ML26005A231
| ML26005A231 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000614 |
| Issue date: | 01/30/2026 |
| From: | Healy S Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards |
| To: | Stevens C US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service |
| References | |
| Download: ML26005A231 (0) | |
Text
January 30, 2026 E-MAIL ONLY Charrish Stevens Fishery Biologist Habitat Conservation Division U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service
SUBJECT:
REQUEST TO INITIATE ABBREVIATED ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT CONSULTATION FOR THE LONG MOTT GENERATING STATION PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION PERMIT IN CALHOUN COUNTY, TEXAS (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-614)
Dear Charrish Stevens:
With this email, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requests to initiate abbreviated essential fish habitat (EFH) consultation pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, as amended, with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) with respect to the proposed NRC Federal action of determining whether to issue the Long Mott Generating Station (LMGS) construction permit (CP). The issuance of the CP would authorize the owner of LMGS, Long Mott Energy, LLC (LME), to construct an Xe-100 power reactor. This letter includes information explaining and supporting this request.
Proposed Federal Action The NRCs proposed Federal action is to decide whether to issue a CP to LME under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50 (TN249) 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.
Environmental Assessment (EA)
C. Stevens 2
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 consultation request, the NRC staff is providing the NMFS with an advance copy of the EA pursuant to Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR) Section 600.920(e)(1). This regulation allows Federal agencies to submit existing documents prepared for the proposed action, such as NEPA analyses, in substitution for a separate EFH assessment. The EA contains the staffs EFH assessment, as described below. Other supporting information 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 2.2 describes the proposed LMGS site.
Section 3.6 describes the aquatic ecology of the site and surrounding area.
EFH Assessment The NRC staffs EFH assessment for federally managed species with designated EFH is contained within appendix E, Section E.2 of the EA.
Section E.2.1 describes the designated EFH within the affected area.
Section E.2.2 analyzes the impacts of the proposed action on EFH.
Request for Abbreviated EFH Consultation The NRC staff is providing the EA to support consultation and requests to initiate abbreviated EFH consultation. This request is made in accordance with 50 CFR 600.920(a)(1), which directs Federal agencies to consult with the NMFS for actions that may adversely affect EFH, and 50 CFR 600.920(h)(1), which states that abbreviated consultation is appropriate for actions that do not have the potential to cause substantial adverse effects on EFH. The NRC staff has determined that the construction of LMGS would result in no more than minimal adverse effects on the designated EFH of all life stages of EFH species in the vicinity of LMGS. The NRC respectfully requests your response within 30 days, as established at 50 CFR 600.920(h)(4). If you are unable to complete your review within this timeframe, I request that you contact me to discuss an alternate schedule.
C. Stevens 3
Conclusion If you have any questions regarding the information in this letter, please contact me by phone at (301) 415-6714 or via email at Shannon.Healy@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Signed by Healy, Shannon on 01/30/26 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
C. Stevens 4
SUBJECT:
REQUEST TO INITIATE ABBREVIATED ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT CONSULTATION FOR THE LONG MOTT GENERATING STATION PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION PERMIT IN CALHOUN COUNTY, TEXAS (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-614)
DATED:
January 30, 2026 DISTRIBUTION:
Shannon Healy Briana Arlene Mitchell Dehmer Joe OHara Robert Hoffman Ted Smith Daniel Barnhurst (OGC)
Charrish Stevens, Fishery Biologist (Charrish.Stevens@noaa.gov)
ADAMS Accession Number: ML26005A231