ML15314A484

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NRC-009 - Florida Power & Light Company, Turkey Point Units 3 and 4: Environmental Analysis and Finding of No Significant Impact, 79 Fed. Reg. 44,464 (July 31, 2014)
ML15314A484
Person / Time
Site: Turkey Point  NextEra Energy icon.png
Issue date: 07/31/2014
From:
NRC/OGC
To:
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
SECY RAS
References
RAS 28490, ASLBP 15-935-02-LA-BD01, 50-250-LA, 50-251-LA
Download: ML15314A484 (7)


Text

44464 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices discharge from the wet weather facilities; and (3) all defendants are in

violation of the Clean Water Act and

their NPDES permits because they have

unlawful sanitary sewer overflows

(SSOs) during wet weather.

The proposed Consent Decree implements a regional asset

management program that puts the

defendants on a path to eliminate

prohibited wet weather facility

discharges by December 31, 2035, and to

control SSOs within ten years of Decree

entry. Among other things, the

defendants will rehabilitate and clean

sanitary sewer infrastructure, identify

and eliminate sources of inflow and

rapid infiltration to the sewer systems, and continue to require repair or

replacement of private sewer laterals

under local and regional ordinances.

In addition, each defendant will pay a civil penalty for its past violations, for

a total of $1,563,556 in civil penalties.

EBMUD will pay $201,600; the City of

Alameda will pay $111,150; the City of

Albany will pay $42,038; the City of

Berkeley will pay $267,000; the City of

Emeryville will pay $1,870; the City of Oakland will pay $850,000; the City of

Piedmont will pay $41,038; and the

Stege Sanitary District will pay $48,860.

The proposed Consent Decree replaces a January 2009 interim

settlement with EBMUD and a March

2011 interim settlement with the

Satellite Communities.

The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on the

proposed Consent Decree. Comments

should be addressed to the Assistant

Attorney General, Environment and

Natural Resources Division, and should

refer to United States of America et al.

v. East Bay Municipal Utility District et al., D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-1-1-09361. All comments must be submitted no later

than thirty (30) days after the

publication date of this notice.

Comments may be submitted either by

email or by mail:

To submit comments:

Send them to: By email.......

pubcomment-ees.enrd@

usdoj.gov. By mail.........Assistant Attorney General, U.S. DOJENRD, P.O.

Box 7611, Washington, DC

20044-7611.

During the public comment period, the proposed Consent Decree may be examined and downloaded at this

Department of Justice Web site:

http:// www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent

_Decrees.html.

We will provide a paper copy of the proposed Consent Decree

upon written request and payment of reproduction costs. Please mail your request and payment to: Consent Decree

Library, U.S. DOJENRD, P.O. Box

7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611.

Please enclose a check or money order for $54.25 (25 cents per page

reproduction cost) payable to the U.S.

Treasury.

Henry Friedman, Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and

Natural Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 2014-18047 Filed 7-30-14; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-15-P DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Notice of Lodging of Proposed Joint Stipulation under the Clean Water Act On July 25, 2014, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed settlement with the United States District Court for

the District of Alaska in the lawsuit

entitled United States and Alaska

v. BP (Exploration) Alaska, Inc., Civil Action No. 3:14-cv-00146.

The United States and State of Alaska filed this lawsuit under the Clean Water

Act against BP (Exploration) Alaska, Inc.

The complaint seeks civil penalties and

injunctive relief for violations of the

Clean Water Act, as amended by the Oil

Pollution Act of 1990, 33 U.S.C. 2701 et

seq., and Alaska Statutes 46.03.710 and

46.03.740. The settlement provides a

covenant not to sue in return for

defendants payment of $450,000.

The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on the

settlement. Comments should be

addressed to the Assistant Attorney

General, Environment and Natural

Resources Division, and should refer to

United States and Alaska

v. BP (Exploration) Alaska, Inc., D.J. Ref. No.

90-5-1-1-08808/1. All comments must

be submitted no later than thirty (30)

days after the publication date of this

notice. Comments may be submitted

either by email or by mail:

To submit com-ments: Send them to: By email.................

pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov. By mail...................Assistant Attorney Gen-eral, U.S. DOJ-ENRD, P.O. Box

7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611.

During the public comment period, the settlement may be examined and downloaded at this Justice Department

Web site:

http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/

Consent_Decrees.html.

We will provide a paper copy of the settlement upon written request and payment of

reproduction costs. Please mail your

request and payment to: Consent Decree

Library, U.S. DOJENRD, P.O. Box

7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611.

Please enclose a check or money order for $3 (25 cents per page reproduction

cost) payable to the United States

Treasury.

Susan Akers, Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and

Natural Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 2014-17980 Filed 7-30-14; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-15-P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251; NRC-2014-0181]

Florida Power & Light Company; Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit

Nos. 3 and 4 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment and final finding of no significant impact;

issuance.

SUMMARY

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering

issuance of amendments to Renewed

Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-31

and DPR-41 issued to Florida Power &

Light Company (FPL, the licensee) for

operation of Turkey Point Nuclear

Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4 (Turkey

Point) located in Homestead, Miami-

Dade County, Florida. The proposed

amendments would increase the

ultimate heat sink (UHS) water temperature limit specified in the Turkey Point Technical Specifications (TSs) from 100 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) to 104°F and add a surveillance requirement to monitor the UHS temperature more frequently if the UHS

temperature approaches the new limit.

The NRC did not identify any

significant environmental impacts

associated with the proposed license

amendments based on its evaluation of

the information provided in the

licensees application and other

available information. Accordingly, the

NRC has prepared this Environmental

Assessment (EA) and Final Finding of

No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the

proposed license amendments.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2014-0181 when contacting the

NRC about the availability of

information regarding this document.

You may access publicly available VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00082Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44465 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices information related to this document using any of the following methods:

questions about NRC dockets to Carol

Gallagher; telephone: 301-287-3422;

email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov.

For technical questions, contact the

individual listed in the FORFURTHER INFORMATIONCONTACT section of this document.

  • NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly

available documents online in the NRC

Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.

To begin the search, select ADAMS

Public Documents and then select

Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.

For problems with ADAMS, please contact

the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR)

reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-

415-4737, or by email to pdr.resource@

nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number for each document referenced in this

notice (if that document is available in

ADAMS) is provided the first time that

a document is referenced. For the

convenience of the reader, the ADAMS

accession numbers are also provided in

a table in the Availability of

Documents section of this document.

  • NRCs PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at

the NRCs PDR, Room O1-F21, One

White Flint North, 11555 Rockville

Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. FORFURTHERINFORMATIONCONTACT

Audrey L. Klett, Office of Nuclear

Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-

0489; email:

Audrey.Klett@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARYINFORMATION

I. Introduction The NRC is considering issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility

Operating License Nos. DPR-31 and

DPR-41 issued to FPL for operation of

Turkey Point, located in Homestead, Miami-Dade County, Florida. As required by §51.21 of Title 10 of the

Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 51.21), the NRC staff performed an

EA to document its findings related to

the proposed license amendments. FPL submitted its license amendment request by letter dated July 10, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14196A006) and subsequently supplemented its application by letters dated July 17, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No.

ML14202A392), July 22, 2014 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML14204A367 and ML14204A368), and July 24, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14206A853).

Based on information provided in FPLs

application and associated supplements, the NRC staffs independent review, and

the NRCs consultation with the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered

Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA),

the NRC did not identify any significant

environmental impacts associated with

the proposed license amendments.

Based on the results of the EA documented herein, the NRC is issuing

this final FONSI, in accordance with 10

CFR 51.32, for the proposed license

amendments.

II. Environmental Assessment

Plant Site and Environs The Turkey Point site encompasses 11,000 acres (ac) (4,450 hectares (ha)) in

Miami-Dade County, Florida. The site

lies 25 miles (mi) (40 kilometers [km])

south of Miami, Florida, and the nearest

city limits are Florida City, which lies

8 mi (13 km) to the west, Homestead, which lies 4.5 mi (7 km) to the

northwest, and Key Largo, which lies 10

mi (16 km) south of the Turkey Point

site. The Turkey Point site is bordered

to the east by Biscayne National Park, to

the north by Homestead Bayfront Park

and a portion of Biscayne National Park, and on the west and south by FPLs

13,000-ac (5,260-ha) Everglades

Mitigation Bank. The Turkey Point site

includes five electric generating units.

Units 1, 2, and 5 are fossil-fueled

generating units and are not covered by

the proposed licensing action; Units 3

and 4 are nuclear generating units. Each

nuclear reactor is a Westinghouse

pressurized light-water reactor that

generates electricity via three steam

generators that produce steam that turns

turbines. The site features a 6,100-ac

(2,500-ha) closed cooling canal system (CCS) that cools heated water

discharged by Units 1 through 4. Unit 5

uses mechanical draft cooling towers for

cooling, draws makeup water from the

Upper Floridan Aquifer, and discharges

blowdown to the CCS. The five units

and supporting equipment (excluding

the CCS) occupy approximately 130 ac

(53 ha). The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the NRCs predecessor agency, and the NRC have previously conducted

environmental reviews of Turkey Point

in several documents, and the

descriptions therein continue to

accurately depict the Turkey Point site

and environs. Those documents include

the AECs July 1972 Final

Environmental Statement (FES); the

NRCs January 2002 Generic

Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:

Regarding Turkey Point Units 3 and 4

Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 5) (ADAMS Accession No.

ML020280236); and the NRCs March

2012 environmental assessment and

final FONSI for the Turkey Point

extended power uprate (EPU) (ADAMS

Accession No. ML12074A251).

Identification of the Proposed Action The proposed action would increase the UHS water temperature limit

specified in the Turkey Point TSs and

add a surveillance requirement to

monitor the UHS temperature more

frequently if the UHS temperature

approaches the new limit. The proposed

action is in accordance with the

licensees application dated July 10, 2014, as supplemented by letters dated

July 17, July 22 (two letters), and July

24, 2014.

