ML19263B438
| ML19263B438 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Green County  |
| Issue date: | 12/20/1978 |
| From: | Vessels R NEW YORK, STATE OF |
| To: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19263B439 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7901180251 | |
| Download: ML19263B438 (3) | |
Text
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- STATE OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE EMPIRE STATE PLAZA, ALBANY 12223
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Mr. Harold R.
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Dear Mr. Denton:
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Chairman Zielf - ski has asked me to respond to your letter of November 28, 1978, rebarding the position of cur staff on a series of issues relating to the proposed PASNY nuclear power plant at Cementon, New York.
I should state at the outset that we have not adopted a single overall " staff position" that could be said to represent the policy of the Department of Public Service (DPS) in this case.
Such an overall conclusion will not be adopted until we have received, reviewed and cross-examined the direct testi=cny cf all parties in the proceedings.
The following cc==ents su==ar-ize the 'tiews of the group of staff experts who are preparing testimony in the land use, socioeconomic and aesthetic aspects of this case,and anticipate the conclusions they will reach in that testimony.
(1)
Non-taxable status of the ?cwer Authority - Privately owned generating projects =ake censiceracle tax payments te local governments.
Although we admit that the distribution c f these revenues may not correspond perfectly <ith the distribution of impacts, we believe that in most cases these tax payments substantially mitigate fiscal i= pacts on local jurisdictions.
In centrast, the Pcwer Authcrity will =ake minimal in lieu of tax payments whether th.e' facility is constructed at Cementon or Athens.
Staff believes that during the construction phase of the project local govern =ents will experience significant socioecenc=ic and fiscal impacts which will not be adequately cccpensated by these in lieu cf tax payments.
Accordingly, staff will recommend that the Pcver Authority be required to develop and imple=ent a progran for =cnitoring and mitigating the sociceconc=ic and fiscal impacts of construction.
If apprc.criate, this =itigation could take the form of cash payments to local gcVer.-
=ents to defray the costs of necessary service or facility expansions.
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Mr.,Farold R. Denten December 20, 19~2 a
(21 I cact on Lehigh Portland Cement - Staff does not belle,ve it has tne specialicec expertise.to reach a conclusion at this time on the validity of Lehigh's claims concerning the impac of the proposed nuclear facility on their current and planned activities.
We will not present testimony in this area but =ay take a pcsition after Lehigh's testi=cny has been submitted and cross-examined.
However, we will present testi= cay suggesting that the closing of the existing Lehigh plant, if this were.to result from the construction of the nuclear facility, wculd have a =ajor adverse socioeconomic and fiscal impact on the area.
We will recc= mend that, in the event construction activities do force the closing of the cement plant, the Power Authority be required to make payments to affected local govern =ents in compensation for lost tax revenues.
This would, of course. citigate only one part of the consequences of the loss of Lehigh.
(3)
Relocation of State Route CW - It is the opinion of our staff that the applicant's preposec relocation of Route 9W (Alternative 13), on either a permanent or tecporary basis, would result in unacceptable environmental impacts.
.The Power Authority's park and ride alternative is environmentally acceptable, but may cost frc= $30 to $50 million.
Our staff, working with a traffic censultant, has developed and will propose an alternative worker transportation systet which relies on van pools and limited highway improvements.
This alternative, which is based on the program e= ployed at the Hartsville nuclear plant construction site, would =eet the transportation needs of the 2100-can peak work force projected by the Authority in an environmentally acceptable fashion and at less cost than the applicant's park and ride alternative.
However, if the peak work force were to increase substantially beycnd the 2100 figure currently projected by tue applicant, it is.possible that none of the envirennentally acceptable alternatives could deal adequately with peak traffic leads.
This issue is still being studied by our staff.
Hecessary highway improvements, were the facility tc be constructed at Athens, would not be costly and would not have significant environ = ental impact.
(4)
Aesthetic i=cact en O'2na if the orccosed facility is constructed at Cementon - Stafi. _I testify tna; tne ccustruction of
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tne propcsec facility at Cementon wculd have sericus adverse visual impacts on a nu=ber of scenic vistas including the vieus from the Mountain House site, a Taconic Parkway scenic overlock and the Hamlet.
of Germantown.
However, the =cs sericus. impact by far wculd be en the view frca Olana.
Staff notes that 01ana a) is a national historic landmark; b) was designed and ccnstructed by, and ccame= crates, Frederic Church who was an internationally fancus landscape artis during his lifetime; and c) was deliberately designed and landscaped to focus attention on the view frcr the v.ansion's south facing windcwc, which view is centered en the Cementen site.
Per :hese reasens staff uill testify that development of the Cecen:cn site is aesthetically unacceptable.
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NrtHaroldR.Denton 3-Dece=ber 20, ic78 Staff will further testify that the visual impacts of cons {ructingthefacilityat Athens would be acceptable.
In su==ary, we anticipate that the testimony of our land use, socioeconc=ics and aesthetics staff will strongly recoc=end the rejection of the applicant's proposal to build at Cementon and will favor licensing and certification of the alternate site.
Regardless of which site is chosen, staff 1111 recoc=end that PASNY be required to undertake a pro 6 ram of sociceconcaic monitoring and mit15stion.
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ROBERA VESSELS Acting Director Office of Environmental Planning cc:
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S. Putta U. Spiegel 4
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