ML17209A831

Forwards Response to NRC 810212 Request for Info Re Threatened or Endangered Species on Hutchinson Island,Fl.Nrc Is Required to Conduct Biological Assessment Re Listed Species.Excerpt from Endangered Species Act of 1973 Encl

ML17209A831
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	03/16/1981
From:	ALLEN H B COMMERCE, DEPT. OF, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE
To:	YOUNGBLOOD B J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
F-SER64:CDJ, NUDOCS 8103190576
Download: ML17209A831 (13)

Text

REGULA,YINFORMATION DISTRIBUTIO YSTEM(RIDS)

SUBJECT:

-

ForwardsresponsetoNRC810212requestforinforethreatened ore'ndangered speciesongutchinson IslandgFL",NRC; isrequiredtoconductbio]ogica]

assessment relistedspecies.N/excerpt fromEndangered SpeciesActof1973,DISTRIBUTIo NCODE.:COORSCOPIESRECEIVED:LTR

'ENCL-TITLE!Environ.Comments, SIZE+'1NOTES:ACCESSION NBR:8103190576 DOC~DATE:81/03/.16 NOTARIZED; NODOCKET¹FACIL':50-389 St.LucieP]ant~Unit2<F]oridaPowerLLight-Co.05000389AUTH~NAMEAUTHORAFFILIATION ALLENiH~BeCommerceiDept,ofi NationalMarineFisheries Service'ECIP

~NAMERECIPIENT AFFILIATION YOUNGBLOODrB.J.

Licensing Branch1RECIPIENT IDCODE/NAME ACTION;YOUNGBLOODgB 17INTERNAL:

ACCIDNTEVAIBRENVENG,BR09HYDROGEOBRNRCPDR02'ADASSESSMTBRSITANALBR10COPIESLTTRENCL7711111111111RECIPIENT IDCODE/NAME NERSESiV~05EFTREATSYSBRHYD/GEOBRILE'7REG01ANCEBRCOPIESLTTRENCL11111122101111EXTERNAL!

ACRSNATLLAB20,1055LPDRNSIC030441111TOTALNUMBEROFCOPIESREQUIRED:

LTTR29ENCL27 h)Iy(HlE~lgP'1 UNITEDSTATESDEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCENationalOceanicandAtmospher icAdministration NATIONALMARINEFISHERIES SERVICESoutheast Region9450KogerBoulevard St.Petersburg, FL33702March16,1981F/SER64:CDJ Mr.B.J.Youngblood, ChiefLicensing BranchNo.1DivisionofLicensing NuclearRegulatory Commission Washington, DC20555

DearMr.Youngblood:

ThisisinreplytoyourletterofFebruary12,1981,whichrequested information aboutspecieswhicharelistedorproposedtobelistedasthreatened orendangered asprovidedbytheEndangered SpeciesActof1973.YourareaofinterestisHutchinson Island,St.LucieCounty,Florida,inregardtoanoperating licenseforSt.LuciePlantUnitNo.2.AsprovidedinSection7(c)oftheEndangered SpeciesActAmendments of1978and1979(seeenclosedcopy),theNationalMarineFisheries Service(NMFS)isrequiredtofurnishalistofendangered orthreatened species,bothproposedandlisted,whichareunderNMFSjurisdiction, thatmaybeorarepresentintheareainvolving Federalconstruction activities.

Thatlistisenclosed.

Allconsultations underSection7involving seaturtleaquaticareasaretheresponsibility ofNMFSgwhilesuchconsultations involving seaturtlenestingbeachesaretheresponsibility oftheU.S.FishandWildlifeService(FWS).AllSection7consultations involving themanatee,anendangered marinemammal,aretheresponsibility ofFWS.Forpurposesofproviding interimguidance, theNationalMarineFisheries Serviceconsiders "construction projects" tomeananymajorFederalactionwhichsignificantly affectsthequalityofthehumanenvironment designedprimarily toresultinthebuildingorerectionofman-madestructures suchasdams,buildings, roads,pipelines,

channels, andthelike.ThisincludesFederalactionssuchaspermits,grants,licenses, orotherformsofFederalauthorization orapprovalwhichmayresultinconstruction.

