ML11308A242

Applicant'S Environmental Report, Operating License Renewal Stage, Attachment a - Threatened and Endangered Species Correspondence, Part 1 of 3

ML11308A242
Person / Time
Site:	Grand Gulf
Issue date:	10/28/2011
From:	Entergy Operations
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
GNRO-2011/00093
Download: ML11308A242 (17)

Text

Grand Gulf Nuclear StationApplicant's Environmental ReportOperating License Renewal Stage A-1Attachment A Threatened and Endangered Species Correspondence*Thomas, J. A., Enercon Services, Inc. to C. B. James, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. February 4, 2011.*Rick, S., Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi Field Office, to J. Thomas, Enercon Services, Inc. February 23, 2011.*Thomas, J. A., Enercon Services, Inc., to R. C. Watson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. February 4, 2011.*Rieck, B. S., Fish and Wildlife Service, Louisiana Ecological Services Office, to J. A. Thomas, Enercon Services, Inc. March 4, 2011.*Thomas, J. A., Enercon Services, Inc., to Dr. S. Surette, Mississippi Natural Heritage Program, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. February 4, 2011.*Carney, J., Mississippi Natural Heritage Program, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, to J. Thomas, Enercon Services, Inc. February 23, 2011.*Thomas, J. A., Enercon Services, Inc. to C. Michon, Louisiana Natural Heritage Program, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. February 4, 2011.*Bass, A., Louisiana Natural Heritage Program, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, to J. A. Thomas, Enercon Services, Inc. February 18, 2011.*Thomas, J. A., Enercon Services, Inc. to D. Bernhart, NOAA Fisheries Services, Southeast Regional Office, Protected Resources Division.

March 4, 2011.*Bernhart, D., NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, to J. A. Thomas, Enercon Services, Inc. June 14, 2011.

ENERCON pro j ect. Ever y day. Curtis B. James Assistant F i eld Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mississippi Field Office 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, Suite A Jackson, MS 39213

SUBJECT:

