ML17209A831

Forwards Response to NRC 810212 Request for Info Re Threatened or Endangered Species on Hutchinson Island,Fl.Nrc Is Required to Conduct Biological Assessment Re Listed Species.Excerpt from Endangered Species Act of 1973 Encl

ML17209A831
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	03/16/1981
From:	ALLEN H B COMMERCE, DEPT. OF, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE
To:	YOUNGBLOOD B J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
F-SER64:CDJ, NUDOCS 8103190576
Download: ML17209A831 (13)

Text

REGULA,YINFORMATIONDISTRIBUTIOYSTEM(RIDS)

SUBJECT:

-ForwardsresponsetoNRC810212requestforinforethreatenedore'ndangeredspeciesongutchinsonIslandgFL",NRC;isrequiredtoconductbio]ogica]assessmentrelistedspecies.N/excerptfromEndangeredSpeciesActof1973,DISTRIBUTIoNCODE.:COORSCOPIESRECEIVED:LTR'ENCL-TITLE!Environ.Comments,SIZE+'1NOTES:ACCESSIONNBR:8103190576DOC~DATE:81/03/.16NOTARIZED;NODOCKET¹FACIL':50-389St.LucieP]ant~Unit2<F]oridaPowerLLight-Co.05000389AUTH~NAMEAUTHORAFFILIATIONALLENiH~BeCommerceiDept,ofiNationalMarineFisheriesService'ECIP~NAMERECIPIENTAFFILIATIONYOUNGBLOODrB.J.LicensingBranch1RECIPIENTIDCODE/NAMEACTION;YOUNGBLOODgB17INTERNAL:ACCIDNTEVAIBRENVENG,BR09HYDROGEOBRNRCPDR02'ADASSESSMTBRSITANALBR10COPIESLTTRENCL7711111111111RECIPIENTIDCODE/NAMENERSESiV~05EFTREATSYSBRHYD/GEOBRILE'7REG01ANCEBRCOPIESLTTRENCL11111122101111EXTERNAL!ACRSNATLLAB20,1055LPDRNSIC030441111TOTALNUMBEROFCOPIESREQUIRED:LTTR29ENCL27 h)Iy(HlE~lgP'1 UNITEDSTATESDEPARTMENTOFCOMMERCENationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministrationNATIONALMARINEFISHERIESSERVICESoutheastRegion9450KogerBoulevardSt.Petersburg,FL33702March16,1981F/SER64:CDJMr.B.J.Youngblood,ChiefLicensingBranchNo.1DivisionofLicensingNuclearRegulatoryCommissionWashington,DC20555

DearMr.Youngblood:

ThisisinreplytoyourletterofFebruary12,1981,whichrequestedinformationaboutspecieswhicharelistedorproposedtobelistedasthreatenedorendangeredasprovidedbytheEndangeredSpeciesActof1973.YourareaofinterestisHutchinsonIsland,St.LucieCounty,Florida,inregardtoanoperatinglicenseforSt.LuciePlantUnitNo.2.AsprovidedinSection7(c)oftheEndangeredSpeciesActAmendmentsof1978and1979(seeenclosedcopy),theNationalMarineFisheriesService(NMFS)isrequiredtofurnishalistofendangeredorthreatenedspecies,bothproposedandlisted,whichareunderNMFSjurisdiction,thatmaybeorarepresentintheareainvolvingFederalconstructionactivities.Thatlistisenclosed.AllconsultationsunderSection7involvingseaturtleaquaticareasaretheresponsibilityofNMFSgwhilesuchconsultationsinvolvingseaturtlenestingbeachesaretheresponsibilityoftheU.S.FishandWildlifeService(FWS).AllSection7consultationsinvolvingthemanatee,anendangeredmarinemammal,aretheresponsibilityofFWS.Forpurposesofprovidinginterimguidance,theNationalMarineFisheriesServiceconsiders"constructionprojects"tomeananymajorFederalactionwhichsignificantlyaffectsthequalityofthehumanenvironmentdesignedprimarilytoresultinthebuildingorerectionofman-madestructuressuchasdams,buildings,roads,pipelines,channels,andthelike.ThisincludesFederalactionssuchaspermits,grants,licenses,orotherformsofFederalauthorizationorapprovalwhichmayresultinconstruction.UponreceiptoftheNationalMarineFisheriesService'sspecieslist,theFederalagencyauthorizing,funding,orcarryingouttheconstructionactionisrequiredtoconductabiologicalassessmentforthepurposeofidentifyinglistedspeciesandspeciesproposedforlistingwhicharelikelytobeaffectedbysuchaction.Thebiologicalassessmentshallbecompletedithin180daysafterreceiptofthespecieslist,unlessitismutuallyaedtoextendthisperiod.

