ML031780821
| ML031780821 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Robinson  |
| Issue date: | 06/25/2003 |
| From: | Emch R NRC/NRR/DRIP/RLEP |
| To: | |
| Emch R, NRR/DRIP/RLEP, 415-1590 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML031780802 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML031780821 (28) | |
Text
Preliminary Results of Environmental Review H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit 2 Nuclear Regulatory Commission June 25, 2003
Purpose of Todays Meeting
Ø Discuss NRCs license renewal process
Ø Describe the environmental review process
Ø Discuss the results of our review
Ø Provide the review schedule
Ø Accept any comments you may have today
Ø Describe how to submit comments 2
H.B. Robinson, Unit 2 License Renewal
Ø Operating license expires in 2010
Ø Application requests authorization to operate H.B. Robinson, Unit 2 for an additional 20 years 3
NRCs License Renewal Review
Ø Safety review
Ø Environmental review
Ø Plant inspections
Ø Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) 4
License Renewal Process Onsite Inspection Inspection Activities Report ACRS ACRS Review Report Safety Review Safety Safety Evaluation Review Report License Renewal Agency Application Hearings* Decision on Application Environmental Scoping Draft Comments Final Review Activities Supplement On Draft Supplement To GEIS To GEIS Formal Public *If a request for hearing is granted Participation 5
National Environmental Policy Act
Ø NEPA requires Federal agencies to use a systematic approach to consider environmental impacts
Ø Commission has determined that an environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared for a license renewal action 6
Decision Standard for Environmental Review To determine whether or not the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for H.B.
Robinson, Unit 2 are so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy planning decisionmakers would be unreasonable.
7
Environmental License Renewal Process Application Notice of Intent Submitted August 29, 2002 July 16, 2002 Environmental Review Requests for Additional Scoping Site Audit Information (RAIs (RAIs))
Process September 2002 October 2002 Final Draft Supplement Supplement to Formal To the GEIS GEIS by Public May 2003 December Participation 2003 8
Information Gathering License Renewal Application Staffs Public Site Audit Comments SEIS State & Local Social Agencies Services Permitting Authorities 9
Team Expertise Atmospheric Science Radiation Protection Regulatory Socioeconomics/ Compliance Environmental Justice Terrestrial Ecology Nuclear Safety Aquatic Land Use Ecology Archaeology/Cultural Resources Water Quality Hydrology 10
Analysis Approach Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS)
Category 1 Category 2 GEIS: Impacts Small GEIS: Analyze Potential At All Sites At All Sites New Issue New and YES YES Perform Site- Validated Significant Specific Analysis New Issue?
Info?
NO NO Adopt the No Further GEIS Conclusion Analysis 11
How Impacts are Quantified
Ø NRC-defined impact levels:
Ø SMALL: Effect is not detectable or too small to destabilize or noticeably alter any important attribute of the resource
Ø MODERATE: Effect is sufficient to alter noticeably, but not destabilize important attributes of the resource
Ø LARGE: Effect is clearly noticeable and sufficient to destabilize important attributes of the resource
Ø Consistent with the Council on Environmental Quality guidance for NEPA analyses 12
Environmental Impacts of Operation
Ø Cooling System
Ø Transmission Lines
Ø Radiological
Ø Socioeconomic
Ø Groundwater Use and Quality
Ø Threatened or Endangered Species 13
Cooling System Impacts 14
Radiological Impacts l Addresses exposures to the public and to workers l No Category 2 issues l No new and significant information l GEIS concluded impacts are SMALL 15
Threatened or Endangered Species Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (http://www.nwf.org/keepthewildalive/woodpecker/)
Canbys dropwort Carolina (http://nc-es.fws.gov/plant/canbydrop.html)
Heelsplitter 16 (http://nc-es.fws.gov/mussel/carolheel.html)
Potential New and Significant Information
Ø No new and significant information identified:
- during scoping
- by the licensee
- by the staff 17
Other Environmental Impacts Evaluated
- Uranium Fuel Cycle and Solid Waste Management
- Decommissioning 18
Alternatives
- No-action
- New generation
- Purchased electrical power
- Alternative technologies
- Combination of alternatives 19
Preliminary Conclusions for Alternatives
- Alternatives (including the no-action alternative) may have environmental effects in at least some impact categories that reach MODERATE or LARGE significance 20
Impacts of Postulated Accidents
Ø Design-Basis Accidents
Ø Severe Accidents
Ø Severe Accident Mitigation Alternatives (SAMAs) 21
Results of SAMA Evaluation
Ø 266 candidate improvements identified in ER
Ø 218 eliminated during the initial, qualitative screening
Ø Remaining 48 SAMAs reduced to 10 based on cost and risk reduction considerations
Ø Detailed cost/benefit analysis shows none of the 10 remaining candidates are cost beneficial
Ø NRC staff identified 2 additional improvements that could be cost beneficial
Ø Replacing RHR valve components to increase seismic capacity
Ø Adding heat shield to shutdown diesel electrical conduit 22
Results of SAMA Evaluation (continued)
Ø Overall conclusion:
Ø Additional plant improvements to further mitigate severe accidents are not required at H.B. Robinson as part of license renewal
Ø Improvements to RHR valves and electrical conduit heat shielding are being further evaluated as current operating license issues 23
Preliminary Conclusion
Ø Impacts of license renewal are SMALL for all impact areas
Ø Impacts of alternatives to license renewal range from SMALL to LARGE
Ø The staffs preliminary recommendation is that the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for H.B. Robinson, Unit 2 are not so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy planning decisionmakers would be unreasonable 24
Environmental Review Milestones
Ø Draft EIS issued - May 5, 2003
Ø Comment period - May 5 to July 30, 2003
Ø Final EIS issued on or before - December 2003 25
Point of Contact
Ø Agency point of contact:
Richard L. Emch, Jr.
(800) 368-5642, Ext. 1590
Ø Documents are located at the Hartsville Memorial Library, 147 West College Avenue, Hartsville, South Carolina and can be viewed at the NRCs Web site (www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html)
Ø Draft SEIS can also be viewed at:
www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/
staff/sr1437/supplement13/ 26
NRC Addresses l Provide comments:
Ø By mail at: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch Division of Administrative Services Mailstop T-6D59 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001
Ø In person at: 11545 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland
Ø E-mail at: RobinsonEIS@nrc.gov
Ø On-line comment form with web version of draft 27