More specifically, the proposed action would amend Appendix A of Turkey

Points Renewed Facility Operating

Licenses in order to revise the UHS

temperature limit set forth in TS

Limiting Operating Condition (LOC) 3/

4.7.4 from 100

°F to 104 °F. The CCS serves as the UHS for the Intake Cooling

Water (ICW) system and provides the

coolant for the Circulating Water (CW) system. The CW system provides

cooling water to the main plant

condensers, and the ICW system

removes heat loads from the Component

Cooling Water (CCW) system during

normal and accident conditions to

support both reactor and containment

heat removal requirements as well as

spent fuel cooling requirements.

Currently, TS LOC 3/4.7.4 includes a Surveillance Requirement (SR) that

necessitates the licensee to verify the

UHS (CCS) temperature once every 24-

hour period and confirm that the

average supply water temperature is

within the 100

°F limit. The proposed license amendments would modify the

SR to require the licensee to verify the

average supply water temperature to be

within the new TS limit at least once

per 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />, and once per hour when

the water temperature exceeds 100

°F. FPL monitors the UHS (CCS)

temperature at a point in the ICW

system piping going into the inlet of the

CCW Heat Exchangers.

The license amendment would require the licensee to place both units

in at least hot standby within 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br />

and cold shutdown within the next 30

hours if the UHS exceeds 104

°F. The proposed TS revisions would not result in or require any physical changes

to Turkey Point systems, structures, or

components, including those intended

for the prevention of accidents. If VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00083Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44466 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices approved, the LAR would be effective from the date of NRC approval through

the expiration dates of the renewed

facility operating licenses (i.e., through

2032 for Unit 3 and 2033 for Unit 4).

The Need for the Proposed Action The proposed action is needed to provide FPL with additional operational

flexibility during periods when high air

temperatures, low rainfall, and other

factors contribute to conditions

resulting in a UHS temperature in

excess of 100

°F that would otherwise necessitate FPL to place Turkey Point in

cold shutdown. In its application, FPL

states that loss of load and voltage

control resulting from shutdown during

periods of high summer demand could

result in impacts to grid reliability. UHS

temperatures have recently approached

and exceeded the 100

°F TS limit on several occasions. On July 20, 2014, the

NRC approved a notice of enforcement

discretion (NOED), which allows the

UHS temperature to exceed 100

°F up to 103 °F for a period of no more than 10 days, as well as several other NOED exit

criteria. The NRC documented the

NOED in a letter to FPL dated July 23, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No.

ML14204A652).

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action As part of the original licensing review for Turkey Point, the AEC

published an FES in July 1972 that

evaluates potential environmental impacts associated with the operation of

Turkey Point over its initial 40-year

operating period (1972-2012 for Unit 3

and 1973-2013 for Unit 4). In 2002, the

NRC evaluated the environmental

impacts of operating Turkey Point for an

additional 20 years beyond the original

operating license (i.e., through 2032 for

Unit 3 and 2033 for Unit 4) and

predicted that the environmental

impacts of license renewal were small

for all environmental resources.

NUREG-1437, Supplement 5 provides

that assessment. In 2012, the NRC

evaluated the impacts of a then-

proposed EPU at Turkey Point that

authorized the facility to increase the

maximum power level from 2300

megawatts thermal (MWt) to 2644 MWt

for each unit. The NRCs March 2012 EA

and final FONSI provide that

assessment.

As previously discussed, the proposed action would not result in or

require any physical changes to Turkey

Point systems, structures, or

components, including those intended

for the prevention of accidents. Further, the proposed license amendments

involve TS changes that would only result in changes in procedural and operational aspects undertaken by FPL

personnel for monitoring and

maintaining the UHS temperature limit

as measured at the ICW system piping

going into the inlet of the CCW Heat

Exchangers. Thus, FPLs workforce

would not change, and the regular

operations workforce would otherwise

be unaffected by the proposed action.

Based on the above and the available

information reviewed by the staff, the

NRC concludes that the proposed action

would result in no significant impact on

land use, visual resources, air quality, noise, the geologic environment, groundwater resources, terrestrial

resources, historic and cultural

resources, socioeconomic conditions

including minority and low income

populations (environmental justice), or

waste generation and management

activities. Therefore, this environmental

assessment does not prevent any further

evaluation of the operational impacts on

these environmental resources. The

NRC previously assessed the

environmental impacts of continued

operations of Turkey Point in NUREG-

1437, Supplement 5 and the EA and

final FONSI for the EPU, and

implementation of the proposed license

amendments would not result in any

impacts beyond those already

characterized in these documents.

Accordingly, this environmental

assessment focuses on the

environmental resources that could be

affected by the change in the CCS

thermal limit: Surface water resources, aquatic resources, and Federally-

protected species and habitats.

Radiological impacts are also addressed.

The details of the NRC staffs safety evaluation will be separately provided

in the license amendment package

issued to approve the license

amendment, if granted.

Nonradiological Impacts

Surface Water Resources The Turkey Point site lies on the shore of Biscayne Bay. South of the site, Mangrove Point divides the bay from

Card Sound. Biscayne Bay and Card

Sound are shallow, subtropical estuarine waters located between the Atlantic coast mainland and a grouping of barrier islands that form the northernmost Florida Keys. The Atlantic Ocean lies beyond the barrier islands.

The Intracoastal Waterway traverses

Biscayne Bay and Card Sound, and a

barge passage runs from the Intracoastal

Waterway to the non-nuclear units on

the Turkey Point site.

In addition to these offsite waters, the site includes several manmade surface waters, the most significant of which is the CCS. The CCS spans a 6,100-ac

(2,500-ha) area (4,370 ac (1,770 ha) of

surface water) spread over a 5-mi by 2-

mi (8-km by 3.2-km) area. The system

includes 168 mi (270 km) of earthen

canals with an average depth of 2.8 ft

(0.8 km) and contains approximately 4

billion gallons (12,300 acre-feet) of

water. The Turkey Point units (both

nuclear Units 3 and 4 and fossil-fueled

Units 1 and 2) use the CCS like a

radiator and, as previously mentioned, the CCS serves as the UHS for Units 3

and 4. Heated water discharges into the

CCS at one end, flows through the canal

system, and is withdrawn from the other

end for reuse as cooling water. The

heated discharge effluent is distributed

to 32 feeder canals. Water in the feeder

canals flows south and discharges into

a single collector canal that distributes

water to six return canals. Water in the

return canals flows north to the plant

intake. The entire circuit that water

travels from plant discharge back to

plant intake is 13.2 mi (21.2 km), and

transit time through the system is

approximately 44 hours5.092593e-4 days <br />0.0122 hours <br />7.275132e-5 weeks <br />1.6742e-5 months <br />. Water flows

attributable to Units 3 and 4 amount to

approximately 1.0 million gallons per

minute. Temperature rise across the

plant (from intake to discharge) averages

15 to 30 °F depending on the number of fossil and nuclear units in operation, unit load, and various other factors. The

average intake temperature is 2.5

°F above the average ambient air

temperature. Rainfall, stormwater

runoff, and groundwater exchange

replace evaporative losses.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has

issued FPL a No Discharge National

Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit (No. FL0001562) to

operate the CCS as an industrial

wastewater facility. Accordingly, the

CCS does not discharge directly to fresh

or marine surface waters. The proposed

action would not require FPL to request

modifications to the NPDES permit

because the plant discharge limits

would not change. Plant discharge

limits are not intake-temperature

limited; rather, they are a function of the

quantity of heat rejected to the CCS

during plant operation.

Under the proposed action, the CCS could experience temperatures between

100 °F and 104

°F at the TS monitoring location near the north end of the

system for short durations during

periods of peak summer air

temperatures and low rainfall. Such

conditions may not be experienced at all

depending on site and weather conditions. Temperature increases

would also increase CCS water VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00084Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44467 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices evaporation rates and result in higher salinity levels. This effect would also be

temporary and short in duration because

salinity would again decrease upon

natural freshwater recharge of the

system (i.e., through rainfall, stormwater

runoff, and groundwater exchange). No

other onsite or offsite waters would be

affected by the proposed UHS

temperature limit increase.

Because the proposed action would only affect the CCS, and the CCS is a

manmade closed cycle cooling system, the NRC concludes that the proposed

action would not result in significant

impacts to surface water resources.

Aquatic Resources As determined in the previous section, the CCS is the only surface

water that would be affected by the proposed action. Accordingly, this

section only addresses aquatic resources

in the CCS.

The CCS supports a variety of aquatic species typical of shallow, subtropical

waters, including phytoplankton, zooplankton, marine algae, rooted

plants, crabs, and estuarine fish.

Because of high water temperatures and

salinity content of the CCS, the resident

fish assemblage is dominated by species

adapted to living in harsh conditions, such as sheepshead minnow

(Cyprinodon variegatus) and several Fundulus species. The CCS is owner-controlled and closed to the public;

thus, fish and other aquatic biota in the

CCS do not carry any commercial or

recreational value.

Because aquatic organisms in the cooling canal system are unable to travel

to or from Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, or

any other natural water body, changes to

the conditions within the CCS would

not affect any aquatic populations in the

surrounding natural aquatic habitats of

Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, or the

Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, the NRC staff

concludes that the proposed action

would result in no significant impact to

aquatic resources.

Federally Protected Species and Habitats The Turkey Point site is home to a resident population of Federally-

threatened American crocodiles

(Crocodylus acutus

). Crocodiles discovered and colonized the Turkey

Point CCS following plant construction

in the 1970s, and the site now hosts

approximately one-third to one-half of

the United States breeding population.

In 1977, the FWS designated an area of

Florida that includes the majority of the

Turkey Point site (including the CCS) as

critical habitat for the species under the

ESA. FPL maintains a crocodile management plan that prescribes how CCS maintenance procedures shall be

conducted to minimize nest, hatchling, or adult disturbance. FPL also maintains

a crocodile monitoring program to

document breeding success and survival

on the site.

As a Federal agency, the NRC must comply with the ESA as part of any

action it authorizes, funds, or carries

out, such as the proposed action

evaluated in this environmental

assessment. Under ESA section 7, the

NRC must consult with the FWS and the National Marine Fisheries Service, as appropriate, to ensure that the proposed

agency action is not likely to jeopardize

the continued existence of any

endangered or threatened species or

result in the destruction or adverse

modification of designated critical

habitat. The ESA and the regulations

that implement ESA section 7 (50 CFR

Part 402) describe the consultation

process that Federal agencies must

follow in support of agency actions.

Based on a review of the proposed action, the NRC staff has determined

that the American crocodile is the only

Federally-listed species that has the

potential to be affected by the proposed

action. Pursuant to ESA section 7, NRC

staff consulted with FWS staff at the

South Florida Ecological Services Office

in Vero Beach, Florida. The NRC staff

prepared a biological assessment (ADAMS Accession No. ML14206A806)

that considers the potential for the

proposed action to reduce hatchling survival, alter crocodile growth rates, and reduce habitat availability and

concludes that the proposed action is

not likely to adversely affect the

American crocodile and would have no

effect on the species designated critical

habitat. Based on the NRC staffs

biological assessment determinations, the NRC concludes that the proposed action would have no significant impact on Federally-protected species or habitats.

In a July 25, 2014, letter (ADAMS Accession No. ML14206A800) to FWS, the NRC requested ESA section 7

consultation.

Radiological Impacts The proposed action would not result in or require any physical changes to

Turkey Point systems, structures, or

components, including those intended

for the prevention of accidents because

the proposed license amendments

involve TS changes that would only

result in changes in procedural and

operational aspects undertaken by FPL

personnel for monitoring and

maintaining the increased allowable

UHS temperature limit. Thus, the proposed action would not have a significant adverse effect on the

probability of an accident occurring or

result in an increased radiological

hazard beyond those analyzed in the

licensees Updated Final Safety

Analysis Report. The proposed action

would result in no changes to radiation

levels or the types or quantities of

radioactive effluents (gaseous or liquid)

that affect radiation exposures to

members of the public or plant workers.

No changes or different types of

radiological impacts would be expected

from the proposed action. Therefore, the

radiological impacts of granting the

license amendments would result in no

significant impact on the radiological

environment.

Cumulative Impacts The Council on Environmental Quality defines cumulative impacts

under the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA)

as the impact on the environment which

results from the incremental impact of

the action when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable

future actions regardless of what agency (Federal or non-Federal) or person

undertakes such other actions (40 CFR

Part 1508.7). For the purposes of this

analysis, past actions are related to the

resource conditions when Turkey Point

was licensed and constructed; present

actions are related to the resource

conditions during current operations;

and future actions are those that are

reasonably foreseeable through the

expiration of Turkey Points renewed

facility operating licenses. In the

preceding sections of this EA, the NRC

has determined that the proposed action

has the potential to only affect surface

water resources and aquatic resources in

the CCS and Federally protected species

and habitats (i.e., the sites resident

population of American crocodiles and

its designated critical habitat). This EA

also addresses radiological impacts of

the proposed action. Accordingly, this

section only addresses the cumulative

impacts that could result from the

proposed action and other actions on

these resources. The proposed action

would have no effect on the remaining

resources (i.e., land use, visual

resources, air quality, noise, the geologic

environment, groundwater resources, terrestrial resources, historic and

cultural resources, socioeconomic

conditions including minority and low

income populations (environmental

justice), and waste generation and

management activities), and thus, cumulative impacts would not occur for

these environmental resources. VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00085Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44468 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices The NRC staff has identified several actions that may contribute to

cumulative effects; each of these actions

is described separately below.

CCS Chemical Treatments In 2011, FPL began to notice increased blue green algae

concentrations in the CCS. The

concentrations have steadily increased

since that time. FPL has performed

engineering and environmental analyses

and believes that the presence of higher

than normal CCS algae concentrations

may be diminishing the CCSs heat

transfer capabilities. FPL developed a

plan to gradually reduce algae

concentrations through controlled

chemical treatment of the CCS over the

course of several weeks. On June 18, 2014, FPL submitted a request to the

FDEP to approve the use of copper

sulfate, hydrogen peroxide, and a bio-

stimulant to treat the algae (letter

contained in Appendix A of ADAMS

Accession No. ML14206A806). On June

27, 2014, the FDEP approved FPLs

treatment plan for a 90-day trial period (letter contained in Appendix A of

ADAMS Accession No. ML14206A806).

The FDEP requested that during the 90-

day treatment period, FPL monitor the

CCS for total recoverable copper and

dissolved oxygen and submit its results

to the FDEP. The FDEP also

recommended that FPL coordinate with

the Florida Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Commission (FWC) due to

the presence of crocodiles in the cooling

system. The FWC provided its

comments on FPLs treatment plan in a

letter dated July 1, 2014 (letter

contained in Appendix A of ADAMS

Accession No. ML14206A806).

The CCS chemical treatments have the potential to contribute to cumulative

effects on CCS surface water resources, CCS aquatic resources, and the

American crocodile. Because the CCS is

a manmade closed cycle cooling system, treatment of the CCS is not likely to

have a significant cumulative effect on

surface water resources. Monitoring

required by the FDEP will ensure

adequate water quality throughout and

following treatment. Monitoring will

also ensure that any unanticipated effects on the aquatic organisms that

inhabit the CCS are appropriately

addressed. During the treatment period, FPL has agreed to report any potentially

related fish kills in the CCS to the FWC.

No fish kills have been reported to date.

Regarding crocodiles, the NRCs July 25, 2014, biological assessment notes that

FPL has not observed any behavioral or

distributional changes or any other

noticeable differences that would

indicate effects to crocodiles resulting from either the presence of higher algae concentrations or the recent chemical

treatments.

Aquifer Withdrawals The CCS is situated above two aquifers: the shallower saltwater

Biscayne Aquifer and the deeper

brackish Floridan Aquifer. A confining

layer separates the two aquifers from

one another. Turkey Point, Unit 5 uses

the Floridan Aquifer for cooling water.

The South Florida Water Management

District (SFWMD) recently granted FPL approval to withdraw a portion (approximately 5 million gallons per

day [MGD]) of the Unit 5 withdrawal

allowance for use in the CCS. FPL began

pumping Floridan Aquifer water into

the CCS in early July. FPL has also

received temporary approval to

withdraw 30 MGD from the Biscayne

Aquifer, though FPL has not yet used

this allowance.

FPL also anticipates the FDEP to issue an Administrative Order requiring FPL

to install up to six new wells that will

pump approximately 14 MGD of water

from the Floridan Aquifer into the CCS.

Modeling performed by FPL consultants

and the SFWMD indicates that in

approximately 2 years, the withdrawals

would reduce the salinity of the CCS to

the equivalent of Biscayne Bay (about 34

parts per thousand [ppt]). Such

withdrawals could also help moderate

water temperatures.

The current and anticipated future aquifer withdrawals have the potential

to contribute to cumulative effects on

CCS surface water resources, CCS

aquatic resources, and crocodiles.

Because the CCS is a manmade closed

cycle cooling system, aquifer

withdrawals are not likely to have a

significant cumulative effect on surface water resources. Aquifer withdrawals would result in beneficial impacts to CCS aquatic resources and the crocodiles inhabiting the Turkey Point

site. FPL anticipates that the

withdrawals will reduce the salinity of

the CCS to about 34 ppt and could also

help moderate CCS temperatures over

the long term. Both of these effects

would create favorable conditions for

CCS aquatic biota and crocodiles, which

are currently tolerating an unusually

hot, hypersaline environment.

Turkey Point, Units 6 and 7 Construction and Operation In June 2009, FPL submitted a combined license application (COLA)

(ADAMS Accession No. ML091830589)

to construct and operate two

Westinghouse Advanced Passive 1000 (AP1000) pressurized-water reactors

designated as Turkey Point, Units 6 and

7. Submission of the COLA does not commit FPL to build two new nuclear

units and does not constitute approval

of the proposal by the NRC; however, submission of the COLA infers that the

construction and operation of the new

units is a reasonably foreseeable future

action. The COLA will be evaluated on

its merits, and the NRC will decide

whether to grant the licenses after

considering and evaluating the

environmental and safety implications

of the proposal. Environmental impacts

of constructing and operating Turkey

Point, Units 6 and 7 will depend on

their actual design characteristics, construction practices, and power plant

operations. These impacts will be

assessed by the NRC in a separate NEPA

document. The cumulative impacts

presented in this EA may differ from

those impacts assessed for the COLA.

Potential impacts presented below have

been drawn from FPLs Turkey Point, Units 6 and 7 Environmental Report, Revision 5 (ADAMS Accession No.

ML13357A435), and NRCs 2012 EA and

final FONSI for the EPU.

Of the environmental resources affected by the proposed action, the

possible construction and operation of

Units 6 and 7 only have the potential to

contribute to cumulative radiological

impacts. Units 6 and 7 would not use

the CCS for cooling. Rather, Units 6 and

7 would have a closed-cycle cooling

system with mechanical draft cooling

towers. The cooling towers would draw

makeup from Miami-Dade Water and

Sewer Department reclaimed water and

would discharge blowdown into deep

injection wells. Saltwater extracted from

Biscayne Bay subsurface sediment

through radial collector wells proposed

to be built on the Turkey Point site

would serve as a secondary source of

makeup water when a sufficient

quantity and/or quality of reclaimed

water is not available. Because Units 6

and 7 would not use the CCS, the

proposed new units would not have a

cumulative effect on CCS surface water

resources or CCS aquatic resources.

