Environmental statements; availability, etc.: R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, LLC,

[Federal Register: June 30, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 126)]

[Notices]

[Page 37614-37621]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr30jn06-108]

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-244]

R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, LLC; R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to the Proposed License Amendment To Increase the Maximum Reactor Power Level

AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission).

SUMMARY: The NRC has prepared a final Environmental Assessment as part of its evaluation of a request by R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, LLC (Ginna LLC) for a license amendment to increase the maximum steady state power level at the R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant (Ginna) from 1520 megawatts thermal (MWt) to 1775 MWt. This represents a power increase of approximately 16.8 percent, which is considered an extended power uprate (EPU). As stated in the NRC staff's position paper dated February 8, 1996, on the Boiling-Water Reactor Extended Power Uprate Program, the NRC staff will prepare an environmental impact statement if it believes a power uprate will have a significant impact on the human environment. The NRC staff did not identify any significant impact from the information provided in the licensee's EPU application for Ginna Station or the NRC staff's independent review; therefore, the NRC staff is documenting its environmental review in an environmental assessment. Also, in accordance with the position paper, the final Environmental Assessment and finding of no significant impact is being published in the Federal Register.

The NRC published a draft Environmental Assessment and finding of no significant impact on the proposed action for public comment in the Federal Register on April 12, 2006 (71 FR 18779). One set of comments was received on the draft Environmental Assessment from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) by letter dated May 12, 2006 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML061370627). The comments are discussed in the paragraphs below.

Some of the comments provided by the NYSDEC were clarifications and corrections to the draft Environmental Assessment (see comment a, b, c, d, and e in the NYSDEC letter). Based on these comments, the NRC revised the appropriate sections of the final Environmental Assessment. In comment ``f,'' NYSDEC indicated ``based on review of historical data, staff would not characterize impingement and entrainment rates as `minimal,' but would describe them as `lower than most similar sized electrical generating facilities in New York State.' '' The NRC only evaluates environmental impacts at the site and surrounding area that could be affected by the proposed EPU at the facility. Rather than comparing the impacts with other perhaps similar facilities, the NRC staff looks at the overall impact of the affected resource, i.e., aquatic species in Lake Ontario. Our conclusion of ``minimal'' should be interpreted as not having a noticeable impact on the long-term sustainment of aquatic species in Lake Ontario due to entrainment and impingement. This action may have no impact to aquatic species in other parts of New York State; therefore, our analysis does not make such comparison. The comment is noted, but no changes were made to the Environmental Assessment based on this comment.

The NYSDEC comments ``g and h'' raised concerns regarding possible unknown synergistic effects of physical and thermal stresses to the cold water species alewife and three-spine stickleback impinged in the Ginna fish return system under the proposed EPU conditions. In addition, NYSDEC recommended the discussion on the fish return system include references to the 316(b) Phase II rule developed by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). This regulation established Federal requirements applicable to the location, design, construction, and capacity of cooling-water intake structures at existing facilities that exceed a threshold value for water withdrawals. The draft Environmental Assessment did include a discussion on how the new performance standards are designed to significantly reduce impingement and entrainment losses resulting from plant operation, and any site- specific mitigation would result in less impact due to continued plant operation. Currently, the Ginna State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit modification application is under technical review by NYSDEC. The SPDES permit modification application incorporated the requirements listed in Subpart J of the EPA 316(b) Phase II rule. Also, Ginna LLC has begun some studies required for compliance with the EPA 316(b) Phase II rule. The NRC staff agrees that implementation of technologies and/or operational procedures required by the EPA 316(b) Phase II rule, with authority delegated

[[Page 37615]]

to NYSDEC, would further minimize impingement and entrainment losses of all aquatic species (including alewife and three-spine stickleback) at Ginna, under proposed EPU conditions. The comment did not provide any new information; therefore, no changes were made to the Environmental Assessment.

NYSDEC comment ``I'' stated that the draft Environmental Assessment did not address ``potential impacts to early life stages of fish entrained into the discharge plume.'' Entrainment applies specifically to aquatic organisms (i.e. early life stage fish and shellfish) that are small enough to pass through a plant's intake debris screens, travel through the cooling system, and be exposed to heat, mechanical and pressure stresses, and possibly biocidal chemicals before being discharged back to the body of water. Early life stage fish (eggs and larvae) not entrained by the plant, but in the nearby water column of Lake Ontario within or near the discharge plume under the proposed conditions, would not be significantly impacted. Ginna is not adjacent to or near habitat features or spawning/nursery areas preferred by or important to local fish. As indicated by NYSDEC, the temperatures injurious to alewife eggs are limited to a small area of the thermal plume (at the mouth of the discharge canal).

