ML23069A278
| ML23069A278 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pilgrim |
| Issue date: | 03/13/2023 |
| From: | Tanya Smith NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ELRB |
| To: | Spong A State of MN, Historical Society |
| Shared Package | |
| ML23069A264 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML23069A278 (1) | |
Text
Amy Spong Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Administration Building #203 50 Sherburne Ave.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR SCOPING COMMENTS CONCERNING THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF MONTICELLO NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT, UNIT 1 SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (DOCKET NO. 50-263)
Dear Amy Spong:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is conducting a review of the environmental effects of renewing the operating license for Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, Unit 1 (Monticello). Monticello is operated by Northern States Power Company (NSPM) and is located in the City of Monticello, Wright County, Minnesota (address: 2807 County Rd 75 NE, Monticello, MN 55362), on the southern bank of the Mississippi River (see Enclosure 1). The principal structures and features at Monticello include a reactor building, a turbine building, a radioactive waste building, an off-gas stack, a diesel emergency generator building, intake and discharge structures, two mechanical draft cooling towers, the training and conference center, technical and administrative support facilities, a firing range, meteorological towers, and a substation (see Enclosure 2). NSPM submitted an application for the subsequent renewal of Monticellos operating license in a letter dated January 9, 2023, 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 Atomic Energy Commission issued a construction permit for Monticello on June 19, 1967, and operating license on September 8, 1970. The NRC issued the renewed Monticello operating license in 2006; the current operating license expires on September 8, 2030. The requested renewal would extend the operating license expiration date for Monticello to September 8, 2050.
In accordance with Commission Order CLI-22-3, as part of the NRCs license renewal review for the Monticello subsequent license renewal application, a site-specific environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared. The EIS will be 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. Accordingly, the NRC is inviting parties who may be interested in the proposed action to consult on this matter.
The purpose of this letter is to initiate Section 106 consultation with the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office.
March 13, 2023
2 In the context of NHPA, the NRC has determined that the area of potential effects (APE) for this subsequent license renewal includes lands within the nuclear power plant site boundary and the transmission lines up to the first substation that may be directly (e.g., physically) affected by land-disturbing or other operational activities associated with continued plant operations and maintenance and/or refurbishment activities (see Enclosure 3). The APE may extend beyond the nuclear plant site when these activities may indirectly (e.g., visual and auditory) affect historic properties. This determination is made irrespective of land ownership or control.
While preparing its application for subsequent license renewal, NSPM contacted your office by letter dated March 17, 2022, seeking input of the effects from continued operation of Monticello.
By letter dated April 29, 2022, your office recommended that NSPM complete an archaeological survey for areas within the Monticello site and that the facility be subject to an intensive survey and evaluation to determine the eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). By letter dated September 23, 2022, NSPM committed to address part of your recommendation by conducting an architectural survey and evaluation to determine the eligibility of Monticello for listing in the NRHP.
Please provide any comments that you may have on the proposed undertaking within 30 days 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 https://www.regulations.gov/
and searching for Docket ID NRC-2023-0031; directly to MonticelloEnvironmental@nrc.gov; or through the NRC staff email contact listed below.
The NRC will hold a public environmental scoping meeting on March 22, 2023, at the Monticello Community Center, 505 Walnut St., Monticello, MN 55362. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m.
central time and will include an NRC staff presentation of the environmental and safety review processes and opportunity to provide comments. The in-person meeting will be followed by a public environmental scoping webinar meeting on March 29, 2023. Additional information and the agenda for the meetings will be posted on the NRCs Public Meeting Schedule website at https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg.
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 is listed under ADAMS Accession No. ML23009A356. The NRC expects to publish a draft EIS in February 2024. The NRC will forward the draft EIS to you for your review and comment. This draft EIS 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 EIS in October 2024.
3 If you have any questions concerning the NRCs license renewal review, please contact Ms.
Nancy Martinez, at 630-829-9734 or via e-mail at Nancy.Martinez@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Theodore B. Smith, Chief Environmental Review License Renewal Branch Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 50-263 Enclosures
- 1. Area Map, 6-mile radius
- 2. Monticello Layout
- 3. Area of Potential Effects cc: Listserve Sarah Beimer Environmental Review Program Manager Signed by Smith, Theodore on 03/13/23
ML23069A278 OFFICE NMSS/REFS/EMRBNMSS/REFS/ELRB NMSS/REFS/ELRB OGC NMSS/REFS/ELRB NAME AWalker-Smith NMartinez JUmana MCarpentier TSmith DATE 3/12/23 3/13/23 3/13/23 3/13/23 3/13/23 Area Map Monticello Site Layout Area of Potential Effects