ML061280184
| ML061280184 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 05/05/2006 |
| From: | Rani Franovich NRC/NRR/ADRO/DLR/REBB |
| To: | Kurkul P US Dept of Commerce, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Hernandez S, NRR/DLR/REBB, 415-4049 | |
| References | |
| %dam200611 | |
| Download: ML061280184 (10) | |
Text
May 5, 2006Ms. Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional AdministratorNOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Regional Office One Blackburn Drive Gloucester, MA 09130-2298
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR LIST OF PROTECTED SPECIES AND ESSENTIAL FISHHABITAT WITHIN THE AREA UNDER EVALUATION FOR THE VERMONTYANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATIONREVIEW
Dear Ms. Kurkul:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is reviewing an application submitted byEntergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy) for the renewal of the operating license for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VYNPS). VYNPS is located in the town of Vernon, Vermont, in Windham County on the west shore of the Connecticut River. As part of the review of the license renewal application (LRA), the NRC is preparing a Supplemental EnvironmentalImpact Statement (SEIS) under the provisions of Title 10 of the Code of Federal RegulationsPart 51 (10 CFR Part 51), the NRC regulation that implements the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The SEIS includes an analysis of pertinent environmental issues, including endangered or threatened species and impacts to marine resources and habitat. This letter is being submitted under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934, as amended, and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.The proposed action would include the use and continued maintenance of existing plantfacilities and transmission lines. VYNPS stated that no major refurbishment activities havebeen identified as necessary to support the continued operation of VYNPS beyond the end of the existing operating license term. VYNPS is situated on approximately 125 acres of land on the west shore of the Connecticut River 0.75 miles upstream of the Vernon Hydroelectric Station. This section of the river is known as Vernon Pool. The areas adjacent to the stationare primarily farm and pasture lands. The area within a five mile radius is predominantly rural with the exception of a portion of the town of Brattleboro, Vermont, and the town of Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Between 75 percent and 80 percent of the area within five miles of the station is wooded. The remainder is occupied by farms and small industries.
Enclosure 1 shows thelayout of the general area near the VYNPS site and Enclosure 2 presents an overview of the site location.
P. Kurkul- 2 -The VYNPS utilizes a once-through cooling system and mechanical draft cooling towers toremove waste heat from the condensers. The three circulating water pumps are located in the enclosed intake structure at the river bank. Water from the main condensers is returned to the discharge structure where it is either discharged through an aerating structure to the river or is diverted to the cooling towers. Water circulated through the towers may be either discharged through the aerating structure to the river or recirculated in a closed loop path to the intakestructure, or a combination of both, known as hybrid cycle mode. The discharge path ismanually selected by the operator and is contingent upon seasonal variation in environmentalparameters.The only transmission lines considered to be in scope for the review are located inside the125 acre plant site. These transmission lines were constructed to connect VYNPS to the New England transmission grid. The transmission lines exiting the switchyards are part of the New England transmission grid that was constructed to supply purchased power to the State ofVermont. The New England transmission grid is not considered to be in scope of the license renewal review.To support the SEIS preparation process and to ensure compliance with Section 7 of theEndangered Species Act, the NRC requests information on Federally listed, proposed andcandidate species, and critical habitat under the jurisdiction of the National Marine Fisheries Service that may be in the vicinity of the VYNPS site.In addition, please provide any information you consider appropriate under the provisions of theFish and Wildlife Coordination Act. Also in support of the SEIS preparation and to ensure compliance with Section 305 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the NRC requests a list of essential fish habitat that has been designated in the vicinity ofthe VYNPS site.From May 23-25, 2006, the NRC staff plans to conduct a site audit at the VYNPS. On June 7, 2006, the NRC staff plans to hold two public NEPA scoping meetings at the Latchis Theatre,50 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301. The first session will convene at 1:30 p.m. andwill continue until 4:30 p.m., as necessary. The second session will convene at 7:00 p.m., witha repeat of the overview portions of the meeting, and will continue until 10:00 p.m., asnecessary. In addition to the environmental scoping meeting described above, the NRC willhold an informal open house at the Quality Inn & Suites, 1380 Putney Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301, on Tuesday, June 6, 2006, from 2:00-8:00 p.m., as necessary. You and yourstaff are invited to attend both the site audit and the public meetings. Your office will receive acopy of the draft SEIS along with a request for comments. The anticipated publication date for the draft SEIS is December 2006.
P. Kurkul- 3 -If you have any questions concerning the NRC staff review of this LRA, please contactMr. Richard L. Emch Jr., Senior Environmental Project Manager at 301-415-1590 or RLE@nrc.gov
.Sincerely,/RA/Rani Franovich, Branch ChiefEnvironmental Branch B Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationDocket No. 50-271
Enclosures:
- 1. Layout of General Area near VYNPS Site
- 2. Overview of the Site Locationcc w/encls.: See next page P. Kurkul- 3 -If you have any questions concerning the NRC staff review of this LRA, please contactMr. Richard L. Emch Jr., Senior Environmental Project Manager at 301-415-1590 or RLE@nrc.gov
.Sincerely,/RA/Rani Franovich, Branch ChiefEnvironmental Branch B Division of License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationDocket No. 50-271
Enclosures:
- 1. Layout of General Area near VYNPS Site
- 2. Overview of the Site Locationcc w/encls.: See next page DISTRIBUTION
- F. Gillespie / P.T. Kuo (RidsNrrDlr)
R. Franovich (RidsNrrDlrRebb)
R. Emch S. Hernandez R. Schaaf D. Miller (david.s.miller@anl.gov
)J. Eads J. Shea C. Anderson, RI D. Pelton, RI N. Sheehan, RI RidsOGCMailRoom DLR/REBBAdams Accession No.1. Ltr. to P. Kurkul w/Encls. 1, 2 and Service List: ML061280184Document Name: E:\Filenet\ML061280184.wpdOFFICELA:DLRGE:DLR:REBBPM:DLR:REBBBC:DLR:REBBNAMEY. EdmondsS. HernandezR.Emch /RA S.Hernandez For/R.FranovichDATE5/4/06 5/5/06 5/5/06 5/5/06 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:
Regional Administrator, Region IU. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415Mr. David R. LewisPillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman, LLP 2300 N Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037-1128Mr. David O'Brien, CommissionerVermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2601Mr. James Volz, ChairmanPublic Service Board State of Vermont 112 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2701Operating Experience CoordinatorVermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station 320 Governor Hunt Road Vernon, VT 05354Mr. G. Dana Bisbee, Esq.Deputy Attorney General 33 Capitol Street Concord, NH 03301-6937Chief, Safety Unit Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place, 19th Floor Boston, MA 02108Ms. Deborah B. KatzBox 83 Shelburne Falls, MA 01370Ms. Carla A. White, RRPT, CHPRadiological Health Vermont Department of Health P.O. Box 70, Drawer #43 108 Cherry Street Burlington, VT 05402-0070Mr. James M. DeVincentisManager, Licensing Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500Resident InspectorVermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
P.O. Box 176 Vernon, VT 05354Director, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency ATTN: James Muckerheide 400 Worcester Rd.
Framingham, MA 01702-5399Mr. Jonathan M. Block, Esq.Main Street
P.O. Box 566 Putney, VT 05346-0566Mr. John F. McCannDirector, Licensing Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Gary J. TaylorChief Executive Officer Entergy Operations 1340 Echelon Parkway Jackson, MS 39213Mr. John T. HerronSr. VP and Chief Operating Officer Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:
Mr. Oscar LimpiasVice President, Engineering Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Christopher SchwartzVice President, Operations Support Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Michael J. ColombDirector of Oversight Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Travis C. McCulloughAssistant General Counsel Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. Jay K. ThayerSite Vice President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station P.O. Box 0500 185 Old Ferry Road Brattleboro, VT 05302-0500Mr. James H. Sniezek5486 Nithsdale Drive Salisbury, MD 21801Ms. Stacey M. LousteauTreasury Department Entergy Services, Inc.
639 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113Mr. Raymond ShadisNew England Coalition Post Office Box 98 Edgecomb, ME 04556Mr. James P. MatteauExecutive Director Windham Regional Commission 139 Main Street, Suite 505 Brattleboro, VT 05301Mr. William K. ShermanVermont Department of Public Service 112 State Street Drawer 20 Montpelier, VT 05620-2601Mr. Michael D. Lyster5931 Barclay Lane Naples, FL 34110-7306Ms. Charlene D. FaisonManager, Licensing 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601Mr. James RossNuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708Mr. Peter DeyoChairman, Vernon Select Board 567 Governor Hunt Road Vernon, VT 05354Mr. Jerry RemillardBrattleboro Town Manager 230 Main Street, Suite 208 Brattleboro, VT 05301Mr. Steven A. SteidleChair, Brattleboro Select Board 108 Meetinghouse Lane Brattleboro, VT 05301-8985Sen. Roderick M. GanderSenator, Windham District 43 Tyler Street Brattleboro, VT 05301 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station cc:
Sen. Jeanette K. WhiteSenator, Windham District 35A Old Depot Road Putney, VT 05346Mr. Ed AnthesVermont Nuclear Free by 2012 PO Box 6325 Brattleboro, VT 05302Mr. John D. SmithChairman Board of Selectmen PO Box 13 Hinsdale, NH 03451Ms. Diana SidebothamThe New England Coalition PO Box 545 Brattleboro, VT 05302