ML20244A239

Comment (10) E-mail Regarding WEC - Cfff EIS Scoping

ML20244A239
Person / Time
Site:	Westinghouse
Issue date:	08/23/2020
From:	Public Commenter Public Commenter
To:	Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
NRC/NMSS
References
85FR46193
Download: ML20244A239 (5)

Text

From: JUDGE, CHRIS <judgec@email.sc.edu>

Sent: Sunday, August 23, 2020 12:20 PM To: WEC_CFFF_EIS Resource

Subject:

[External_Sender] Docket ID NRC-2015- 0039, Westinghouse, Columbia SC EIS/Cultural Resources Attachments: Westinghouse EIS Scoping FRN.pdf Re: Docket ID NRC-2015- 0039/Westinghouse Fuel Fabrication Facility, Columbia SC.

Deadline: August 31, 2020 To Whom it May Concern:

As you move forward to determine the appropriate scope of the EIS for the Westinghouse Fuel Fabrication Facility, including significant environmental issues, I strongly urge you to consider the impacts to archaeological sites in the general vicinity of this facility. The archaeology here is an environmental as well as a cultural issue. My chief concern is that should these cultural resources and sites become contaminated they would become off limits to archaeological research as they would jeopardize the health and safety of those excavating the sites. Archaeology requires digging below the ground surface, touching soil with hands, and retaining soil samples for further study and analyses. The health of this physical environment must be protected at all costs in order that we might learn from such cultural resources and educate the citizens of South Carolina.

While there are many such archaeological sites known in the vicinity (for instance over 600 are known on nearby Fort Jackson), many others have yet to be discovered, identified, and investigated. Perhaps most significantly is that this area along the Congaree River was home to the Late 17th/Early 18th century Congaree Indian Tribe who first appear in South Carolina Colonial periods records in 1691. The documentary evidence of the Congaree people is extremely limited and the path to learning about this group, marginalized and disenfranchised by traditional written histories, lies both on and beneath the ground. These people lived on both the high ground and on the hummocks of the river swamp. Native American burial sites have been identified in close proximity to the Westinghouse Facility and others are certainly present elsewhere.

While I have concentrated on the Congaree Indians other important events in the precontact and contact periods are known. Native Americans lived along the Congaree for some 12,000 years and those sites are buried in the Congaree River floodplain, down slope of the Westinghouse Facility. Later in time, Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto and his army of 600 men trekked through and camped in the area during late April of A.D. 1540 and visited a nearby Native American Town associated with the Chiefdom of Cofitachequi. While documents have been discovered of this expedition and translated from Spanish to English, archaeological evidence of this has yet to be discovered. This expedition is important and significant to American, Spanish as well as South Carolina history. Later some of the earliest European Americans to live in Richland County in the Early 18th century made their homes along Gills and Mill Creek.

I trust you will consider the significant cultural resources in the immediate proximity as environmental resources as you prepare an EIS for this potentially dangerous facility.

Sincerely; Christopher Judge Christopher Judge, Archaeologist University of South Carolina Lancaster Native American Studies Center 119 South Main Street Lancaster, SC 29720

Federal Register Notice: 85FR46193 Comment Number: 10 Mail Envelope Properties (BN7PR19MB22254F5E4EEE9637981F7987E8590)

Subject:

[External_Sender] Docket ID NRC-2015- 0039, Westinghouse, Columbia SC EIS/Cultural Resources Sent Date: 8/23/2020 12:20:07 PM Received Date: 8/23/2020 12:20:14 PM From: JUDGE, CHRIS Created By: judgec@email.sc.edu Recipients:

Post Office: BN7PR19MB2225.namprd19.prod.outlook.com Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 3164 8/23/2020 12:20:14 PM Westinghouse EIS Scoping FRN.pdf 256569 Options Priority: Standard Return Notification: No Reply Requested: No Sensitivity: Normal Expiration Date:

Recipients Received:

Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 148 / Friday, July 31, 2020 / Notices 46193 interested persons in ADAMS, as indicated.

ADAMS Document accession No.

NUREG-2191, Generic Aging Lessons Learned for Subsequent License Renewal (GALL-SLR) Report ................................. ML16274A389 ML16274A399 NUREG-2192, Standard Review Plan for Review of Subsequent License Renewal Applications for Nuclear Power Plants .... ML16274A402 Draft SLR-ISG-MECHANICAL-2020-XX; Updated Aging Management Criteria for Mechanical Portions of Subsequent Li- ML20156A330 cense Renewal Guidance.

