ML24257A022
| ML24257A022 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Point Beach  |
| Issue date: | 09/05/2024 |
| From: | Kevin Folk NRC/NMSS/DREFS/EPMB1 |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML24257A022 (1) | |
Text
Supplemental Audit Information Needs (Data Gaps)
Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 Update to Environmental Review, 2024
Described below in three categories (i.e., virtual tours, meetings, and information needs and document requests, as applicable) are the information needs of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff for Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2. Please arrange for the tours and meetings specified below to occur during the virtual environmental audit. Additionally, we ask that you provide responses to the information needs on the electronic portal and make subject matter experts available to discuss these items with the NRC staff.
Virtual Tours Please arrange for, and provide appropriate subject matter experts to contribute to, the following virtual tours. For the virtual tours, please provide photographs, diagrams, location maps, and/or callouts for specific components that would be of interest for the features noted.
Number and Title Features Observed NRC Participants
- 1. Virtual Virtual walk-through of the following via All Tour-General photographs and/or diagrams:
site
- Exterior grounds
- Transmission lines
- Historic and cultural sites
- Possible alternative power generation locations
- Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI)
- Radwaste/mixed waste storage locations
- Cooling water intake and discharge locations and permitted outfalls
- Plant views from publicly accessible areas
Meetings
Please be prepared to schedule breakout meetings with the appropriate subject matter expert(s) and/or contractor(s) concerning the following topics. Those in attendance should be prepared to discuss the corresponding questions as described in the Information Needs and Document Requests section below. The staff intends to use these breakout meetings, as needed, to resolve or clarify any outstanding data needs or questions arising from the supplemental environmental audit. The NRC intends to leverage virtual breakouts to the extent possible.
Monday, September 16, 2024 [All times are EST and Tentative]
START END ACTIVITY ATTENDEES/Technical Lead 9:00 am 9:30 am Entrance Meeting U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and NextEra 9:30 am 10:30 am Virtual Tour NRC and NextEra subject matter experts (SMEs) 10:30 am 11:00 am Overview/General Topics NRC and NextEra
1 Supplemental Environmental Audit Logistics and Information Needs Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
Geologic Environment, Surface 11:00 am 12:00 pm Water Resources, and Kevin Folk Groundwater 12:00 pm 1:00 pm Lunch Break Aquatic Resources, Federally Protected Ecological Resources, Briana Arlene, Jeff Rikhoff, and 1:00 pm 3:00 pm Historic and Cultural Resources, Caroline Hsu Land Use and Visual Resources, and Terrestrial Resources 3:00 pm 3:30 pm Daily Closeout NRC and NextEra
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 START END ACTIVITY ATTENDEES Air Quality, Noise, Greenhouse Gases/Climate Change, 9:00 am 11:30 am Cumulative Effects and Nancy Martinez, Robert Replacement Power Alternatives, Hoffman, and Jeff Rikhoff Environmental Justice and Socioeconomics 11:30 am 12:30 pm Lunch Break 12:30 pm 3:00 pm Human Health, Uranium Fuel Cycle, and Termination of Leah Parks and Don Palmrose Operations and Decommissioning 3:00 pm 3:30 pm Postulated Accidents/SAMA Jerry Dozier, NRC EPMs (K Folk and Karen Loomis) 3:30 pm 4:00 pm Closeout Meeting NRC EPMs and NextEra
Information Needs and Document Requests Information needs and document requests are identified below by topic.
General (All)
The following requests are generic to more than one environmental resource area. Issues applicable to these questions are provided below along with the responsible NRC subject matter expert, as appropriate.
GEN-1 Provide a status update (i.e., existing permits including renewal application or anticipated reissuance date) for all permits/authorizations slated to expire within the next 12 months (e.g., wastewater treatment plant operating permit, expires 7/1/2024) and information for any new permits/authorization. See Table B-2 in the draft SEIS (NUREG-1437, Supplement 23; ML21306A226).
GEN-2 Provide an update for all 5-year data snapshots to include 2023 calendar year and any available 2024 reporting year data (e.g., air pollutant emissions, GHG emissions, surface water and groundwater usage, unplanned radioactive effluent releases, WPDES permit exceedances, spill reports, etc.). See specific requests below.
2 Supplemental Environmental Audit Logistics and Information Needs Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
Document Needs
None at present.
Subject Matter Area-Specific The following requests are specific to a single environmental review area. If a topic is not provided below, the discussions held in response to the generic requests above are expected to fully cover that topic.
Replacement Energy Alternatives (Robert Hoffman)
Audit Needs
None at present.
Document Needs
None at present.
Land Use and Visual Resources (Caroline Hsu)
Audit Needs
LV-1 Section 3.2.1.2 of the draft SEIS states in part that NextEra submitted a CZMA consistency certification package (dated November 10, 2020) to the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP) in support of Point Beach SLR. As of publication of the draft SEIS, the NRC had not been notified that the WCMP concurred with NextEras submittal. Since NextEra submitted its CZMA consistency certification package to the WCMP in 2020, has the WCMP commented or concurred on the CZMA consistency certification? If so, please provide documentation.
Document Needs
None at present.
Air Quality (Nancy Martinez)
Audit Needs
AQN-1 Table 3-4 of the draft SEIS shows annual emissions from air emission permitted sources at Point Beach for years 2014-2018. Provide updated annual emissions from permitted sources for years 2019-2023.
AQN-2 Section 3.3.2 of the draft SEIS and NextEras environmental report (ER) Section 3.3.3.2 (ADAMS ML20329A248) states that that between 2014-2019, NextEra received one notice of non-compliance pertaining to Point Beachs air permit. The portal additional information documents indicate that NextEra did not receive any notices of violation for 2020 through 2022. Has NextEra received any notices of violation or noncompliance since 2022 to date?
3 Supplemental Environmental Audit Logistics and Information Needs Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
AQN-3 Table 3-3 of the draft SEIS and Table 3.3-9 of the ER lists permitted air emission sources at Point Beach. Have there been any changes (e.g., new sources, exempted sources, different/new permit conditions, etc.) from those identified and listed in Table 3-3 of the draft SEIS?
Document Needs
AQN-4 Section 3.3.2 of the draft SEIS identifies that Point Beach holds an Air Pollution Control Operation Permit (Permit No. 436034500- P32) that expired on July 6, 2022.
Please provide a copy of the most recent renewed air permit.
Meteorology and Climatology (Nancy Martinez)
Audit Needs
None at present.
Document Needs
None at present.
Noise (Nancy Martinez)
Audit Needs
NOI-1 Section 3.3.3 of the draft EIS states that between 2014-2020, NextEra did not receive any noise complaints for Point Beach operations. The portal additional information documents indicate that NextEra did not receive any noise complaints for Point Beach for the period 2019 through 2023. Have there been any noise complaints regarding Point Beach operations since 2023?
NOI-2 Section 3.3.3 of the draft EIS and Section 3.4 of the ER state that primary noise sources at Point Beach include emergency diesel generators, turbine generators, transformers, speakers, transmission lines, firing range, and mainsteam safety valves. Confirm that there have been no changes to primary noise sources at Point Beach from those identified in the draft EIS and ER.
NOI-3 Section 3.3.3 of the draft EIS states that primary noise sources in the vicinity of Point Beach includes vehicular traffic and farm machinery. Have there been any changes in primary offsite noise sources in the vicinity of Point Beach since publication of the draft EIS?
Document Needs
None at present.
Geologic Environment (Kevin Folk)
Audit Needs
None at present.
4 Supplemental Environmental Audit Logistics and Information Needs Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
Document Needs
None at present.
Water Resources - Surface Water (Kevin Folk)
Audit Needs
SW-1 Provide a status summary (update) of Point Beach's Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES), which expired in 2021.
SW-2 Provide an updated summary of annual surface water withdrawals for the period 2021-2024, as available (see Table 3-5 in the Draft SEIS).
Document Needs
SW-3 Provide copies of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources s (WDNR) April 1, 2024, draft renewed WPDES permit fact sheet with supporting documentation.
Water Resources - Groundwater Resources (Kevin Folk)
Audit Needs
None at present.
Document Needs
None at present.
Terrestrial Resources (Caroline Hsu)
Audit Needs
TER-1 The portal additional information documents indicate that NextEra is not aware of any wildlife and avian (birds, bats, etc.) incidents, mortalities, injuries, nest relocations, etc. that have occurred at Point Beach with the past 5 years (2019-2023). Confirm if any such incidences have occurred since 2023. If so, provide relevant incident reports.
Document Needs
None at present.
Aquatic Resources (Briana Arlene)
Audit Needs
None at present.
5 Supplemental Environmental Audit Logistics and Information Needs Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
Document Needs
None at present.
Federally Protected Ecological Resources (Briana Arlene)
Audit Needs
FPE-1 In 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued a 12-month finding announcing its intent to prepare a proposed rule to list the monarch butterfly as threatened (85 FR 81813). In 2022, the FWS identified the monarch butterfly listing action as a priority (87 FR 26152). This species range includes Manitowoc County.
Provide an analysis of the potential impacts of the proposed SLR on the monarch butterfly.
FPE-2 FYI: In September 2024, the FWS is scheduled to make a listing determination on whether to list the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. If listed, the FWS intends to release a Rangewide Northern Long-eared Bat (NLEB) and Tricolored Bat (TCB) Determination key (DKey). The NRC staff will use the DKey, as appropriate, to seek the FWSs concurrence that the proposed SLR of Point Beach is not likely to adversely affect these species. If available by the Point Beach environmental site audit, the NRC staff will update this question (FPE-2) to include specific information the staff requires to complete the DKey assessment for these species.
Document Needs
None at present.
Historic and Cultural Resources (Jeff Rikhoff)
Audit Needs
None at present.
Document Needs
None at present.
Socioeconomics (Jeff Rikhoff)
Audit Needs SOC-1 Provide updated property tax payment information for the last 5 years (see draft SEIS Table 3-30, NextEra Property Tax Payments (in millions of dollars), 2015-2019).
Document Needs
None at present.
6 Supplemental Environmental Audit Logistics and Information Needs Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
Human Health (Donald Palmrose)
Audit Needs
HH-1 Provide a knowledgeable expert(s) to discuss the human health sections in the Portal Additional Information documents. Specific items for discussion are:
- 1. The change in occupational exposures between 2018-2020 and 2019-2021;
- 2. Sources of information regarding microbiological hazards;
- 3. Any changes to or future updates to the facilitys safety programs; and
- 4. Implementation of NESC for in-scope transmission lines.
Document Needs
None at present.
Environmental Justice (Jeff Rikhoff)
Audit Needs
None at present.
Document Needs
None at present.
Waste Management (Leah Parks)
Audit Needs
WM-1 Based on the review of available information, there have been two inadvertent radioactive liquid or gaseous releases since 2020. One abnormal liquid release occurred in 2021 when a Unit 1 hotwell containing tritium was discharged directly to circulating water on 8/2/2021 and an abnormal gaseous release occurred in July 2023. Confirm that there have not been any other reportable unplanned releases of radioactive materials that would trigger a notification requirement from 2019-2023 and since the 2023 effluent report was written.
WM-2 Based on the review of available information, there have been two reportable inadvertent nonradioactive releases since 2020. A reportable spill occurred in January 2021 when approximately eight gallons of diesel fuel was released due to a hose failure on a pickup truck. The portal additional information documents indicate that there were no additional inadvertent non-radioactive releases that impacted soil or groundwater at Point Beach in 2020 through October 2023. No groundwater remediation activities for nonradioactive environmental concerns have been conducted since 2015 or are ongoing. Confirm that there are no other reportable spills that have occurred since October 2023.
WM-3 Based on the review of available information, between 2015 and 2021, there have
7 Supplemental Environmental Audit Logistics and Information Needs Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
been no reportable oil spills. Point Beach is subject to the reporting provision of 40 CFR Part 110 as it relates to the discharge of oil in such quantities as may be harmful pursuant to Section 311 (b)(4) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
Confirm that there have not been any reportable discharges that would trigger this notification requirement since 2021.
WM-4 Based on the review of available information, between 2015 and June 2021, there have been no reportable releases of a regulated substance from an underground storage tank containing a hazardous substance. Point Beach is subject to the reporting provisions of Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 706.11 as it relates to discovering the release of a regulated substance from an underground storage tank containing a hazardous substance. Confirm that there have not been any reportable releases at Point Beach that have triggered this notification requirement since June 2021.
Document Needs:
None at present.
Spent Nuclear Fuel (Leah Parks)
Audit Needs
SNF-1 The portal additional information documents indicate that it is anticipated that an ISFSI pad expansion may be needed by 2025 or 2026. As documented in Section 2.1.4.4 of the draft SEIS, expansion would occur in the ISFSI -defined area and would cause no significant environmental impact. Confirm if this statement is accurate.
Document Needs None at present.
Uranium Fuel Cycle (Donald Palmrose)
Audit Needs
None at present.
Termination of Operations and Decommissioning (Donald Palmrose)
Audit Needs
None at present.
8 Supplemental Environmental Audit Logistics and Information Needs Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change (Nancy Martinez)
Audit Needs
GHG-CC-1 Confirm if NextEra uses sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) at Point Beach. If so, identify the sources/equipment that use SF6 and provide carbon dioxide equivalent emissions for the last 5 years. If NextEra has site procedures that address the handling of SF6 to prevent or reduce emissions, please indicate and provide for review.
GHG-CC-2 Provide carbon dioxide equivalent emissions for the last 5 years from ozone-depleting substances used in refrigeration appliances at Point Beach.
GHG-CC-3 The portal additional information documents indicate that summer surface water temperature near Point Beach shows no increasing or decreasing trend. Provide any relevant information and data (e.g., time series of water temperatures) to support this statement. Additionally, indicate if an increasing trend in monthly water temperatures near Point Beach has been observed?
Document Needs
None at present.
Cumulative Effects (Robert Hoffman)
Audit Needs
None at present.
Document Needs
None at present.
Postulated Accidents/SAMA (Jerry Dozier)
Audit Needs
SAMA-1 Please provide a knowledgeable expert(s) to discuss any new and significant information from the draft SEIS and environmental audit or Point Beach new and significant information regarding the 2024 LR GEIS (ADAMS ML24087A133).
Document Needs
None at present.
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