Regarding crocodiles, potential impacts to this species and its critical

habitat will be addressed in a future

ESA section 7 consultation between the

NRC and FWS. When considering

cumulative impacts on Federally listed

species, the ESAs implementing

regulations direct Federal agencies to

consider the effects of future State or

private activities, not involving Federal activities, that are reasonably certain to occur within the action area of the

Federal action subject to consultation

(50 CFR part 402.02; emphasis added).

Accordingly, the NRC will not address

cumulative impacts of Units 6 and 7 on VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00086Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44469 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices the American crocodile in this EA because the NRCs issuance of a license

to construct and operate Units 6 and 7

is a separate Federal activity that will

require future consultation.

Regarding cumulative radiological impacts, the NRC and Environmental

Protection Agency have developed

radiological dose limits for protection of

the public and workers that address the

cumulative effects of acute and long-

term exposure to radiation and

radioactive material. These dose limits

are specified in 10 CFR part 20 and 40

CFR part 190.

The cumulative radiation dose to the public and workers is required to be

within the regulations cited above. The

public dose limit of 25 millirem (0.25

millisieverts) in 40 CFR part 190 applies

to all reactors that may be on a site and

also includes any other nearby nuclear

power reactor facilities. The NRC staff

reviewed several years of radiation dose

data contained in the licensees annual

radioactive effluent release reports for

Turkey Point, and the data demonstrate

that the dose to members of the public

from radioactive effluents is within the

limits of 10 CFR part 20 and 40 CFR part

190. As previously indicated in the

Radiological Impacts section of this

environmental assessment, the proposed

action would result in no changes to

radiation levels or the types or

quantities of radioactive effluents (gaseous or liquid) that affect radiation

exposures to plant workers and

members of the public.

FPLs COLA for Units 6 and 7 contains an assessment of the radiation

doses to members of the public from the proposed new reactors and concludes

that doses would be within regulatory

limits. The staff expects continued

compliance with regulatory dose limits

during operation of Turkey Point, Units

3 and 4 under the proposed action.

Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that

the cumulative radiological impacts to

members of the public that could result

from the combined operations of Turkey

Point, Units 3 and 4 and the proposed

new Units 6 and 7 would result in no

significant impact on the environment.

Regarding radiation dose to workers, cumulative dose would only be

applicable for those workers that would

be engaged at both facilities (i.e., the

currently operating Units 3 and 4 and

proposed new Units 6 and 7). For Units

3 and 4, the licensee has a radiation

protection program that maintains

worker doses within the dose limits in 10 CFR part 20 during all phases of operations. Operation of Units 6 and 7

would require a similar radiation

protection program, and the licensee

would be responsible for ensuring that

workers are not exposed to dose limits

above those specified in 10 CFR part 20.

Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that

the cumulative radiological impacts to

plant workers that could result from the

combined operations of Turkey Point, Units 3 and 4 and the proposed new

Units 6 and 7 would result in no significant impact on the radiological environment.

Cumulative Impacts Conclusion The NRC staff considered the cumulative impacts of CCS chemical

treatments, current and anticipated

future aquifer withdrawals, and the

possible future construction and

operation of two new nuclear units on

the Turkey Point site. Based on the

information presented in this section, the NRC staff concludes that the

proposed action, in combination with

other cumulative actions, would result

in no significant cumulative impacts on

the environment.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered denial

of the proposed license amendments (i.e., the no-action alternative). Denial

of the application would result in no

change in current environmental

conditions or impacts. However, denial

would result in reduced operational

flexibility and could require FPL to derate or shutdown Turkey Point if the UHS average supply water temperature

approaches or exceeds the 100

°F TS limit. In its application, FPL states that

loss of load and voltage control resulting

from such a shutdown during periods of

high summer demand could result in

impacts to grid reliability.

Alternative Use of Resources The action does not involve the use of any different resources than those

previously considered in NUREG-1437, Supplement 5 prepared for license

renewal of Turkey Point.

Agencies and Persons Consulted On July 28, 2014, the NRC staff notified the Florida State official, Ms.

Cindy Becker, Chief of Bureau of

Radiation Control, of the Florida

Department of Health, regarding the

environmental impacts of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.

The NRC staff also coordinated with the FWS pursuant to consultation under

ESA section 7 during the staffs review of the proposed action. The consultation is further discussed under the

Federally-Protected Species section of

this environmental assessment.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact The NRC is considering issuing amendments for Renewed Facility

Operating License Nos. DPR-31 and

DPR-41, issued to FPL for operation of

Turkey Point to increase the UHS water

temperature limit specified in the

Turkey Point TSs from 100

°F to 104°F and add an SR to monitor the UHS

temperature more frequently if the UHS

temperature approaches the new limit.

On the basis of the EA included in Section II above and incorporated by

reference in this finding, the NRC

concludes that the proposed action

would not have significant effects on the

quality of the human environment. The

proposed action would result in no

significant impacts on surface water

resources, aquatic resources, or the

radiological environment. In addition, the proposed action is not likely to

adversely affect any Federally-protected

species or affect any designated critical

habitat. The proposed action would also

not result in significant cumulative

impacts on any environmental

resources. The NRCs evaluation

considered information provided in the

licensees application and associated

supplements; the NRCs staff

independent review of other

environmental documents, and

coordination with the FWS pursuant to

consultation under ESA section 7.

Section IV below lists the

environmental documents related to the

proposed action and includes

information on the availability of these

documents. Based on its findings, the

NRC has decided not to prepare an

environmental impact statement for the

proposed action.

IV. Availability of Documents The following table identifies the environmental and other documents

cited in this document and related to

the NRCs FONSI. These documents are

available for public inspection online through ADAMS at http://www.nrc.gov/

reading-rm/adams.html or in person at the NRCs PDR as described previously. VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00087Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44470 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices Document Adams Accession No.

Documents Related to License Amendment Request Florida Power & Light Company. License Amendment Request No. 231, Application to Revise Technical Specifications to Re-vise Ultimate Heat Sink Temperature Limit. Dated July 10, 2014.

ML14196A006 Florida Power & Light Company. License Amendment Request No. 231, Application to Revise Ultimate Heat Sink Tempera-ture LimitRequest for Emergency Approval. Dated July 17, 2014.

ML14202A392 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Turkey Point 3 and 4 Request for Additional InformationLAR231 (TAC MF4392 and MF4393). [1 of 2] Dated July 18, 2014.

ML14203A614 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Turkey Point 3 and 4 Request for Additional InformationLAR231 (TAC MF4392 and MF4393). [2 of 2] Dated July 18, 2014.

ML14203A618 Florida Power & Light Company. License Amendment Request No. 231, Application to Revise Ultimate Heat Sink Tempera-ture LimitSupplement 1, and Response to Request for Additional Information. Dated July 22, 2014.

ML14204A367 Florida Power & Light Company. Response to Request for Additional Information Regarding License Amendment Request No.

231, Application to Revise Technical Specifications to Revise Ultimate Heat Sink Temperature Limit. Dated July 22, 2014.

ML14204A368 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Turkey Point 3 and 4 Request for Additional InformationLAR231 (TAC MF4392 and MF4393). Dated July 22, 2014.

ML14204A814 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Notice of Enforcement Discretion for Florida Power & Light Company Regarding Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4 [NOED NO. 14-2-001]. Dated July 23, 2014.

ML14204A652 Florida Power & Light Company. Response to Containment and Ventilation Branch Request for Additional Information, Re-garding License Amendment Request No. 231, Application to Revise Ultimate Heat Temperature Limit. Dated July 24, 2014.

ML14206A853 Florida Power & Light Company. Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4Individual Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendments to Renewed Facility Operating Licenses, Proposed No Significant Hazards Consideration Deter-

mination, and Opportunity for Hearing (Exigent Circumstances) (TAC Nos. MF4392 and MF4293). Dated July 24, 2014.

ML14204A129 (letter) ML14199A111 (enclosure)

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Request to Reinitiate Informal Consultation for a Proposed License Amendment to In-crease the Ultimate Heat Sink Temperature Limit at Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4. Dated July 25, 2014.ML14206A800 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Biological Assessment on the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) for Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4 Proposed License Amendment to Increase the Ultimate Heat Sink Temperature

Limit. Dated July 25, 2014.

ML14206A806 Other Referenced Documents U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Re-garding Turkey Point Units 3 and 4Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 5). Dated January 28, 2002.

ML020280236 Florida Power & Light Company. Proposed Turkey Point Units 6 & 7, Project No. 763, Application for Combined License for Turkey Point Units 6 and 7. Dated June 30, 2009.

ML091830589 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to a Li-cense Amendment To Increase the Maximum Reactor Power Level, Florida Power & Light Company; Turkey Point, Units 3

and 4. Dated March 27, 2012.

ML12074A251 Florida Power & Light Company. Turkey Point Units 6 & 7 Combine License Application, Part 3: Environmental Report, Revi-sion 5. Dated December 23, 2013.

ML13357A435 Florida Power & Light Company. Turkey Point Units 3 and 4; Wastewater Permit FL0001563; Request for Approval for the Use of Copper Sulfate, Hydrogen Peroxide, and a Bio-Stimulant in the Treatment and Control of Blue Green Algae in the

Cooling Canal System. Dated June 18, 2014.ML14206A806*

Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Re: Florida Power & Light, Turkey Point, NPDES Permit FL0001562, 90-Day Trial Approval. Dated June 27, 2014.ML14206A806*

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Re: Florida Power & Light, Turkey Point Plant Maintenance Activity, NPDES Permit FL0001562, Miami-Dade County. Dated July 1, 2014.ML14206A806* *(See Appendix A.)

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of July 2014.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Lisa M. Regner, Acting Chief, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 2014-18159 Filed 7-30-14; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590-01-P VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:51 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00088Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44464 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices discharge from the wet weather facilities; and (3) all defendants are in

violation of the Clean Water Act and

their NPDES permits because they have

unlawful sanitary sewer overflows

(SSOs) during wet weather.

The proposed Consent Decree implements a regional asset

management program that puts the

defendants on a path to eliminate

prohibited wet weather facility

discharges by December 31, 2035, and to

control SSOs within ten years of Decree

entry. Among other things, the

defendants will rehabilitate and clean

sanitary sewer infrastructure, identify

and eliminate sources of inflow and

rapid infiltration to the sewer systems, and continue to require repair or

replacement of private sewer laterals

under local and regional ordinances.

In addition, each defendant will pay a civil penalty for its past violations, for

a total of $1,563,556 in civil penalties.

EBMUD will pay $201,600; the City of

Alameda will pay $111,150; the City of

Albany will pay $42,038; the City of

Berkeley will pay $267,000; the City of

Emeryville will pay $1,870; the City of Oakland will pay $850,000; the City of

Piedmont will pay $41,038; and the

Stege Sanitary District will pay $48,860.

The proposed Consent Decree replaces a January 2009 interim

settlement with EBMUD and a March

2011 interim settlement with the

Satellite Communities.

The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on the

proposed Consent Decree. Comments

should be addressed to the Assistant

Attorney General, Environment and

Natural Resources Division, and should

refer to United States of America et al.

v. East Bay Municipal Utility District et al., D.J. Ref. No. 90-5-1-1-09361. All comments must be submitted no later

than thirty (30) days after the

publication date of this notice.

Comments may be submitted either by

email or by mail:

To submit comments:

Send them to: By email.......

pubcomment-ees.enrd@

usdoj.gov. By mail.........Assistant Attorney General, U.S. DOJENRD, P.O.

Box 7611, Washington, DC

20044-7611.

During the public comment period, the proposed Consent Decree may be examined and downloaded at this

Department of Justice Web site:

http:// www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent

_Decrees.html.

We will provide a paper copy of the proposed Consent Decree

upon written request and payment of reproduction costs. Please mail your request and payment to: Consent Decree

Library, U.S. DOJENRD, P.O. Box

7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611.

Please enclose a check or money order for $54.25 (25 cents per page

reproduction cost) payable to the U.S.

Treasury.

Henry Friedman, Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and

Natural Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 2014-18047 Filed 7-30-14; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-15-P DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Notice of Lodging of Proposed Joint Stipulation under the Clean Water Act On July 25, 2014, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed settlement with the United States District Court for

the District of Alaska in the lawsuit

entitled United States and Alaska

v. BP (Exploration) Alaska, Inc., Civil Action No. 3:14-cv-00146.

The United States and State of Alaska filed this lawsuit under the Clean Water

Act against BP (Exploration) Alaska, Inc.

The complaint seeks civil penalties and

injunctive relief for violations of the

Clean Water Act, as amended by the Oil

Pollution Act of 1990, 33 U.S.C. 2701 et

seq., and Alaska Statutes 46.03.710 and

46.03.740. The settlement provides a

covenant not to sue in return for

defendants payment of $450,000.

The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on the

settlement. Comments should be

addressed to the Assistant Attorney

General, Environment and Natural

Resources Division, and should refer to

United States and Alaska

v. BP (Exploration) Alaska, Inc., D.J. Ref. No.

90-5-1-1-08808/1. All comments must

be submitted no later than thirty (30)

days after the publication date of this

notice. Comments may be submitted

either by email or by mail:

To submit com-ments: Send them to: By email.................

pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov. By mail...................Assistant Attorney Gen-eral, U.S. DOJ-ENRD, P.O. Box

7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611.

During the public comment period, the settlement may be examined and downloaded at this Justice Department

Web site:

http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/

Consent_Decrees.html.

We will provide a paper copy of the settlement upon written request and payment of

reproduction costs. Please mail your

request and payment to: Consent Decree

Library, U.S. DOJENRD, P.O. Box

7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611.

Please enclose a check or money order for $3 (25 cents per page reproduction

cost) payable to the United States

Treasury.

Susan Akers, Assistant Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and

Natural Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 2014-17980 Filed 7-30-14; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-15-P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251; NRC-2014-0181]

Florida Power & Light Company; Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit

Nos. 3 and 4 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment and final finding of no significant impact;

issuance.

SUMMARY

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering

issuance of amendments to Renewed

Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-31

and DPR-41 issued to Florida Power &

Light Company (FPL, the licensee) for

operation of Turkey Point Nuclear

Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4 (Turkey

Point) located in Homestead, Miami-

Dade County, Florida. The proposed

amendments would increase the

ultimate heat sink (UHS) water temperature limit specified in the Turkey Point Technical Specifications (TSs) from 100 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) to 104°F and add a surveillance requirement to monitor the UHS temperature more frequently if the UHS

temperature approaches the new limit.

The NRC did not identify any

significant environmental impacts

associated with the proposed license

amendments based on its evaluation of

the information provided in the

licensees application and other

available information. Accordingly, the

NRC has prepared this Environmental

Assessment (EA) and Final Finding of

No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the

proposed license amendments.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2014-0181 when contacting the

NRC about the availability of

information regarding this document.

You may access publicly available VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00082Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44465 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices information related to this document using any of the following methods:

questions about NRC dockets to Carol

Gallagher; telephone: 301-287-3422;

email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov.

For technical questions, contact the

individual listed in the FORFURTHER INFORMATIONCONTACT section of this document.

  • NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly

available documents online in the NRC

Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.

To begin the search, select ADAMS

Public Documents and then select

Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.

For problems with ADAMS, please contact

the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR)

reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-

415-4737, or by email to pdr.resource@

nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number for each document referenced in this

notice (if that document is available in

ADAMS) is provided the first time that

a document is referenced. For the

convenience of the reader, the ADAMS

accession numbers are also provided in

a table in the Availability of

Documents section of this document.

  • NRCs PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at

the NRCs PDR, Room O1-F21, One

White Flint North, 11555 Rockville

Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. FORFURTHERINFORMATIONCONTACT

Audrey L. Klett, Office of Nuclear

Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-

0489; email:

Audrey.Klett@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARYINFORMATION

I. Introduction The NRC is considering issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility

Operating License Nos. DPR-31 and

DPR-41 issued to FPL for operation of

Turkey Point, located in Homestead, Miami-Dade County, Florida. As required by §51.21 of Title 10 of the

Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 51.21), the NRC staff performed an

EA to document its findings related to

the proposed license amendments. FPL submitted its license amendment request by letter dated July 10, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14196A006) and subsequently supplemented its application by letters dated July 17, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No.

ML14202A392), July 22, 2014 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML14204A367 and ML14204A368), and July 24, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14206A853).

Based on information provided in FPLs

application and associated supplements, the NRC staffs independent review, and

the NRCs consultation with the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered

Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA),

the NRC did not identify any significant

environmental impacts associated with

the proposed license amendments.

Based on the results of the EA documented herein, the NRC is issuing

this final FONSI, in accordance with 10

CFR 51.32, for the proposed license

amendments.

II. Environmental Assessment

Plant Site and Environs The Turkey Point site encompasses 11,000 acres (ac) (4,450 hectares (ha)) in

Miami-Dade County, Florida. The site

lies 25 miles (mi) (40 kilometers [km])

south of Miami, Florida, and the nearest

city limits are Florida City, which lies

8 mi (13 km) to the west, Homestead, which lies 4.5 mi (7 km) to the

northwest, and Key Largo, which lies 10

mi (16 km) south of the Turkey Point

site. The Turkey Point site is bordered

to the east by Biscayne National Park, to

the north by Homestead Bayfront Park

and a portion of Biscayne National Park, and on the west and south by FPLs

13,000-ac (5,260-ha) Everglades

Mitigation Bank. The Turkey Point site

includes five electric generating units.

Units 1, 2, and 5 are fossil-fueled

generating units and are not covered by

the proposed licensing action; Units 3

and 4 are nuclear generating units. Each

nuclear reactor is a Westinghouse

pressurized light-water reactor that

generates electricity via three steam

generators that produce steam that turns

turbines. The site features a 6,100-ac

(2,500-ha) closed cooling canal system (CCS) that cools heated water

discharged by Units 1 through 4. Unit 5

uses mechanical draft cooling towers for

cooling, draws makeup water from the

Upper Floridan Aquifer, and discharges

blowdown to the CCS. The five units

and supporting equipment (excluding

the CCS) occupy approximately 130 ac

(53 ha). The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the NRCs predecessor agency, and the NRC have previously conducted

environmental reviews of Turkey Point

in several documents, and the

descriptions therein continue to

accurately depict the Turkey Point site

and environs. Those documents include

the AECs July 1972 Final

Environmental Statement (FES); the

NRCs January 2002 Generic

Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:

Regarding Turkey Point Units 3 and 4

Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 5) (ADAMS Accession No.

ML020280236); and the NRCs March

2012 environmental assessment and

final FONSI for the Turkey Point

extended power uprate (EPU) (ADAMS

Accession No. ML12074A251).

Identification of the Proposed Action The proposed action would increase the UHS water temperature limit

specified in the Turkey Point TSs and

add a surveillance requirement to

monitor the UHS temperature more

frequently if the UHS temperature

approaches the new limit. The proposed

action is in accordance with the

licensees application dated July 10, 2014, as supplemented by letters dated

July 17, July 22 (two letters), and July

24, 2014.

More specifically, the proposed action would amend Appendix A of Turkey

Points Renewed Facility Operating

Licenses in order to revise the UHS

temperature limit set forth in TS

Limiting Operating Condition (LOC) 3/

4.7.4 from 100

°F to 104 °F. The CCS serves as the UHS for the Intake Cooling

Water (ICW) system and provides the

coolant for the Circulating Water (CW) system. The CW system provides

cooling water to the main plant

condensers, and the ICW system

removes heat loads from the Component

Cooling Water (CCW) system during

normal and accident conditions to

support both reactor and containment

heat removal requirements as well as

spent fuel cooling requirements.

Currently, TS LOC 3/4.7.4 includes a Surveillance Requirement (SR) that

necessitates the licensee to verify the

UHS (CCS) temperature once every 24-

hour period and confirm that the

average supply water temperature is

within the 100

°F limit. The proposed license amendments would modify the

SR to require the licensee to verify the

average supply water temperature to be

within the new TS limit at least once

per 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />, and once per hour when

the water temperature exceeds 100

°F. FPL monitors the UHS (CCS)

temperature at a point in the ICW

system piping going into the inlet of the

CCW Heat Exchangers.

The license amendment would require the licensee to place both units

in at least hot standby within 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br />

and cold shutdown within the next 30

hours if the UHS exceeds 104

°F. The proposed TS revisions would not result in or require any physical changes

to Turkey Point systems, structures, or

components, including those intended

for the prevention of accidents. If VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00083Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44466 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices approved, the LAR would be effective from the date of NRC approval through

the expiration dates of the renewed

facility operating licenses (i.e., through

2032 for Unit 3 and 2033 for Unit 4).

The Need for the Proposed Action The proposed action is needed to provide FPL with additional operational

flexibility during periods when high air

temperatures, low rainfall, and other

factors contribute to conditions

resulting in a UHS temperature in

excess of 100

°F that would otherwise necessitate FPL to place Turkey Point in

cold shutdown. In its application, FPL

states that loss of load and voltage

control resulting from shutdown during

periods of high summer demand could

result in impacts to grid reliability. UHS

temperatures have recently approached

and exceeded the 100

°F TS limit on several occasions. On July 20, 2014, the

NRC approved a notice of enforcement

discretion (NOED), which allows the

UHS temperature to exceed 100

°F up to 103 °F for a period of no more than 10 days, as well as several other NOED exit

criteria. The NRC documented the

NOED in a letter to FPL dated July 23, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No.

ML14204A652).

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action As part of the original licensing review for Turkey Point, the AEC

published an FES in July 1972 that

evaluates potential environmental impacts associated with the operation of

Turkey Point over its initial 40-year

operating period (1972-2012 for Unit 3

and 1973-2013 for Unit 4). In 2002, the

NRC evaluated the environmental

impacts of operating Turkey Point for an

additional 20 years beyond the original

operating license (i.e., through 2032 for

Unit 3 and 2033 for Unit 4) and

predicted that the environmental

impacts of license renewal were small

for all environmental resources.

NUREG-1437, Supplement 5 provides

that assessment. In 2012, the NRC

evaluated the impacts of a then-

proposed EPU at Turkey Point that

authorized the facility to increase the

maximum power level from 2300

megawatts thermal (MWt) to 2644 MWt

for each unit. The NRCs March 2012 EA

and final FONSI provide that

assessment.

As previously discussed, the proposed action would not result in or

require any physical changes to Turkey

Point systems, structures, or

components, including those intended

for the prevention of accidents. Further, the proposed license amendments

involve TS changes that would only result in changes in procedural and operational aspects undertaken by FPL

personnel for monitoring and

maintaining the UHS temperature limit

as measured at the ICW system piping

going into the inlet of the CCW Heat

Exchangers. Thus, FPLs workforce

would not change, and the regular

operations workforce would otherwise

be unaffected by the proposed action.

Based on the above and the available

information reviewed by the staff, the

NRC concludes that the proposed action

would result in no significant impact on

land use, visual resources, air quality, noise, the geologic environment, groundwater resources, terrestrial

resources, historic and cultural

resources, socioeconomic conditions

including minority and low income

populations (environmental justice), or

waste generation and management

activities. Therefore, this environmental

assessment does not prevent any further

evaluation of the operational impacts on

these environmental resources. The

NRC previously assessed the

environmental impacts of continued

operations of Turkey Point in NUREG-

1437, Supplement 5 and the EA and

final FONSI for the EPU, and

implementation of the proposed license

amendments would not result in any

impacts beyond those already

characterized in these documents.

Accordingly, this environmental

assessment focuses on the

environmental resources that could be

affected by the change in the CCS

thermal limit: Surface water resources, aquatic resources, and Federally-

protected species and habitats.

Radiological impacts are also addressed.

The details of the NRC staffs safety evaluation will be separately provided

in the license amendment package

issued to approve the license

amendment, if granted.

Nonradiological Impacts

Surface Water Resources The Turkey Point site lies on the shore of Biscayne Bay. South of the site, Mangrove Point divides the bay from

Card Sound. Biscayne Bay and Card

Sound are shallow, subtropical estuarine waters located between the Atlantic coast mainland and a grouping of barrier islands that form the northernmost Florida Keys. The Atlantic Ocean lies beyond the barrier islands.

The Intracoastal Waterway traverses

Biscayne Bay and Card Sound, and a

barge passage runs from the Intracoastal

Waterway to the non-nuclear units on

the Turkey Point site.

In addition to these offsite waters, the site includes several manmade surface waters, the most significant of which is the CCS. The CCS spans a 6,100-ac

(2,500-ha) area (4,370 ac (1,770 ha) of

surface water) spread over a 5-mi by 2-

mi (8-km by 3.2-km) area. The system

includes 168 mi (270 km) of earthen

canals with an average depth of 2.8 ft

(0.8 km) and contains approximately 4

billion gallons (12,300 acre-feet) of

water. The Turkey Point units (both

nuclear Units 3 and 4 and fossil-fueled

Units 1 and 2) use the CCS like a

radiator and, as previously mentioned, the CCS serves as the UHS for Units 3

and 4. Heated water discharges into the

CCS at one end, flows through the canal

system, and is withdrawn from the other

end for reuse as cooling water. The

heated discharge effluent is distributed

to 32 feeder canals. Water in the feeder

canals flows south and discharges into

a single collector canal that distributes

water to six return canals. Water in the

return canals flows north to the plant

intake. The entire circuit that water

travels from plant discharge back to

plant intake is 13.2 mi (21.2 km), and

transit time through the system is

approximately 44 hours5.092593e-4 days <br />0.0122 hours <br />7.275132e-5 weeks <br />1.6742e-5 months <br />. Water flows

attributable to Units 3 and 4 amount to

approximately 1.0 million gallons per

minute. Temperature rise across the

plant (from intake to discharge) averages

15 to 30 °F depending on the number of fossil and nuclear units in operation, unit load, and various other factors. The

average intake temperature is 2.5

°F above the average ambient air

temperature. Rainfall, stormwater

runoff, and groundwater exchange

replace evaporative losses.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has

issued FPL a No Discharge National

Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit (No. FL0001562) to

operate the CCS as an industrial

wastewater facility. Accordingly, the

CCS does not discharge directly to fresh

or marine surface waters. The proposed

action would not require FPL to request

modifications to the NPDES permit

because the plant discharge limits

would not change. Plant discharge

limits are not intake-temperature

limited; rather, they are a function of the

quantity of heat rejected to the CCS

during plant operation.

Under the proposed action, the CCS could experience temperatures between

100 °F and 104

°F at the TS monitoring location near the north end of the

system for short durations during

periods of peak summer air

temperatures and low rainfall. Such

conditions may not be experienced at all

depending on site and weather conditions. Temperature increases

would also increase CCS water VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00084Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44467 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices evaporation rates and result in higher salinity levels. This effect would also be

temporary and short in duration because

salinity would again decrease upon

natural freshwater recharge of the

system (i.e., through rainfall, stormwater

runoff, and groundwater exchange). No

other onsite or offsite waters would be

affected by the proposed UHS

temperature limit increase.

Because the proposed action would only affect the CCS, and the CCS is a

manmade closed cycle cooling system, the NRC concludes that the proposed

action would not result in significant

impacts to surface water resources.

Aquatic Resources As determined in the previous section, the CCS is the only surface

water that would be affected by the proposed action. Accordingly, this

section only addresses aquatic resources

in the CCS.

The CCS supports a variety of aquatic species typical of shallow, subtropical

waters, including phytoplankton, zooplankton, marine algae, rooted

plants, crabs, and estuarine fish.

Because of high water temperatures and

salinity content of the CCS, the resident

fish assemblage is dominated by species

adapted to living in harsh conditions, such as sheepshead minnow

(Cyprinodon variegatus) and several Fundulus species. The CCS is owner-controlled and closed to the public;

thus, fish and other aquatic biota in the

CCS do not carry any commercial or

recreational value.

Because aquatic organisms in the cooling canal system are unable to travel

to or from Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, or

any other natural water body, changes to

the conditions within the CCS would

not affect any aquatic populations in the

surrounding natural aquatic habitats of

Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, or the

Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, the NRC staff

concludes that the proposed action

would result in no significant impact to

aquatic resources.

Federally Protected Species and Habitats The Turkey Point site is home to a resident population of Federally-

threatened American crocodiles

(Crocodylus acutus

). Crocodiles discovered and colonized the Turkey

Point CCS following plant construction

in the 1970s, and the site now hosts

approximately one-third to one-half of

the United States breeding population.

In 1977, the FWS designated an area of

Florida that includes the majority of the

Turkey Point site (including the CCS) as

critical habitat for the species under the

ESA. FPL maintains a crocodile management plan that prescribes how CCS maintenance procedures shall be

conducted to minimize nest, hatchling, or adult disturbance. FPL also maintains

a crocodile monitoring program to

document breeding success and survival

on the site.

As a Federal agency, the NRC must comply with the ESA as part of any

action it authorizes, funds, or carries

out, such as the proposed action

evaluated in this environmental

assessment. Under ESA section 7, the

NRC must consult with the FWS and the National Marine Fisheries Service, as appropriate, to ensure that the proposed

agency action is not likely to jeopardize

the continued existence of any

endangered or threatened species or

result in the destruction or adverse

modification of designated critical

habitat. The ESA and the regulations

that implement ESA section 7 (50 CFR

Part 402) describe the consultation

process that Federal agencies must

follow in support of agency actions.

Based on a review of the proposed action, the NRC staff has determined

that the American crocodile is the only

Federally-listed species that has the

potential to be affected by the proposed

action. Pursuant to ESA section 7, NRC

staff consulted with FWS staff at the

South Florida Ecological Services Office

in Vero Beach, Florida. The NRC staff

prepared a biological assessment (ADAMS Accession No. ML14206A806)

that considers the potential for the

proposed action to reduce hatchling survival, alter crocodile growth rates, and reduce habitat availability and

concludes that the proposed action is

not likely to adversely affect the

American crocodile and would have no

effect on the species designated critical

habitat. Based on the NRC staffs

biological assessment determinations, the NRC concludes that the proposed action would have no significant impact on Federally-protected species or habitats.

In a July 25, 2014, letter (ADAMS Accession No. ML14206A800) to FWS, the NRC requested ESA section 7

consultation.

Radiological Impacts The proposed action would not result in or require any physical changes to

Turkey Point systems, structures, or

components, including those intended

for the prevention of accidents because

the proposed license amendments

involve TS changes that would only

result in changes in procedural and

operational aspects undertaken by FPL

personnel for monitoring and

maintaining the increased allowable

UHS temperature limit. Thus, the proposed action would not have a significant adverse effect on the

probability of an accident occurring or

result in an increased radiological

hazard beyond those analyzed in the

licensees Updated Final Safety

Analysis Report. The proposed action

would result in no changes to radiation

levels or the types or quantities of

radioactive effluents (gaseous or liquid)

that affect radiation exposures to

members of the public or plant workers.

No changes or different types of

radiological impacts would be expected

from the proposed action. Therefore, the

radiological impacts of granting the

license amendments would result in no

significant impact on the radiological

environment.

Cumulative Impacts The Council on Environmental Quality defines cumulative impacts

under the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA)

as the impact on the environment which

results from the incremental impact of

the action when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable

future actions regardless of what agency (Federal or non-Federal) or person

undertakes such other actions (40 CFR

Part 1508.7). For the purposes of this

analysis, past actions are related to the

resource conditions when Turkey Point

was licensed and constructed; present

actions are related to the resource

conditions during current operations;

and future actions are those that are

reasonably foreseeable through the

expiration of Turkey Points renewed

facility operating licenses. In the

preceding sections of this EA, the NRC

has determined that the proposed action

has the potential to only affect surface

water resources and aquatic resources in

the CCS and Federally protected species

and habitats (i.e., the sites resident

population of American crocodiles and

its designated critical habitat). This EA

also addresses radiological impacts of

the proposed action. Accordingly, this

section only addresses the cumulative

impacts that could result from the

proposed action and other actions on

these resources. The proposed action

would have no effect on the remaining

resources (i.e., land use, visual

resources, air quality, noise, the geologic

environment, groundwater resources, terrestrial resources, historic and

cultural resources, socioeconomic

conditions including minority and low

income populations (environmental

justice), and waste generation and

management activities), and thus, cumulative impacts would not occur for

these environmental resources. VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00085Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44468 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices The NRC staff has identified several actions that may contribute to

cumulative effects; each of these actions

is described separately below.

CCS Chemical Treatments In 2011, FPL began to notice increased blue green algae

concentrations in the CCS. The

concentrations have steadily increased

since that time. FPL has performed

engineering and environmental analyses

and believes that the presence of higher

than normal CCS algae concentrations

may be diminishing the CCSs heat

transfer capabilities. FPL developed a

plan to gradually reduce algae

concentrations through controlled

chemical treatment of the CCS over the

course of several weeks. On June 18, 2014, FPL submitted a request to the

FDEP to approve the use of copper

sulfate, hydrogen peroxide, and a bio-

stimulant to treat the algae (letter

contained in Appendix A of ADAMS

Accession No. ML14206A806). On June

27, 2014, the FDEP approved FPLs

treatment plan for a 90-day trial period (letter contained in Appendix A of

ADAMS Accession No. ML14206A806).

The FDEP requested that during the 90-

day treatment period, FPL monitor the

CCS for total recoverable copper and

dissolved oxygen and submit its results

to the FDEP. The FDEP also

recommended that FPL coordinate with

the Florida Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Commission (FWC) due to

the presence of crocodiles in the cooling

system. The FWC provided its

comments on FPLs treatment plan in a

letter dated July 1, 2014 (letter

contained in Appendix A of ADAMS

Accession No. ML14206A806).

The CCS chemical treatments have the potential to contribute to cumulative

effects on CCS surface water resources, CCS aquatic resources, and the

American crocodile. Because the CCS is

a manmade closed cycle cooling system, treatment of the CCS is not likely to

have a significant cumulative effect on

surface water resources. Monitoring

required by the FDEP will ensure

adequate water quality throughout and

following treatment. Monitoring will

also ensure that any unanticipated effects on the aquatic organisms that

inhabit the CCS are appropriately

addressed. During the treatment period, FPL has agreed to report any potentially

related fish kills in the CCS to the FWC.

No fish kills have been reported to date.

Regarding crocodiles, the NRCs July 25, 2014, biological assessment notes that

FPL has not observed any behavioral or

distributional changes or any other

noticeable differences that would

indicate effects to crocodiles resulting from either the presence of higher algae concentrations or the recent chemical

treatments.

Aquifer Withdrawals The CCS is situated above two aquifers: the shallower saltwater

Biscayne Aquifer and the deeper

brackish Floridan Aquifer. A confining

layer separates the two aquifers from

one another. Turkey Point, Unit 5 uses

the Floridan Aquifer for cooling water.

The South Florida Water Management

District (SFWMD) recently granted FPL approval to withdraw a portion (approximately 5 million gallons per

day [MGD]) of the Unit 5 withdrawal

allowance for use in the CCS. FPL began

pumping Floridan Aquifer water into

the CCS in early July. FPL has also

received temporary approval to

withdraw 30 MGD from the Biscayne

Aquifer, though FPL has not yet used

this allowance.

FPL also anticipates the FDEP to issue an Administrative Order requiring FPL

to install up to six new wells that will

pump approximately 14 MGD of water

from the Floridan Aquifer into the CCS.

Modeling performed by FPL consultants

and the SFWMD indicates that in

approximately 2 years, the withdrawals

would reduce the salinity of the CCS to

the equivalent of Biscayne Bay (about 34

parts per thousand [ppt]). Such

withdrawals could also help moderate

water temperatures.

The current and anticipated future aquifer withdrawals have the potential

to contribute to cumulative effects on

CCS surface water resources, CCS

aquatic resources, and crocodiles.

Because the CCS is a manmade closed

cycle cooling system, aquifer

withdrawals are not likely to have a

significant cumulative effect on surface water resources. Aquifer withdrawals would result in beneficial impacts to CCS aquatic resources and the crocodiles inhabiting the Turkey Point

site. FPL anticipates that the

withdrawals will reduce the salinity of

the CCS to about 34 ppt and could also

help moderate CCS temperatures over

the long term. Both of these effects

would create favorable conditions for

CCS aquatic biota and crocodiles, which

are currently tolerating an unusually

hot, hypersaline environment.

Turkey Point, Units 6 and 7 Construction and Operation In June 2009, FPL submitted a combined license application (COLA)

(ADAMS Accession No. ML091830589)

to construct and operate two

Westinghouse Advanced Passive 1000 (AP1000) pressurized-water reactors

designated as Turkey Point, Units 6 and

7. Submission of the COLA does not commit FPL to build two new nuclear

units and does not constitute approval

of the proposal by the NRC; however, submission of the COLA infers that the

construction and operation of the new

units is a reasonably foreseeable future

action. The COLA will be evaluated on

its merits, and the NRC will decide

whether to grant the licenses after

considering and evaluating the

environmental and safety implications

of the proposal. Environmental impacts

of constructing and operating Turkey

Point, Units 6 and 7 will depend on

their actual design characteristics, construction practices, and power plant

operations. These impacts will be

assessed by the NRC in a separate NEPA

document. The cumulative impacts

presented in this EA may differ from

those impacts assessed for the COLA.

Potential impacts presented below have

been drawn from FPLs Turkey Point, Units 6 and 7 Environmental Report, Revision 5 (ADAMS Accession No.

ML13357A435), and NRCs 2012 EA and

final FONSI for the EPU.

Of the environmental resources affected by the proposed action, the

possible construction and operation of

Units 6 and 7 only have the potential to

contribute to cumulative radiological

impacts. Units 6 and 7 would not use

the CCS for cooling. Rather, Units 6 and

7 would have a closed-cycle cooling

system with mechanical draft cooling

towers. The cooling towers would draw

makeup from Miami-Dade Water and

Sewer Department reclaimed water and

would discharge blowdown into deep

injection wells. Saltwater extracted from

Biscayne Bay subsurface sediment

through radial collector wells proposed

to be built on the Turkey Point site

would serve as a secondary source of

makeup water when a sufficient

quantity and/or quality of reclaimed

water is not available. Because Units 6

and 7 would not use the CCS, the

proposed new units would not have a

cumulative effect on CCS surface water

resources or CCS aquatic resources.

