ML22294A190
| ML22294A190 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000053 |
| Issue date: | 10/28/2022 |
| From: | Joshua Borromeo NRC/NRR/DANU/UNPL |
| To: | Greenaway B State of CA, Office of Historic Preservation |
| Hardesty D | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2020-RNW-0038 | |
| Download: ML22294A190 (6) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 October 27, 2022 Mr. Brendon Greenaway Office of Historic Preservation 1725 23rd Street, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95816
SUBJECT:
GE-HITACHI NUCLEAR ENERGY AMERICAS LLCREQUEST FOR A SECTION 106 REVIEW UNDER THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT FOR THE PROPOSED RENEWAL OF FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-33 FOR THE NUCLEAR TEST REACTOR (EPID NO. L-2020-RNW-0038)
Dear Mr. Greenaway:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is conducting an environmental review of the effects of renewing the operating license for the GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC (GEH) Nuclear Test Reactor (NTR). The reactor is housed within Building 105 in the developed area of the Vallecitos Nuclear Center Site, which is located at 6705 Vallecitos Road, Sunol in Alameda County, CA. Under NRC regulations, an operating license may be renewed for up to 20 years. The application for renewal was submitted to the NRC by GEH pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.109, Effect of timely renewal application, the existing operating license will not be deemed to have expired until the application has been finally determined.
As part of the license renewal review, the NRC is preparing a site-specific environmental assessment (EA) in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51, Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions. These regulations also implement section 102(2) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). In accordance with 36 CFR Part 800, Subpart B - The section 106 Process, sections 800.3 -
800.6, the NRC will comply with section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), as amended.
The purpose of this letter is to initiate section 106 consultation with the California Office of Historic Preservation under the NHPA. The EA will include analyses of potential impacts of license renewal on historic properties near the GEH NTR. The area of potential effects (APEs) is the Vallecitos Nuclear Center Site and its immediate areas that may be impacted by continued reactor operations after license renewal. This determination is made irrespective of ownership or control of the lands of interest.
The NHPA requires federal agencies to consider the effects of their undertakings on historic properties. As stated in the NHPA, historic properties are any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in, or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NRHP does not list any historic properties in Alameda County, CA, within 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) of the GEH NTR. The nearest NRHP-listed historic property is the Niles Canyon Transcontinental Railroad Historic District located approximately 1.9 miles
B. Greenaway 2 (3 kilometer) east of the GEH NTR at its nearest point and 7.9 miles east-southeast and 4 miles north-northeast at its farthest points. This historic district consists of a well-preserved 11.6-mile long section of the First Transcontinental Railroad and surrounding right-of-way (100-400 feet wide) that winds through the Nile Canyon from the towns of Sunol, CA to Fremont, CA. It was completed in 1870 largely by Chinese immigrant labor and was the first rail connection between the San Francisco Bay Area and the rest of the continental United States. It functions today as a nonprofit living history museum offering the public both steam and locomotive train rides through the largely unaltered and pristine canyon landscape. The Niles Canyon Transcontinental Railroad Historic District consists of 10 sites (historic stations along the railroad), 97 structures (including bridges, culverts, retaining walls, and phone booths), and 1 building (Sunol Depot).
Significant structures include the Farwell Bridge (5.7 miles east-southeast) and Sunol Depot (2.7 miles east-southeast) from the GEH NTR. The Niles Canyon Transcontinental Railroad Historic District contains a rare unmodernized example of late 19th century to early 20th century mainline railroad construction featuring characteristic narrow railroad beds, sharp turns, and tracks still set in the original alignment from the 1860s.
The renewal of the operating license and the continued operation of the GEH NTR would not require any construction or land disturbing activities, or changes to the reactor facility design.
Furthermore, there have been no major modifications to the NTR facility since the issuance of the original operating license on October 31, 1957. Given the distance to historic properties and given that the proposed action does not involve any changes in land use, new construction, rehabilitation of existing buildings, or demolition, the NRC has determined that there would be no adverse effect on historic properties located near the GEH NTR because of the proposed license renewal.
The NRC requests your written concurrence on the above determination. This correspondence provides the relevant information requested in the California Office of Historic Preservation section 106 submission checklist. Enclosure 1 to this letter is a general location map. Enclosure 2 is a photo showing the APE. Enclosure 3 provides an aerial photograph of the location of the GEH facility.
If you have any questions or require any further information, please contact Duane Hardesty at 301-415-3724, or by email at Duane.Hardesty@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Signed by Borromeo, Joshua on 10/27/22 Joshua M. Borromeo, Chief Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Licensing Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.50-073 License No. R-33
Enclosures:
As stated
ML22294A190 NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/DANU/PM NRR/DANU/LA NMSS/REFS/BC NRR/DANU/BC NAME DHardesty NParker TSmith JBorromeo DATE 10/22/2022 10/24/2022 10/26/2022 10/27/2022 General Location of the Vallecitos Nuclear Center Site Enclosure 1
NTR Area of Potential Effects for the GE-Hitachi Nuclear Test Reactor at the Vallecitos Nuclear Center Site Enclosure 2
Aerial Photograph of the GE-Hitachi Nuclear Test Reactor Facility at the Vallecitos Nuclear Center Enclosure 3