ML103190723
| ML103190723 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Levy County |
| Issue date: | 12/22/2010 |
| From: | Scott Flanders NRC/NRO/DSER |
| To: | Croom M US Dept of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service |
| Bruner D, NRO/DSER, 415-2730 | |
| References | |
| +reviewedbca1 | |
| Download: ML103190723 (13) | |
Text
December 22, 2010
Mr. Miles M. Croom Assistant Regional Administrator for Habitat Conservation Division National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office 263 13 th Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5505
SUBJECT:
RESPONSE TO ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING PROPOSED LEVY NUCLEAR PLANT UNITS 1 AND 2
Dear Mr. Croom:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received your letter, dated October 26, 2010, providing the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) comments and conservation recommendations in response to the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and essential fish habitat (EFH) assessment, respectively, for the construction and operation of the proposed Levy Nuclear Plant (LNP) Units 1 and 2 site in Levy County, Florida. As cooperating agencies, the NRC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have conducted a joint EFH consultation with NMFS in association with reviews of the application submitted by Progress Energy Florida (PEF) for combined licenses from the NRC and a Department of the Army permit from USACE. The joint EFH consultation was initiated pursuant to Section 305 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Public Law 94-265, December 1996) (the "Act"), and the EFH assessment was included in Appendix F of the DEIS, which was issued in August 2010. This letter focuses on responding to the EFH conservation recommendations for the purpose of concluding the EFH consultation by the NRC, as required by Section 305(b)(4)(B) for the Act. It is our understanding that the USACE will respond to the NMFS by separate letter. In the EFH assessment, the NRC and USACE determined that construction and operation of proposed Units 1 and 2 at the LNP site would have minimal adverse effects on EFH within the Crystal Bay area of the Gulf of Mexico, Old Withlacoochee River, and Cross Florida Barge Canal (CFBC), as a result of the loss of spawning, nursery, forage, and/or shelter habitat for the 14 species evaluated. NMFS's EFH conservation recommendations from your October 26, 2010, letter are reproduced below:
- 1) A minimum 5-year baseline survey should be developed and coordinated with state and Federal natural resource agencies to determine site-specific, year-round impacts to fish and invertebrate resources present at the cooling water intake site following plant operation. Acquired data could then be used to quantitatively calculate potential impacts to LNP operations on identified fishery resources and, if determined necessary, to develop and implement Best Management practices and adaptive management mitigation options to further reduce such impacts.
- 2) A minimum 3-year Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) survey, conducted between June 1 through September 30, should be conducted in portions of the Gulf of Mexico offshore of the cooling water discharge canal at the Crystal River Energy Complex facility to determine if discharge of additional cooling water from LNP operations is resulting in adverse impacts to SAV. Following SAV sampling and if survey results indicate diminished SAV densities are occurring as a result of discharge of LNP cooling water, an SAV mitigation plan should be developed in consultation with state and Federal natural resource agencies.
- 3) The filling of approximately 4.5 acres of estuarine emergent marsh habitats for proposed blowdown pipeline corridor routing between the LNP and existing Crystal River Energy Complex facility should not be authorized. Alternatively, necessary pipeline construction should be aligned through available upland areas between these sites.
- 4) If it is determined there is a need for dredging portions of the Gulf of Mexico immediately offshore from the Cross Florida Barge Canal, then benthic surveys should be conducted.
Such surveys should also include benthic habitat assessments to determine the presence and abundance of SAV and hardbottom habitats. Results of these surveys should be provided to NMFS staff for review.
- 5) Provided unavoidable hardbottom and SAV impacts are expected to occur as a result of Item 4, above, development of a conceptual compensatory mitigation plan for impacts to marine habitats should include the following elements: 1) description of the mitigation plan; 2) quantification of anticipated impact acreage verses proposed mitigation acreage and justification for the proposed mitigation acreage; 3) scientific criteria for determining mitigation success; 4) a project and mitigation implementation schedule; 5) targeted climax communities expected in mitigation area(s), including their acreage and configurations; 6) material and methods to be used to achieve the intended mitigation; 7) comprehensive 5-year monitoring and reporting schedules; and 8) contingency plans by which equivalent mitigation would be completed if the proposed mitigation fails.
In addition, your letter recommends that the NRC and USACE coordinate with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to assess the potential cumulative effects of the Levy Nuclear and Inglis Hydropower Plants' (IHP) operations on diadromous species and their associated habitats and address preliminary measures for protection, mitigation, and enhancement of these resources.
Although the NRC considered the mitigative measures in the EFH assessment, the NRC's statutory authority under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, does not allow the NRC to impose on NRC licenses the mitigative measures described in your letter. Instead, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) as delegated by the Environmental Protection Agency and USACE have such authority under the Clean Water Act. Therefore, regarding Items 1, 2, 4, and 5, above, the NRC encourages NMFS to collaborate with the FDEP or USACE to implement: 1) baseline fish and invertebrate surveys by the cooling water intake site; 2) SAV surveys; 3) potential benthic survey associated with dredging in the Gulf of Mexico; and 4) development of a conceptual compensatory mitigation plan for impacts to marine habitats that could occur as a result of dredging in the Gulf of Mexico.
In April 2010, a petition for Notification to Modify the State's Site Certification Application for the Levy project was submitted by PEF to the FDEP. The primary purpose of the modification is to avoid 4.5 acres of estuarine emergent marsh habitats as presented in EFH conservation recommendation number three. The FDEP is expected to decide on the petition in January
2011. Although not an EFH conservation recommendation, your October 26, 2010, letter recommended that the NRC and the USACE coordinate with FERC to assess the potential cumulative effects of the proposed LNP and the proposed IHP on diadromous species and their associated habitats as well as addressing preliminary measures for protection, mitigation, and enhancement of these resources. The review team is unaware of any diadromous fish species that currently or historically inhabited the Withlacoochee River. The review team did evaluate the potential for cumulative impacts associated with the IHP and the LNP in Section 7.3.2 of the August 2010 DEIS. The review team concluded that construction of the hydropower plant could temporarily affect downstream migration of fish from Lake Rousseau to the Withlacoochee River but would have no effect on the CFBC or the Old Withlacoochee River. The review team also found that the IHP is isolated from impacts on the CFBC because the Inglis Lock bypass channel and the Withlacoochee River are not hydraulically connected to the CFBC. The construction and operation of the IHP would have no effect on fish populations or EFH in the CFBC. Thus, the staff concluded that the hydropower project would have no detectable incremental cumulative impact on EFH or fish populations affected by the building and operating of LNP. Therefore, the review team finds no reason to coordinate with FERC to further assess the potential cumulative effects of the IHP and LNP on diadromous species, EFH, or the local fishery. This response letter concludes the NRC's portion of the joint EFH consultation regarding construction and operation of proposed Units 1 and 2 at the LNP site. The USACE will complete its consultation with the NMFS through a separate letter. If you have any questions concerning the response to NMFS's EFH conservation recommendations, please contact Mr. Douglas Bruner of my staff at 301-415-2730, or via e-mail to Douglas.Bruner@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/ By Nilesh C. Chokshi Acting For Scott C. Flanders, Director Division of Site and Environmental Reviews Office of New Reactors Docket Nos.: 52-029 and 52-030 cc: See next page
ML103190723 *via e-mail NRO-002 Letter to Miles M. Croom from Scott C. Flanders dated December 22, 2010
SUBJECT:
RESPONSE TO ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING PROPOSED LEVY NUCLEAR PLANT UNITS 1 AND 2 DISTRIBUTION:
Docket Nos.: 52-029 and 52-030 PUBLIC RidsOcaMailCenter SWyngarden, ISL (SWyngarden@icfi.com) DBruner, NRO RidsNroDnrl RScherpelz, PNNL (scherpelz@pnl.gov) BAnderson, NRO RidsNroDserRenv AStegen, PNNL (Amanda.Stegen@pnl.gov)
MBrown, NRO RidsOcaMailCenter RidsRgn2MailCenter RidsOgcMailCenter JMartin, OGC RidsOpaMail JSebrosky, NRO RidsNroDser KRoach, OGC GHambrick, USACE (Gordon.A.Hambrick@usace.army.mil)
RHanna, RII GWilson, RII TMorrisey, RII Levy County Mailing List cc: Ms. Pamela Albert 5630 N Andri Drive Crystal River, FL 34428 Mr. Hugh Arnold 14031 SE 82nd Court Inglis, FL 34429 Ms. Betty Berger PO Box 83 Ingilis, FL 34449 Ms. Carol Bergmann 122 N. Pompeo Avenue Crystal River, FL 34429 Mr. David Bernhart Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources Southeast Regional Office National Marine Fisheries Service 263 13th Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Mr. Troy Burrell, Jr. 12005 N. Florida Avenue Dunnellon, FL 34434 Mr. Hal C. Flowers 2919 Wallerford Avenue Tampa, FL 33611 Ms. Renate Cannon 7451 NW 35th Street Chiefland, FL 32626-7317 Mr. Ken Cheek 12005 North Florida Avenue Dunnellon, FL 34434 Ms. Linda Cohan AF Knotts Public Library 11 56th Street Yankeetown, FL 34498
Ms. Betsy Cox 5213 Relay Way Raleigh, NC 27605 Avis Craig 10995 N. Citrus Avenue Crystal River, FL 34428 The Honorable Mitchell Cypress Chairman Seminole Tribe of Florida 6300 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33024 Mr. Darryl A. Diamond 20165 SE 115th Avenue Inglis, FL 34449 Ms. Amanda Douglas P.O. Box 1112 Bronson, FL 32621 Ms. Mimi Drew FDEP Deputy Secretary 3900Commonwealth Blvd Mail Stop 15 Tallahassee, FL 32399 Ms. Lesa Ehlers Citrus County Costal Region Library 8619 W. Crystal Street Crystal River, FL 34426 Mr. Thomas Eppes 6900 Ulmerton Road Largo, FL 33771 Ms. Patricia Foreman 323 E. Hill Street Inverness, FL 34452
Page 1 of 5 Levy County Mailing List cc: Mr. John M. Fowler, Director Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Office of Federal Agency Programs Old Post Office Building 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Ste 803 Washington, DC 20004 Mr. Ken Frink 1281 N. Lombard Avenue Lecanto, FL 34461 Carol & John Froelich 9521 North Alder Avenue Crystal River, FL 34428 CDR Paul S. Gagliano Region IV U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 61 Forsyth Street Atlanta, GA 30303 Mr. Rolando Garcia, Regional Director North Central Region Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 3377 E. U.S. Hwy 90 Lake City, FL 32055-8795 Mr. Frederick P. Gaske, Director Division of Historical Resources State Historic Preservation Officer Office of Cultural and Historical Programs 500 S. Bronough Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 Mr. James Golden, Lead Planner Intergovernmental Policy and Planning Division South Florida Water Management District West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4680 Mr. Don Hambrick Jacksonville District - Corps of Engineers Department of the Army Panama City Regulatory Office 1002 West 23rd Street, Suite 350 Panama City, FL 32405-3648 Chief Leonard Harjo Seminole Nation of Oklahome P.O. Box 1498 Wewoka, OK 74884 Mr. Mac Harris 2795 W. Sunrise Street Lecanto, FL 34461 Mr. Michael A. Hernandez 3663 S.W. 8th Street, Suite 200 Miami, FL 33135 Mr. Alan Hodges P.O. Box 110240 Gainesville, FL 32611 Mr. Norman Hopkins 1030 N. Crescent Drive Crystal River, FL 34429 The Honorable Bobby Johns Bearheart, Chief Southeastern Lower Muscogee Indians Perdido Bay Tribe 12533 Polonious Pkwy Pensacola, FL 32506 Mr. Art Jones 560 NW 14 th Place Crystal River, FL 34428 Mr. David Keys, SERO NEPA Coordinators NOAA Fisheries Service South Regional Office 263 13 th Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Mr. Mark P. Klutho 14496 120 th Avenue, North Largo, FL 33774 Mr. Al Latimer 800 Magnolia Ave., Suite 1100 Orlando, FL 32803 Page 2 of 5
Levy County Mailing List cc: Mr. Barry Lenz 5426 Bay Ctr Drive, Suite 400 Tampa, FL 33609 Maloni R. Lewis 786 NE 6 th Terrace Crystal River, FL 34428 Mr. Gary Maidhof 3600 W. Sovereign Path, Suite 109 Lecanto, FL 34461 Mr. Paul Marraffino 19544 SW 82 nd Place Road Dunnellon, FL 34432 Ms. Katrice McCray-Holly PO Box 551 Crystal River, FL 34423 Mr. Walton McJordan PO Box 688 Cedar Key, FL 32625 Mr. Bruce Moore 5559 Cactus Circle Spring Hill, FL 34606 Ms. Sandy Moseley Bronson Public Library Levy County 600 Gilbert Street Bronson, FL 32621 Mr. Matt Mucci 4300 W. Cypress Street, Suite 250 Tampa, FL 33607 Mr. Heinz Mueller U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 61 Forsyth Street Atlanta, GA 30303
Ms. Cindy Mulkey Engineering Specialist Florida Department of Environmental Protection 2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 48 Tallahassee, FL 32399 Ms. Anne Mullins, Compliance Supervisor Tribal Historic Preservation Office Seminole Tribe of Florida 34725 West Boundary Road Clewistown, FL 33440 Mr. Joe Murphy 34413 Orchird Parkway Ridge Manor, FL 33523 Mr. Michael Peters PO Box 7 Inglis, FL 34449 Mr. Guy Rabens 1417 SW 15th Avenue Ocala, FL 34471 E. E. Renfro 6588 W. Cannondale Drive Crystal River, FL 34429 Mr. John Russell 17810 Hyland Lane Dade City, FL 33523 Mr. Noah Silverman Natural Resources Specialist NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office 263 13th Avenue South Petersburg, FL 33701 Ms. Laura Slaback PO Box 1086 Branson, FL 32621
Page 3 of 5 Levy County Mailing List cc: Mr. Paul Snead 4701 Fox Road Raleigh, NC 27616 Mr. Willard Steele Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Tribal Historic Preservation Office Seminole Tribe of Florida 34725 West Boundary Road Clewistown, FL 33440 Ms. Anita Stewart 18809 4th Street, SE Lutz, FL 33549
Mr. Alan Summerville ICF International 9300 Lee Highway Fairfax, VA 22031-1207
Mr. Craig Tepper, Director Environmetal Resources Management Department Seminole Tribe of Florida 6300 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33024 Mr. Steve Terry Miccosukee Tribe NAGPRA & Section 106 Representatives Tamiami Station PO Box 440021 Miami, FL 33144-0021 Mr. Mark Vianello 1614 SE Ft. King Street Ocala, FL 34471 A. Vlikmir 1498 N. Edicott Point Crystal River, FL 34429 Ms. Theresa Waldron PO Box 438 Lecanto, FL 34460 Ms Linda Walker Deputy Field Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Jacksonville Field Office 7915 Bay Meadows Way Jacksonville, FL 32256-7515
Page 4 of 5 Levy County Mailing List cc: Email: ecasey21@hotmail.com (Emily Casey) jcd1968@gmail.com (Chris Dougherty) edisonj@levy.k12.fl.us (Jeff Edison) gagliano.paul@epa.gov (Cdr. Paul S. Gagliano) robert.hoffman@noaa.gov (Robert Hoffman) skirk@tampabay.rr.com (Susan Kirk) lawterv@cf.edu (Vernon Lawter)
Littleton.brian@epa.gov (Brian Littleton) john.marmish@unitedway.org (John Marmish) miedema.ron@epa.gov (Ron Miedema) mueller.heinz@epa.gov (Heinz Mueller) porro@optonline.net (Joe Porrovecchio) reyes.juan@epa.gov (Juan Reyes) rountree.marthea@epa.gov (Marthea Rountree)
Paul.Snead@pgnmail.com (Paul Snead) greencat9@juno.com (Jennifer Sullivan) Rinck.todd@epa.gov (Rinck Todd) Martha.Moore@swfwmd.state.fl.us (Martha Moore) annemullins@semtribe.com (Anne Mullins) jenniferpietarila@semtribe.com (Jennifer Pietarila) elliottyork@semtribe.com (Elliott York)
Page 5 of 5 COL - Progress Energy - Levy County Mailing List (Revised 06/23/2010) cc: Ms. Michele Boyd Legislative Director Energy Program Public Citizens Critical Mass Energy and Environmental Program 215 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003 Ms. Georgia Cranmore Assistant Regional Administrator NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office 9721 Executive Center Drive North Saint Petersburg, FL 33702 Mr. John Elnitsky Vice President Nuclear Plant Development Progress Energy Flordia, Inc.
P.O. Box 14042 Saint Petersburg, FL 33733
Page 1 of 3
COL - Progress Energy - Levy County Mailing List Email APH@NEI.org (Adrian Heymer) awc@nei.org (Anne W. Cottingham)
Bill.Jacobs@gdsassociates.com (Bill Jacobs) billn@fcan.org (Bill Newton) brian.mccabe@pgnmail.com (Brian McCabe)
BrinkmCB@westinghouse.com (Charles Brinkman) chris.burton@pgnmail.com (Chris Burton) chris.maslak@ge.com (Chris Maslak)
CumminWE@Westinghouse.com (Edward W. Cummins) cwaltman@roe.com (C. Waltman) david.lewis@pillsburylaw.com (David Lewis) david.waters@pgnmail.com (Dave Waters)
Derlinda.Bailey@chguernsey.com (Derinda Bailey) ed.burns@earthlink.net (Ed Burns) gzinke@entergy.com (George Alan Zinke) jgutierrez@morganlewis.com (Jay M. Gutierrez) jim.riccio@wdc.greenpeace.org (James Riccio) joe.w.donahue@pgnmail.com (Joe Donahue) john.elnitsky@pgnmail.com (John Elnitsky)
Joseph_Hegner@dom.com (Joseph Hegner)
KSutton@morganlewis.com (Kathryn M. Sutton) kwaugh@impact-net.org (Kenneth O. Waugh) lchandler@morganlewis.com (Lawrence J. Chandler) levynuke@ecologyparty.org (Cara Campbell)
Marc.Brooks@dhs.gov (Marc Brooks) maria.webb@pillsburylaw.com (Maria Webb) mark.beaumont@wsms.com (Mark Beaumont)
Mark.Crisp@chguernsey.com (Mark Crisp) maryo@nirs.org (Mary Olson) matias.travieso-diaz@pillsburylaw.com (Matias Travieso-Diaz) media@nei.org (Scott Peterson)
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Page 2 of 3 COL - Progress Energy - Levy County Mailing List stephan.moen@ge.com (Stephan Moen)
Tansel.Selekler@nuclear.energy.gov (Tansel Selekler) twinkletoesdms@aol.com (Robert and Deborah Smith)
Vanessa.quinn@dhs.gov (Vanessa Quinn) william.maher@fpl.com (William Maher)
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