ML19311C618

Letter to K. Kuhlmann U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Request for Information Regarding Resources Potentially Affected by the Proposed License Amendment for the Prairie Island Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation

ML19311C618
Person / Time
Site:	Prairie Island
Issue date:	12/17/2019
From:	Roman C NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ERMB
To:	Kuhlmann K City of Red Wing, MN
Coflin M 415-5932
Shared Package
ML19326D134	List: ML19311C618
References
Download: ML19311C618 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 December 17, 2019 Mrs. Kay Kuhlmann, Council Administrator Chief Administration Office City of Red Wing 315 West 4th Street Red Wing, MN 55066

SUBJECT:

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING RESOURCES POTENTIALLY AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED LICENSE AMENDMENT FOR THE PRAIRIE ISLAND INDEPENDENT SPENT FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION (DOCKET NUMBER: 72-10)

Dear Mrs. Kuhlmann:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received, by letter dated July 26, 2019, an application from the Northern States Power Company (NSPM) to amend Materials License Number SNM-2506 for the Prairie Island Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (PI ISFSI). The PI ISFSI is located within the site boundary of the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant (PINGP), in Goodhue County, Minnesota, approximately 28 miles southeast of the Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area (figure enclosed). The NSPM is requesting to amend its license to increase the maximum amount of spent fuel that may be possessed and stored at the PI ISFSI, as well as approval of the design of an additional concrete pad to be built within the confines of the existing facility. The licensee has stated that the new pad will utilize a design consistent with the existing pads and that installation of this new pad will result in ground disturbing activities to be performed within the existing ISFSI fencing.

The SNM-2506 currently allows NSPM to store up to 48 TN-40 and TN-40HT casks of spent fuel. The NSPM license amendment requests approval to store up to an additional 16 casks, for a total of 64 casks. NSPM has a Certificate of Need from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for the expansion of the ISFSI to accommodate a total of 64 casks. Current PI ISFSI operations include storage and periodic transfer of filled casks to the ISFSI pad and routine inspections and monitoring of the ISFSI site; these activities are expected to continue.

In 2012, the NRC renewed the NSPM license to receive, possess, store, and transfer PINGP spent fuel in the PI ISFSI for an additional 40-year period. As part of this review, the NRC staff analyzed the potential environmental impacts associated with construction activities for potential future expansion of the ISFSIs capacity. The NRC staffs assessment was documented in Section 4.14, the Cumulative Impacts Section of the Environmental (EA), dated June 2015 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession Number ML15098A026). The assessment found that the proposed expansion would not impact any areas beyond that evaluated in the 1992 licensing EA and it would not adversely affect threatened and endangered species and would not have a significant impact on aquatic and terrestrial resources.

K. Kuhlmann 2 As established in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 51, the NRC regulation that implements the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the NRC staff is preparing an EA for this proposed action, the requested amendment of the PI ISFSI license. The purpose of the EA is to assess potential environmental impacts that may significantly affect the human environment.

To support the environmental review, the NRC staff is requesting input from the City of Red Wing to facilitate the identification of local resource areas that may be affected by amendment of the PI ISFSI license. Any input you provide will be used to enhance the scope and quality of our review in accordance with 10 CFR 51. After reviewing all the information collected, the NRC staff will prepare a draft EA.

The NSPM PI ISFSI amendment request is publicly available in the NRC Public Document Room located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, or from the NRCs ADAMS. The ADAMS Public Electronic Reading Room is accessible at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. The ADAMS Accession Number for the amendment request package is ML19217A311. For your reference, this package includes correspondence that was sent to you on January 17, 2019, from Mr. Scott Sharp, Site Vice President at PINGP,

SUBJECT:

PINGP ISFSI Expansion Request for Information Regarding Potentially Affected Resources.

Please provide any comments/information you may have regarding this environmental review within 30 days of receipt of this letter to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN:

Ms. Cinthya Román, Chief, 11555 Rockville Pike, Mail Stop: T-4B72, Rockville, Maryland 20852. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Jean Trefethen of my staff by telephone at 301-415-0867 or via email at Jean.Trefethen@nrc.gov.

Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Cinthya Román, Chief Environmental Review Materials Branch Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 72-10 License No. SNM-2506

Enclosure:

5 Mile Radius Around the Prairie Island ISFSI

K. Kuhlmann 3

SUBJECT:

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING RESOURCES POTENTIALLY AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED LICENSE AMENDMENT FOR THE PRAIRIE ISLAND INDEPENDENT SPENT FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION (DOCKET NUMBER: 72-10)

DATED: December 17, 2019 ADAMS Package Accession Number: ML19326D134 *via email OFFICE REFS/ERMB REFS/ERMB REFS/ERMB OGC REFS/ERMB NAME MCoflin JTrefethen* AWalker-Smith *ACoggins CRomán DATE 10/23/19 10/23/19 10/23/19 11/22/19 12/17/19 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY