ML022460178

Technical Specifications, Revised Environmental Protection Plan

ML022460178
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	08/28/2002
From:	NRC/NRR/DLPM
To:
References
TAC MB3913, TAC MB3914
Download: ML022460178 (17)

Text

1.0 Objectives of the Environmental Protection Plan The Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) is to provide for protection of the local area environment of the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant during construction and operation.

The principle objectives of the EPP are to:

1. Verify that the plant is operated in an environmentally acceptable manner as established by the FES and other NRC environmental impact assessments

2. Coordinate NRC requirements and maintain consistency with other Federal, State and local requirements for environmental protection

3. Keep NRC informed of the environmental effects of facility construction and operation and of actions taken to control those effects Environmental concerns identified in the Unit 1 FES which relate to water permit quality matters are to be regulated by way of the licensee's Wastewater 2.0 Environmental Protection Issues In the FES-OL dated June 1973, NRC staff considered the environmental impacts associated with the operation of the St. Lucie Plant Unit 1. Certain environmental issues were identified which required study or license conditions for resolution of environmental concerns and to assure adequate environmental protection. The Unit 1 Appendix B Environmental Technical Specifications monitoring accompanying license DPR-67 included discharge restrictions and Amendment No. ,9, 183 ST. LUCIE - UNIT 1

1982, NRC will rely on EPA for resolution of issues involving the monitoring of water quality and aquatic biota.

On May 1, 1995, the FDEP was granted authority by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer the NPDES permitting programs. Pursuant to the Florida Administrative Code (FAC)62-620.105(10), the EPA-issued NPDES permit and the State-issued wastewater permit for each facility were to be combined into one document. The resulting single document, Wastewater Permit No. FL0002208, combines the NPDES Permit FL0002208 and the State Wastewater Permit 1056-194945.

2.2 Terrestrial issues raised have led to programs on sea turtles that:

1. Document the nesting at the site and vicinity; determine effects of the discharge thermal plume on nesting patterns and hatchling migration; and investigate thermal stress on hatching and rearing factors by using turtle eggs from displaced nests

2. Minimize turtle hatchling disorientation by planting a light screen along the beach The above programs specifically addressed as conditions in the Unit 1 FES, Operating License and Technical Specifications have been completed and the requirements have been satisfied.

3.0 Consistency Requirements 3.1 Plant Design and Operation The licensee may make changes in station design or operation or perform tests or experiments affecting the environment provided such changes, tests or experiments do not involve an unreviewed environmental question. Changes in plant design or operation or performance of tests or experiments which do not affect the environment are not subject to this requirement.

ST. LUCIE - UNIT 1 Amendment No. 0, 183

Activities governed by Section 3.3 of this EPP are not subject to the requirements of this section.

3.2 Reporting related to the Wastewater Permit and State Certification (pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act)

1. Violations of the Wastewater Permit or the State 401 Certification Conditions shall be reported to the NRC by submittal of copies of the reports required by the Wastewater Permit or State 401 Certification.

2. The licensee shall provide the NRC with a copy of any 316(b) studies and/or related documentation at the same time it is submitted to the permitting agency.

3. Changes and additions to the Wastewater Permit or the State 401 Certification shall be reported to the NRC within 30 days following the date the change is approved. If a permit or certification, in part or in its entirety, is appealed and stayed, the NRC shall be notified within 30 days following the date the stay is granted.

4. The NRC shall be notified of changes to the effective Wastewater Permit proposed by the licensee by providing NRC with a copy of the proposed change at the same time it is submitted to the permitting agency. The licensee shall provide the NRC a copy of the application for renewal of the Wastewater Permit at the same time the application is submitted to the permitting agency.

ST. LUCIE - UNIT 1 Amendment No. 50, 183

3.3 Changes Required for Compliance with Other Environmental Regulations Changes in plant design or operation and performance of tests or experiments which are required to achieve compliance with or approval from other Federal, State, or local environmental regulations are not subject to the requirements of Section 3.1.

4.0 Environmental Conditions 4.1 Unusual or Important Environmental Events Any occurrence of an unusual or important event the indicates or could result in significant environmental impact causally related to station operation shall be recorded and promptly reported to the NRC Operations Center within 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> via Emergency Notification System described in 10 CFR 50.72. In addition, the reporting requirement time frame shall be consistent with 10 CFR 50.72 for environmental protection issues. The initial report shall be followed by a written report as described in Section 5.4.2. No routine monitoring programs are required to implement this condition. Events covered by Section 3.2 of this EPP will be subject to reporting requirements as defined in that section and not subject to these requirements.

The following are examples of unusual or important events: excessive bird impaction events; onsite plant or animal disease outbreaks; mortality (causally related to station operation), or unusual occurrence of any species protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973; unusual fish kills; increase in nuisance organisms or conditions; and unanticipated or emergency discharge of waste water or chemical substances.

