ML24324A008

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Letter to Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office Section 106 Consultation Regarding the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Subsequent License Renewal Application
ML24324A008
Person / Time
Site: Monticello Xcel Energy icon.png
Issue date: 12/04/2024
From: Rome M
NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ETRB1
To: Spong A
State of MN, Dept of Admin., State Historic Preservation Office
References
Download: ML24324A008 (1)


Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 Amy Spong Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office Administration Building #203 50 Sherburne Ave.

Saint Paul, MN 55155

SUBJECT:

SECTION 106 CONSULTATION REGARDING THE MONTICELLO NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT, UNIT 1 SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-263)

Dear Amy Spong:

On March 13, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff announced that it planned to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS), requested environmental scoping comments, and initiated consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (NHPA) with the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office regarding the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, Unit 1 (Monticello) subsequent license renewal application (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)

ML23069A278). In accordance with Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR)

Section 800.8(c), the NRC staff has elected to use the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), process to comply with its obligations under Section 106 of the NHPA.

On April 24, 2024, the NRC staff issued its draft EIS, NUREG-1437 Supplement 26, Second Renewal, Site-Specific Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants Supplement 26, Second Renewal Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, Unit 1, Draft Report for Comment (April 2024) (ML24102A276).

Following its consideration of comments received on the draft EIS, by letter dated November 18, 2024 (ML24312A351), the NRC staff notified your office of the availability of the staffs final EIS (FEIS), NUREG-1437, Supplement 26, Second Renewal, Site-Specific Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, Unit 1, Final Report (ML24309A221).

December 4, 2024

A. Spong 2

Over the course of the Section 106 consultation to date, our offices have exchanged additional correspondence and held meetings to discuss this undertaking (subsequent license renewal for Monticello). By letter dated July 23, 2024 (ML24215A299), your office provided comments regarding the NRC staffs preliminary finding that the undertaking will not adversely affect historic properties. This preliminary finding was documented in the Monticello draft EIS (ML24102A276). Your office stated that a more appropriate finding for the Monticello Subsequent License Renewal (SLR) would be no historic properties affected because there are no historic properties identified in the APE at this time. As there are no historic properties present within the area of potential effect, the NRC staff agrees with your offices comments that a finding of no historic properties affected is appropriate for this undertaking. Therefore, in the FEIS, the NRC staff concluded that the undertaking will result in No Historic Properties Affected, as defined in 36 CFR 800.4(d)(1).

In the letter dated July 23, 2024, your office also recommended that procedures be updated to include consultation with our office and the other interested consulting parties regarding projects that will occur in areas of surface level or unknown dept[h]s of disturbance and undisturbed areas regarding the identification and assessment of effects to historic properties.

The NRC staff notes that Xcel Energy (the applicant) does not plan to alter operations, expand existing facilities, or disturb additional land to support SLR and has not proposed physical changes to the facility. In correspondence dated September 13, 2024, Xcel Energy notified the NRC that it has updated its fleet procedures to incorporate the State Historic Preservation Offices recommendations (ML24281A054) which included recommendations to confer with your office and other consulting Tribes in the event that ground disturbance activities occur in areas of surface level or unknown depths of disturbance and undisturbed areas (ML24088A215). On October 24, 2024, the Lower Sioux Indian Community and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community requested that Xcel Energys procedures include notification and invitation to their Tribes to monitor ground disturbing activities for projects that occur in undisturbed areas (ML24306A040). Xcel Energy is in process of updating its fleet procedures to notify these interested consulting parties and invite them to monitor ground disturbing activities.

If you have any questions concerning the NRCs environmental review or information provided in this letter, please contact Nancy Martinez, by phone at 630-829-9734 or via email at Nancy.Martinez@nrc.gov, or Jessica Umana, by phone at 301-415-5207 or via email at Jessica.Umana@nrc.gov.

A. Spong 3

Thank you for your assistance and cooperation in the NHPA Section 106 consultation process for the Monticello subsequent license renewal application.

Sincerely, Michelle Rome, Chief Environmental Technical Review Branch 1Division of Rulemaking, Environmental and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 50-263 cc: Listserv Lucy Harrington, Archaeologist Signed by Rome, Michelle on 12/04/24

ML24324A008 OFFICE SME:REFS LR:REFS PM:REFS OGC BC: REFS NAME NMartinez AWalker-Smith JUmana MRome DATE 12/3/2024 12/3/24 12/4/2024 12/4/2024 12/4/2024