ML24227A970

Letter to Kenneth Mack Dir, License and Reg Compliance, NextEra Energy, Inc Response to Request Re Engagement Re Sub License Renewal Environmental Review - St Lucie Nuclear Plant 1 and 2

ML24227A970
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	10/18/2024
From:	Stephen Koenick, Michele Sampson Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, NRC/NMSS/DREFS/EPMB1
To:	Mack K Florida Power & Light Co, NextEra Energy
References
Download: ML24227A970 (1)

Text

Kenneth A. Mack Director, Licensing and Regulatory Compliance Florida Power & Light Company 15430 Endeavor Drive Jupiter, FL 33478

SUBJECT:

RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR RE-ENGAGEMENT REGARDING THE SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR ST. LUCIE NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 (DOCKET NUMBERS 50-0335 AND 50-0389)

Dear Kenneth A. Mack:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is in receipt of your letter dated July 3, 2024, regarding the subsequent license renewal (SLR) of St. Lucie Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (St. Lucie) (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System [ADAMS]

ML24185A079). NextEra Energy, Inc. (NextEra) requests that the NRC staff provide a plan for completing the environmental review for St. Lucie. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with information on the NRC staffs tentative plan for completing the required regulatory activities associated with this action.

As noted in your letter, the Commission on May 16, 2024, approved the Final Rule, SECY 0017 - Final Rule: Renewing Nuclear Power Plant Operating Licenses-Environmental Review, which includes updates to table B-1, Summary of Findings on NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] Issues for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants, in appendix B, Environmental Effect of Renewing the Operating License of a Nuclear Power Plant, to Part 51, Subpart A, National Environmental Policy Act-Regulations Implementing Section 102(2). The updates to table B-1 are supported by the revised NUREG-1437, Revision 2, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (LR GEIS). The NRC published the Final Rule, revised LR GEIS, and associated guidance on August 6, 2024; the rule became effective 30 days following publication in the Federal Register. Compliance by license renewal applicants is not required until 1 year from the date of publication. However, the NRC staff must now consider and analyze the additional environmental issues and any new and significant information associated with subsequent license renewal resulting from issuance of the 2024 LR GEIS and Final Rule.

Therefore, the NRC staff plans to proceed with completing and issuing a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) (NUREG-1437, Supplement 11, Second Renewal) to the 2024 LR GEIS. The draft SEIS would consider and incorporate applicable updated information and findings for new and modified Category 1 (generic) and Category 2 (plant-specific) environmental issues described in the 2024 LR GEIS and Final Rule. The staff will also consider any new and significant information that may have arisen concerning Category 1 issues. The draft SEIS will be issued for a 45-day public comment period. The NRC staff will October 18, 2024 consider and respond to all substantive comments. Subsequently, the staff will prepare and publish a final SEIS. The final SEIS would be noticed and distributed in the same manner as the draft SEIS. The results of environmental review and the safety evaluation report prepared for St.

Lucie SLR would be addressed in a record of decision regarding subsequent renewal of the St.

Lucie renewed operating licenses.

The NRC staff will request updated information from NextEra to include new and potentially significant information relevant to the previously submitted environmental report (ML21215A319). Further, the staff must also update interagency consultations, such as consultations regarding Section 7 of Endangered Species Act.

As discussed with NextEra representatives, NRC is prioritizing the Point Beach SLR environmental review and NextEra is prepared for NRC to resume the St. Lucie SLR environmental review in early 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact Lance Rakovan, the assigned Environmental Project Manager for St. Lucie. He can be reached via email at lance.rakovan@nrc.gov or by phone at 301-415-2589. Alternatively, you can contact Steve Koenick via email at stephen.koenick@nrc.gov or by phone at 301-415-6631.

Sincerely, Michele Sampson, Director Division of New and Renewed Licenses Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos.: 50-0335 and 50-0389 cc: Listserv Signed by Sampson, Michele on 10/18/24

ML24227A970 OFFICE PM:REFS/EPMB1 LA:REFS BC:DNRL/NLRP OGC NAME LRakovan AWalker-Smith LGibson STurk DATE 08/15/2024 09/252024 09/25/2024 9/4/2024 OFFICE BC:REFS/EPMB1 D:NRR/DNRL NAME SKoenick MSampson DATE 09/27/2024 10/18/2024