ML22139A131

Conclusion of Section 106 Consultation of the National Historic Preservation Act Regarding the Proposed License Renewal for the Westinghouse Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility

ML22139A131
Person / Time
Site:	Westinghouse
Issue date:	05/26/2022
From:	Muir-Quintero J NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ERMB
To:	Johnson E State of SC, Dept of Archives and History
Imboden S,NMSS/REFS/ERMB
References
Download: ML22139A131 (3)

Text

May 26, 2022 Ms. Elizabeth Johnson, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer South Carolina Department of Archives and History 8301 Parklane Road Columbia, SC 29223

SUBJECT:

CONCLUSION OF SECTION 106 CONSULTATION OF THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT REGARDING THE PROPOSED LICENSE RENEWAL FOR THE WESTINGHOUSE COLUMBIA FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY IN RICHLAND COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA (DOCKET NUMBER:

70-1151)

Dear Elizabeth Johnson:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering a request, submitted by Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC (WEC), to renew its operating license for the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF) for an additional 40 years. As part of its licensing review, the NRC staff has prepared an environmental impact statement (EIS), in accordance with NRCs regulations at Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 51, Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions, which implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EIS provides the NRC staffs evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of the proposed license renewal, including analyses of potential impacts to historic properties. In accordance with Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR) Part 800.8, Coordination with the National Environmental Policy Act, 36 CFR 800.8, the NRC staff is coordinating its National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)

Section 106 review with its NEPA environmental review.

This letter closes out the administrative record for the NRCs NHPA Section 106 consultation conducted for this undertaking. The following provides a brief history of the CFFF and a summary of the NHPA Section 106 consultations to date related to the CFFF.

Throughout its review the NRC has been working with the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SC SHPO) on the NHPA Section 106 consultation. On August 6, 2021, the NRC sent the SHPOs office a determination of effects letter and a request for comment on the subject draft EIS (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System ML21214A295).

That letter provided the history of the facility and our review efforts. In this letter we present only activities that have occurred since the draft EIS was issued in August 2021.

E. Johnson 2 The additional information received since August 2021 draft EIS was issued includes:

• Staff received public comments on the draft EIS and responded in Appendix D of the final EIS.

• The WEC has conducted a cultural resource survey of the CFFF site and did not identify cultural resources eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

The SHPO accepted the Cultural Resource Survey Report by letter dated May 12, 2022, and email dated May 16, 2022, where the SHPO concurred with Brockington Cultural Consultings recommendations and that the archaeological resources (38RD1512 -

38RD1516) and aboveground resources identified by the cultural resources survey are not NRHP-eligible.

• The WEC updated its sitewide cultural resource protection and management procedures in March 2022 to incorporate management recommendations made in the cultural resources survey report related to additional reviews and testing in areas where intact archaeological deposits could be buried. The WECs revised procedures state it will continue the Denley Cemetery upkeep, protection, and maintenance and make it accessible to family members and descendants to visit. The WEC revised procedures state it will not allow digging/trenching/excavation to occur in the cemetery. The WEC will be subject to State laws such as S.C. Code of Laws, Section 16-17-600, regarding burial sites and cemeteries. Additionally, in response to management recommendations made in the cultural resources survey report as a result of ground penetrating radar surveys, the WEC moved the existing fence on the eastern (entrance) edge of the Denley Cemetery out 10 feet.

Based on the findings that no historic properties are located at the CFFF site and that no places of potential tribal religious or cultural significance would be impacted, the NRC staff does not anticipate that historic properties would be affected. Thus, in accordance with 36 CFR 800.4(d)(1), the NRC staff is confirming its effects determination with the SC SHPO that no historic properties would be affected by the proposed license renewal. The NRC staff is providing documentation of this finding as set forth in 36 CFR 800.11(d) and closing out our NHPA section 106 consultation.

If you have any questions about this matter, please contact Ms. Stacey Imboden of my staff.

Ms. Imboden can be reached by phone at (301) 415-2462 or via e-mail at Stacey.Imboden@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Jessie Muir-Quintero, Chief Environmental Review Materials Branch Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 70-1151

E. Johnson 3

SUBJECT:

CONCLUSION OF SECTION 106 CONSULTATION OF THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT REGARDING THE PROPOSED LICENSE RENEWAL FOR THE WESTINGHOUSE COLUMBIA FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY IN RICHLAND COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA (DOCKET NUMBER:

70-1151)

DATED: May 26, 2022 DISTRIBUTION:

J. Trefethen, NMSS/REFS/ERMB S. Imboden, NMSS/REFS/ERMB P. Jehle, OGC J. Quintero, NMSS/REFS/ERMB ADAMS Accession Number: ML22139A131 *via email OFFICE NMSS/REFS/ERMB NMSS/REFS/ERMB NMSS/REFS/ERMB NAME SImboden AWalker-Smith SImboden DATE 05/20/22 05/20/22 05/20/22 OFFICE OGC NMSS/REFS/ERMB NAME PJehle JQuintero DATE 05/24/22 05/26/22 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY