ML25143A042
| ML25143A042 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Browns Ferry  |
| Issue date: | 05/22/2025 |
| From: | Rome M NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ETRB1 |
| To: | Barnes B Shawnee Tribe |
| References | |
| 24-1578 | |
| Download: ML25143A042 (1) | |
Text
Benjamin Barnes, Chief Shawnee Tribe 29 South Highway 69A Miami, OK 74354
SUBJECT:
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3, SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL (ALABAMA HISTORICAL COMMISSION PROJECT NUMBER: 24-1578)
(DOCKET NUMBERS: 50-259, 50-260, AND 50-296)
Dear Chief Benjamin Barnes:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff recently issued for public comment the draft Supplement 21, Second Renewal, to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, NUREG-1437, regarding the subsequent renewal of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-33, DPR-52, and DPR-68, for an additional 20 years for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (Browns Ferry), Units 1, 2, and 3. Browns Ferry is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority and located in Limestone County, Alabama. The NRC staff initiated consultation with you regarding this project by letter dated April 17, 2024 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System [ADAMS] ML24102A034). 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, process to comply with its obligations under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.
The draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) includes the preliminary analysis that evaluates the environmental impacts of the proposed action and alternatives to the proposed action. For Category 1 issues that were previously dispositioned in the GEIS, no additional site-specific analysis is required in the draft SEIS unless new and significant information is identified. Site-specific issues (Category 2) are those that do not meet one or more of the criteria for Category 1 issues; therefore, an additional site-specific review for the non-generic issues is required, and the results are documented in the draft SEIS. Together, the draft SEIS and the GEIS evaluate, on a site-specific basis, all the environmental impacts of the proposed continued operation of Browns Ferry for a period of 20 years.
As discussed in the draft SEIS, the NRC staffs preliminary recommendation is that the adverse environmental impacts of the subsequent license renewal are not so great that preserving the option for energy-planning decision-makers would be unreasonable. The NRC staff has concluded that the proposed actionsubsequent license renewalwould not adversely affect known historic properties or historic and cultural resources. The draft SEIS is available via the following link: Browns Ferry draft SEIS (ML25133A156).
May 22, 2025
B. Barnes 2
The draft SEIS may also be obtained online in the NRCs ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html under ML25133A156. To begin the search, select Begin Web-based ADAMS Search. For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to pdr.Resource@nrc.gov.
Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8(c), the NRC invites your comments on the draft SEIS and preliminary recommendation by July 14, 2025. 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 www.regulations.gov and searching for Docket ID: NRC-2024-0030, or by emailing BrownsFerryEnvironmental.Resource@nrc.gov.
The NRC staff will hold a virtual public meeting on June 11, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. Central time. The meeting will include a presentation on the preliminary findings documented in the Browns Ferry draft SEIS and a transcribed public comment session. The public meeting details are available on the NRCs Public Meeting Notice System at https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Sarah Lopas, Cultural Resources Subject Matter Lead, at (301) 415-6360 or via email at Sarah.Lopas@nrc.gov, or Jessica Umana, Project Manager, via email at Jessica.Umana@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Michelle Rome, Chief Environmental Technical Review Branch 1 Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket Nos. 50-259, 50-260, and 50-296 cc. Tonya Tipton, THPO tonya@shawnee-tribe.com Signed by Rome, Michelle on 05/22/25
B. Barnes 3
SUBJECT:
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3, SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL (ALABAMA HISTORICAL COMMISSION PROJECT NUMBER: 24-1578)
(DOCKET NUMBERS: 50-259, 50-260, AND 50-296)
DATED:
DISTRIBUTION:
Public SLopas, NMSS JUmana, NMSS RidsOPAMail RidsOCAMailCenter RidsNMSSRefs RidsNMSSRefsEPMB1 RidsNMSSRefsETRB1 ADAMS Accession Number: ML25142A407 (package)
OFFICE NMSS/REFS NMSS/REFS NMSS/REFS NMSS/REFS NAME SLopas AWalker-Smith JUmana MRome DATE 5/8/2025 5/12/2025 5/12/2025 5/22/2025 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY May 22, 2025