ML26005A228
| ML26005A228 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000614 |
| Issue date: | 01/29/2026 |
| From: | Healy S Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards |
| To: | Samson Lee US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service, Texas Ecological Services Field Office |
| References | |
| 2025-0115594 | |
| Download: ML26005A228 (0) | |
Text
E-MAIL ONLY Sandra Lee Texas Coastal and Central Plains Ecological Services Field Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4444 Corona Drive, Suite 215 Corpus Christi, TX 78411
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR CONCURRENCE WITH ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT DETERMINATIONS FOR THE LONG MOTT GENERATING STATION PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION PERMIT IN CALHOUN COUNTY, TEXAS (IPAC PROJECT CODE 2025-0115594) (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-614)
Dear Sandra Lee:
With this email, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requests the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) written concurrence with the NRC staffs determinations pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), concerning federally listed species that may be affected by the proposed action on the Long Mott Generating Station (LMGS) site in Calhoun County, Texas. This letter includes information explaining and supporting this request.
Proposed Federal Action The NRCs proposed Federal action is to decide whether to issue a construction permit (CP) to Long Mott Energy, LLC (LME) under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50 that would allow the construction of a nuclear power station as part of the LMGS. This proposed action was initiated by LMEs submittal of a CP application by letter dated March 31, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML25090A057). LME is required to apply for a separate operating license (OL) under 10 CFR Part 50 for authorization to operate the proposed LMGS. The NRC would perform an additional environmental review for that OL application.
LME is a wholly owned subsidiary of GWN Holding, LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company. LME proposes to build the LMGS on an approximately 1,537 acres (622 hectares) in Calhoun County, Texas, adjacent to the existing Seadrift Operations facility, owned and operated by the Union Carbide Corporation, an affiliate of the Dow Chemical Company. The LMGS would consist of four 200 megawatt thermal (80 megawatt electrical) Xe-100 reactor modules, two turbine-generator sets, air-cooled condensers, and auxiliary facilities. The Xe-100 reactor is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor using TRistructural ISOtropic (TRISO) fuel.
January 29, 2026
S Lee 2
Environmental Assessment (EA)
In support of its environmental review of the proposed action, the NRC staff is preparing an EA to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). The EA will address the environmental impacts of the proposed action and reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. In support of this concurrence request, the NRC staff is providing the FWS with an early copy of the EA. The EA contains the staffs biological assessment, as well as other supporting information. Information relevant to the proposed action can be found in the following sections of the EA.
Section 1.1 and Section 2 describe the proposed action, including the purpose, duration, timing, and associated activities that would be carried out under the proposed CP.
Section 3.7 describes the terrestrial ecology of the site and surrounding area.
Section 3.6 describes the aquatic ecology of the site and surrounding area.
Appendix E includes the NRC staffs biological assessment for ESA-protected species and critical habitats.
Request for Concurrence Consistent with Section 7 of the ESA, the NRC staff requests your written concurrence with its may affect, not likely to adversely affect (NLAA) determinations for the west Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), eastern black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis ssp.
Jamaicensis), northern aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis), piping plover (Charadrius melodus) Atlantic Coast and Northern Great Plains populations, rufa red knot (Calidris canutus rufa), whooping crane (Grus americana), false spike (Fusconaia mitchelli),
and Guadalupe orb (Cyclonaias necki).
Additionally, the NRC staff requests your written conference concurrence with its NLAA determinations for the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) and monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).
The NRC staff also determined that the proposed action has No Effect (NE) on the Attwaters greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri), green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Kemps ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii). While the ESA does not require the NRC to consult with or receive concurrence from the FWS regarding NE determination findings, the NRC staff welcomes any comments the Service may have on these species or the NRCs impact assessment.
S Lee 3
Please provide your response electronically to the following email addresses:
EndangeredSpecies.Resource@nrc.gov and Shannon.Healy@nrc.gov. If you have any questions regarding information in this letter, please contact me by phone at (301) 415-6714 or via email at Shannon.Healy@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Shannon Healy, Environmental Scientist Environmental Technical Review Branch 1 Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 50-614 cc: GovDelivery Signed by Healy, Shannon on 01/29/26
S Lee 4
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR CONCURRENCE WITH ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT DETERMINATIONS FOR THE LONG MOTT GENERATING STATION PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION PERMIT IN CALHOUN COUNTY, TEXAS (IPAC PROJECT CODE 2025-0115594) (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-614)
DATED:
DISTRIBUTION:
Shannon Healy Briana Arlene Mitchell Dehmer Joe OHara Robert Hoffman Ted Smith Daniel Barnhurst (OGC)
Texas Coastal and Central Plains Ecological Services Field Office (houstonesfo@fws.gov)
Catrina Martin, Field Supervisor (catrina_martin@fws.gov)
Sandra Lee, Wildlife Biologist (mary_lee@fws.gov)
ADAMS Accession Number: ML26005A228