woolstenhulme J INTERIOR, DEPT. OF, FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8004150076 | |
| Download: ML19305D439 (3) | |
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Applicant / Service list Docket Ho. 30-G G RBallard RFroelich JCannon Mr. Jack P. Moolstenhulme NRR Reading U. S. Department of the Interior EP-1 Reading i
Fish and Wildlife Service EP File P. O. Box 1306 TE&
Albuquerque, New Mexico 07103 i
Dear ifr. !!oolstenhulne:
On April 26, 1979, the !!uclear Regulatory Comission requested any additional information available from the Department of Interior on the presence of any listed or proposed to be listed endangered or threatened species in the l
area of the nroposed Allens Creek Huclear Ganerating Station site in Austin i
County, Texas.
Your letter of May 22, 1979, inforned us that the original list of pronosed and listed species which tras provided to Dr. Frank Sanders l
l i
on October 19,1977,for the Allens Creek project was still valid except for i
one change. The eagle (!iali metus leucocaphalus) is now listed as endangered in Texas. There no longer is a differentiation between southern and northarq races of this species. Therefore, effects of this project upon nigrant bald eagles, as well as those which night nest there, nust be considered.
l The enclosed Staff Assessment sumarizes the staff analyses of potential l
inpacts to endangered or threatenad species resulting from construction and oneration of Allens Creek Huclear Generating Station.
It appears that i
the presence of bald eagles at the project site is unlikely, and that this observation applies to migrant as tiell as to resident populations. This permits us to conclude that the Allens Creek project is not expected to impact bald eagles, and that further assessment of this species is not required.
Please contact me at (301) 492-3443 if further information is needed.
I Sincerely, I
Original sig:Hedler Ronald L. Balbrd Ronald L. Ballard, Chief Environmental Projects Dranch 1 Division of Site Safety and I
Environmental Analysis
Enclosure:
As stated y
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Dr. Frank Sanders DSE:ES
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STAFF ASSESSMENT Effects of the Allens Creek Project on Endangered / Threatened Species The Final Environmental Statement (FES) and the FES Supplement for the Allens Creek Nuclear Generating Station (ACNGS) contain assessments of the effects of the proposed project on endangered and threatened species.
Briefly, these analyses have found that no species listed as endangered or threatened by the USFWS has been observed or is likely to be on the site.
One transmission line route crosses habitat of the endangered Attwater's Prairie Chicken. The Nuclear Regilatory Commission has consulted with the USFWS on the possible effects construction and operation of the trans'nission line might have on the prairia chicken population.
Since the applicant is committed to avoid ec;.struction activities associated with the prairie chicken habitat during the nesting season (February through June), the USFWS concurred that the project will not adversely affect the Attwater's Prairie Chicken habitat or continued survival of the population in question.
In a letter dated May 22, 1979,I the USFWS noted that both migratory (northern) and resident (southern) bald eagles should be considered in the assessment of endangered species. The FES and FES Supplement both address impacts of the project on southern bald eagles, but do not discuss possible impacts on the northern race since it was not listed as an endangered species at the time the assessments were done.
Studies of bald eagles by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department,3 (TPWD) have reported only one siting of a bald eagle in Austin County over the period 1971-1978. These studies indicate that concentrations of bald eagles mainly occur along the coast and near large bodies of water such as the Toledo Bend Reservoir northeast of Houston.
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Since the TPWD studies suggest that concentrations of bald eagles are unlikely to occur in the vicinity of the proposed site and since no sitings of eagles or eagle nests were made during field studies for the Environmental Report, it appears unlikely that construction and operation of the ACNGS facility will have any adverse impacts on either migratory or resident populations of bald eagles.
References 1.
Letter to Mr. Ronald L. Ballard, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission from J. P. Woolstenhulme, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dated May 22, 1979.
2.
Smith, J.
C., Project Leader, Bald Eagle-0sprey Survey. Job Performance Report, Nongame Wildlife Investigations, Job No. 30.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, TX. August 31, 1976.
3.
W. C. Brownlee.
Bald Eagle-0sprey Survey.
Performance Report, Nongame Wildlife Investigations Job No. 30.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, TX.
January 18, 1979.
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