4.2 Terrestrial/Aquatic Issues The certifications and permits required under the Clean Water Act provide mechanisms for protecting water quality and indirectly, aquatic biota. The NRC will rely on the decisions made by the State of Florida under the authority of the Clean Water Act and, in the case of sea turtles, decisions made by the NMFS under the authority of the Endangered Species Act, for any requirements pertaining to terrestrial and aquatic monitoring.

ST. LUCIE - UNIT 1 Amendment No. ,9, 442,183

In accordance with Section 7(a) of the Endangered Species Act, on May 4, 2001, the NMFS issued a revised Biological Opinion that revised the ITS and modified some of the terms and conditions of the previous Opinion. After discussions among the NRC, NMFS, and FPL and in response to an NRC letter dated June 8, 2001, the NMFS issued a clarification of the issues in the new Biological Opinion and the ITS on October 8, 2001. The revised Biological Opinion concludes that continued operation of the St. Lucie Plant circulating seawater cooling system is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the listed species. No critical habitat has been designated for the specified species in the action area; therefore, none will be affected.

FPL shall adhere to the specific requirements within the ITS in the Biological Opinion as clarified by the NMFS and NRC. Changes to the ITS or the terms and conditions must be preceded by consultation between the NRC, as the authorizing agency, and NMFS.

4.2.1 DELETED 4.2.2 DELETED Amendment No. 5, 462, 183 ST. LUCIE - UNIT 1

INTENTIONALLY DELETED ST. LUCIE - UNIT I Amendment No. 462, 183

INTENTIONALLY DELETED ST. LUCIE - UNIT 1 Amendment No. 462, 183

4.2.3 Light Screen to Minimize Turtle Disorientation Suitable plants (i.e., native vegetation such as live oak, native figs, wild tamarind, and others) shall be planted and maintained as a light screen along the beach dune line bordering the plant property to minimize turtle disorientation.

In addition, FPL owner controlled area lighting shall be shielded so that none of the light is diverted skyward.

4.3 General Exceptions The environmental conditions of the EPP Section 4 are contingent upon licensee or its contractors being able to obtain the necessary FDEP endangered species permits to take, handle, and experiment with sea turtles. If licensee is unable to obtain the necessary permits, then NRC shall be notified of alternatives by the licensee.

5.0 Administrative Procedures 5.1 Review and Audit The licensee shall provide for review and audit of compliance with the Environmental Protection Plan. The audits shall be conducted independently of the individual or groups responsible for performing the specific activity. A description of the organization structure utilized to achieve the independent review and audit function and results of the audit activities shall be maintained and made available for inspection.

ST. LUCIE - UNIT 1 Amendment No. 462. 183

1.0 Objectives of the Environmental Protection Plan The Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) is to provide for protection of the local area environment of the St. Lucie Nuclear plant during construction and operation.

The principle objectives of the EPP are to:

1. Verify that the plant is operated in an environmentally acceptable manner, as established by the Final Environmental Statement (FES) and other NRC environmental impact assessments.

2. Coordinate NRC requirements and maintain consistency with other Federal, State and local requirements for environmental protection.

3. Keep NRC informed of the environmental effects of facility construction and operation and of actions taken to control those effects.

Environmental concerns identified in the Unit 2 FES which relate to water quality matters are to be regulated by way of the licensee's Wastewater permit.

ST. LUCIE - UNIT 2 1-1 Amendment No. 126

2.0 Environmental Protection Issues In the FES-OL, the staff considered the environmental impacts associated with the operation of the St. Lucie Plant Unit 2. Certain environmental issues were identified which required study or license conditions for resolution of environmental concerns and to assure adequate environmental protection.

With assumption of aquatic monitoring programs by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the NPDES program as delineated in NPDES Permit FL0002208 effective January 29, 1982, NRC will rely on EPA for resolution of issues involving the monitoring of water quality and aquatic biota. The only exception will involve the aquatic and terrestrial marine turtle programs which will be conducted under NRC jurisdiction (Section 2.1 of this EPP).

On May 1, 1995, the FDEP was granted authority by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer the NPDES permitting programs. Pursuant to the Florida Administrative Code (FAC)62-620.105(10), the EPA-issued NPDES permit and the State-issued wastewater permit for each facility were to be combined into one document. The resulting single document, Wastewater Permit No. FL0002208, combines the NPDES Permit FL0002208 and the State Wastewater Permit 1056-194945.

2.1 Terrestrial/aquatic issues raised in the Unit 2 FES-OL on marine turtles will be addressed by programs as follows:

1. Beach nesting surveys

2. Engineering/behavioral studies to evaluate and/or mitigate intake entrapment

3. Studies to evaluate and/or mitigate intake canal mortality

4. Light screen provisions at the beach to prevent hatchling misorientation

5. Nest survey and relocation programs in the vicinity of the beach and near shore construction areas

6. Capture and release program including gross necropsy examinations on selected turtles NRC requirements with regard to marine turtles issues are specified in Subsection 4.2.1 of this EPP.

ST. LUCIE - UNIT 2 2-1 Amendment No. 126

Licensing Board; or (2) a significant change in effluents or power level (in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51.5(b)(2)); or (3) a matter not previously reviewed and evaluated in the documents specified in (1) of this Subsection, which may have a significant adverse environmental impact.

The licensee shall maintain records of change in facility design or operation and of tests and experiments carried out pursuant to this Subsection. These records shall include a written evaluation which provides bases for the determination that the change, test, or experiment does not involve an unreviewed environmental question.

Activities governed by Section 3.3 of this EPP are not subject to the requirements of this section.

3.2 Reporting Related to the Wastewater Permit and State Certification (pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act)

1. Violations of the Wastewater Permit or the State 401 Certification Conditions shall be reported to the NRC by submittal of copies of the reports required by the Wastewater Permit or State Certifications.

2. The licensee shall provide the NRC with a copy of any 316(b) studies related documentation and other biotic monitoring reports required by Wastewater Permit conditions at the same time they are submitted to the permitting agency.

3. Changes and additions to the Wastewater Permit or the State Certifications shall be reported to the NRC within 30 days following the date the ST. LUCIE - UNIT 2 3-2 Amendment No. 126

change is approved. If a permit or certification, in part or in its entirety, is appealed and stayed, the NRC shall be notified within 30 days following the date the stay is granted.

4. The NRC shall be notified of changes to the effective Wastewater Permit proposed by the licensee by providing NRC with a copy of the proposed change at the same time it is submitted to the permitting agency.

The licensee shall provide the NRC a copy of the application for renewal of the Wastewater Permit at the same time the application is submitted to the permitting agency.

3.3 Changes Required for Compliance with Other Environmental Regulations Changes in plant design or operation and performance of tests or experiments which are required to achieve compliance with other Federal, State, or local environmental regulations are not subject to the requirements of Section 3.1 ST. LUCIE - UNIT 2 3-3 Amendment No. 126

4.0 Environmental Conditions 4.1 Unusual or Important Environmental Events Any occurrence of an unusual or important event the indicates or could result in significant environmental impact causally related to station operation shall be recorded and promptly reported to the NRC Operations Center within 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br /> via Emergency Notification System described in 10 CFR 50.72. In addition, the reporting requirements time frame shall be consistent with 10 CFR 50.72 for environmental protection issues. The initial report shall be followed by a written report as described in Section 5.4.2. The initial report shall be followed by a written report as described in Section 5.4.2. No routine monitoring programs are required to implement this condition. Events covered by Section 3.2 of this EPP will be subject to reporting requirements as defined in that section and not subject to these requirements.

The following are examples of unusual or important events: excessive bird impaction events; onsite plant or animal disease outbreaks; mortality (causally related to station operation), or unusual occurrence of any species protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973; unusual fish kills; increase in nuisance organisms or conditions; and unanticipated or emergency discharge of waste water or chemical substances.

4.2 Terrestrial/Aquatic Issues The certifications and permits required under the Clean Water Act provide mechanisms for protecting water quality and indirectly, aquatic biota. The NRC will rely on the decisions made by the State of Florida under the authority of the Clean Water Act and, in the case of sea turtles, decisions made by the NMFS under the authority of the Endangered Species Act, for any requirements pertaining to terrestrial and aquatic monitoring.

In accordance with Section 7(a) of the Endangered Species Act, on May 4, 2001, the NMFS issued a revised Biological Opinion that revised the ITS and modified some of the terms and conditions of the previous Opinion. After discussions among the NRC, NMFS, and FPL and in response to an NRC letter dated June 8, 2001, the NMFS issued a clarification of the issues in the new Biological Opinion and the ITS on October 8, 2001. The revised Biological Opinion concludes that continued operation of the St. Lucie Plant circulating seawater cooling system is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the listed species. No critical habitat has been designated for the specified species in the action area; therefore, none will be affected.

ST. LUCIE - UNIT 2 4-1 Amendment No. 4-3, 126

FPL shall adhere to the specific requirements within the ITS in the Biological Opinion as clarified by the NMFS and NRC. Changes to the ITS or the terms and conditions must be preceded by consultation between the NRC, as the authorizing agency, and NMFS.

4.2.1 DELETED 4.2.2 DELETED ST. LUCIE - UNIT 2 4-2 Amendment No. 4--, 126

INTENTIONALLY DELETED ST. LUCIE - UNIT 2 4-3 Amendment No. 44-9, 126

INTENTIONALLY DELETED ST. LUCIE - UNIT 2 4-4 Amendment No. 4--, 126

4.2.3 Light Screen to Minimize Turtle Disorientation Suitable plants (i.e., native vegetation such as live oak, native figs, wild tamarind, and others) shall be planted and maintained as a light screen along the beach dune line bordering the plant property to minimize turtle disorientation.

In addition, FPL owner controlled area lighting shall be shielded so that none of the light is diverted skyward.

4.3 General Exceptions The environmental conditions of the EPP Section 4 are contingent upon licensee or its contractors being able to obtain the necessary FDEP endangered species permits to take, handle, and experiment with sea turtles. If licensee is unable to obtain the necessary permits, then NRC shall be notified of alternatives by the licensee.

ST. LUCIE - UNIT 2 4-5 Amendment No. 403, 126