Draft SLR-ISG-STRUCTURES-2020-XX; Updated Aging Management Criteria for Structures Portions of Subsequent Li- ML20156A338 cense Renewal Guidance.

Draft SLR-ISG-ELECTRICAL-2020-XX; Updated Aging Management Criteria for Electrical Portions of Subsequent License ML20156A324 Renewal Guidance.

Errata for draft Mechanical ISG ........................................................................................................................................................ ML20198M382 The NRC may post additional Therefore, the NRC staff will prepare an I. Obtaining Information and materials to the Federal Rulemaking EIS to document the potential Submitting Comments website at https://www.regulations.gov environmental impacts from the A. Obtaining Information under Docket ID NRC-2020-0160. The proposed action (i.e., whether to renew Federal Rulemaking website allows you WECs CFFF operating license) and Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2015-to receive alerts when changes or reasonable alternatives. As part of the 0039 when contacting the NRC about additions occur in a docket folder. To EIS development process, the NRC is the availability of information for this subscribe: (1) Navigate to the docket seeking comments on the scope of its action. You may obtain publicly-folder (NRC-2020-0160); (2) click the environmental review. available information related to this Sign up for Email Alerts link; and (3) action by the following methods:

DATES: Comments must be filed by

• Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to enter your email address and select how August 31, 2020. Comments received frequently you would like to receive https://www.regulations.gov and search after this date will be considered, if it for Docket ID NRC-2015-0039.

emails (daily, weekly, or monthly). is practical to do so, but the

• NRCs Agencywide Documents Dated: July 27, 2020. Commission is able to ensure Access and Management System For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. consideration only for comments (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-Robert Caldwell, received on or before this date. available documents online in the Deputy Director, Division of New and ADDRESSES: You may submit comments ADAMS Public Documents collection at Renewed Licenses, Office of Nuclear Reactor by any of the following methods: https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/

Regulation. adams.html. To begin the search, select

• Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to

[FR Doc. 2020-16565 Filed 7-30-20; 8:45 am] Begin Web-based ADAMS Search. For https://www.regulations.gov and search BILLING CODE 7590-01-P for Docket ID NRC-2015-0039. Address problems with ADAMS, please contact questions about Docket IDs in the NRCs Public Document Room Regulations.gov to Jennifer Borges; reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-NUCLEAR REGULATORY 415-4737, or by email to pdr.resource@

COMMISSION telephone: 301-287-9127; email:

Jennifer.Borges@nrc.gov. For technical nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number

[Docket No. 70-1151; NRC-2015-0039] questions, contact the individual listed for each document referenced is in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION provided in a table at the end of this Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC; CONTACT section of this document. document.

Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility

• Project Website: Information related

• Mail comments to: Office of to the WEC project can be accessed on AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN the NRCs project web page at: https://

Commission. A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory www.nrc.gov/info-finder/fc/

Commission, Washington, DC 20555- westinghouse-fuel-fab-fac-sc-lc.html.

ACTION: Intent to prepare an 0001.

environmental impact statement and

• Email comments to: WEC_CFFF_ B. Submitting Comments conduct a scoping process; request for comment. EIS.resource@nrc.gov. Please include Docket ID NRC-2015-For additional direction on obtaining 0039 in your comment submission. The

SUMMARY

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory information and submitting comments, NRC cautions you not to include Commission (NRC) will conduct a see Obtaining Information and identifying or contact information that scoping process to gather information Submitting Comments in the you do not want to be publicly necessary to prepare an environmental SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of disclosed in your comment submission.

impact statement (EIS) related to the this document. The NRC posts all comment review of Westinghouse Electric submissions at https://

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Company, LLCs (WEC) request to renew www.regulations.gov and will enter the its operating license for its Columbia Diana Diaz-Toro, Office of Nuclear comment submissions into ADAMS.

Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF) in Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.

The NRC does not routinely edit Hopkins, South Carolina. The NRC had Nuclear Regulatory Commission, comment submissions to remove published a draft environmental Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone:

identifying or contact information.

assessment (EA) but determined it was 301-415-0930; email: Diana.Diaz- If you are requesting or aggregating not able to conclude the review in a Toro@nrc.gov. comments from other persons for finding of no significant impact. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: submission to the NRC, then you should VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:33 Jul 30, 2020 Jkt 250001 PO 00000 Frm 00127 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM 31JYN1