UponreceiptoftheNationalMarineFisheries Service's specieslist,theFederalagencyauthorizing, funding,orcarryingouttheconstruction actionisrequiredtoconductabiological assessment forthepurposeofidentifying listedspeciesandspeciesproposedforlistingwhicharelikelytobeaffectedbysuchaction.Thebiological assessment shallbecompleted ithin180daysafterreceiptofthespecieslist,unlessitismutuallyaedtoextendthisperiod.

• n'A~0e,~).I,I-II~~zc1 Whenconducting abiological assessment, theFederalagencyshouldminimally:

(1)Conductanon-siteinspection oftheareaaffectedbytheproposedactivityorprogram.Thismayincludeadetailedsurveyoftheareatodetermine ifthe'species arepresentorarepresentatothertimesoftheyear,andwhethersuitablehabitatexistsforeitherexpanding theexistingpopulation orpotential reintroduction ofpopulations; (2)Interview recognized expertsonthespeciesatissue,including thosewithintheNationalMarineFisheries Service,theU.S.FishandWildlifeService,Stateconservation departments, universities andotherswhomayhavedatanotyetfoundinscientific literature; (3)Reviewliterature andotherscientific datatodetermine thespecies'istribution, habitatneedsandotherbiological requirements; (4)Reviewandanalyzetheeffectsoftheproposedactiononthespecies,intermsofindividuals andpopulations, including consideration ofthecumulative effectsoftheproposedactiononthespeciesanditshabitat~(5)Analyzealternative actionsthatmayprovideconservation measures.

Attheconclusion ofthebiological assessment, asdescribed above,theFederalagencyshouldprepareareportdocumenting theresults.Thereportshouldincludeadiscussion ofthestudymethodsusedandanyproblemsencountered oranyotherrelevantinformation.

Ifthebiological assessment revealsthattheproposedprojectmayaffectlistedspecies,theformalconsultation processshallbeinitiated bywritingtotheRegionalDirector, NationalMarineFisheries Service/9450KogerBoulevard, DuvalBuilding, St.Petersburg, Florida33702.Ifnoeffectisevident,thereisnoneedforfurtherconsultation.

Wewould,however,appreciate theopportunity toreviewyourbiological assessment.

D0F'l' Weappreciate yourinvitation tovisitthesiteonFebruary18;unfortunately, yourletterwasnotreceiveduntilthatdate.Thankyoufortheinvitation.

Sincerely yours,aroldB.AllectingRegionalDirectorEnclosure CC:FWS,Atlanta,GAFWS,Jacksonville, FL C

4eMarch1981Endangered aThreatened SpeciesandCriticalHabitatsUnderNMFSJurisdiction Hutchinson Island,St.LucieCounty,FloridaLISTEDSPECIESGreenseaturtleLoggerhead seaturtleLeatherback seaturtleKemp's(Atlantic) ridleyseaturtleCheleala~mdasCarettacarettaEndangered Threatened Endangered Endangered SPECIESPROPOSEDFORLISTINGNoneLISTEDCRITICALHABITATNonePROPOSEDCRITICALHABITATNone CV41~CIIf'IIPE,,hIIrr.(q<<2

~~tlDANGEREDSPECIESACTOF1973,asamendedinNovember1978andDecember1979NMFSF/SER62/11/80INTERAGENCY COOPERATION Section7(a)FEDERALAGENCYACTIONSANDCONSULTATIONS.

(1)TheSecretary shallreviewotherprogramsadministered byhimandutilizesuchprogramsinfurtherance ofthepurposesofthisAct.AllotherFederalagenciesshall,inconsultation withandwiththeassistance oftheSecretary, utilizetheirauthorities infurtherance ofthepurposesofthisActbycarryingoutprogramsfortheconservation ofendangered speciesandthreatened specieslistedpursuanttosection4ofthisAct.(2)EachFederalagencyshall,inconsultation withandwiththeassistance oftheSecretary, insurethatanyactionauthorized, funded,orcarriedoutbysuchagency(hereinafter inthissectionreferredtoasan"agencyaction")isnotlikelytojeopardize thecontinued existence ofanyendangered speciesorthreatened speciesorresultinthedestruction oradversemodification ofhabitatofsuchspecieswhichisdetermined bytheSecretary, afterconsultation asappropriate withtheaffectedStates,tobecritical, unlesssuchagencyhasbeengrantedanexemption forsuchactionbytheCommittee pursuanttosubsection (h)ofthissection.Infulfilling therequirements ofthisparagraph eachagencyshallusethebestscientific andcommercial dataavailable.

I(3)EachFederalagencyshallconferwiththeSecretary onanyagencyactionwhichislikelytojeopardize thecontinued existence ofanyspeciesproposedtobelistedundersection4orresultinthedestruction oradversemodification ofcriticalhabitatproposedtobedesignated forsuchspecies.Thisparagraph doesnotrequirealimitation onthecommitment ofresou'rces asdescribed insubsection (d).(b)SECRETARY'S OPINION.-Consultation undersubsection (a)(2)withrespecttoanyagencyactionshallbeconcluded within90daysafterthedateonwhichinitiated orwithinsuchotherperiodoftimeasismutuallyagreeable totheFederalagencyandtheSecretary.

Promptlyaftertheconclusion ofconsultation, theSecretary shallprovidetotheFederalagencyconcerned awrittenstatement settingforththeSecretary's opinion,andasummaryoftheinformation onwhichtheopinionisbased,detailing howtheagencyactionaffectsthespeciesoritscriticalhabitat.TheSecretary shallsuggestthosereasonable andprudentalternatives whichhebelieveswouldnotviolatesubsection (a)(2)andcanbetakenbytheFederalagencyorthepermitorlicenseapplicant inimplementing theagencyaction.(c)BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT.

-(1)Tofacilitate compliance withtherequirements ofsubsection (a)(2),eachFederalagencyshall,withrespecttoanyagencyactionofsuchagencyforwhichnocontractforconstruction hasbeenenteredintoandforwhichnoconstruction hasbegunonthedateofenactment oftheEndangered SpeciesActAmendments of1978,requestoftheSecretary information whetheranyspecieswhichislistedorproposedtobelistedmaybepresentintheareaofsuchproposedaction.IftheSecretary advises,basedonthebestscientific andcommercial dataavailable, thatsuchspeciesmaybepresent,suchagencyshallconductabiological assessment forthepurposeofidentifying anyendangered speciesorthreatened specieswhichislikelytobeaffectedbysuchaction.Suchassessment shall becompleted within180daysafterthedateonwhichinitiated (orwithinsuchotherperiodasismutuallyagreedtobytheSecretary andsuchagency)and,beforeanycontractforconstruction isenteredintoandbeforeconstruction isbegunwithrespecttosuchaction.Suchassessment maybeundertaken aspartofaFederalagency'scompliance withtherequirements ofsection102oftheNationalEnvironmental PolicyActof1969(42U.S.C.4332).(d)LIMITATION ONCOMMITMENT OFRESOURCES.

-(g),$ftexinitiatioq, ofconsultation requiredundersubsection (a)(2),theFederalagencyandthepermitorlicenseapplicant shallnotmakeanyirreversible orirretrievable commitment ofresources withrespecttotheagencyactionwhichhastheeffectofforeclosing theformulation orimplementation ofanyreasonable andprudentalternative measureswhichwouldavoidjeopardizing thecontinued existence ofanyendangered orthreatened speciesoradversely modifying ordestroying thecriticalhabitatofanysuchspecies.(2)Anypersonwhomaywishtoapplyforanexemption undersubsection (g)ofthissectionforthatactionmayconductabiological assessment toidentifyanyendangered speciesorthreatened specieswhichislikelytobeaffectedbysuchaction'.Anysuchbiological assessment must,however,beconducted incooperation withtheSecretary andunderthesupervision oftheappropriate Federalagency.~~~~~+(q)

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