Grand Gulf Nuclear Station License Renewal Application

Dear Mr. James ,

February 4 , 2011 In 2011 , Entergy plans to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for renewal of the operating license for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (GGNS), which is located in Claiborne County , M i ssissipp i on the east bank of the M i ss i ssippi River at River Mile 406 , approximately 25 miles south of Vicksburg , Mississ i pp i and 37 miles north-northeast of Natchez , M i ssissipp i. The ex i st i ng operating license for GGNS was issued for a 40-year term that expires in 2024. If the NRC approves the application, Entergy will then have the option to continue operating GGNS until 2044. In conjunction with this effort , Enercon is gathering information on Entergy's behalf relative to this license renewal project. The NRC requires that the license renewal application for GGNS include an environmenta l report assessing potential env i ronmental i mpacts from operat i on dur i ng the license renewal term. One of these potential env i ronmental impacts would be the effect of license renewal on threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat located on the GGNS site, its immediate environs (6-mile radius), and transmission line corridors constructed for purposes of connecting the plant to the regional transmission grid. Accordingly , the NRC requires that the environmental report for each license renewal applicat i on assess such a potential effect (10 CFR 51.53). Later , during its review of the license renewal environmental report pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the NRC may request information from your office to ensure compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. Enercon is contacting you now (n order to obtain input regarding issues that may need to be addressed in the GGNS license renewal environmental report , and to assist Entergy in identifying any i nformation your staff believes would be helpful to expedite NRC's review. Corpor a te Headquarters 5100 East S kelly Drive Suite 450 Tu/sa, OK 74135 phone 918.665.7693 f a x 918.665.7232 *enercon.com Curtis B. James Assistant F i eld Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wi l d li fe Service Mississippi Field Office Page 2 of 5 The 2 ,1 00 acre GGNS site consists primarily of woodlands and former farms as well as two lakes , Hamilton Lake and Gin Lake (see F i gure 1). The land in the vicinity of the GGNS site is mostly rural. There are two transmission corridors containing a c i rcuit 500-:-kV transmission line that were constructed for purp'oses of connecting GGNS to the reg i onal electricity grid (see Figure 2). These transmission corridors are cons i dered by the NRC to be with i n the scope of its environmental reviews for renewal of the GGNS operat i ng license. Entergy's Transmiss i on group owns and operate$ these two l i nes. The total length of the two corr i dors is approximately 66 m i les , and cross Claiborne , Warren , Jefferson and Franklin Counties in Mississ i ppi. Based on a review of information available and previous consu l tations , Enercon has i ncluded Table 1 which lists federally-or state-l i sted threatened or endangered species at t he stat i on site , the immediate environs , or the transmission l i ne corr i do r s (see Figures 1 and 2). No des i gnated critical habi t at was identified by Enercon for these species during the rev i ew. However , even with the presence of these species or habitats , Entergy does not expect GGNS operat i ons during the license renewal te r m to adversely affect any threatened and endangered species or des i gnated critical habitats since there are no plans to alter current operations during the 20-yea r l i cense r enewa l per i od , and any ma i ntenance activ i ties necessary to support continued operation of GGNS would be limited to currently developed areas of the site. Although administ r ative procedural con t rols are in place to comply w i th app l icable state and federal laws to p r eserve biological resources when facility expansion or land disturbance activit i es do occur , no expans i on i s planned or needed in support of license renewal. In addit i on, Entergy's Transm i ssion group has establ i shed maintenance procedures for transm i ssion l ines that involve minimal d i sturbance of land , wetlands, and streams and are protective of threatened and endangered spec i es , and designated critica l habitats when present. After your review of the information provided in this letter , I wou l d appreciate you sending a letter detailing any concerns you may have about potential impacts to t hreatened or endangered species or designated critical hab i tat on the GGNS property, immediate environs , or along the transmission line corridors , or alternatively , confirm i ng our conclus i on these species or habitats w i ll not be adversely affected as a resu l t of re n ewing the GGNS operating license for an add i t i onal 20 years. Entergy will include cop i es of this l etter and your response in the environmental report subm i tted to the NRC as part of the GGNS license renewal application.

Curtis B. James Assistant Field Supervisor U.S. F i sh and Wildlife Service M i ss i ssippi Field Office Page 3 of 5 If you have any questions , please contact me at (918) 665-7693 or through my email address , jthomas@enercon.com. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

J mes A. Thomas anager , Electric Utilities Environmental Services Attachment Mile Map 50-Mile Map cc: Rick Buckley (Entergy)

Table 1 Federal and State-Listed Species Scientific Name Common Name Federal MS LA On-Site Vicinity Transmission Status Status Status IS-mile) ROW Mammals Puma concolor coryi Florida Panther E E E No No No Ursus americanus luteolus Louis ian a Black Bear T E T Yes Yes Yes Ursus americanus American Black Bear T E Yes Yes Yes Birds Haliaeetus

/eucocephalus Bald Eagle E E Yes Yes Yes Mycteria americana Wood Stork E E Yes Yes Yes Sterna antil/arum atha/assos Interior Least Tern E* E* E No Yes Yes Picoides borealis Red-Cockaded Woodpecker E E No No Yes Eudocimus albus White Ib i s S2 , S3 Yes Yes Yes Reptiles Alligator mississippiensis American Alligator T (S/A) Yes Yes Yes Fish Scaphirhynchus albus Pall id Sturgeon E E E Yes Yes No Etheostoma rubrum Bayou Darter T E No Yes No Crystal/aria asprel/a Crystal Darter E Yes Yes No Macrhybopsis meeki S i cklefin Chub S1 Yes Yes Macroinvertebrates Potamilus capax Fat Po cketbook Mussel E E No No Yes Quadrula cylindrica Rabbitsfoo t Mussel CS No Yes Yes Table 1 (Continued)

Federal and State-Listed Species Scientific Name Common Name Federal Status MS Status Insects Epitheca spinosa Plants Lindera me/issifo/ia T = Threatened E = Endangered CS = Candidate Species Robust Baskettail Pond berry S1 = Critically Imperiled in Mississippi S2 = Imperiled i n Miss i ssipp i S3 = Rare o r uncommon in Mississippi T (SIA l = Threatened by sim il ar i ty of appearance . S1 E E LA Status Yes No Vicinity (S-mile) Yes No Transmission ROW Yes

• Interior least terns belong to a subspec i es of least terns and are protected Federally , and by the state of Miss;issippi under the species name. Sterna antil/arum atha/assos is the subspecies endemic to the project region and is therefore specified above.

Figure 1 Location of GGNS, 6-Mile Radius Map <? Helicopler Pad EillJ Urban Areas -+--Active R ailroads Il Recrealbn Area t:::J Grand Gulf Nuclear Stallon (GGNS) _ Lakes and Ponds Abandoned RaUroads W Principal Historical Site -==-=---===---

4Miles c:::J 6-Mile (10 km) Vicility --Highway s Gas Une C=J County B oundal'f _ GGNS Buldings -Other Principal Roads S tale Boundary _ E xisting T ransmi!.sion Corridor -Countyl\.ocaI Roads F i gure 2 Locat i on of GGNS , 50-Mile Radius Map .. -o 10 a i'Jrports

_Miles 15 20 Ex i sting Transmission Corridor -Interstate

-U.S. Highway =-State HighwaylRoad

-Natchez Trace Parkway -t-Rail () 6-Mlle Radus o SO-Mile Radius _ Surface water GGNSP r operty State VVi l dlife Mgmt Areas E:J State Parks Nationa l Forest f. National VVilcl i fe Refuge EJ Urban Areas ENERCON 5100 East Skelly Drive Suite 450 Tulsa, Oklahoma 744135 Attn: James Thomas

Dear Mr. Thomas:

United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Mississippi Field Office 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, Suite A Jackson, Mississippi 39213 February 23, 2011 The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) received your letter dated February 4,2011 , requesting information on the presence of federal threatened and endangered species, which may be affected by the proposed operating license renewal for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (GGNS) located approximately 25 miles south of Vicksburg in Claiborne County, Mississippi.

The following comments are provided in accordance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (87 Stat. 884, as amended 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Based on the location and nature of the proposed work, the Service has determined that no federally listed species or their habitats are likely to be "affected" from the proposed license renewal and routine maintenance operations of GGNS. No further consultation under Section 7 ofthe ESA will be necessary unless the size or location of the project were to change. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Daniel Gregg with this office, telephone:

(601) 321-1136.

Sincerely, For , / t/ Field Supervisor ENERCON Excellence-E v ery project. E ve ry da y Mr. Russell C. Watson Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Louisiana Fie l d Office 646 Cajundome Blvd., Suite 400 Lafayette , LA 70506 RE: Entergy Operations, Inc. (EOI) Grand Gulf Nuclear Station

Dear Mr. Watson,

February 4 , 2011 In 2011 , Entergy plans to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for renewal of the operating license for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (GGNS), which is located in Claiborne County, Mississippi on the east bank of the Mississippi River at River Mile 406 , approximately 25 miles south of Vicksburg , Mississippi and 37 miles north-northeast of Natchez , Mississippi.

The existing license for GGNS was issued for a 40-year term that expires in 2024. If the NRC approves the application , Entergy will then have the opt i on to continue operating GGNS until 2044. In conjunction with th i s effort , Enercon is gathering information on Entergy's behalf relative to this license renewal project. The NRC requires that the license reneWal application for GGNS include an environmental report assess i ng potential environmental impacts from operation during the license renewal term. One of these potent i al environmental impacts would t?e the effect of license renewal on threatened or endangered species located on the GGNS site , its immediate environs (6-mile radius), and transmission line corridors specifically constructed to connect the plant to the ex i sting regional transmission grid. Accordingly , the NRC requires that the environmental report for each license renewal application assess such a potential effect (10 CFR 51.53). Later , during its review of the license renewal environmental report pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the NRC may request information from your office to ensure compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. Enercon is contacting you now i n order to obtain input regarding issues that may need to be addressed in the GGNS license renewal environmental report, and to assist Entergy in identifying any information your staff believes would be helpful to expedite NRC's review. Corporate Headquarters 5100 Ea st Skelly Drive Suire 450 Tulsa, OK 74135 phone 918.665.7693 tax 918.665.7232 Mercon.com Mr. Russell C. Watson Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Louisiana Field Office Page 2 of 5 The 2 , 100 acre GGNS site cons i sts primarily of woodlands and former farms as well as two lakes , Hamilton Lake and Gin Lake (see Figure 1). The land in the v i cin i ty of the GGNS site is mostly rural. There are two transmission corridors containing a circuit 500-kV transmission line that were constructed to connect GGNS to the regional electricity grid (see Figure 2). These transmission corridors are considered by the NRC to be within the scope of its environmental r eviews for the GGNS license renewal. Entergy's Transm i ssion group owns and operates these two lines. The total length of the two cor r idors is approximately 66 miles , ana crosses Claiborne , Warren , Jefferson and Frank li n Counties in M i ssiss i pp i. Based on a review of information available and previous consultations , Enercon has included Table 1 which lists federally-or state-listed threatened or endangered species within the v i cinity of GGNS and the transmiss i on corridors.

However , Entergy does not expect GGNS ope r at i ons dur i ng the l i cense renewa l term (an add i t i onal 20 yea r s) to adversely a ff ect threatened o r endangered spec i es at the station s i te , the i mmediate env i rons , or the transmission line corridors because li cense r enewal will not alter existing operations. There are no plans to alter cur r ent operations du r ing the 20-yea r license renewal period , and any maintenance activit i es necessary to support continued operation of GGNS will be limited to currently developed areas of the site. Although adm i nistrat i ve procedural controls are in place to comply with applicable state and fede r al laws to p r eserve b i ological resources when facil i ty expans i on or l and disturbance act i v i t i es occur , no expa n s i on is p l anned or needed i n suppo rt of li cense renewa l. In add i tion, E ntergy's T ransm i ss i on group has established ma i ntenance procedures for t r ansmiss i on l i nes that i nvolve m i n i mal disturbance of land , wetlands , and streams and are protect i ve of threatened or endangered species. After your rev i ew of the information provided in this letter , I would appreCiate you "Send i ng a letter deta ili ng any concerns you h ave about potent i al i mpacts t o threatened or endangered spec i es or cr i tical habitat i n the area of GGNS or along the associated transm i ss i on corr i dors , or alternat i vely , confi r ming our conclusion that threatened of endangered spec i es wil l not be adversely affected as a result of renew i ng the GGN'S operating l i cense for an addit i onal 20 years. Entergy will i nclude copies of this letter and your response in the environmental report submitted to the NRC as part of the GGNS license renewal application.

Mr. Russell C. Watson Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lou i siana Field Office Page 3 of 5 If you have any questions , please contact me at (918) 665-7693 or through my email address, jthomas@enercon

.com. Thank you in advance for your assistance. Thank you , James A. Thomas Manager , Electric Utilities Env i ronmental Services Attachment M i le Map 50-Mile Map cc: Rick Buckley (Entergy)

Table 1 Federal and State-Listed Species Scientific Name Common Name Federal MS LA On-Site Vicinity Transmission Status Status Status IS-mile) ROW Mammals Puma con c%r coryi Florida Panther E E E No No No Ursus americanus

/uteo/us Louisiana Black Bear T E T Yes Yes Yes Ursus americanus American Black Bear T E Yes Yes Yes Birds Haliaeetus

/euco cepha/us Bald Eagle E E Yes Yes Yes Mycteria americana Wood Stork E E Yes Yes Yes Sterna antil/arum athalassos Interior Least Tern E* E* E No Yes Yes Pi coi des borealis Red-Cockaded Woodpec ker E E No No Yes Eudoc i mus a/bus Wh i te Ibis S2 , S3 Yes Yes Yes Reptiles AI/igator mississippiensis American Alligator T (S/A) Yes Yes Yes Fish Scaphirhynchus a/bus Pallid Sturgeon E E E Yes. Yes No Etheostoma rub rum Bayou Darter T E No Yes No Crystal/ar i a asp reI/a Crystal Darter E Ye s Yes No Macrhybopsis meeki S i cklef i n Chub S1 Yes Y es Macroinvertebrates Potami/us capax Fat Pocketbook Mussel E E No No Yes Quadru/a cy/indri c a Rabb itsfoot Mussel CS No Yes Yes Table 1 (Continued)

Federal and State-Listed Species Scientif i c Name Common Name Federal Status MS Status Insects Epithe ca spinosa Plants Lindera melissifolia T = Th reatened E = Endangered CS = Candidate Species Robust Basketlail Pond berry S1 = C ritically Impe riled i n Miss i ssippi S2 = Imper ile d in Mississippi S3 = Rare or uncommon in Mississippi T (S/A) = Threatened by similarity of appearance . S1 E E LA Status Yes No Vicinity IS-mile) Yes No Transmission ROW Yes

• Interior least terns belong to a subspecies of l east terns and ar e protected Federa lly , and by the state of M i ssiss i ppi under the spec ies name. Stern a anti l/arum athalassos i s the subspecies endemic to the project reg io n and i s therefore specified above.

Figure 1 Location of GGNS, 6-Mile Radius Map Legend o He lico pter Pad CTIIJ Urban AUlas -+--Ac t ive Railroad s 11 Rec re ation Area (:::J Gr and Gu lf Nuc lea r Sta t io n (OGNS) _ La ke-.l and P onds -+-Abandoned Railroads I:l P r incipal H h torica l Site c:J (1 0 km) Vicinity --H ighwdyS =====Nalural Gas Line '-:=J Coun t y Bo u n dary _ GGNS Bu i ldings -Other Pr i n cipal R o ad s. Boundaty Prepared toy-F Woolridge, February 4 , 20H J _ E xis l ing Transm iss iOll Conidar -CountyfLoeal Roads Figure 2 Locat i on of GGNS, 50-Mile Radius Map --__ Mil es 1 0 1 S 20 i'Jrports

.-.. E x i stin g Transmission Corridor -In tersta te -U.S. Highway =-State H i gh w ay/Road -Natchez Trace Parkway -t--Rail () 6-Mile Radius o SO-Mile Radius _ Surface Water D GGNS Pro p erty g Sta t e Wildlife Mgmt Are a s

• State Parks Na t ional F o r es t Na t ional Wildlife Re1uge illTIJ Urban A r eas United States Department of the Interior Mr. 1l.homas Enercon 5100 East Skelly Drive , Suite 450 Tulsa, OK 74135

Dear Mr. Thomas:

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 646 Cajundome Blvd. Suite 400 Lafayette, Louisiana 70506 March 4,2011 Please reference your February 4, 2011, letter, regarding the renewal of an operating license for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (GGNS), which is located in Claiborne County, Mississippi.

That letter requested our concurrence with your determination that the proposed project is not likely to adversely affect any federally threatened or endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has reviewed the infonnation you provided, and offers the following comments on the Louisiana portion in accordance with the Endangered Species of 1973 (87 Stat. 884, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). These comments only pertain to those species that fall under the purview of the Louisiana Ecological Services Office (ESO). The proposed project is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River at River Mile 406. The federally listed species that fall within a 50-mile radius of the GGNS (in Louisiana) include the Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus), interior least tern (Sterna antillarum), pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus), and fat pocketbook pearly mussel (Potamilus capax).

to your letter, there are no expected changes to the operation of the GGNS that would occur during the license renewal tenn (an additional 20 years). There are also no proposed construction activities.

Based on this information, the Service concurs with your determination that the proposed project is not likely to adversely affect the above listed species. Therefore, no further consultation will be necessary with our office for this project. We appreciate the opportunity to provide these comments.

If you need further assistance, please contact Seth Bordelon (337/291-3138) of this office. Deputy Field Supervisor Louisiana Ecological Services Office cc: LDWF Natural Heritage Program, Baton Rouge,