Regarding crocodiles, potential impacts to this species and its critical

habitat will be addressed in a future

ESA section 7 consultation between the

NRC and FWS. When considering

cumulative impacts on Federally listed

species, the ESAs implementing

regulations direct Federal agencies to

consider the effects of future State or

private activities, not involving Federal activities, that are reasonably certain to occur within the action area of the

Federal action subject to consultation

(50 CFR part 402.02; emphasis added).

Accordingly, the NRC will not address

cumulative impacts of Units 6 and 7 on VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00086Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44469 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices the American crocodile in this EA because the NRCs issuance of a license

to construct and operate Units 6 and 7

is a separate Federal activity that will

require future consultation.

Regarding cumulative radiological impacts, the NRC and Environmental

Protection Agency have developed

radiological dose limits for protection of

the public and workers that address the

cumulative effects of acute and long-

term exposure to radiation and

radioactive material. These dose limits

are specified in 10 CFR part 20 and 40

CFR part 190.

The cumulative radiation dose to the public and workers is required to be

within the regulations cited above. The

public dose limit of 25 millirem (0.25

millisieverts) in 40 CFR part 190 applies

to all reactors that may be on a site and

also includes any other nearby nuclear

power reactor facilities. The NRC staff

reviewed several years of radiation dose

data contained in the licensees annual

radioactive effluent release reports for

Turkey Point, and the data demonstrate

that the dose to members of the public

from radioactive effluents is within the

limits of 10 CFR part 20 and 40 CFR part

190. As previously indicated in the

Radiological Impacts section of this

environmental assessment, the proposed

action would result in no changes to

radiation levels or the types or

quantities of radioactive effluents (gaseous or liquid) that affect radiation

exposures to plant workers and

members of the public.

FPLs COLA for Units 6 and 7 contains an assessment of the radiation

doses to members of the public from the proposed new reactors and concludes

that doses would be within regulatory

limits. The staff expects continued

compliance with regulatory dose limits

during operation of Turkey Point, Units

3 and 4 under the proposed action.

Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that

the cumulative radiological impacts to

members of the public that could result

from the combined operations of Turkey

Point, Units 3 and 4 and the proposed

new Units 6 and 7 would result in no

significant impact on the environment.

Regarding radiation dose to workers, cumulative dose would only be

applicable for those workers that would

be engaged at both facilities (i.e., the

currently operating Units 3 and 4 and

proposed new Units 6 and 7). For Units

3 and 4, the licensee has a radiation

protection program that maintains

worker doses within the dose limits in 10 CFR part 20 during all phases of operations. Operation of Units 6 and 7

would require a similar radiation

protection program, and the licensee

would be responsible for ensuring that

workers are not exposed to dose limits

above those specified in 10 CFR part 20.

Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that

the cumulative radiological impacts to

plant workers that could result from the

combined operations of Turkey Point, Units 3 and 4 and the proposed new

Units 6 and 7 would result in no significant impact on the radiological environment.

Cumulative Impacts Conclusion The NRC staff considered the cumulative impacts of CCS chemical

treatments, current and anticipated

future aquifer withdrawals, and the

possible future construction and

operation of two new nuclear units on

the Turkey Point site. Based on the

information presented in this section, the NRC staff concludes that the

proposed action, in combination with

other cumulative actions, would result

in no significant cumulative impacts on

the environment.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered denial

of the proposed license amendments (i.e., the no-action alternative). Denial

of the application would result in no

change in current environmental

conditions or impacts. However, denial

would result in reduced operational

flexibility and could require FPL to derate or shutdown Turkey Point if the UHS average supply water temperature

approaches or exceeds the 100

°F TS limit. In its application, FPL states that

loss of load and voltage control resulting

from such a shutdown during periods of

high summer demand could result in

impacts to grid reliability.

Alternative Use of Resources The action does not involve the use of any different resources than those

previously considered in NUREG-1437, Supplement 5 prepared for license

renewal of Turkey Point.

Agencies and Persons Consulted On July 28, 2014, the NRC staff notified the Florida State official, Ms.

Cindy Becker, Chief of Bureau of

Radiation Control, of the Florida

Department of Health, regarding the

environmental impacts of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.

The NRC staff also coordinated with the FWS pursuant to consultation under

ESA section 7 during the staffs review of the proposed action. The consultation is further discussed under the

Federally-Protected Species section of

this environmental assessment.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact The NRC is considering issuing amendments for Renewed Facility

Operating License Nos. DPR-31 and

DPR-41, issued to FPL for operation of

Turkey Point to increase the UHS water

temperature limit specified in the

Turkey Point TSs from 100

°F to 104°F and add an SR to monitor the UHS

temperature more frequently if the UHS

temperature approaches the new limit.

On the basis of the EA included in Section II above and incorporated by

reference in this finding, the NRC

concludes that the proposed action

would not have significant effects on the

quality of the human environment. The

proposed action would result in no

significant impacts on surface water

resources, aquatic resources, or the

radiological environment. In addition, the proposed action is not likely to

adversely affect any Federally-protected

species or affect any designated critical

habitat. The proposed action would also

not result in significant cumulative

impacts on any environmental

resources. The NRCs evaluation

considered information provided in the

licensees application and associated

supplements; the NRCs staff

independent review of other

environmental documents, and

coordination with the FWS pursuant to

consultation under ESA section 7.

Section IV below lists the

environmental documents related to the

proposed action and includes

information on the availability of these

documents. Based on its findings, the

NRC has decided not to prepare an

environmental impact statement for the

proposed action.

IV. Availability of Documents The following table identifies the environmental and other documents

cited in this document and related to

the NRCs FONSI. These documents are

available for public inspection online through ADAMS at http://www.nrc.gov/

reading-rm/adams.html or in person at the NRCs PDR as described previously. VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:56 Jul 30, 2014Jkt 232001PO 00000Frm 00087Fmt 4703Sfmt 4703E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM31JYN1 wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44470 Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 147/Thursday, July 31, 2014/Notices Document Adams Accession No.

Documents Related to License Amendment Request Florida Power & Light Company. License Amendment Request No. 231, Application to Revise Technical Specifications to Re-vise Ultimate Heat Sink Temperature Limit. Dated July 10, 2014.

ML14196A006 Florida Power & Light Company. License Amendment Request No. 231, Application to Revise Ultimate Heat Sink Tempera-ture LimitRequest for Emergency Approval. Dated July 17, 2014.

ML14202A392 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Turkey Point 3 and 4 Request for Additional InformationLAR231 (TAC MF4392 and MF4393). [1 of 2] Dated July 18, 2014.

ML14203A614 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Turkey Point 3 and 4 Request for Additional InformationLAR231 (TAC MF4392 and MF4393). [2 of 2] Dated July 18, 2014.

ML14203A618 Florida Power & Light Company. License Amendment Request No. 231, Application to Revise Ultimate Heat Sink Tempera-ture LimitSupplement 1, and Response to Request for Additional Information. Dated July 22, 2014.

ML14204A367 Florida Power & Light Company. Response to Request for Additional Information Regarding License Amendment Request No.

231, Application to Revise Technical Specifications to Revise Ultimate Heat Sink Temperature Limit. Dated July 22, 2014.

ML14204A368 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Turkey Point 3 and 4 Request for Additional InformationLAR231 (TAC MF4392 and MF4393). Dated July 22, 2014.

ML14204A814 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Notice of Enforcement Discretion for Florida Power & Light Company Regarding Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4 [NOED NO. 14-2-001]. Dated July 23, 2014.

ML14204A652 Florida Power & Light Company. Response to Containment and Ventilation Branch Request for Additional Information, Re-garding License Amendment Request No. 231, Application to Revise Ultimate Heat Temperature Limit. Dated July 24, 2014.

ML14206A853 Florida Power & Light Company. Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4Individual Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendments to Renewed Facility Operating Licenses, Proposed No Significant Hazards Consideration Deter-

mination, and Opportunity for Hearing (Exigent Circumstances) (TAC Nos. MF4392 and MF4293). Dated July 24, 2014.

ML14204A129 (letter) ML14199A111 (enclosure)

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Request to Reinitiate Informal Consultation for a Proposed License Amendment to In-crease the Ultimate Heat Sink Temperature Limit at Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4. Dated July 25, 2014.ML14206A800 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Biological Assessment on the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) for Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Unit Nos. 3 and 4 Proposed License Amendment to Increase the Ultimate Heat Sink Temperature

Limit. Dated July 25, 2014.

ML14206A806 Other Referenced Documents U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Re-garding Turkey Point Units 3 and 4Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 5). Dated January 28, 2002.

ML020280236 Florida Power & Light Company. Proposed Turkey Point Units 6 & 7, Project No. 763, Application for Combined License for Turkey Point Units 6 and 7. Dated June 30, 2009.

ML091830589 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to a Li-cense Amendment To Increase the Maximum Reactor Power Level, Florida Power & Light Company; Turkey Point, Units 3

and 4. Dated March 27, 2012.

ML12074A251 Florida Power & Light Company. Turkey Point Units 6 & 7 Combine License Application, Part 3: Environmental Report, Revi-sion 5. Dated December 23, 2013.

ML13357A435 Florida Power & Light Company. Turkey Point Units 3 and 4; Wastewater Permit FL0001563; Request for Approval for the Use of Copper Sulfate, Hydrogen Peroxide, and a Bio-Stimulant in the Treatment and Control of Blue Green Algae in the

Cooling Canal System. Dated June 18, 2014.ML14206A806*

Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Re: Florida Power & Light, Turkey Point, NPDES Permit FL0001562, 90-Day Trial Approval. Dated June 27, 2014.ML14206A806*

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Re: Florida Power & Light, Turkey Point Plant Maintenance Activity, NPDES Permit FL0001562, Miami-Dade County. Dated July 1, 2014.ML14206A806* *(See Appendix A.)

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of July 2014.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Lisa M. Regner, Acting Chief, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 2014-18159 Filed 7-30-14; 8:45 am]

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