ML14120A313

2013 Annual Environmental Operating Report

ML14120A313
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	04/25/2014
From:	Weber T APS
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
102-06849-TNW/DH K/TMJ
Download: ML14120A313 (4)

Text

rol,,aps Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station P0 Box 52034 102-06849-TNW/DH K/TMJ Phoenix, Arizona 85072-2034 Mail Station 7636 April 25, 2014 ATTN: Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001

Subject:

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (PVNGS)

Units 1, 2, and 3 Docket Nos. STN 50-528/529/530 2013 Annual Environmental Operating Report Enclosed please find the 2013 Annual Environmental Operating Report for PVNGS Units 1, 2, and 3. Arizona Public Service Company is submitting this report pursuant to Section 5.4.1 of Appendix B to the PVNGS Units 1, 2, and 3 Renewed Operating License Nos. NPF-41, NPF-51, and NPF-74, respectively.

No new commitments are being made to the NRC by this letter. Should you need further information regarding this submittal, please contact David Kelsey, Licensing Section Leader, at (623) 393-5730.

Sincerely, Thomas N. Weber Department Leader, Regulatory Affairs TNW/DHK/TMJ/hsc Enclosure cc: M. L. Dapas NRC Region IV Regional Administrator J. K. Rankin NRC NRR Project Manager (electronic & hard copy)

A.E. George NRC NRR Project Manager (electronic & hard copy)

M. A. Brown NRC Senior Resident Inspector for PVNGS A. V. Godwin Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency (ARRA)

T. Morales Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency (ARRA)

A member of the STARS (Strategic Teaming and Resource Sharing) Alliance Callaway

• Comanche Peak

• Diablo Canyon

• Palo Verde

• San Onofre - South Texas

• Wolf Creek

ENCLOSURE Units 1, 2, and 3 2013 Annual Environmental Operating Report

2013 Annual Environmental Operating Report I. INTRODUCTION The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (PVNGS) is located in Maricopa County, Arizona, approximately 50 miles west of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The PVNGS site comprises approximately 4280 acres. Site elevations range from 890 feet above mean sea level at the southern boundary to 1030 feet above mean sea level at the northern boundary. The station consists of three pressurized water reactor electrical generating units. Units 1, 2, and 3 have a rated thermal power of 3990 MW.

PVNGS was issued low power operating licenses NPF-34, NPF-46 and NPF-65 for Units 1, 2, and 3 by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on December 31, 1984, December 9, 1985, and March 25, 1987, respectively. PVNGS was issued full power operating licenses NPF-41, NPF-51 and NPF-74 for Units 1, 2, and 3 on June 1, 1985, April 24, 1986, and November 25, 1987, respectively. These licenses were renewed on April 21, 2011.

Appendix B to these operating licenses is entitled the "Environmental Protection Plan (Non Radiological)". The Environmental Protection Plans (EPP) for each of the current operating licenses are identical.

The EPP purpose is to provide for protection of environmental values during construction and operation of the nuclear facility. The principal objectives of the EPP are as follows:

(1) Verify that the station is operated in an environmentally acceptable manner, as established by the FES (Final Environmental Statement) and other NRC environmental impact assessments.

(2) Coordinate NRC requirements and maintain consistency with other Federal, State and Local requirements for environmental protection.

(3) Keep NRC informed of the environmental effects of facility construction and operation and actions taken to control those effects.

This Annual Environmental Operating Report is required by Section 5.4.1 of the EPP. This report describes the activities during calendar year 2013 related to the PVNGS EPP. For purposes of this report, references to the EPP are considered to be the EPP of NPF-41, NPF-51, and NPF-74.

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2013 Annual Environmental Operating Report II. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SUMMARIES AND ANALYSIS A. Cultural Resources Section 4.2.1 of the EPP requires that an archaeological survey be performed when final alignment of the PVNGS-to-Saguaro transmission line is completed. As of the date of this report, plans for this transmission line have been indefinitely suspended. Therefore, there has been no activity with regard to this requirement of the EPP.

B. Terrestrial Ecology Monitoring As communicated in a letter from William F. Conway, APS, to NRC, dated December 30, 1991, the salt deposition monitoring program was discontinued at the end of 1991.

II. PLANT DESIGN AND OPERATION CHANGES Section 3.1 of the EPP allows changes in station design or operation or the performance of tests or experiments affecting the environment provided that such changes, tests, or experiments do not involve an unreviewed environmental question and do not involve a change to the EPP. Changes, tests, or experiments in which all measurable non-radiological effects are confined to the on-site areas previously disturbed during site preparation and plant construction or in which the environment is not affected are exempt from the evaluation and reporting requirements of Section 3.1.

Section 3.2 of the EPP also exempts changes, tests, or experiments, which are required to comply with other Federal, State, or local environmental regulations.

No design and operational changes were initiated in 2013 that required an evaluation to determine if they involved either an unreviewed environmental question or constituted a change in the EPP.

IV. EPP NON-COMPLIANCES There were no instances of non-compliance with the EPP identified during 2013.

V. NON-ROUTINE REPORTS There were no non-routine reports required by Section 5.4.2 of the EPP submitted during 2013.

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