ML052870502
| ML052870502 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oyster Creek |
| Issue date: | 10/12/2005 |
| From: | Kuo P NRC/NRR/DRIP/RLEP |
| To: | Kurkul P US Dept of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service, US Dept of Commerce, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Pham B, NRR/DRIP/RLEP, 415-8450 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML052870514 | List: |
| References | |
| %dam200604 | |
| Download: ML052870502 (6) | |
Text
October 12, 2005 Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator NOAAs National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Regional Office One Blackburn Drive Gloucester, MA 09130-2298
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR LIST OF PROTECTED SPECIES AND ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT WITHIN THE AREA UNDER EVALUATION FOR OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION LICENSE RENEWAL
Dear Ms. Kurkul:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is reviewing an application submitted by AmerGen Energy Company, LLC (AmerGen) for the renewal of the operating license for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS). OCNGS is a single-unit nuclear plant located in Lacey Township in Ocean County, New Jersey. As part of the review of the license renewal application, the NRC is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. The SEIS includes an analysis of pertinent environmental issues, including endangered or threatened species and impacts to marine resources and habitat. This letter is being submitted under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934, as amended, and the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996.
AmerGen stated that it has no plans to alter current operations over the license renewal period and that OCNGS operating under a renewed license would use existing plant facilities and transmission lines and would not require additional construction or disturbance of new areas.
Any maintenance activities would be limited to previously disturbed areas.
OCNGS is situated on approximately 800 acres of land in the coastal pine barrens of New Jersey approximately 9 miles south of Toms River, New Jersey. The property is on the western shore of Barnegat Bay. East of U.S. Highway 9 the northern site boundary is the South Branch of Forked River, and the southern site boundary is Oyster Creek. West of U.S. Highway 9 the site boundary is defined by the manmade intake and discharge canals (See Enclosed Maps).
OCNGS employs a once-through heat dissipation system designed to remove waste heat from the condensers. The circulating water system includes the intake canal, an intake structure divided into two bays, circulating water pumps, condensers, dilution pumps, discharge pipes, and discharge canal. The purpose of the dilution pumps is to decrease the attractiveness of the heated discharge to migratory marine species during the spring and fall, and to reduce thermal stress on organisms in the discharge canal during the summer. An angled boom in the intake canal immediately in front of the intake prevents large mats of eelgrass and algae from clogging the intake system. Barnegat Bay is the plants cooling water source and heat sink. Cooling water is drawn from Barnegat Bay through the South Branch of Forked River and into a
P. Kurkul 150-foot-wide intake canal dredged to a depth of 10 feet. The circulating water is returned to the 150-foot-wide discharge canal and from there flows to Oyster Creek and back to Barnegat Bay. Depths in the South Branch of the Forked River, canals, and lower reaches of Oyster Creek are maintained by periodic dredging.
The transmission lines in the scope of NRCs environmental review for license renewal are those that were originally constructed for the specific purpose of connecting the plant to the transmission system. A single 230-kilovolt transmission line was built to connect OCNGS to the electric grid. It is a double circuit line hung on a single set of towers that runs 11.1 miles from the OCNGS 230 kilovolt Substation to the Manitou Substation near Toms River. Beyond the OCNGS substation transformer-side disconnects, the line is owned and operated, and corridor easements held, by FirstEnergy, an Ohio utility. The transmission line corridor is 240 feet wide and approximately parallels the New Jersey State Parkway, occupying about 320 acres. The corridor passes through land that is primarily pine forest and swamp forest. Approximately 1 mile of the line passes through Double Trouble State Park. The line is in Ocean County and crosses numerous county roads and the New Jersey State Parkway. FirstEnergy plans to maintain this transmission line, which is integral to the larger transmission system, indefinitely.
The transmission line will remain a permanent part of the transmission system after OCNGS is decommissioned. The transmission line and site boundary are identified in the enclosed maps.
To support the SEIS preparation process and to ensure compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the NRC requests a list of endangered, threatened, candidate, and proposed species, and designated and proposed critical habitat under the jurisdiction of the National Marine Fisheries Service that may be in the vicinity of the OCNGS site and its transmission line corridors. The most recent formal consultation for the continued operation of OCNGS was completed on September 22, 2005. However, this letter requesting consultation relates specifically to the NRCs review of AmerGens license renewal application for OCNGS.
In addition, please provide any information you consider appropriate under the provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. Also in support of the SEIS preparation and to ensure compliance with Section 305 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the NRC requests a list of essential fish habitat that has been designated in the vicinity of the OCNGS site and its associated transmission line corridors.
The NRC staff plans to hold two public NEPA scoping meetings on November 1, 2005, at the Quality Inn located at 815 Route 37 in Toms River, New Jersey. You and your staff are invited to attend the public meetings. The first session will convene at 1:30 p.m. and will continue until 4:30 p.m., as necessary. The second session will convene at 7:00 p.m., with a repeat of the overview portions of the meeting, and will continue until 10:00 p.m., as necessary. Your office will also receive a copy of the draft SEIS along with a request for comments. The anticipated publication date for the draft SEIS is June 2006.
P. Kurkul If you have any questions concerning OCNGS, the license renewal application, or other aspects of this project, please contact the NRCs Senior Environmental Project Manager, Dr. Michael Masnik, at 301-415-1191 or by e-mail at MTM2@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Pao-Tsin Kuo, Program Director License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Program Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.: 50-219
Enclosures:
As stated cc w/encls.: See next page
P. Kurkul If you have any questions concerning OCNGS, the license renewal application, or other aspects of this project, please contact the NRCs Senior Environmental Project Manager, Dr. Michael Masnik, at 301-415-1191 or by e-mail at MTM2@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Pao-Tsin Kuo, Program Director License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Program Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.: 50-219
Enclosures:
As stated cc w/encls.: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
Adams Accession Pkg. No.: ML05 D. Matthews/F. Gillespie P. Tam, DLPM P.T. Kuo D. Screnci R. Franovich R. Bellamy, RI R. Cureton, RI A. Hodgdon, OGC R. Schaaf J. Lilliendahl, RI M. Modes, RI B. Pham D. Ashley RLEP R/F K. LaGory (ANL)
H. Nash T. Madden, OCA B. Keeling, OCA L. Gerke T. Combs, OCA Adams Accession Nos.:
- 1. Ltr to P. Kurkul w/Svc.List: ML052870502
- 2. Maps, Encl. 1, 2: ML052280187
- 3. Pkg: ML052870514 E:\\Filenet\\ML052870502.wpd OFFICE RLEP:PM RLEP:LA RLEP:PM RLEP:PM SC:RLEP PD:RLEP NAME B. Pham Y. Edmonds H. Nash M. Masnik R. Franovich P.T. Kuo DATE 10/4/05 10/4/05 10/4/05 10/5/05 10/5/05 10/12/05 OFFICE RECORD COPY
Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station cc:
Chief Operating Officer AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Senior Vice President - Nuclear Services AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Site Vice President - Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station AmerGen Energy Company, LLC P.O. Box 388 Forked River, NJ 08731 Vice President - Mid-Atlantic Operations AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-N Kennett Square, PA 19348 John E. Matthews, Esquire Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 Kent Tosch, Chief New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Nuclear Engineering CN 415 Trenton, NJ 08625 Vice President - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Vice President - Operations Support AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Regional Administrator, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 Mayor of Lacey Township 818 West Lacey Road Forked River, NJ 08731 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 445 Forked River, NJ 08731 Director - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E Kennett Square, PA 19348 Manager Licensing - Oyster Creek Exelon Generation Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, KSA 3-E Kennett Square, PA 19348 Plant Manager Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station AmerGen Energy Company, LLC P.O. Box 388 Forked River, NJ 08731 Regulatory Assurance Manager Oyster Creek AmerGen Energy Company, LLC P.O. Box 388 Forked River, NJ 08731 Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary AmerGen Energy Company, LLC 2301 Market Street, S23-1 Philadelphia, PA 19101 Ron Bellamy, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415 Correspondence Control Desk AmerGen Energy Company, LLC P.O. Box 160 Kennett Square, PA 19348 License Renewal Manager Exelon Generation Company, LLC 200 Exelon Way, Suite 210 Kennett Square, PA 19348
Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station cc:
Mr. James Ross Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006-3708