ML24207A020

Response to Request for Re-Engagement Regarding the Subsequent License Renewal Environmental Review for Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (Docket Numbers: 50-0266 and 50-0301)

ML24207A020
Person / Time
Site:	Point Beach
Issue date:	08/28/2024
From:	Beverly Smith NRC/NMSS/DREFS/EPMB1
To:	Rasmus P NextEra Energy
References
Download: ML24207A020 (1)

Text

Paul Rasmus General Manager, Regulatory Affairs NextEra Energy, Inc.

700 Universe Blvd.

Juno Beach, FL 33408

SUBJECT:

RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR RE-ENGAGEMENT REGARDING THE SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 (DOCKET NUMBERS: 50-0266 AND 50-0301)

Dear Mr. Rasmus:

The staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC staff) is in receipt of your letter dated June 25, 2024, regarding the subsequent license renewal (SLR) of Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (Point Beach) (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) ML24177A223). NextEra Energy, Inc. (NextEra) requests that the NRC provide a plan for completing the environmental review for Point Beach and issuing a final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the subsequent renewed licenses. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with information on the NRC staffs plan for completing the required regulatory activities associated with these matters.

As noted in your letter, the Commission on May 16, 2024, approved the final rule, SECY-24-0017 - Final Rule: Renewing Nuclear Power Plant Operating Licenses-Environmental Review, which includes updates to Table B-1, Summary of Findings on NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] Issues for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants, in Appendix B, Environmental Effect of Renewing the Operating License of a Nuclear Power Plant, to Part 51, Subpart A, National Environmental Policy Act-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2). The updates to Table B-1 are supported by the revised NUREG-1437, Revision 2, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (LR GEIS), which the Commission approved along with the final rule. The NRC published the final rule on August 6, 2024; the rule will become effective 30 days following publication in the Federal Register. Compliance by license renewal applicants is not required until 1 year from the date of publication. However, the NRC staff must consider and analyze the environmental issues outlined in the final rule and consider any new and significant information associated with subsequent license renewal, once the rule becomes effective. August 28, 2024 P. Rasmus

In order to complete the environmental review for subsequent license renewal of Point Beach, the NRC staff intends to prepare and issue for public comment a draft supplement to the November 2021 draft SEIS (NUREG-1437, Supplement 23, Second Renewal)

(ML21306A226) in accordance with 10 CFR 51.72. The draft supplement will consider the environmental impacts of SLR for Point Beach in accordance with the final rule and Revision 2 of the LR GEIS. The NRC staff will also publish in the Federal Register a notice of its intent to prepare this supplement in accordance with 10 CFR 51.26(d). Thereafter, the NRC staff will consider any comments received on the draft SEIS and the draft supplement and will publish the comments and the staffs responses thereto in a final SEIS. The final SEIS will incorporate any changes to the draft SEIS and draft supplement. Completion of this process would culminate in the issuance of a record of decision regarding NextEras application for subsequent renewed licenses for Point Beach Units 1 and 2.

Consistent with 10 CFR 51.72, the staffs updated environmental review will focus on new information following the issuance of the draft SEIS, including new and revised environmental issues and determinations contained in the Final Rule and revised LR GEIS.

The staff will also consider any new and significant information with respect to generic (i.e.,

Category 1) environmental issues. The staff will request updated information from NextEra to include any new and potentially significant information relevant to the previously submitted environmental report (ML20329A248) as documented in the NRCs November 2021 draft SEIS. Further, the staff will update interagency consultations, such as consultations regarding Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.

The NRC staff agrees that an environmental audit would assist the staff in evaluating new and potentially significant information and otherwise facilitate completion of the staffs environmental review for Point Beach SLR. The staff plans to begin the audit in mid-September. As part of the audit process, the staff will be seeking any new and updated information regarding operational aspects of ongoing and continued nuclear plant operations and any refurbishment. This would include, but would not necessarily be limited to, changes to land use, air pollutant emissions and sources including greenhouse gas emissions, surface water and groundwater usage, cooling system operations and configuration, any Federally protected ecological resources, any historic or cultural resources, plant employment and outage employment, environmental justice, socioeconomic impacts, non-radiological and radiological effluents, occupational and public doses, onsite waste management activities and disposal, environmental monitoring programs, status of compliance (i.e., Federal, State, and local permits and related authorizations), cumulative impacts, and reasonably foreseeable future actions that may be undertaken during the subsequent license renewal term. NextEra has the option, at any time, to supplement its environmental report with updated information, including any new and significant information of which it is aware (see 10 CFR 51.53(c)(3)(iv)).

The NRC staff is developing a detailed schedule to complete the referenced activities. We anticipate restart of the environmental review in September 2024, to align with ongoing license renewal environmental reviews and related work. The estimated resources to complete the environmental review will depend on the amount of new and significant information, therefore the staff will provide the resource estimates after the audit. Note, additional work is required on the safety side to update the Safety Evaluation Report based on the annual reports from the license.

Kevin Folk and Karen Loomis are the assigned environmental project managers for Point Beach. Kevin can be reached via email at kevin.folk@nrc.gov or by phone at 301-415-6944 and Karen can be reached via email at karen.loomis@nrc.gov or by phone at 301-415-5142. The NRC staff will provide status updates concerning its review on the NRC website at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/point-beach-subsequent.html.

Sincerely, Michele Sampson, Director Division of New and Renewed Licenses Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-0266 and 50-0301 cc: Listserv Signed by Sampson, Michele on 08/28/24

ML24207A020 OFFICE PM:REFS/EPMB1 LA:REFSOGCBC:REFS/EPMB1BC:NRR/DNRL/N LRPDIR/NRR/DNRL NAME KFolk AWalker-Smith STurk SKoenick LGibson MSampson DATE 08/01/2024 08/01/2024 08/15 /2024 08/01/2024 08/19/2024 08/28/2024