46194 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 148 / Friday, July 31, 2020 / Notices inform those persons not to include operate under its current license until it alternatives. The EIS will also consider identifying or contact information that expires in 2027. unavoidable adverse environmental they do not want to be publicly Other Alternatives to the Proposed impacts, the relationship between short-disclosed in their comment submission. ActionThe NRC is considering other term uses of resources and long-term Your request should state that the NRC alternatives to the proposed action, productivity, and irreversible and does not routinely edit comment including the granting of WECs license irretrievable commitments of resources.

submissions to remove such information renewal request, but for a period of less The following resource areas were before making the comment than 40 years. Other alternatives not addressed in the draft EA and, thus, will submissions available to the public or listed here may be identified during be addressed in the EIS: Land use, entering the comment submissions into scoping or through the EIS development transportation, geology and soils, water ADAMS. process. resources, ecological resources, air IV. Scoping quality and climate change, noise, II. Discussion historical and cultural resources, visual The NRC intends to prepare an EIS for The NRC staff is conducting a scoping and scenic resources, socioeconomics, the WEC license renewal application for process for the WEC CFFF EIS. In public and occupational health, waste its CFFF in accordance with part 51 of accordance with 10 CFR 51.29, the NRC management, accidents, and title 10 of the Code of Federal seeks public input to help the NRC environmental justice.

Regulations (10 CFR) Environmental determine the appropriate scope of the The NRC encourages members of the Protection Regulations for Domestic EIS, including significant environmental public, local, State, Tribal, and Federal Licensing and Related Regulatory issues to be analyzed in depth, as well government agencies to participate in as those that should be eliminated from Functions. The NRC will provide the the scoping process. Written comments detailed study because they are public with an opportunity to may be submitted during the scoping peripheral or are not significant.

participate in the environmental The NRC previously accepted period as described in the ADDRESSES scoping process by inviting them to comments on the draft EA published in and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION submit written comments in the scoping October 2019. Those comments can be sections of this document.

period. found at https://www.regulations.gov The NRC staff will continue its III. Alternatives To Be Evaluated under Docket ID NRC-2015-0039 or in environmental review of WECs license NRCs ADAMS Public Documents renewal application, and with an NRC The EIS will analyze the collection at https://www.nrc.gov/ contractor, prepare a draft EIS and environmental impacts of the proposed reading-rm/adams.html, and will be publish it for public comment as soon action, the no-action alternative, and considered in the development of the as practicable. The NRC staff plans to reasonable alternatives. A brief EIS. have a public comment period for the description of each is provided below. After the close of the scoping period, draft EIS. Availability of the draft EIS Proposed actionThe proposed the NRC staff will prepare a concise and the dates of the public comment Federal action is to renew WECs CFFF summary of its scoping process in period will be announced in a future operating license (SNM-1107) which accordance with 10 CFR 51.29(b). The Federal Register notice. The final EIS will allow continued operation of the scoping summary report will be sent to will include NRCs responses to public facility (i.e., fabricating nuclear fuel for each participant in the scoping process comments received on the draft EIS.

nuclear reactors) for an additional 40 for whom the staff has a physical or years. V. Availability of Documents email address.

No-Action AlternativeThe no-action The WEC CFFF EIS will address the The documents identified in this alternative would be to not renew potential impacts from the proposed notice are accessible to interested WECs license. Under this alternative, action, including both radiological and persons by the means indicated in either the NRC would not issue the license non-radiological impacts associated the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section renewal and CFFF would continue to with the proposed project and its of this notice or in the table below.

ADAMS Document accession No.

Westinghouse license renewal application (August 2019) ............................................................................................................. ML19234A077 Environmental Report (March 2019) ............................................................................................................................................... ML19088A100 NRCs Draft Environmental Assessment (October 2019) ............................................................................................................... ML19228A278 Final Interim Remedial Investigation Data Summary Report (February 2020) .............................................................................. ML20063P321 Letter to Westinghouse regarding decision to pursue an EIS (June 2020) ................................................................................... ML20150A289 Dated: July 20, 2020. NUCLEAR REGULATORY ACTION: Notice of submission to the For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. COMMISSION Office of Management and Budget; Jessie M. Quintero, request for comment.

Acting Chief, Environmental Review Materials [NRC-2019-0183]

SUMMARY

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Branch, Division of Rulemaking, Commission (NRC) has recently Environmental and Financial Support, Office Information Collection: NRC Form 749, submitted a request for renewal of an of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. Manual License Verification Report/ existing collection of information to the

[FR Doc. 2020-16150 Filed 7-30-20; 8:45 am] License Verification System Office of Management and Budget BILLING CODE 7590-01-P (OMB) for review. The information AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory collection is entitled, NRC Form 749, Commission. Manual License Verification Report/

License Verification System.

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