ML21232A624

State Tribe - Request for Scoping Comments Concerning the Environmental Review of the Oconee SLRA

ML21232A624
Person / Time
Site:	Oconee
Issue date:	08/23/2021
From:	Robert Elliott NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ELRB
To:	Worthy M Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation of South Carolina, Piedmont American Indian Association
Hoffman R, NMSS/REFS/ELRB, 3014151107
Shared Package
ML21231A197	List: ML21232A610 ML21232A617 ML21232A624
References
Download: ML21232A624 (6)

Text

August 23, 2021 Mary Louise Worthy, Chief Piedmont American Indian Association Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation of South Carolina 3688 Warrior Creek Church Rd Gray Court, SC 29645

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR SCOPING COMMENTS CONCERNING THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF OCONEE NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3, SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-269, 50-270 and 50-287)

Dear Chief Worthy:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is conducting a review of the environmental effects of renewing the operating licenses for Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 (ONS).

ONS is operated by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy) and is located primarily in Oconee County, South Carolina, with a portion of the site extending into neighboring Pickens County, South Carolina (see Enclosure 1). Duke Energy submitted an application for the subsequent renewal of ONS operating licenses in a letter dated June 7, 2021, pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 54.

The NRC has defined subsequent license renewal to be the period of extended operation from 60 years to 80 years. The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, authorizes the NRC to issue 40-year initial licenses, and upon application and approval, renew licenses for nuclear power reactors. The NRCs regulations limit these renewals to 20-year increments. Approval of a renewed license is based on the outcome of a safety and environmental review. The NRC issued renewed ONS, Unit 1, 2, and 3 operating licenses in 2000; the current Unit 1 operating license expires on February 6, 2033, the Unit 2 operating license expires on October 6, 2033, and the Unit 3 operating license expires on July 19, 2034. The requested renewals would extend the operating license expiration dates for ONS, Units 1, 2, and 3 to February 6, 2053, October 6, 2053, and July 19, 2054, respectively.

As part of the NRCs license renewal review, a site-specific supplement to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, NUREG-1437, is prepared in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51, the NRCs environmental protection regulations.

These regulations also implement Section 102(2) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). In accordance with 36 CFR 800.8(c), the NRC intends to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (NHPA),

through the NEPA process.

M.L. Worthy In the context of NHPA, the NRC has determined that the area of potential effects (APE) for this subsequent license renewal is the area at the power plant site and its immediate environs that may be impacted by ongoing routine maintenance and operational activities during the license renewal term (see Enclosure 2). The APE may extend beyond the immediate ONS environs if Duke Energy maintenance and operational activities affect offsite historic properties (see ). This determination is made irrespective of ownership or control of the lands of interest.

In accordance with NRCs Tribal Policy Statement, the NRC wishes to ensure that State-recognized Tribes are afforded the opportunity to participate in NRCs licensing process. The NRC invites you to provide input to the scoping process relating to the NRCs environmental review of the subsequent license renewal application. Please provide any comments that you may have on the scope of the environmental review within 30 days of the date of this letter.

Written comments should be submitted by mail to:

ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff Office of Administration Mail Stop: TWFN-7A60M U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Electronic comments may be submitted to the NRC by accessing www.regulations.gov and searching for Docket ID NRC-2021-0146. Because there are limited personnel in the NRC buildings at this time due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the preferred method for providing your comments is electronically through regulations.gov; directly to OconeeEnvironmental@nrc.gov; or using the NRC staff email contact listed below.

The NRC will hold a public environmental scoping webinar on August 25, 2021 from 2:00 p.m.

to 4:00 p.m. eastern time. The webinar will be held online and will offer a telephone line for members of the public to submit comments. The public webinar information is as follows:

Microsoft Teams Meeting: Click here to join the meeting Telephone Bridgeline: 888-469-0954 Bridgeline Passcode: 6208523 The application is available through the web-based version of the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. The environmental report portion of the application (Appendix E) is listed under ADAMS Accession No. ML21158A193. The NRC expects to publish a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement in May 2022. The NRC will forward the draft supplement to you for your review and comment. This draft supplement will include identification of historic properties, assessment of impacts, and a preliminary determination. After consideration of public comments received, the NRC plans to issue the final supplement in December 2022.

M.L. Worthy If you have any questions concerning the NRCs license renewal review, please contact Mr. Robert Hoffman, at 301-415-1107 or via e-mail at Robert. Hoffman@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Signed by Elliott, Robert on 08/23/21 Robert B. Elliott, Chief Environmental Review License Renewal Branch Division of Rulemaking, Environment and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket Nos: 50-269, 50-270 and 50-287

Enclosures:

1. Area Map, 50-mile radius

2. ONS Site Boundary

3. Area Map, 6-mile radius cc: Listserv

Area Map, 50-mile radius Source: ONS Environmental Report Enclosure 1

ONS Site Boundary Source: ONS Environmental Report Enclosure 2

Area Map, 6-mile radius Source: ONS Environmental Report Enclosure 3