ML19311C295
| ML19311C295 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Prairie Island  |
| Issue date: | 12/17/2019 |
| From: | Roman C NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ERMB |
| To: | Colvin S State of NM |
| Coflin M 415-5932 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19311C294 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML19311C295 (3) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 December 17, 2019 Mr. Steve Colvin, Director Division of Ecological Resources Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Road, Box 25 St. Paul, MN 55155
SUBJECT:
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROPOSED LICENSE AMENDMENT FOR THE PRAIRIE ISLAND INDEPENDENT SPENT FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION (DOCKET NUMBER: 72-10)
Dear Mr. Colvin:
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. 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 Assessment (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, would not adversely affect threatened and endangered species, and would not have a significant impact on aquatic and terrestrial resources.
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
S. Colvin 2
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 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 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 application package is ML19217A311. For your reference, this package includes correspondence that was sent on January 17, 2019, from Mr. Scott Sharp, Site Vice President at PINGP to Ms. Lisa Joyal, MDNR Endangered Species Review Coordinator,
SUBJECT:
PINGP ISFSI Expansion Request for Concurrence Regarding Special Status Species.
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
ML19311C294 Pkg
- 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 10/23/2019 11/22/19 12/17/19