Comment ``j'' states NYSDEC has received reports of bald eagle sightings in the Wayne County area over the past 3 to 4 years. The reports include observations of first-year immature birds, which indicate bald eagle nesting sites could be closer to the Ginna site than originally analyzed. In addition, NYSDEC states the closest verified nest is located in the Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area, approximately 30 miles away from the Ginna site. The NRC staff spoke with the staff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge office, who verified there are nesting sites in the southern area of the refuge and possibly in the northern area. Based on this new information, the NRC staff believes bald eagle nesting sites are closer (30 miles) to the Ginna site than originally analyzed (55 miles). However, the staff believes the conclusion that the bald eagle will not likely be impacted by the proposed EPU, is still valid, and no changes to the Environmental Assessment are warranted.

NYSDEC also expressed concerns on possible radiological impacts to threatened and endangered species due to the proposed EPU. EPA standards (40 CFR Part 190, 40 FR 23420) concluded that environmental radiation standards developed by the nuclear power industry are adequate to protect the overall ecosystem. At this time, there is no evidence that there is any biological species sensitive enough to warrant a greater level of protection than that which is determined to be adequate for man. As a result of the proposed EPU, the radiation levels in many plant areas are expected to increase up to approximately 17%. The radiological impacts section of the Environmental Assessment provides a detailed analysis of potential impacts related to radiation. The NRC staff concluded all radiological doses were below regulatory limits and found no significant impact due to the proposed EPU.

Environmental Assessment

Plant Site and Environs

Ginna is located 6 km (4 mi) north of Ontario, New York, in the northwest corner of Wayne County and on the south shore of Lake Ontario. The immediate area around Ginna is rural, with the city of Rochester approximately 32 km (20 mi) to the west and Oswego, New York, 64 km (40 mi) to the east-northeast. The plant consists of one unit equipped with a nuclear steam supply system supplied by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, which uses a pressurized-water reactor (PWR) and a once-through cooling system for turbine exhaust condensor cooling and as the ultimate heat sink.

Identification of the Proposed Action

By letter dated July 7, 2005 (ADAMS Accession No. ML051950123), Ginna LLC proposed an amendment to the operating license for Ginna to increase the maximum steady state power level by approximately 16.8 percent, from 1520 MWt to 1775 MWt. The change is considered an EPU because it would raise the reactor core power level by more than 7 percent above the currently licensed maximum power level. This proposed action would allow the heat output of the reactor to increase, which would increase the flow of steam to the main turbine-generator. This would result in the increase in production of electricity and the amount of waste heat delivered to the condenser, resulting in an increase in the temperature of the water being discharged into Lake Ontario.

The Need for the Proposed Action

Ginna LLC estimates the proposed action would result in approximately 85 additional megawatts-electric (MWe) being generated. This additional electricity generation could power approximately 95,000 homes and would contribute to meeting the goals and recommendations of the New York State Energy Plan. The EPU could be implemented for approximately one-fifth of the cost to construct two small (50-MWe) natural gas combustion turbine units, as recommended by the New York State Energy Planning Board, and would not cause the environmental impacts that would occur from construction of new power generation facilities to meet the region's electricity needs.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

At the time of issuance of the operating license for Ginna, the NRC staff noted that any activity authorized by the license would be encompassed by the overall action evaluated in the Final Environmental Statement (FES) for the operation of Ginna, which was issued March 1973. In addition, in February 2004, the NRC published its Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), NUREG-1437 Supplement 14, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 14, Regarding R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant--Final Report,'' which evaluated the environmental impacts of operating Ginna for an additional 20 years. In the SEIS, the NRC determined that the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal would not be so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy-planning decision makers would be unreasonable. This Environmental Assessment summarizes the radiological and non-radiological impacts in the environment that may result from the EPU.

Non-Radiological Impacts

Land Use Impacts

The potential impacts associated with land use for the proposed action include impacts from construction and plant modifications. The impacts from construction due to the proposed EPU are minimal. No expansion of roads, parking lots, equipment storage areas, or transmission facilities and no new building construction is anticipated to support the proposed EPU. Volumes of industrial chemicals, fuels, or lubricants are not expected to increase substantially, and would not require additional onsite storage space.