• n'A~0e,~).I,I-II~~zc1 Whenconductingabiologicalassessment,theFederalagencyshouldminimally:(1)Conductanon-siteinspectionoftheareaaffectedbytheproposedactivityorprogram.Thismayincludeadetailedsurveyoftheareatodetermineifthe'speciesarepresentorarepresentatothertimesoftheyear,andwhethersuitablehabitatexistsforeitherexpandingtheexistingpopulationorpotentialreintroductionofpopulations;(2)Interviewrecognizedexpertsonthespeciesatissue,includingthosewithintheNationalMarineFisheriesService,theU.S.FishandWildlifeService,Stateconservationdepartments,universitiesandotherswhomayhavedatanotyetfoundinscientificliterature;(3)Reviewliteratureandotherscientificdatatodeterminethespecies'istribution,habitatneedsandotherbiologicalrequirements;(4)Reviewandanalyzetheeffectsoftheproposedactiononthespecies,intermsofindividualsandpopulations,includingconsiderationofthecumulativeeffectsoftheproposedactiononthespeciesanditshabitat~(5)Analyzealternativeactionsthatmayprovideconservationmeasures.Attheconclusionofthebiologicalassessment,asdescribedabove,theFederalagencyshouldprepareareportdocumentingtheresults.Thereportshouldincludeadiscussionofthestudymethodsusedandanyproblemsencounteredoranyotherrelevantinformation.Ifthebiologicalassessmentrevealsthattheproposedprojectmayaffectlistedspecies,theformalconsultationprocessshallbeinitiatedbywritingtotheRegionalDirector,NationalMarineFisheriesService/9450KogerBoulevard,DuvalBuilding,St.Petersburg,Florida33702.Ifnoeffectisevident,thereisnoneedforfurtherconsultation.Wewould,however,appreciatetheopportunitytoreviewyourbiologicalassessment.

D0F'l' WeappreciateyourinvitationtovisitthesiteonFebruary18;unfortunately,yourletterwasnotreceiveduntilthatdate.Thankyoufortheinvitation.Sincerelyyours,aroldB.AllectingRegionalDirectorEnclosureCC:FWS,Atlanta,GAFWS,Jacksonville,FL C

4eMarch1981EndangeredaThreatenedSpeciesandCriticalHabitatsUnderNMFSJurisdictionHutchinsonIsland,St.LucieCounty,FloridaLISTEDSPECIESGreenseaturtleLoggerheadseaturtleLeatherbackseaturtleKemp's(Atlantic)ridleyseaturtleCheleala~mdasCarettacarettaEndangeredThreatenedEndangeredEndangeredSPECIESPROPOSEDFORLISTINGNoneLISTEDCRITICALHABITATNonePROPOSEDCRITICALHABITATNone CV41~CIIf'IIPE,,hIIrr.(q<<2

~~tlDANGEREDSPECIESACTOF1973,asamendedinNovember1978andDecember1979NMFSF/SER62/11/80INTERAGENCYCOOPERATIONSection7(a)FEDERALAGENCYACTIONSANDCONSULTATIONS.(1)TheSecretaryshallreviewotherprogramsadministeredbyhimandutilizesuchprogramsinfurtheranceofthepurposesofthisAct.AllotherFederalagenciesshall,inconsultationwithandwiththeassistanceoftheSecretary,utilizetheirauthoritiesinfurtheranceofthepurposesofthisActbycarryingoutprogramsfortheconservationofendangeredspeciesandthreatenedspecieslistedpursuanttosection4ofthisAct.(2)EachFederalagencyshall,inconsultationwithandwiththeassistanceoftheSecretary,insurethatanyactionauthorized,funded,orcarriedoutbysuchagency(hereinafterinthissectionreferredtoasan"agencyaction")isnotlikelytojeopardizethecontinuedexistenceofanyendangeredspeciesorthreatenedspeciesorresultinthedestructionoradversemodificationofhabitatofsuchspecieswhichisdeterminedbytheSecretary,afterconsultationasappropriatewiththeaffectedStates,tobecritical,unlesssuchagencyhasbeengrantedanexemptionforsuchactionbytheCommitteepursuanttosubsection(h)ofthissection.Infulfillingtherequirementsofthisparagrapheachagencyshallusethebestscientificandcommercialdataavailable.I(3)EachFederalagencyshallconferwiththeSecretaryonanyagencyactionwhichislikelytojeopardizethecontinuedexistenceofanyspeciesproposedtobelistedundersection4orresultinthedestructionoradversemodificationofcriticalhabitatproposedtobedesignatedforsuchspecies.Thisparagraphdoesnotrequirealimitationonthecommitmentofresou'rcesasdescribedinsubsection(d).(b)SECRETARY'SOPINION.-Consultationundersubsection(a)(2)withrespecttoanyagencyactionshallbeconcludedwithin90daysafterthedateonwhichinitiatedorwithinsuchotherperiodoftimeasismutuallyagreeabletotheFederalagencyandtheSecretary.Promptlyaftertheconclusionofconsultation,theSecretaryshallprovidetotheFederalagencyconcernedawrittenstatementsettingforththeSecretary'sopinion,andasummaryoftheinformationonwhichtheopinionisbased,detailinghowtheagencyactionaffectsthespeciesoritscriticalhabitat.TheSecretaryshallsuggestthosereasonableandprudentalternativeswhichhebelieveswouldnotviolatesubsection(a)(2)andcanbetakenbytheFederalagencyorthepermitorlicenseapplicantinimplementingtheagencyaction.(c)BIOLOGICALASSESSMENT.-(1)Tofacilitatecompliancewiththerequirementsofsubsection(a)(2),eachFederalagencyshall,withrespecttoanyagencyactionofsuchagencyforwhichnocontractforconstructionhasbeenenteredintoandforwhichnoconstructionhasbegunonthedateofenactmentoftheEndangeredSpeciesActAmendmentsof1978,requestoftheSecretaryinformationwhetheranyspecieswhichislistedorproposedtobelistedmaybepresentintheareaofsuchproposedaction.IftheSecretaryadvises,basedonthebestscientificandcommercialdataavailable,thatsuchspeciesmaybepresent,suchagencyshallconductabiologicalassessmentforthepurposeofidentifyinganyendangeredspeciesorthreatenedspecieswhichislikelytobeaffectedbysuchaction.Suchassessmentshall becompletedwithin180daysafterthedateonwhichinitiated(orwithinsuchotherperiodasismutuallyagreedtobytheSecretaryandsuchagency)and,beforeanycontractforconstructionisenteredintoandbeforeconstructionisbegunwithrespecttosuchaction.SuchassessmentmaybeundertakenaspartofaFederalagency'scompliancewiththerequirementsofsection102oftheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyActof1969(42U.S.C.4332).(d)LIMITATIONONCOMMITMENTOFRESOURCES.-(g),$ftexinitiatioq,ofconsultationrequiredundersubsection(a)(2),theFederalagencyandthepermitorlicenseapplicantshallnotmakeanyirreversibleorirretrievablecommitmentofresourceswithrespecttotheagencyactionwhichhastheeffectofforeclosingtheformulationorimplementationofanyreasonableandprudentalternativemeasureswhichwouldavoidjeopardizingthecontinuedexistenceofanyendangeredorthreatenedspeciesoradverselymodifyingordestroyingthecriticalhabitatofanysuchspecies.(2)Anypersonwhomaywishtoapplyforanexemptionundersubsection(g)ofthissectionforthatactionmayconductabiologicalassessmenttoidentifyanyendangeredspeciesorthreatenedspecieswhichislikelytobeaffectedbysuchaction'.Anysuchbiologicalassessmentmust,however,beconductedincooperationwiththeSecretaryandunderthesupervisionoftheappropriateFederalagency.~~~~~+(q)

C~ll