Some plant modifications would be required to implement the proposed action. The modifications are listed in Table 4-1 of Ginna EPU, Supplemental Environmental Report (ER), submitted by Ginna LLC on July 7, 2005. The most significant modification to be conducted

[[Page 37616]]

would be replacement of the high-pressure turbine rotor. Major modifications completed in the last 10 years that contribute to the increased power opportunities at Ginna are the re-tubing of the main condenser (1995), the replacement of the steam generators with an increased size design (1996), and replacement of the reactor vessel head (2003). None of the plant modifications listed above or in Table 4-1 of the ER will result in any changes in land use.

Historic and archeological resources should not be affected by the proposed EPU, because there are no modifications to land use. The proposed EPU would not modify land use at the site significantly over that described in the FES and NUREG-1437 Supplement 14. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the land use impacts of the proposed EPU are bounded by the impacts previously evaluated in the FES and NUREG-1437 Supplement 14.

Transmission Facility Impacts

The potential impacts associated with transmission facilities for the proposed action include changes in transmission line corridor right-of-way maintenance and electric shock hazards due to increased current. The proposed EPU would not require any physical modifications or changes in the maintenance and operation of existing transmission lines, switchyards, or substations. Ginna LLC's transmission lines right-of-way vegetation management would not change. There would be no change in voltage, but there would be an increase in the current flowing through the transmission facilities.

The National Electric Safety Code (NESC) provides design criteria that limit hazards from steady-state currents. The NESC limits the short-circuit current to ground to less than 5 milliamperes. The increase in current passing through the transmission lines is directly associated with the increased power level of the proposed EPU. In addition, the increased electrical current passing through the transmission lines would cause an increase in the electromagnetic field strength.

Based on information provided in the ER, the transmission lines at Ginna would continue to meet the applicable NESC recommendations for electric-field induced shock under the proposed EPU. Therefore, the risk of shock from the offsite transmission lines would not be expected to increase significantly over the current impact.

The impacts associated with transmission facilities for the proposed action would not change significantly over the impacts associated with current plant operations. There would be no changes to current transmission line right-of-way operation and maintenance practices; no physical modifications to the transmission lines, switchyards, or substations; and electric current passing through the transmission lines would increase slightly. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that there would be no significant impacts associated with transmission facilities for the proposed action.

Water Use Impacts

Potential water use impacts from implementation of the proposed action would include hydrological alterations to Lake Ontario. Ginna uses a once-through condenser cooling system drawing water from Lake Ontario through a submerged offshore intake. Water used to cool the turbine condenser is discharged into the discharge canal. The heated water enters Lake Ontario at the shoreline. Total nominal flow of water for turbine condenser cooling and most secondary systems (i.e. service water and fire protection) is approximately 354,600 gallons per minute (gpm).

Lake Ontario serves as a principal water source for several local water supply systems in New York State's Monroe and Wayne Counties. All water required for plant operation, except potable water, is withdrawn from Lake Ontario. The rate of withdrawal would not increase as a result of the EPU. Therefore, operation of Ginna would not affect the availability of surface water. Groundwater is not used in plant operations; therefore, there are no impacts from onsite groundwater use. The NRC staff concludes that the proposed EPU would not have a significant impact on water use.

Discharge Impacts

Surface water and wastewater discharges to Lake Ontario from the plant are regulated by the State of New York via a SPDES Permit (Number NY-0000493), effective February 1, 2003--February 1, 2008. This permit is reviewed and renewed by the NYSDEC. It is expected that the EPU would increase the temperature of the water discharged to Lake Ontario as well as the thermal discharge plume, which would require modifications to the current SPDES permit.

The current SPDES permit allows a 28 ``F rise in temperature of the discharge water over the ambient temperature of the lake water, and a maximum 320-acre mixing zone. The current permit also limits the discharge temperature to 102 [deg]F. During current operating conditions, the difference between plant discharge temperature and ambient lake temperature is approximately 20 [deg]F in the summer months, and 28 [deg]F during the winter months. The larger temperature difference, which occurs in the winter months, is due to recirculation of heated water from the discharge canal to the screenhouse inlet forebay to assist in maintaining inlet water temperature and eliminating ice that may form in the inlet forebay. Under proposed EPU operating conditions, the difference in temperature would be approximately 25 [deg]F and 35 [deg]F in summer (i.e., intake temp > 45

[deg] F) and winter (i.e., intake temp

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT