[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 103 (Wednesday, May 31, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24998-25015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11184]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-259, 50-260, and 50-296; NRC-2016-0244]
Tennessee Valley Authority; Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1,
2, and 3
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact;
issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-
33, DPR-52, and DPR-68 issued to Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the
licensee) for operation of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and
3 (BFN) located in Limestone County, Alabama. The proposed amendments
would increase the maximum licensed thermal power level for each
reactor from 3,458 megawatts thermal (MWt) to 3,952 MWt. This change,
referred to as an extended power uprate (EPU), represents an increase
of approximately 14.3 percent above the current licensed thermal power
limit. The NRC is issuing a final environmental assessment (EA) and
final finding of no significant impact (FONSI) associated with the
proposed EPU.
DATES: The final EA and final FONSI are available on May 31, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2016-0244 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2016-0244. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS,
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. For
the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS accession numbers are provided
in a table in the ``Availability of Documents'' section of this
document.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Siva P. Lingam, telephone: 301-415-
1564; email: [email protected]; or Briana Grange, telephone: 301-415-
1042; email: [email protected]. Both are staff members of the
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52, and DPR-68 issued to TVA for
operation of BFN located in Limestone County, Alabama. TVA submitted
its
[[Page 24999]]
license amendment request in accordance with section 50.90 of title 10
of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), by letter dated September
21, 2015 (TVA 2015a). TVA subsequently supplemented its application as
described under ``Description of the Proposed Action'' in Section II of
this document. If approved, the license amendments would increase the
maximum thermal power level at each of the three BFN units from 3,458
MWt to 3,952 MWt.
Consistent with NRC Review Standard 001 (RS-001), Revision 0,
``Review Standard for Extended Power Uprates'' (NRC 2003), the NRC
prepared a draft EA and draft FONSI, both of which were published the
Federal Register (FR) on December 1, 2016, with a 30-day comment period
(NRC 2016a; 81 FR 86732). The NRC did not receive any public comments
on the draft EA or draft FONSI. This final EA has been prepared in
accordance with 10 CFR 51.21.
The final EA includes revisions addressing two supplements to the
EPU application submitted by TVA in letters dated January 20, 2017 (TVA
2017b), and February 3, 2017 (TVA 2017c). In the supplements, TVA
proposed to install a static volt-ampere reactive (VAR) compensator
(SVC) at the Limestone Substation in Limestone County, Alabama to
address transmission system upgrades necessary to ensure transmission
system stability at EPU power levels rather than installing capacitor
banks at the Wilson Substation in Wilson County, Tennessee. The final
EA has been updated to reflect these changes. No significant
environmental impacts were identified associated with the SVC
installation at the Limestone Station, and all other aspects of the
proposed EPU and associated transmission system upgrades remain the
same as described in the draft EA. Based on the results of the final EA
contained in Section II of this document, the NRC did not identify any
significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed
amendments and has, therefore, prepared a final FONSI in accordance
with 10 CFR 51.32 and 51.34(a) and is publishing the final FONSI in the
Federal Register in accordance with 10 CFR 51.35.
II. Environmental Assessment
Plant Site and Environs
The BFN site encompasses 840 acres (ac) (340 hectares (ha)) of
Federally owned land that is under the custody of TVA in Limestone
County, Alabama. The site lies on the north shore of Wheeler Reservoir
at Tennessee River Mile (TRM) 294 and is situated approximately 10
miles (mi) (16 kilometers [km]) south of Athens, Alabama, 10 mi (16 km)
northwest of Decatur, Alabama, and 30 mi (48 km) west of Huntsville,
Alabama.
Each of BFN's three nuclear units is a General Electric boiling-
water reactor that produces steam to turn turbines to generate
electricity. The BFN uses a once-through (open-cycle) condenser
circulating water system with seven helper cooling towers to dissipate
waste heat. Four of the original six cooling towers that serve BFN have
undergone replacement, and TVA plans to replace the remaining two
towers in fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Additionally, TVA constructed a
seventh cooling tower in May 2012 (TVA 2017a).
Wheeler Reservoir serves as the source of water for condenser
cooling and for most of BFN's auxiliary water systems. Pumps and
related equipment to supply water to plant systems are housed in BFN's
intake structure on Wheeler Reservoir. The reservoir is formed by
Wheeler Dam, which is owned and operated by TVA, and it extends from
Guntersville Dam at TRM 349.0 downstream to Wheeler Dam at TRM 274.9.
Wheeler Reservoir has an area of 67,070 ac (27,140 ha) and a volume of
1,050,000 acre-feet (1,233 cubic meters) at its normal summer pool
elevation of 556 feet (ft) (169 meters (m)) above mean sea level (TVA
2017a). Water temperature in Wheeler Reservoir naturally varies from
around 35 degrees Fahrenheit ([deg]F) (1.6 degrees Celsius ([deg]C)) in
January to 88 to 90 [deg]F (31 to 32 [deg]C) in July and August, and
temperature patterns near BFN are typically well mixed or exhibit weak
thermal stratification (TVA 2017a).
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM)
establishes beneficial uses of waters of the State and has classified
the majority of the reservoir for use as a public water supply, for
recreational use, and as a fish and wildlife resource. The reservoir is
currently included on the State of Alabama's Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (i.e., Clean Water Act (CWA)) of 1972, as amended, Section
303(d) list of impaired waters as partially supporting its designated
uses due to excess nutrients from agricultural sources. Section 303(d)
of the CWA requires States to identify all ``impaired'' waters for
which effluent limitations and pollution control activities are not
sufficient to attain water quality standards. The Section 303(d) list
includes those water bodies for which the State is required to develop
total maximum pollutant loads (limits) to achieve future compliance
with water quality standards and designated uses (ADEM 2016; TVA
2016a).
The BFN intake structure draws water from Wheeler Reservoir at TRM
294.3. The intake forebay includes a 20-feet (6-meters)-high gate
structure that can be raised or lowered depending on the operational
requirements of the plant. The flow velocity through the openings
varies depending on the gate position. When the gates are in a full
open position and the plant is operating in either open or helper
modes, the average flow velocity through the openings is about 0.2
meters per second (m/s) (0.6 feet per second (fps)) for the operation
of one unit, 0.34 m/s (1.1 fps) for the operation of two units, and
0.52 m/s (1.7 fps) for the operation of all three units assuming a
water withdrawal rate of approximately 734,000 gallons per minute (gpm)
(46.3 cubic meters per second (m\3\/s)) per unit, for a total
withdrawal of about 2,202,000 gpm (4,906 cubic feet per second (cfs);
138.6 m\3\/s) of water for all three units (NRC 2005; TVA 2016b). The
BFN's total per-unit condenser circulating water system flow is
generally higher than the original design values due to system upgrades
that included the refit of the condensers with larger diameter and
lower resistance tubes (NRC 2005; TVA 2016a, 2017a).
The TVA maintains a Certificate of Use (Certificate No. 1058.0,
issued December 5, 2005) for its surface water withdrawals. The Alabama
Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Office of Water Resources
issues this certificate to register large water users (i.e., those with
a water withdrawal capacity of 100,000 gallons per day (380 cubic
meters)) within the State. The TVA periodically notifies the Office of
Water Resources of facility data updates and submits annual water use
reports for BFN as specified under the Certificate of Use as part of
TVA's efforts to voluntarily cooperate with the State of Alabama's
water management programs. The TVA most recently submitted an
application to renew BFN's Certificate of Use in September 2015. Based
on the staff's review of BFN water use reports submitted by TVA to the
State for the period of 2011 through 2015, BFN's total water
withdrawals from Wheeler Reservoir have averaged 1,848,000 gpm (4,117
cfs; 116.3 m\3\/s). For 2015, BFN's total surface water withdrawal rate
averaged 1,991,200 gpm (4,437 cfs; 125 m\3\/s) (TVA 2016a).
Once withdrawn water has passed through the condensers for cooling,
it is discharged back to Wheeler Reservoir via three large submerged
diffuser pipes.
[[Page 25000]]
The pipes range in diameter from 5.2 to 6.2 m (17 to 20.5 ft) and are
perforated to maximize mixing into the water column. Water exits the
pipes through 7,800 individual 5-centimeter (2-inch) ports. This
straight-through flow path is called ``open mode.'' As originally
designed, the maximum thermal discharge back to the reservoir from the
once-through condenser circulating water system operated in open mode
is 25 [deg]F (13.9 [deg]C) above the intake temperature (NRC 2005).
Some of the heated water can also be directed through cooling towers to
reduce its temperature, as necessary to comply with State environmental
regulations and BFN's ADEM-issued National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) Permit No. AL0022080 (ADEM 2012), in what is
called ``helper mode.'' The plant design also allows for a closed mode
of operation in which water from the cooling towers is recycled
directly back to the intake structure without discharge to the
reservoir. However, TVA has not used this mode for many years due to
the difficulty in maintaining temperature limits in the summer months
(NRC 2005).
To operate BFN, TVA must comply with the CWA, including associated
requirements imposed by the State as part of the NPDES permitting
system under CWA Section 402. The BFN NPDES permit (ADEM 2012)
specifies that at the downstream end of the mixing zone, which lies
2,400 ft (732 m) downstream of the diffusers, operation of the plant
shall not cause the:
Measured 1-hour average temperature to exceed 93 [deg]F
(33.9 [deg]C),
measured daily average temperature to exceed 90 [deg]F
(32.2 [deg]C), or
measured daily average temperature rise relative to
ambient to exceed 10 [deg]F (5.6 [deg]C).
In cases where the daily average ambient temperature of the
Tennessee River as measured 3.8 mi (6.1 km) upstream of BFN exceeds 90
[deg]F (32.2 [deg]C), the daily average downstream temperature may
equal, but not exceed, the upstream value. In connection with such a
scenario, if the daily average upstream ambient river temperature
begins to cool at a rate of 0.5 [deg]F (0.3 [deg]C) or more per day,
the downstream temperature is allowed to exceed the upstream value for
that day.
When plant operating conditions create a river temperature
approaching one of the NPDES limits specified above, TVA shifts BFN
from open mode to helper mode. The three units can be placed in helper
mode individually or collectively. Thus, the amount of water diverted
to the cooling towers in helper mode depends on the amount of cooling
needed for the plant to remain in compliance with the NPDES permit
limits. If helper mode operation is not sufficient to avoid the river
temperature approaching the NPDES permit limits, TVA reduces (i.e.,
derates) the thermal power of one or more of the units to maintain
regulatory compliance (TVA 2017a).
In support of this license amendment request, TVA performed
hydrothermal modeling to evaluate the potential thermal impacts of BFN
circulating water discharges to Wheeler Reservoir under EPU conditions.
The TVA first modeled the impacts of BFN operations at the current
licensed thermal power level (i.e., 105 percent of the original
licensed thermal power, or 3,458 MWt). This established the base case
for assessing the incremental thermal impacts on receiving waters of
BFN operations at 120 percent of the original licensed thermal power
under the proposed EPU. These results of TVA's modeling are described
later in this EA under ``Cooling Tower Operation and Thermal
Discharge.''
Under current operations and based on river flow, meteorological,
and ambient river temperature data for the 6-year period 2007 through
2012, the modeling results indicate that the temperature of water
exiting the diffusers and entering Wheeler Reservoir is an average of
86.9 [deg]F (30.5 [deg]C) during warm summer conditions. The river
temperature at the NPDES compliance depth at the downstream end of the
mixing zone is an average of 70.8 [deg]F (21.6 [deg]C) with a 1-hour
average temperature maximum of 92.1 [deg]F (33.4 [deg]C) and a daily
average temperature maximum of 89.4 [deg]F (31.9 [deg]C). On average,
TVA operates the cooling towers 66 days per year. TVA derates BFN
approximately 1 in every 6 summers for a maximum of 185 hours in order
to maintain compliance with the NPDES permit (TVA 2016a). More
recently, for the period 2011 through 2015, TVA operated BFN's cooling
towers an average of 73 days per year and had incurred derates during
two of the years (2011 and 2015) (TVA 2016a).
The BFN site, plant operations, and environs are described in
greater detail in Chapter 2 of the NRC's June 2005 NUREG-1437,
Supplement 21, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License
Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units
1, 2, and 3--Final Report (herein referred to as ``BFN FSEIS'') (NRC
2005). Updated information that pertains to the plant site and environs
and that is relevant to the assessment of the environmental impacts of
the proposed EPU is included throughout this draft EA, as appropriate.
Power Uprate History
The BFN units were originally licensed to operate in 1973 (Unit 1),
1974 (Unit 2), and 1976 (Unit 3) at 3,293 MWt per unit. In 1997, TVA
submitted a license amendment request to the NRC for a stretch power
uprate (SPU) to increase the thermal output of Units 2 and 3 by 5
percent (to 3,458 MWt per unit). The NRC prepared an EA and FONSI for
the SPU, which was published in the FR on September 1, 1998 (NRC 1998,
63 FR 46491), and the NRC subsequently issued the amendments later that
month.
In June 2004, TVA submitted license amendment requests for uprates
at all three units (TVA 2004a, 2004b). The TVA requested a 15 percent
EPU at Units 2 and 3 and a 20 percent EPU at Unit 1 such that if the
proposed EPU was granted, each unit would operate at 3,952 MWt (120
percent of the original licensed power level). In September 2006, TVA
submitted a supplement to the EPU application that requested interim
operation of Unit 1 at 3,458 MWt (the Units 2 and 3 SPU power level)
(TVA 2006). The NRC prepared a draft EA and FONSI, which were published
for public comment in the Federal Register on November 6, 2006 (NRC
2006b, 71 FR 65009). The draft EA and FONSI addressed the impacts of
operating all three BFN units at EPU levels. The NRC received comments
from TVA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which the staff
addressed in the NRC's final EA and FONSI dated February 12, 2007 (NRC
2007a, 72 FR 6612). The NRC issued an amendment approving the SPU for
Unit 1 in March 2007 (NRC 2007b); the staff's 2007 final EPU EA was
used to support the SPU. Subsequently, in September 2014, TVA withdrew
the 2004 EPU license amendment requests and stated that it would submit
a new, consolidated EPU request by October 2015 (TVA 2014a).
Separately, on May 4, 2006, the NRC approved TVA's application for
renewal of the BFN operating licenses for an additional 20-year period
(NRC 2006a). As part of its environmental review of the license renewal
application, the NRC issued the BFN FSEIS (NRC 2005). In the BFN FSEIS,
the NRC staff analyzed the environmental impacts of license renewal,
the environmental impacts of alternatives to license renewal, and
mitigation measures available for reducing or avoiding any adverse
impacts. Although the NRC did not evaluate impacts associated
specifically with the then-pending EPU
[[Page 25001]]
in the BFN FSEIS, it performed an evaluation of the impacts of license
renewal assuming that all three BFN units would operate at the EPU
level of 3,952 MWt during the 20-year period of extended operations.
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action is the NRC's issuance of amendments to the BFN
operating licenses that would increase the maximum licensed thermal
power level for each reactor from 3,458 MWt to 3,952 MWt. This change,
referred to as an EPU, represents an increase of approximately 14.3
percent above the current licensed thermal power level and would result
in BFN operating at 120 percent of the original licensed thermal power
level (3,293 MWt). The proposed action is in accordance with TVA's
application dated September 21, 2015 (TVA 2015a) as supplemented by
numerous letters, including seven letters that affected the EA, dated
November 13, 2015 (TVA 2015b), December 15, 2015 (TVA 2015c), December
18, 2015 (TVA 2015d), April 22, 2016 (TVA 2016a), May 27, 2016 (TVA
2016b), January 20, 2017 (TVA 2017b), and February 3, 2017 (TVA 2017c).
A full list of TVA's EPU application supplements may be found in the
NRC staff's safety evaluation and Federal Register notice regarding the
EPU request, which will be issued with the license amendment, if
granted.
Plant Modifications and Upgrades
An EPU usually requires significant modifications to major balance-
of-plant equipment. The proposed EPU for BFN would require the
modifications described in Attachment 47 to the licensee's application
entitled ``List and Status of Plant Modifications, Revision 1'' (TVA
2017d), which include replacement of the steam dryers, replacement of
the high pressure turbine rotors, replacement of reactor feedwater
pumps, installation of higher capacity condensate booster pumps and
motors, modifications to the condensate demineralizer system,
modifications to the feedwater heaters, and upgrade of miscellaneous
instrumentation, setpoint changes, and software modifications.
All onsite modifications associated with the proposed action would
be within the existing structures, buildings, and fenced equipment
yards. All deliveries of materials to support EPU-related modifications
and upgrades would be by truck, and equipment and materials would be
temporarily stored in existing storage buildings and laydown areas. The
TVA anticipates no changes in existing onsite land uses or disturbance
of previously undisturbed onsite land (TVA 2017a).
According to TVA's current schedule, modifications and upgrades
related to the proposed EPU would be completed at Unit 1 during the
fall 2018 refueling outage, at Unit 2 during the spring 2019 outage,
and at Unit 3 during the spring 2018 outage. If the NRC approves the
proposed EPU, TVA would begin operating each unit at the uprated power
level following these outages.
Cooling Tower Operation and Thermal Discharge
Operating BFN at the EPU power level of 3,952 MWt per unit would
increase the steam flow to the plant's steam turbines, which would in
turn increase the amount of waste heat that must be dissipated. The TVA
would increase its use of the cooling towers (i.e., operate in helper
mode) to dissipate some of this additional heat; the remaining heat
would be discharged to Wheeler Reservoir. If helper mode operation were
to be insufficient to keep the reservoir temperatures within BFN's
NPDES permit limits, TVA would reduce (i.e., derate) the thermal power
of one or more of the units to maintain regulatory compliance, a
practice which TVA currently employs at BFN as necessary. Currently,
TVA personnel examine forecast conditions for up to a week or more into
the future and determine when and for how long TVA might need to
operate BFN in helper mode operation and/or derate the BFN units to
ensure compliance with the NPDES permit. The TVA would maintain this
process under EPU conditions.
The TVA simulated possible future discharge scenarios under EPU
conditions using river flows and meteorological data for the 6-year
period 2007 through 2012. This period included the warmest summer of
record (2010) as well as periods of extreme drought conditions (2007
and 2008). For years with warm summers, TVA predicts that the
temperature of water exiting the diffusers and entering Wheeler
Reservoir (assuming all BFN units are operating at the full EPU power
level) would be 2.6 [deg]F (1.4 [deg]C) warmer on average than current
operations. The river temperature at the NPDES compliance depth at the
downstream end of the mixing zone would be 0.6 [deg]F (0.3 [deg]C)
warmer on average. The TVA predicts that it would operate the cooling
towers in helper mode an additional 22 days per year on average (88
days total) and that the most extreme years could result in an
additional 39 days per year of cooling tower helper mode operation (121
days total).
Transmission System Upgrades
The EPU would require several upgrades to the transmission system
and the BFN main generator excitation system to ensure transmission
system stability at EPU power levels. The TVA performed a Revised
Interconnection System Impact Study in January 2017, which determined
that the EPU would require the following transmission upgrades: (1)
Replacement of six 500-kilovolt (kV) breaker failure relays, (2)
installation of a minimum of 764 megavolt-ampere reactive (MVAR) of
reactive compensation in five locations throughout the TVA transmission
system, and (3) modification of the excitation system of all three BFN
main generators (TVA 2017e, 2017f). These upgrades are described in
more detail in the following subsections.
Breaker Failure Relay Replacements
The TVA would replace the 500-kV breaker failure relays at BFN for
breakers 5204, 5208, 5254, 5258, 5274, and 5278 to mitigate potential
transmission system issues resulting from specific fault events on the
transmission system. The relays are located in panels in the relay room
inside the BFN control building, and physical work would be limited to
this area. The TVA would complete the breaker failure relay
replacements prior to spring 2018 (TVA 2017c, 2017d).
MVAR Reactive Compensation
The TVA would install a minimum of 764 MVAR of reactive
compensation in five locations throughout TVA service area to address
MVAR deficiencies associated with the additional power generation that
would occur at EPU power levels. The reactive compensation would
consist of an SVC installation at one substation and multiple capacitor
bank installations at four separate substations. The SVC installation
would address both the MVAR deficiency and transient stability issues
and would be installed at the Limestone 500-kV Substation in Limestone
County, Alabama. The TVA would install capacitor banks at the Clayton
Village 161-kV Substation in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi; the Holly
Springs 161-kV Substation in Marshall County, Mississippi; the Corinth
161-kV Substation in Alcorn County, Mississippi; and the East Point
500-kV Substation (161-kV line) in Cullman County, Alabama. The SVC
installation and the Holly Springs and Corinth capacitor bank
installations would require expansion of the existing
[[Page 25002]]
substation footprints and additional land grading and clearing. The
remaining two capacitor bank installations (Clayton Village and East
Point substations) would be within existing substation boundaries. The
TVA expects to disturb approximately 25 ac (10 ha) of previously
disturbed TVA-owned land for the SVC installation at the Limestone
Substation. The TVA expects to purchase approximately 2.5 ac (1 ha) of
land and disturb 2.25 ac (0.9 ha) of land for the Holly Springs
Substation expansion. For the Corinth Substation expansion, TVA would
purchase 3.5 ac (1.4 ha) of land and disturb 3 ac (1.2 ha) of land. The
TVA would complete the SVC and capacitor bank installations by spring
2020, although TVA's transmission system operator does not preclude BFN
from operating at EPU levels during the capacitor bank installations
(TVA 2017a, 2017c, 2017d, 2017e).
BFN Main Generator Excitation System Modifications
The TVA would modify the BFN main generator Alterrex excitation
system for all three units with a bus-fed static excitation system
consisting of a 3-phase power potential transformer, an automatic
voltage regulator, and a power section. Physical work to complete these
modifications would be performed within existing BFN structures and
would not involve any previously undisturbed land. The TVA is in the
preliminary phase of the design change notice development for these
modifications; therefore, TVA has not yet developed a specific timeline
for implementation of the main generator excitation system
modifications. However, TVA projects that these upgrades would be
completed by 2020 (Unit 1), 2021 (Unit 2), and 2020 (Unit 3) (TVA
2017c, 2017d).
The Need for the Proposed Action
As stated by the licensee in its application, the proposed action
would allow TVA to meet the increasing power demand forecasted in TVA
service area. The TVA estimates that energy consumption in this area
will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 1.2 percent until
2020 with additional moderate growth continuing after 2020.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
This section addresses the radiological and non-radiological
impacts of the proposed EPU. Separate from this EA, the NRC staff is
evaluating the potential radiological consequences of an accident that
may result from the proposed action. The EPU would not be approved
unless the NRC staff's safety analysis determines that the radiological
doses under EPU postulated accident conditions are within the
regulatory limits found in 10 CFR 50.67. Accordingly, the NRC staff
concludes that the radiological impacts of accidents following the EPU
would not be significant. The results of the NRC staff's safety
analysis will be documented in a safety evaluation, which will be
issued with the license amendment package approving the license
amendment, if granted.
Radiological Impacts
Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluents and Solid Waste
The BFN's waste treatment systems collect, process, recycle, and
dispose of gaseous, liquid, and solid wastes that contain radioactive
material in a safe and controlled manner within the NRC and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) radiation safety standards. As
discussed below, although there may be a small increase in the volume
of radioactive waste and spent fuel, the proposed EPU would not result
in changes in the operation or design of equipment in the gaseous,
liquid, or solid waste systems.
Radioactive Gaseous Effluents
The Gaseous Waste Management System manages radioactive gases
generated during the nuclear fission process. Radioactive gaseous
wastes are principally activation gases and fission product radioactive
noble gases resulting from process operations. The licensee's
evaluation submitted as part of TVA's EPU application determined that
implementation of the proposed EPU would not significantly increase the
inventory of carrier gases normally processed in the Gaseous Waste
Management System since plant system functions are not changing and the
volume inputs remain the same. The analysis showed that the proposed
EPU would result in an increase in radioiodines by approximately 5
percent and an increase in particulates by approximately 13 percent.
The expected increase in tritium is linear with the proposed power
level increase and is, therefore, estimated to increase by
approximately 15 percent (TVA 2017a).
The licensee's evaluation (TVA 2017a) concluded that the proposed
EPU would not change the radioactive gaseous waste system's design
function and reliability to safely control and process waste. The
projected gaseous release following implementation of the EPU would
remain bounded by the values given in the BFN FSEIS. The existing
equipment and plant procedures that control radioactive releases to the
environment would continue to be used to maintain radioactive gaseous
releases within the dose limits of 10 CFR 20.1302 and the as low as is
reasonably achievable (ALARA) dose objectives in Appendix I to 10 CFR
part 50. The NRC staff reviewed the last five years of effluent release
data from BFN (TVA 2012, 2013, 2014b, 2015e, 2016c) and found the
reported doses from gaseous effluents to be less than 1 percent of the
allowable limits for current operations. Therefore, the NRC staff
concludes that the increase in offsite dose due to gaseous effluent
release following implementation of the EPU would not be significant.
Radioactive Liquid Effluents
The Liquid Waste Management System collects, processes, and
prepares radioactive liquid waste for disposal. During normal
operation, the liquid effluent treatment systems process and control
the release of liquid radioactive effluents to the environment such
that the doses to individuals offsite are maintained within the limits
of 10 CFR part 20 and 10 CFR part 50, appendix I. The Liquid Waste
Management System is designed to process the waste and then recycle it
within the plant as condensate, reprocess it through the radioactive
waste system for further purification, or discharge it to the
environment as liquid radioactive waste effluent in accordance with
State and Federal regulations. The licensee's evaluation (TVA 2017a)
shows that implementation of the proposed EPU would increase the volume
of liquid waste effluents by approximately 3.44 percent due to
increased flow in the condensate demineralizers requiring more frequent
backwashes. The current Liquid Waste Management System would be able to
process the 3.44 percent increase in the total volume of liquid
radioactive waste without any modifications. The licensee's evaluation
determined that implementation of the proposed EPU would result in an
increase in reactor coolant inventory of radioiodines of approximately
5 percent and an increase in radionuclides with long half-lives of
approximately 13 percent. The expected increase in tritium is linear
with the proposed power level increase and is, therefore, estimated to
increase by 15 percent (TVA 2017a).
Since the composition of the radioactive material in the waste and
the volume of radioactive material processed through the system are not
expected to significantly change, the
[[Page 25003]]
current design and operation of the Liquid Waste Management System
would accommodate the effects of the proposed EPU. The projected liquid
effluent release following the EPU would remain bounded by the values
given in the BFN FSEIS. The existing equipment and plant procedures
that control radioactive releases to the environment would continue to
be used to maintain radioactive liquid releases within the dose limits
of 10 CFR 20.1302 and ALARA dose standards in appendix I to 10 CFR part
50. The NRC staff reviewed the last 5 years of effluent release data
from BFN (TVA 2012, 2013, 2014b, 2015e, 2016c) and found the reported
doses from liquid effluents to be less than 1 percent of the allowable
limits for current operations. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that
there would not be a significant environmental impact from the
additional volume of liquid radioactive waste generated following EPU
implementation.
Solid Low-Level Radioactive Waste
Radioactive solid wastes at BFN include solids from reactor coolant
systems, solids in contact with liquids or gases from reactor coolant
systems, and solids used in support of reactor coolant systems
operation. The licensee evaluated the potential effects of the proposed
EPU on the Solid Waste Management System. The low-level radioactive
waste (LLRW) consists of resins, filters and evaporator bottoms, dry
active waste, irradiated components, and other waste (combined
packages). The majority of BFN solid LLRW is shipped offsite as dry
active waste. This LLRW is generated from outages, special projects and
normal BFN operations. Normal operations at BFN are also a contributor
to solid LLRW shipments due to system cleanup activities. This is due
to resins from six waste phase separators and three reactor water
cleanup phase separators. The licensee states (TVA 2017a) that BFN has
approximately 29 spent resin shipments per year. The licensee's
evaluation determined that implementation of the proposed EPU would
result in an increase in activity of the solid wastes proportionate to
an increase of 5 to 13 percent in the activity of long-lived
radionuclides in the reactor coolant. The results of the licensee's
evaluation also determined that the proposed EPU would result in a 15
percent increase in the total volume of solid waste generated for
shipment offsite.
Since the composition and volume of the radioactive material in the
solid wastes are not expected to significantly change, they can be
handled by the current Solid Waste Management System without
modification. The equipment is designed and operated to process the
waste into a form that minimizes potential harm to the workers and the
environment. Waste processing areas are monitored for radiation, and
there are safety features to ensure worker doses are maintained within
regulatory limits. The proposed EPU would not generate a new type of
waste or create a new waste stream. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes
that the impact from the proposed EPU on the management of radioactive
solid waste would not be significant.
Occupational Radiation Dose at EPU Conditions
The licensee states (TVA 2017a) that in-plant radiation sources are
expected to increase approximately linearly with the proposed increase
in core power level of approximately 15 percent. To protect the
workers, the BFN Radiation Protection Program monitors radiation levels
throughout the plant to establish appropriate work controls, training,
temporary shielding, and protective equipment requirements to minimize
worker doses and to ensure that worker doses are within the limits of
10 CFR 20.1201.
Plant shielding is designed to provide for personnel access to the
plant to perform maintenance and carry out operational duties with
minimal personnel exposures. In-plant radiation levels and associated
doses are controlled by the BFN Radiation Protection Program to ensure
that internal and external radiation exposures to station personnel,
and the general population exposure level, would be ALARA, as required
by 10 CFR part 20. Access to radiation areas is strictly controlled by
existing Radiation Protection Program procedures. Furthermore, TVA
states that its policy is to maintain occupational doses to individuals
and the sum of dose equivalents received by all exposed workers ALARA.
Based on the above, the NRC staff concludes that the proposed EPU
is not expected to significantly affect radiation levels within BFN
and, therefore, there would not be a significant radiological impact to
the workers.
Offsite Doses at EPU Conditions
The primary sources of offsite dose to members of the public from
BFN are radioactive gaseous releases, liquid effluents, and skyshine
from Nitrogen-16 (N-16). As previously discussed, operation under
proposed EPU conditions would not change the radioactive waste
management systems' abilities to perform their intended functions.
Also, there would be no change to the radiation monitoring system and
procedures used to control the release of radioactive effluents in
accordance with NRC radiation protection standards in 10 CFR part 20
and appendix I to 10 CFR part 50.
The licensee states (TVA 2016a) that the contribution of radiation
shine from the implementation of the proposed EPU from N-16 would
increase linearly with the EPU. The licensee estimates that this
increase could result in offsite doses up to 32 percent greater than
current operating levels. However, since current offsite doses due to
N-16 skyshine are on average less than 1 millirem, doses would still be
well within the 10 CFR 20.1301 and 40 CFR part 190 dose limits to
members of the public following implementation of the proposed EPU.
Further, any increase in radiation would be monitored at the on-site
environmental thermoluminescent dosimeter stations at BFN to make sure
offsite doses would remain in regulatory compliance (TVA 2017a).
Based on the above, the NRC staff concludes that the impact of
offsite radiation dose to members of the public at EPU conditions would
continue to be within the NRC and EPA regulatory limits and would not
be significant.
Spent Nuclear Fuel
Spent fuel from BFN is stored in the plant's spent fuel pool and in
dry casks in the independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI).
The licensee estimates that the impact on spent fuel storage from
operating at EPU conditions would increase the number of dry storage
casks necessary for storage by approximately 19 percent. The licensee
also states that the current ISFSI storage pad is projected to be
filled on or before 2022 prior to being loaded with EPU fuel. An
additional storage pad is anticipated to be required even if no EPU is
approved. Since BFN's initial ISFSI plans included sufficient room for
any necessary ISFSI expansion, the additional dry casks necessary for
spent fuel storage at EPU levels can be safely accommodated on site
and, therefore, would not have any significant environmental impact
(TVA 2017a).
Approval of the proposed EPU would not increase the maximum fuel
enrichment above 5 percent by weight uranium-235. The average fuel
assembly discharge burnup for the proposed EPU is not expected to
exceed the maximum fuel rod burnup limit of 62,000 megawatt days per
metric ton of uranium. The licensee's fuel reload design goals would
maintain the fuel
[[Page 25004]]
cycles within the limits bounded by the impacts analyzed in 10 CFR part
51, Table S-3, ``Table of Uranium Fuel Cycle Environmental Data,'' and
Table S-4, ``Environmental Impact of Transportation of Fuel and Waste
to and from One Light Water-Cooled Nuclear Power Reactor,'' as
supplemented by the findings documented in Section 6.3,
``Transportation,'' Table 9.1, ``Summary of findings on NEPA [National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)]
issues for license renewal of nuclear power plants'' in NRC (1999).
Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the environmental impacts of
the EPU would remain bounded by the impacts in Tables S-3 and S-4, and
would not be significant.
Postulated Accident Doses
As a result of implementation of the proposed EPU, there would be
an increase in the source term used in the evaluation of some of the
postulated accidents in the BFN FSEIS. The inventory of radionuclides
in the reactor core is dependent upon power level; therefore, the core
inventory of radionuclides could increase by as much as approximately
15 percent. The concentration of radionuclides in the reactor coolant
may also increase by as much as approximately 15 percent; however, this
concentration is limited by the BFN Technical Specifications.
Therefore, the reactor coolant concentration of radionuclides would not
be expected to increase significantly. This coolant concentration is
part of the source term considered in some of the postulated accident
analyses. Some of the radioactive waste streams and storage systems
evaluated for postulated accidents may contain slightly higher
quantities of radionuclides (TVA 2017a).
In 2002, TVA requested license amendments to allow the use of
Alternate Source Term (AST) methodology for design basis accident
analyses for BFN. The TVA conducted full-scope AST analyses, which
considered the core isotopic values for the current and future vendor
products under EPU conditions. The TVA concluded that the calculated
post-accident offsite doses for the EPU using AST methodologies meet
all the applicable acceptance criteria of 10 CFR 50.67 and NRC
Regulatory Guide 1.183, ``Alternative Radiological Source Terms for
Evaluating Design Basis Accidents at Nuclear Power Reactors'' (NRC
2000). The NRC approved BFN's AST license amendments in a letter to TVA
dated September 27, 2004 (NRC 2004b).
The NRC staff is reviewing the licensee's analyses for EPU
operations to verify the acceptability of the licensee's calculated
doses under accident conditions. The results of the NRC staff's
analyses will be presented in the safety evaluation to be issued with
the license amendment, if approved, and the EPU would not be approved
by NRC unless the NRC staff's independent review of dose calculations
under postulated accident conditions determines that doses are within
the regulatory limits found in 10 CFR 50.67. Therefore, the NRC staff
concludes that the EPU would not significantly increase the
consequences of accidents and would not result in a significant
increase in the radiological environmental impact of BFN from
postulated accidents.
Radiological Impacts Summary
The proposed EPU would not significantly increase the consequences
of accidents, would not result in a significant increase in
occupational or public radiation exposure, and would not result in
significant additional fuel cycle environmental impacts. Accordingly,
the NRC staff concludes that there would be no significant radiological
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Non-Radiological Impacts
Land Use Impacts
The potential impacts associated with land use for the proposed
action include effects from onsite EPU-related modifications and
upgrades that would take place between spring 2018 and spring 2019 and
impacts of the transmission system upgrades previously described in the
``Description of the Proposed Action'' section of this document.
The onsite plant modifications and upgrades would occur within
existing structures, buildings, and fenced equipment yards and would
use existing parking lots, road access, lay-down areas, offices,
workshops, warehouses, and restrooms in previously developed areas of
the BFN site. Thus, existing onsite land uses would not be affected by
onsite plant modifications and upgrades (TVA 2017a).
Regarding transmission system upgrades, the breaker failure relay
replacements and BFN main generator excitation system modifications
would occur within existing BFN structures and would not involve any
previously undisturbed land. The MVAR reactive compensation, consisting
of SVC and capacitor bank installations, would occur at five offsite
locations throughout TVA service area as described previously. Two of
the capacitor bank installations would be within existing substation
boundaries and would, therefore, not affect any previously undisturbed
land or alter existing land uses (TVA 2017e). The remaining two
capacitor bank installations and the SVC installation would require
expansion of the existing substation footprints and would require
additional grading and clearing (TVA 2017e, 2017f). The TVA expects
that the expansions would disturb 2.25 ac (0.9 ha), 3 ac (1.2 ha), and
25 ac (10 ha) of land at the Holly Springs, Corinth, and Limestone
substations, respectively (TVA 2017e, 2017f). The affected land
currently contains terrestrial habitat or other semi-maintained natural
areas, but none of the three land parcels contain wetlands,
ecologically sensitive or important habitats, prime or unique farmland,
scenic areas, wildlife management areas, recreational areas, greenways,
or trails. The TVA would implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) to
minimize the duration of soil exposure during clearing, grading, and
construction (TVA 2017e, 2017f). The TVA would also revegetate and
mulch the disturbed areas as soon as practicable after each disturbance
(TVA 2017e, 2017f). The NRC staff did not identify any significant
environmental impacts related to altering land uses within the
relatively small parcels of land required for the SVC and capacitor
bank installations.
Following the necessary plant modifications and transmission system
upgrades, operation of BFN at the EPU power level would not affect
onsite or offsite land uses.
The NRC staff concludes that the proposed EPU would not result in
significant impacts on onsite or offsite land use.
Visual Resource Impacts
No residential homes occur within foreground viewing distance of
the BFN site to the north and east. A small residential development
located to the northwest and another residential development located
across Wheeler Reservoir to the southwest have at least partial views
of the BFN site. Additionally, the site can be seen from the Mallard
Creek public use area directly across the reservoir. Two earthen berms
lie adjacent to the cooling tower complex that block views of the
northern and eastern plant areas. The berms, as well as portions of the
cooling tower complex, are visible to motorists traveling on Shaw Road
(TVA 2016a).
Plant modifications and upgrades associated with the proposed EPU
are
[[Page 25005]]
unlikely to result in additional visual resource impacts beyond those
already occurring from ongoing operation of BFN for several reasons.
First, the BFN site is already an industrial-use site. Therefore, the
short-term, intensified use of the site that would be required to
implement EPU-related modifications and upgrades is unlikely to be
noticeable to members of the public within the site's viewshed. Second,
TVA would implement all EPU-related modifications and upgrades during
scheduled refueling outages when additional machinery and heightened
activity would already be occurring on the site. Accordingly, the NRC
staff does not expect that EPU-related modifications and upgrades would
result in significant impacts to visual resources.
Regarding transmission system upgrades, the breaker failure relay
replacements and BFN main generator excitation system modifications
would occur within existing BFN structures and thus would not result in
visual impacts. The SVC and capacitor bank installations would result
in short-term visual impacts at the three sites for which substation
expansion would be required. However, these areas are industrial-use
sites, and use of machinery and equipment for ongoing maintenance and
upgrades is common.
Following the necessary plant modifications and transmission system
upgrades, operation of BFN at the EPU power level would not
significantly affect visual resources. The TVA estimates that the EPU
would require cooling tower operation 22 more days per year on average,
which would increase the number of days in which a plume would be
visible. However, given that the cooling towers are already operated
intermittently, the additional use of the cooling towers following the
EPU would not result in significantly different visual impacts than
those experienced during current operations.
The NRC staff concludes that the temporary visual impacts during
implementation of EPU modifications and upgrades at the BFN site, and
near substations affected by the SVC and capacitor bank installations,
would be minor and of short duration, and would not result in
significant impacts to visual resources. The additional cooling tower
operation following implementation of the EPU would also result in
minor and insignificant visual impacts.
Air Quality Impacts
Onsite non-radioactive air emissions from BFN result primarily from
operation of the emergency diesel generators. Emissions occur when
these generators are tested or are used to supply backup power. The TVA
(2016a) does not anticipate an increase in use of the emergency diesel
generators as a result of the proposed EPU, nor is it planning to
increase the frequency or duration of the emergency diesel generator
surveillance testing. Additionally, TVA (2017a) maintains a Synthetic
Minor Source Air Operating Permit for its diesel generators, issued and
enforced by the ADEM, and TVA would continue to comply with the
requirements of this permit under EPU conditions. Accordingly, the NRC
staff does not expect that onsite emission sources attributable to the
EPU would result in significant impacts to air quality.
Offsite non-radioactive emissions related to the proposed EPU would
result primarily from personal vehicles of EPU-related workforce
members driving to and from the site and from work vehicles delivering
supplies and equipment to the site. The TVA (2017a) estimates that of
the additional workers that would be present on the site during each of
the refueling outages, 80 to 120 workers or less would be dedicated to
implementing EPU-related modifications and upgrades. The TVA (2016a)
generally ramps up outage staffing two to three weeks prior to the
outage start and ramps down staffing beginning 21 to 28 days from the
start of the outage. Major equipment and materials to support the EPU-
related modifications and upgrades would be transported to the site
well before the start of each outage period, and smaller EPU supplies
will be delivered on trucks that routinely supply similar tools and
materials to support BFN operations (TVA 2017a). The SVC and capacitor
bank installations associated with the proposed EPU would result in
additional minor air quality impacts from construction vehicle
emissions and fugitive dust from ground disturbance and vehicle travel
on unpaved roads (TVA 2017e, 2017f). These impacts would be temporary
and controlled through TVA's BMPs (TVA 2017e, 2017f).
Following the necessary plant modifications and transmission system
upgrades, operation at EPU levels would result in no additional air
emissions as compared to operations at the current licensed power
levels.
The NRC staff concludes that the temporary increase in air
emissions during implementation of EPU modifications and upgrades and
SVC and capacitor bank installations would be minor and of short
duration, and would not result in significant impacts to air quality.
Noise Impacts
The potential noise impacts related to the proposed action would be
primarily confined to those resulting from the use of construction
equipment and machinery during the EPU outage periods. However,
implementation of EPU-related modifications and upgrades during these
periods is unlikely to result in additional noise impacts beyond those
already occurring from ongoing operation because the BFN site is
already an industrial-use site and because TVA would implement all EPU-
related modifications and upgrades during scheduled refueling outages
when additional machinery and heightened activity would already be
occurring on the site. Accordingly, the NRC staff does not expect that
EPU-related modifications and upgrades would result in significant
noise impacts.
Regarding transmission system upgrades, the breaker failure relay
replacements and BFN main generator excitation system modifications
would occur within existing BFN structures, and would, therefore, not
result in noise impacts. The SVC and capacitor bank installations would
result in short-term and temporary noise impacts associated with
construction equipment and machinery use at the three sites for which
substation expansion would be required. However, these areas are
industrial-use sites, and periodic noise impacts associated with
ongoing maintenance and upgrades are common.
Following the EPU outages, operation of BFN at EPU levels would
result in an average of 22 additional days per year of cooling tower
operation, which would slightly increase the duration for which
residents nearest the BFN site would experience cooling tower-related
noise during the warmer months. The NRC staff reviewed information
submitted by TVA (2017a) regarding an environmental sound pressure
level assessment performed at the BFN site in 2012. The assessment
found that background noise levels without cooling tower operation was
59.7 decibels A-weighted scale (dBA), and that the noise levels with
operation of six of the seven cooling towers was 61.9 dBA, an increase
of 2.2 dBA. The TVA compared this level with the Federal Interagency
Committee on Noise's (FICON) recommendation that a 3-dBA increase in
noise indicates a possible impact and the need for further analysis.
Based on this criterion, TVA determined that the noise level emitted by
operation of the cooling towers is acceptable.
[[Page 25006]]
Additionally, TVA (2016a) is planning to conduct additional sound
monitoring following the replacement of Cooling Towers 1 and 2, which
are scheduled for replacement in fiscal years 2018 and FY 2019. The TVA
will continue to meet FICON guidelines by working with the cooling
tower vendor to ensure noise attenuating features, such as low-noise
fans, lower speed fans, and sound attenuators, are incorporated as
required to meet the guidelines. In the event that TVA (2016a) finds
that the resulting noise levels exceed the FICON guidelines, TVA would
develop and implement additional acoustical mitigation, such as
modifications to fans and motors or the installation of barriers. The
TVA will also continue to comply with Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) regulations to protect worker health onsite.
The NRC staff concludes that the implementation of EPU
modifications and upgrades, the capacitor bank installations, and
additional operation of the cooling towers following implementation of
the EPU would not result in significant noise impacts. Additionally,
TVA would continue to comply with FICON guidelines and OSHA regulations
regarding noise impacts, which would further ensure that future cooling
tower operation would not result in significant impacts on the acoustic
environment and human health.
Water Resources Impacts
As previously described, EPU-related modifications at BFN to
include replacement and upgrades of plant equipment would occur within
existing structures, buildings, and fenced equipment yards. The TVA
does not expect any impact on previously undisturbed land at the BFN
site. Any ground-disturbing activity would be subject to BFN's BMP
Plan, which TVA must maintain as a condition of the BFN NPDES permit
(ADEM 2012). The TVA must implement and maintain the BMP Plan to
prevent or minimize the potential for the release of pollutants in site
runoff, spills, and leaks to waters of the State from site activities
and operational areas. Consequently, the NRC staff concludes that
onsite EPU activities at BFN would have no significant effect on
surface water runoff and no impact on surface water or groundwater
quality.
Implementation of the EPU would also require upgrades to TVA's
transmission system, including installation of a minimum of 764 MVAR
reactive compensation, consisting of an SVC installation and four
capacitor bank installations at five sites throughout TVA service area
(see ``MVAR Reactive Compensation'' under ``Description of the Proposed
Action''). At two of the substations (Clayton Village and East Point
substations), new equipment installation would take place outdoors but
within the confines of existing substation enclosures with ground
disturbance limited to previously disturbed areas. As appropriate, TVA
would use standard BMPs to minimize any potential impacts to surface
water and groundwater. The TVA's BMPs address preventive measures such
as use of proper containment, treatment, and disposal of wastewaters,
stormwater runoff, wastes, and other potential pollutants. The BMPs
would also address soil erosion and sediment control and prevention and
response to spills and leaks from construction equipment that could
potentially runoff or infiltrate to underlying groundwater. After
installation, the SVC and capacitor banks would result in no industrial
wastewater discharges (TVA 2017e, 2017f). Therefore, there would be no
operational impact on water resources.
The SVC and capacitor installation work at three substations (Holly
Springs and Corinth in Mississippi and Limestone in Alabama) would
require expansion of the existing substation footprints and additional
grading and clearing. Projected new ground disturbance for these
substation expansions would range from approximately 2.25 ac (0.9 ha)
of land for the Holly Springs, Mississippi Substation to 25 ac (10 ha)
at the Limestone, Alabama Substation. The substation expansion projects
would have no impact on perennial surface water features. At the Holly
Springs substation, TVA identified an ephemeral stream that may lie
within the expansion footprint. The TVA also identified three wet
weather conveyances or ephemeral streams that may lie within the
expansion footprint of the Limestone Substation. A review of site-
specific information submitted by TVA for the expansion of the
Limestone Substation, including available mapping information and
photography, indicates that the three features may be headwater
tributaries to nearby Limestone Creek. The information also suggests
that the three surface water features have likely been channelized and
or otherwise altered due to historic agricultural activity in the area.
Regardless, adherence by TVA to project specifications and application
of appropriate BMPs would ensure that there would be no impacts to
offsite hydrologic features or conditions, including Limestone Creek
near the Limestone Substation. Further, TVA would avoid any karst
features (e.g., springs and sinkholes) that may lie in the expansion
area for the Limestone Substation during construction. The TVA would
conduct all construction activities in accordance with standard BMPs as
previously described and would perform specific work elements as
further discussed below (TVA 2017e, 2017f).
To support substation expansion work, water would be required for
such uses as potable and sanitary use by the construction workforce and
for concrete production, equipment washdown, dust suppression, and soil
compaction. The NRC staff assumes that the modest volumes of water
needed would be supplied from local sources and transported to the work
sites. Use of portable sanitary facilities, typically serviced offsite
by a commercial contractor, would serve to reduce the volume of water
required to meet the sanitary needs of the construction workforce.
The TVA would obtain any necessary construction fill material from
an approved borrow pit, and TVA would place any spoils generated from
site grading, trenching, or other excavation work in a permitted spoil
area on the substation property, or the material would be spread or
graded across the site. Areas disturbed by construction work and
equipment installation would be stabilized by applying new gravel or
resurfacing the disturbed areas (TVA 2017e, 2017f). Consequently,
following the completion of construction, disturbed areas would lie
within the expanded substation footprint and would otherwise be
overlain by equipment or hard surfaces, would not be subject to long-
term soil erosion, and would have little potential to impact surface
water or groundwater resources.
The expansion projects at all three substations would also be
subject to various permits and approvals, which TVA would obtain.
Construction stormwater runoff from land disturbing activities of 1 ac
(0.4 ha) or more is subject to regulation in accordance with Section
402 of the CWA. Section 402 establishes the NPDES permit program.
Mississippi and Alabama administer these regulatory requirements
through State NPDES general permits. Specifically, State construction
stormwater general permits will be required for construction activities
at the Holly Springs, Corinth, and Limestone substations. For NPDES
general permits, permit holders must also develop and implement a
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan to
[[Page 25007]]
ensure the proper design and maintenance of stormwater and soil erosion
BMPs to prevent sediment and other pollutants in stormwater discharges
and ensure compliance with State water quality standards.
Based on the foregoing, the NRC staff finds that the transmission
system upgrades and associated substation expansion projects would have
negligible direct impacts on water resources and would otherwise be
conducted in accordance with TVA standard BMPs to minimize
environmental impacts. The TVA's construction activities would also be
subject to regulation under NPDES general permits for stormwater
discharges associated with construction activity. Accordingly, the NRC
staff concludes that EPU-related transmission system upgrades would not
result in significant impacts on surface water or groundwater
resources.
The EPU implementation at BFN would result in operational changes
with implications for environmental conditions. As further detailed
under ``Plant Site and Environs'' of this EA, BFN withdraws surface
water from Wheeler Reservoir to supply water for condenser cooling and
other in-plant uses. Total water withdrawals by BFN have averaged
1,848,000 gpm (4,117 cfs; 116.3 m/s) over the last 5 years, although
the average withdrawal rate in 2015 exceeded the average rate (TVA
2016a). The BFN uses a once-through circulating water system for
condenser cooling aided by periodic operation of helper cooling towers.
Normally, during once-through (open cycle) operation, BFN returns
nearly all of the water it withdraws back to the reservoir, albeit at a
higher temperature, through three, submerged diffuser pipes. When
necessary throughout the course of the year, BFN's return condenser
cooling water is routed through one or more of the helper cooling
towers based on the level of cooling needed so that the resulting
discharge to the river meets thermal limits as stipulated in TVA's
NPDES permit. The TVA may also derate one or more BFN generating units
in order to ensure compliance with NPDES thermal limits, as previously
described (TVA 2017a).
Following implementation of the EPU, TVA predicts that BFN would
need to operate helper cooling towers an additional 22 days per year on
average (for a total of 88 days per year) to maintain compliance with
NPDES thermal limits, as compared to a projected average of 66 days per
year at current power levels (TVA 2016a, 2017a). When helper cooling
towers are used, a portion of the water passing through the towers is
consumptively used (lost) due to evaporation and cooling tower drift.
The results of TVA's hydrothermal modeling, as previously described,
indicate that approximately 3 percent of the cooling water flow passed
through the helper towers is consumptively used (TVA 2017a). Thus, for
an additional 22 days per year on average, BFN's cooling water return
flows to Wheeler Reservoir would be reduced by approximately 3 percent
following the proposed EPU as compared to current operations. This is a
negligible percentage of the total volume of water passing through
Wheeler Reservoir and of the volume of water that is otherwise diverted
by TVA to meet BFN cooling and other in-plant needs (TVA 2017a).
Operations at EPU power levels would not require any modifications
to BFN's circulating water system, residual heat removal service water
system, emergency equipment cooling water system, raw cooling water, or
raw water systems. Therefore, TVA expects no changes in the volume of
water that would be withdrawn from Wheeler Reservoir during operations
(TVA 2016a). The EPU operations would result in an increase in the
temperature of the condenser cooling water discharged to Wheeler
Reservoir. The TVA's hydrothermal modeling predicts that the average
temperature of the return discharge through BFN's submerged diffusers
would be 2.6 [deg]F (1.4 [deg]C) warmer than under current operations
and that the average temperature at the downstream edge of the mixing
zone prescribed by BFN's NPDES permit would increase by 0.6 [deg]F (0.3
[deg]C). Nevertheless, these thermal changes would continue to meet
BFN's NPDES permit limits, including temperature change limitations
within the prescribed mixing zone (TVA 2016a, 2017a). In addition,
there would also be no change in the use of cooling water treatment
chemicals or other changes in the quality of other effluents discharged
to Wheeler Reservoir in conjunction with implementation of the EPU (TVA
2016a).
In summary, implementation of the EPU at BFN and associated
operational changes would not affect water availability or impair
ambient surface water or groundwater quality. The NRC staff concludes
that the proposed EPU would not result in significant impacts on water
resources.
Terrestrial Resource Impacts
The BFN site's natural areas include riparian areas, upland
forests, and wetlands that have formed on previously disturbed land
cleared prior to BFN construction. Onsite plant modifications and
upgrades would not disturb these areas because the EPU-related
modifications and upgrades would not involve any new construction
outside of the existing facility footprint, as previously described
under ``Land Use Impacts.'' For this reason, sediment transport and
erosion are also not a concern. The modifications and upgrades would
result in additional noise and lighting, which could disturb wildlife.
However, such impacts would be similar to and indistinguishable from
what nearby wildlife already experience during normal operations
because the upgrades and modifications would take place during
regularly scheduled outages, which are already periods of heightened
site activity.
Regarding transmission system upgrades, the breaker failure relay
replacements and BFN main generator excitation system modifications
would occur within existing BFN structures and would not involve any
previously undisturbed land. These upgrades would result in no impacts
on terrestrial resources. The SVC and MVAR capacitor bank installations
would occur at five offsite locations throughout the TVA service area
as described previously. The SVC installation and two of the four
capacitor bank installations would require expansion of the existing
substation footprints and additional grading and clearing, as described
in the ``Land Use Impacts'' section. The affected land currently
contains terrestrial habitat or other semi-maintained natural areas,
and TVA (2017e, 2017f) reports that all three areas are likely to
contain primarily non-native, invasive botanicals. None of the three
land parcels contain wetlands, ecologically sensitive or important
habitats, prime or unique farmland, scenic areas, wildlife management
areas, recreational areas, greenways, or trails. The TVA (2017e, 2017f)
also reports that no bird colonies or aggregations of migratory birds
have been documented within 3 mi (4.8 km) of the substation footprints.
The TVA would implement BMPs to minimize the duration of soil exposure
during clearing, grading, and construction (TVA 2017e, 2017f). The TVA
would also revegetate and mulch the disturbed areas as soon as
practicable after each disturbance, and TVA's landscaping BMPs require
revegetation with native plants or non-invasive species (TVA 2017e,
2017f). The NRC staff did not identify any significant environmental
impacts to terrestrial resources related to altering land uses within
the parcels of land
[[Page 25008]]
required for the SVC and capacitor bank installations.
Following the necessary plant modifications and transmission system
upgrades, operation at EPU levels would result in no additional or
different impacts on terrestrial resources as compared to operations at
the current licensed power levels. The NRC assessed the impacts of
continued operation of BFN through the period of extended operation in
the BFN FSEIS (NRC 2005) and determined that impacts on terrestrial
resources would be small (i.e., effects would not be detectable or
would be so minor that they would neither destabilize nor noticeably
alter any important attribute of the resource).
The NRC staff concludes that the temporary noise and lighting
during implementation of EPU modifications and upgrades and small areas
of land disturbance associated with the SVC and MVAR capacitor bank
installations would be minor and would not result in significant
impacts to terrestrial resources.
Aquatic Resource Impacts
Aquatic habitats associated with the site include Wheeler Reservoir
and 14 related tributaries, of which Elk River, located 10 mi (16 km)
downstream of BFN, is the largest. Onsite plant modifications and
upgrades would not affect aquatic resources because EPU-related
modifications and upgrades would not involve any new construction
outside existing facility footprints and would not result in
sedimentation or erosion or any other disturbances that would otherwise
affect aquatic habitats.
Regarding transmission system upgrades, the breaker failure relay
replacements and BFN main generator excitation system modifications
would occur within existing BFN structures and would, therefore, not
affect aquatic resources. Although the SVC installation and two of the
four MVAR capacitor bank installations would require expansion of
existing substation footprints as described previously, TVA (2017e,
2017f) reports that the expansions would not affect the flow, channels,
or banks of any nearby streams. As described previously in the ``Water
Resource Impacts'' section, the substation expansions would have
negligible direct impacts on water resources, and TVA would implement
BMPs, as appropriate, and would be subject to regulation under NPDES
general permits during any construction activities. Accordingly, the
NRC staff did not identify any significant environmental impacts
related to aquatic resources with respect to transmission system
upgrades.
Following the necessary plant modifications and transmission system
upgrades, operation at EPU levels would result in additional thermal
discharge to Wheeler Reservoir. As described in the ``Cooling Tower
Operation and Thermal Discharge'' and ``Water Resources Impacts''
sections of this document, TVA predicts that the temperature of water
entering Wheeler Reservoir would be 2.6 [deg]F (1.4 [deg]C) warmer on
average than current operations and that the river temperature at the
NPDES compliance depth at the downstream end of the mixing zone would
be 0.6 [deg]F (0.3 [deg]C) warmer on average. In the BFN FSEIS, the NRC
(2005) evaluated the potential impacts of thermal discharges in Section
4.1.4, ``Heat Shock,'' assuming continued operation at EPU power
levels. The NRC (2005) found that the BFN thermal mixing zone
constitutes a small percentage of the Wheeler Reservoir surface area,
that the maximum temperatures at the edge of the mixing zone do not
exceed the upper thermal limits for common aquatic species, and that
continued compliance with the facility's NPDES permit would ensure that
impacts to aquatic biota are minimized. Since the time the NRC staff
performed its license renewal review, the ADEM has issued a renewed BFN
NPDES permit. The CWA requires the EPA or States, where delegated, to
set thermal discharge variances such that compliance with the NPDES
permit assures the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous
community of shellfish, fish, and wildlife in and on the body of water
into which the discharge is made, taking into account the cumulative
impact of a facility's thermal discharge together with all other
significant impacts on the species affected. Under the proposed action,
TVA would remain subject to the limitations set forth in the renewed
BFN NPDES permit. The NRC staff finds it reasonable to conclude that
TVA's continued compliance with, and the State's continued enforcement
of, the BFN NPDES permit would ensure that Wheeler Reservoir aquatic
resources are protected.
Regarding impingement and entrainment, in Sections 4.1.2 and 4.1.3
of the BFN FSEIS, the NRC (2005) determined that impingement and
entrainment during the period of extended operation would be small. The
proposed EPU would not increase the volume or rate of water withdrawal
from Wheeler Reservoir and no modifications to the current cooling
system design would be required. Thus, the NRC staff finds that the
proposed EPU would not change the rate of impingement or entrainment of
fish, shellfish, or other aquatic organisms compared to current
operations.
Regarding chemical effluents, the types and amounts of effluents
would not change under the proposed EPU, and effluent discharges to
Wheeler Reservoir would continue to be regulated by the ADEM under the
facility's NPDES permit. Thus, the NRC staff concludes that compared to
current operations, the proposed EPU would not change the type or
concentration of chemical effluents that could impact aquatic
resources.
The NRC staff concludes that onsite plant modifications and
transmission system upgrades associated with the proposed EPU would not
affect aquatic resources. Although operation at EPU levels would
increase thermal effluent to Wheeler Reservoir, the NRC staff concludes
that any resulting impacts on aquatic resources would not be
significant because thermal discharges would remain within the limits
imposed by the BFN NPDES permit.
Special Status Species and Habitats Impacts
The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) (ESA) was enacted to protect and recover imperiled species and
the ecosystems on which they depend. Under Section 7 of the ESA,
Federal agencies must consult with the FWS or the National Marine
Fisheries Service, as appropriate, to ensure that actions the agencies
authorize, fund, or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the
continued existence of any endangered or threatened species
(collectively referred to as ``listed species'') or result in the
destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat. This section
of the EA describes the ESA action area; considers whether and what
listed species or critical habitats may occur in the action area;
evaluates the potential effects of the proposed EPU on species in the
action area; and makes effect determinations for the identified
species.
Concerning listed species and critical habitats that could be
affected by the offsite transmission system modifications and upgrades,
TVA, as a Federal agency, would be required to conduct ESA Section 7
consultation with the FWS, if necessary, to address any potential
impacts that may result from the upgrades prior to undertaking any
related work. The NRC has no authority over power transmission systems
and no role in permitting any modifications and upgrades to those
systems that TVA might undertake.
[[Page 25009]]
During its NEPA review associated with the transmission system
modifications and upgrades, TVA (2017e, 2017f) determined that no
Federally listed species or critical habitats occur near the three
substations that would be expanded (Limestone, Holly Springs, and
Corinth) and concluded that the expansions would have no effect on
Federally listed species and critical habitats. As such, TVA determined
that consultation with the FWS for the transmission system
modifications and upgrades would not be required. However, if at any
point prior to undertaking or during the modifications and upgrades,
TVA determines that any listed species are present and that its actions
may affect those species, the ESA would require TVA to consult with the
FWS. Such consultation, if it occurs, would be between TVA and FWS and
would not involve the NRC.
Action Area
The implementing regulations for Section 7(a)(2) of the ESA define
``action area'' as all areas to be affected directly or indirectly by
the Federal action and not merely the immediate area involved in the
action (50 CFR 402.02). The action area effectively bounds the analysis
of listed species and critical habitats because only species that occur
within the action area may be affected by the Federal action.
For the purposes of this ESA analysis, the NRC staff considers the
action area for the proposed BFN EPU to be the full bank width of
Wheeler Reservoir from the point of water withdrawal downstream to the
edge of the mixing zone, which lies 2,400 ft (732 m) downstream of the
diffusers. The NRC staff expects all direct and indirect effects of the
proposed action to be contained within this area. The NRC staff
recognizes that while the action area is stationary, Federally listed
species can move in and out of the action area. For instance, a
migratory fish species could occur in the action area seasonally as it
travels up and down the river past BFN.
The NRC staff does not consider areas affected by the transmission
system modifications and upgrades to be part of the action area because
TVA, as a Federal agency, would be responsible for consulting with the
FWS if TVA were to identity any impacts on Federally listed species or
critical habitats that could result from its actions in these areas.
The NRC does not have any authority or permitting role related to the
transmission system modifications and upgrades and would not be
involved in such a consultation, if it were to occur. However, as
described above, TVA concluded that the expansions would have no effect
on Federally listed species and critical habitats and that consultation
with the FWS would not be required. Accordingly, based on the
information provided by TVA, the NRC staff concludes that the EPU-
related substation modifications and upgrades would not affect any
listed species or critical habitats.
Listed Species and Critical Habitats
To determine what Federally listed species and designated critical
habitats may occur in the action area, the NRC staff obtained an
official species list from the FWS, reviewed information in TVA's EPU
application, and considered relevant scientific literature pertaining
to species distribution and occurrences, as available. First, to obtain
an official species list, the NRC staff conducted a search using the
FWS's Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS) Information for
Planning and Conservation (IPaC) system. The resulting species list
(FWS 2017) identifies six endangered or threatened species that may
occur in the action area (see Table 1). This species list contains less
species than the number considered by the NRC staff in the draft
version of this EA; footnote (a) in Table 1 explains the staff's basis
for reducing the number of species it evaluates in this final EA. No
candidate species, proposed species, or proposed or designated critical
habitats occur in the action area (FWS 2017).
Table 1--Federally Listed Species With the Potential To Occur in the BFN EPU Action Area
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Known to occur in the
Species \(a)\ Common name Federal status \(b)\ vicinity of BFN?
\(c)\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mammals:
Myotis grisescens.................. gray bat................. FE --
Myotis sodalis..................... Indiana bat.............. FE --
Myotis septentrionalis............. northern long-eared bat.. FT --
Freshwater Mussels:
Epioblasma triquetra............... snuffbox................. FE --
Lampsilis abrupta.................. pink mucket.............. FE Y
Pleurobema plenum.................. rough pigtoe............. FE Y
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\(a)\ In the draft version of this EA, the NRC (2016a) staff considered 31 listed and candidate terrestrial and
aquatic species based on information from the FWS's (2016) ECOS IPaC system. Following issuance of the draft
EA, the NRC staff obtained an updated species list (FWS 2017), which contained the six listed species
identified in this table. The reduced number of species is a reflection of updates and refinements to the
FWS's ECOS IPaC system that now allows users to obtain more site-specific information on listed species
distributions near proposed projects. All six species identified in this table appeared in the original list
of species (FWS 2016) and were considered by the staff during the development of the draft EA. The updated
species list (FWS 2017) does not contain any new species not previously considered by the staff and does not
contain any information that would otherwise affect the NRC staff's original ``no effect'' finding for
Federally listed species and critical habitats documented in the draft EA.
\(b)\ FE = Federally endangered under the ESA; FT = Federally threatened under the ESA.
\(c)\ Y = yes; -- = no. Occurrence information is based on species identified in TVA's (2017a) supplemental
environmental report submitted as part of its EPU application as occurring within tributaries to Wheeler
Reservoir, within a 10-mi (16-km) radius of BFN, or within the Tennessee River between River Mile 274.9 and
310.7.
Sources: FWS 2017; TVA 2017a.
Second, the NRC staff reviewed information on listed species
contained in TVA's EPU application. Since the 1970s, TVA has maintained
a Natural Heritage Database that includes data on sensitive species and
habitats, including Federally listed species and critical habitats, in
TVA's power service area. The TVA's EPU application includes relevant
information from its database on listed species and critical habitats
that may be affected by the proposed EPU. Finally, the NRC staff
searched available scientific literature to determine species
distributions and the potential for listed species to occur in the
action area. The results of the staff's
[[Page 25010]]
review is described below for the species identified in Table 1.
The TVA (2017a) has no records indicating the occurrence of any of
the three species of bats identified in Table 1 within 10 mi (16 km) of
the BFN site. Section 5.1 of the NRC's (2004a) biological assessment
for license renewal states that the BFN site does not provide suitable
habitat for Federally listed bats. Additionally, the NRC staff did not
identify any ecological studies, reports, or other information that
would indicate that any of the three bat species may be present within
the action area. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the gray
(Myotis grisescens), Indiana (M. sodalis), and northern long-eared (M.
septentrionalis) bats are unlikely to occur in the action area.
Regarding the three species of freshwater mussels identified in
Table 1, TVA (2017a) reports that two of the species--pink mucket
(Lampsilis abrupta) and rough pigtoe (Pleurobema plenum)--have been
recorded as occurring within tributaries to Wheeler Reservoir or within
the Tennessee River between River Mile 274.9 and 310.7. These species
occur in sand, gravel, and cobble substrates in large river habitats
within the Tennessee River system. Both species are now extremely rare
and are primarily found in unimpounded tributary rivers and in more
riverine reaches of the main stem Tennessee River (TVA 2017a). Most of
the remaining large river habitat in Wheeler Reservoir occurs upstream
of the BFN action area. Section 5.2 of the NRC's (2004a) biological
assessment for license renewal describes Tennessee River collection
records for the two species, which date back to the late 1990s. Pink
mucket and rough pigtoe were collected near Hobbs Island, which lies
over 64 km (40 mi) upstream of BFN, in 1998 (Yokely 1998). The TVA
(2017a) reports no more recent occurrence records of these two species.
Additionally, TVA (2017a) reports no occurrence records of the third
freshwater mussel species, snuffbox (Epioblasma triquetra). The NRC
staff did not identify any ecological studies, reports, or other
information suggesting that populations of any of these species exist
in the BFN action area or within Wheeler Reservoir as a whole. The NRC
staff, therefore, concludes that snuffbox, pink mucket, and rough
pigtoe are unlikely to occur in the action area.
Impact Assessment
As described under ``Terrestrial Resource Impacts,'' the NRC staff
determined that the proposed EPU would not have significant impacts on
the terrestrial environment. This conclusion was made, in part, because
the proposed EPU would not disturb any natural areas, including
riparian areas, upland forests, and wetlands, and because any temporary
noise and lighting that wildlife might experience during implementation
of EPU-related modifications and upgrades would be similar to and
indistinguishable from what nearby wildlife already experience during
BFN operations. As described under ``Aquatic Resource Impacts,''
although operation at EPU levels would result in additional thermal
discharge to Wheeler Reservoir, any resulting impacts on aquatic
resources would not be significant because thermal discharges would
remain within the limits imposed by the BFN NPDES permit. Further,
because no Federally listed species occur in the action area, no
Federally listed species would experience even these insignificant
effects.
ESA Effect Determinations
Based on the foregoing discussion, the NRC staff concludes that the
proposed EPU would have no effect on the gray bat, Indiana bat,
northern long-eared bat, snuffbox, pink mucket, and rough pigtoe.
Federal agencies are not required to consult with the FWS if they
determine that an action will not affect listed species or critical
habitats (FWS 2013). Thus, no consultation is required for the proposed
EPU, and the NRC staff considers its obligations under the ESA to be
fulfilled for the proposed action.
Historic and Cultural Resource Impacts
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (16
U.S.C. 470 et seq.), requires Federal agencies to consider the effects
of their undertakings on historic properties, and the proposed EPU is
an undertaking that could potentially affect historic properties.
Historic properties are defined as resources eligible for listing in
the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The criteria for
eligibility are listed in 36 CFR 60.4 and include (1) association with
significant events in history; (2) association with the lives of
persons significant in the past; (3) embodiment of distinctive
characteristics of type, period, or construction; and (4) sites or
places that have yielded, or are likely to yield, important
information.
According to the BFN FSEIS (NRC 2005), the only significant
cultural resources in the proximity of BFN are Site 1Li535 and the Cox
Cemetery, which was moved to accommodate original construction of the
plant. TVA (2016a) researched current historic property records and
found nothing new within 3 mi (4.8 km) of the plant. As described under
``Description of the Proposed Action,'' all onsite modifications
associated with the proposed action would be within existing
structures, buildings, and fenced equipment yards, and TVA anticipates
no disturbance of previously undisturbed onsite land. Thus, historic
and cultural resources would not be affected by onsite power plant
modifications and upgrades at BFN.
Regarding transmission system upgrades, Tennessee Valley
Archaeological Research (TVAR) and the University of Alabama's Office
of Archaeological Research (OAR) performed Phase I Cultural Surveys to
determine if the expansion of the Holly Springs, Corinth, and Limestone
substations would affect any historic or cultural resources. The TVAR's
and OAR's findings are summarized below.
During its Phase I Cultural Resource Survey for the Holly Springs
Substation (Karpynec et al. 2016b), TVAR revisited two NRHP-listed
historic districts, the Depot-Compress Historic District and the East
Holly Springs Historic District, within the survey radius. The TVAR
determined that the historic districts are outside the viewshed of the
proposed substation expansion. During the survey, TVAR also identified
14 potentially historic properties, none of which were found to be
eligible for listing on the NRHP due to their lack of architectural and
historic significance. The TVAR concluded that no historic properties
would be affected by the Holly Springs Substation expansion.
During its Phase I Cultural Resource Survey for the Corinth
Substation (Karpynec et al. 2016b), TVAR identified 13 properties
within the area of potential effect, none of which were determined to
be eligible for listing on the NRHP due to their lack of architectural
distinction and loss of integrity caused by modern alterations or
damage. The TVAR concluded that no historic properties would be
affected by the Corinth Substation expansion.
During the Phase I Cultural Resource Survey for the Limestone
Substation (Watkins 2017), OAR did not identify any properties within
the area of potential effect. OAR identified two properties within a
0.5-mi (0.8-km) radius of the area of potential effect that could be
visually impacted by the Limestone Substation SVC installation, neither
of which were found to be eligible for listing on the NRHP due to
integrity and historical significance issues. OAR concluded that no
historic properties would be affected by the Limestone Substation SVC
installation.
[[Page 25011]]
Following power plant modifications and substation upgrades,
operation of BFN at EPU power levels would have no effect on existing
historic and cultural resources. Further, TVA has procedures in place
to ensure that BFN operations would continue to protect historic and
cultural resources, and the proposed action would not change such
procedures (NRC 2005). Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that EPU-
related power plant modifications and substation upgrades would not
result in significant impacts to historic and cultural resources.
Socioeconomic Impacts
Potential socioeconomic impacts from the proposed EPU include
increased demand for short-term housing, public services, and increased
traffic due to the temporary increase in the size of the workforce
required to implement the EPU at BFN and upgrade affected substations.
The proposed EPU also could generate increased tax revenues for the
State and surrounding counties due to increased ``book'' value of BFN
and increased power generation.
During outages, the workforce at BFN increases by 800 to 1,200
workers for an average of 1,000 additional workers onsite. Normally,
outage workers begin to arrive at BFN 2 to 3 weeks prior to the start
of the outage, and the total number of onsite workers peaks at about
the 3rd day of the 21- to 28-day outage. The EPU outage for each unit
would last 35 days or less (TVA 2016a). Once EPU-related plant
modifications have been completed, the size of the workforce at BFN
would return to pre-EPU levels approximately 1 week after the end of
the outage with no significant increases during future outages. The
size of the operations workforce would be unaffected by the proposed
EPU.
Most of the EPU plant modification workers are expected to relocate
temporarily to the Huntsville metropolitan area during outages,
resulting in short-term increased demands for public services and
housing. Because plant modification work would be temporary, most
workers would stay in available rental homes, apartments, mobile homes,
and camper-trailers.
The additional number of outage workers and truck material and
equipment deliveries needed to support EPU-related power plant
modifications could cause short-term level-of-service impacts
(restricted traffic flow and higher incident rates) on secondary roads
in the immediate vicinity of BFN. However, only small traffic delays
are anticipated during the outages.
The TVA currently makes payments in lieu of taxes to states and
counties in which BFN operations occur and on properties previously
subjected to state and local taxation. The TVA pays a percentage of its
gross power revenues to such states and counties. Only a very small
share of TVA payment is paid directly to counties; most is paid to the
states, which use their own formulas for redistribution of some or all
of the payments to local governments to fund their respective operating
budgets. In general, half of TVA payment is apportioned based on power
sales and half is apportioned based on the ``book'' value of TVA
property. Therefore, for a capital improvement project such as the EPU,
the in-lieu-of-tax payments are affected in two ways: (1) As power
sales increase, the total amount of the in-lieu-of-tax payment to be
distributed increases, and (2) the increased ``book'' value of BFN
causes a greater proportion of the total payment to be allocated to
Limestone County. The state's general fund, as well as all of the
counties in Alabama that receive TVA in-lieu-of-tax distributions from
the State of Alabama, benefit under this method of distribution (TVA
2017a). Therefore, the amount of future payments in lieu of property
taxes paid by TVA could be affected by the increased value of BFN as a
result of the EPU and associated increased power generation.
Due to the short duration of EPU-related plant modification and
substation upgrade activities, there would be little or no noticeable
effect on tax revenues generated by additional workers temporarily
residing in Limestone County and elsewhere. In addition, there would be
little or no noticeable increased demand for housing and public
services or level-of-service traffic impacts beyond what is experienced
during normal refueling outages at BFN. Therefore, the NRC staff
concludes that there would be no significant socioeconomic impacts from
EPU-related plant modifications, substation upgrades, and power plant
operations under EPU conditions.
Environmental Justice Impacts
The environmental justice impact analysis evaluates the potential
for disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental
effects on minority and low-income populations that could result from
activities associated with the proposed EPU at BFN. Such effects may
include human health, biological, cultural, economic, or social
impacts. Minority and low-income populations are subsets of the general
public residing in the vicinity of BFN, and all are exposed to the same
health and environmental effects generated from activities at BFN.
Minority Populations in the Vicinity of the BFN
According to the 2010 Census, an estimated 22 percent of the total
population (approximately 978,000 individuals) residing within a 50-
mile radius of BFN identified themselves as a minority (MCDC 2016). The
largest minority populations were Black or African American
(approximately 135,000 persons or 14 percent), followed by Hispanic,
Latino, or Spanish origin of any race (approximately 44,000 persons or
4.5 percent). According to the U.S. Census Bureau's (USCB's) 2010
Census, about 21 percent of the Limestone County population identified
themselves as minorities, with Black or African Americans comprising
the largest minority population (approximately 13 percent) (USCB 2016).
According to the USCB's 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year
Estimates, the minority population of Limestone County, as a percent of
the total population, had increased to about 23 percent with Black or
African Americans comprising 14 percent of the total county population
(USCB 2016).
Low-Income Populations in the Vicinity of BFN
According to the USCB's 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year
Estimates, approximately 32,000 families and 154,000 individuals (12
and 16 percent, respectively) residing within a 50-mile radius of BFN
were identified as living below the Federal poverty threshold (MCDC
2016). The 2014 Federal poverty threshold was $24,230 for a family of
four (USCB 2016).
According to the USCB's 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year
Estimates, the median household income for Alabama was $44,765, while
14 percent of families and 18.5 percent of the state population were
found to be living below the Federal poverty threshold (USCB 2016).
Limestone County had a higher median household income average ($55,009)
and a lower percentage of families (12 percent) and persons (15
percent) living below the poverty level, respectively (USCB 2016).
Impact Analysis
Potential impacts to minority and low-income populations would
consist of environmental and socioeconomic effects (e.g., noise, dust,
traffic, employment, and housing impacts) and radiological effects.
[[Page 25012]]
Noise and dust impacts would be temporary and limited to onsite
activities. Minority and low-income populations residing along site
access roads could experience increased commuter vehicle traffic during
shift changes. Increased demand for inexpensive rental housing during
the EPU-related plant modifications could disproportionately affect
low-income populations; however, due to the short duration of the EPU-
related work and the availability of housing, impacts to minority and
low-income populations would be of short duration and limited.
According to 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, there
were approximately 4,016 vacant housing units in Limestone County (USCB
2016). Radiation doses from plant operations after implementation of
the EPU are expected to continue to remain well below regulatory
limits.
Based on this information and the analysis of human health and
environmental impacts presented in this EA, the NRC staff concludes
that the proposed EPU would not have disproportionately high and
adverse human health and environmental effects on minority and low-
income populations residing in the vicinity of BFN.
Cumulative Impacts
The Council on Environmental Quality defines cumulative impacts
under NEPA as the impact on the environment, which results from the
incremental impact of the action when added to other past, present, and
reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what agency
(Federal or non-Federal) or person undertakes such other actions (40
CFR 1508.7). Cumulative impacts may result when the environmental
effects associated with the proposed action are overlaid or added to
temporary or permanent effects associated with other actions.
Cumulative impacts can result from individually minor, but collectively
significant, actions taking place over a period of time. For the
purposes of this cumulative analysis, past actions are related to the
resource conditions when BFN was licensed and constructed; present
actions are related to the resource conditions during current
operations; and future actions are those that are reasonably
foreseeable through the expiration of BFN's renewed facility operating
licenses (i.e., through 2033, 2034, and 2036 for Units 1, 2, and 3,
respectively).
In Section 4.8 of the BFN FSEIS (NRC 2005), the NRC staff assessed
the cumulative impacts related to continued operation of BFN through
the license renewal term assuming operation of BFN at EPU levels. In
its analysis, the NRC (2005) considered changes and modifications to
the Tennessee River; current and future water quality; current and
future competing water uses, including public supply, industrial water
supply, irrigation, and thermoelectric power generation; the
radiological environment; future socioeconomic impacts; historic and
cultural resources; and cumulative impacts to Federally endangered and
threatened species. The NRC (2005) determined that the contribution of
BFN continued operations at EPU levels to past, present, and reasonably
foreseeable future actions would not be detectable or would be so minor
as to not destabilize or noticeably alter any important attribute of
the resources.
Because the proposed EPU would neither change nor result in
significant impacts to the radiological environment, onsite or offsite
land uses, visual resources, air quality, noise, terrestrial resources,
special status species and habitats, historical and cultural resources,
socioeconomic conditions, or environmental justice populations, the NRC
concludes that implementation of the proposed action would not
incrementally contribute to cumulative impacts to these resources.
Regarding water resources and aquatic resources, although the proposed
EPU would result in more thermal effluent, discharges would remain
within the limits set forth in the current BFN NPDES permit, and no
other facilities discharge thermal effluent within the BFN mixing zone
that would exacerbate thermal effects. As described above, the NRC
(2005) determined that cumulative impacts to these resources would not
be detectable or would be so minor as to not destabilize or noticeably
alter any important attribute of the resources. Accordingly, the NRC
staff finds that cumulative impacts on water resources and aquatic
resources under the proposed action would not be significant.
Additionally, for those resources identified as potentially
impacted by activities associated with the proposed EPU (i.e., water
resources and aquatic resources), the NRC staff also considered current
resource trends and conditions, including the potential impacts of
climate change. The NRC staff considered the U.S. Global Change
Research Program's (USGCRP's) most recent compilation of the state of
knowledge relative to global climate change effects (USGCRP 2009,
2014). The effects of climate change on water and aquatic resources are
discussed below.
Water Resources
Predicted changes in the timing, intensity, and distribution of
precipitation would be likely to result in changes in surface water
runoff affecting water availability across the Southeastern United
States. Specifically, while average precipitation during the fall has
increased by 30 percent since about 1900, summer and winter
precipitation has declined by about 10 percent across the eastern
portion of the region, including eastern Tennessee (USGCRP 2009). A
continuation of this trend coupled with predicted higher temperatures
during all seasons (particularly the summer months), would reduce
groundwater recharge during the winter, produce less runoff and lower
stream flows during the spring, and potentially lower groundwater base
flow to rivers during the drier portions of the year (when stream flows
are already lower). As cited by the USGCRP, the loss of moisture from
soils because of higher temperatures along with evapotranspiration from
vegetation is likely to increase the frequency, duration, and intensity
of droughts across the region into the future (USGCRP 2009, USGCRP
2014).
Changes in runoff in a watershed along with reduced stream flows
and higher air temperatures all contribute to an increase in the
ambient temperature of receiving waters. Annual runoff and river-flow
are projected to decline in the Southeast region (USGCRP 2014). Land
use changes, particularly those involving the conversion of natural
areas to impervious surface, exacerbate these effects. These factors
combine to affect the availability of water throughout a watershed,
such as that of the Tennessee River, for aquatic life, recreation, and
industrial uses. While changes in projected precipitation for the
Southeast region are uncertain, the USGCRP has a reasonable expectation
that there will be reduced water availability due to the increased
evaporative losses from rising temperatures alone (USGCRP 2014).
Nevertheless, when considering that the Tennessee River System and
associated reservoirs are closely operated, managed, and regulated for
multiple uses which include thermoelectric power generation, the
incremental contribution of the proposed EPU on climate change impacts
is not significant.
Aquatic Resources
The potential effects of climate change described above for water
resources, whether from natural cycles
[[Page 25013]]
or man-made activities, could result in changes that would affect
aquatic resources in the Tennessee River. Increased air temperatures
could result in higher water temperatures in the Tennessee River
reservoirs. For instance, TVA found that a 1[emsp14][deg]F (0.5 [deg]C)
increase in air temperature resulted in an average water temperature
increase between 0.25[emsp14][deg]F and 0.5[emsp14][deg]F (0.14 [deg]C
and 0.28 [deg]C) in the Chickamauga Reservoir (NRC 2015). Higher water
temperatures would increase the potential for thermal effects on
aquatic biota and, along with altered river flows, could exacerbate
existing environmental stressors, such as excess nutrients and lowered
dissolved oxygen associated with eutrophication. Even slight changes
could alter the structure of aquatic communities. Invasions of non-
native species that thrive under a wide range of environmental
conditions could further disrupt the current structure and function of
aquatic communities (NRC 2015). Nevertheless, when considering that the
Tennessee River System and associated reservoirs are closely operated,
managed, and regulated for multiple uses that include thermoelectric
power generation, the incremental contribution of the proposed EPU on
climate change impacts is not significant.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered
denial of the proposed license amendments (i.e., the ``no-action''
alternative). Denial of the application would result in no change in
current environmental conditions or impacts. However, if the EPU were
not approved, other agencies and electric power organizations might be
required to pursue other means of providing electric generation
capacity, such as fossil fuel or alternative fuel power generation, to
offset future demand. Construction and operation of such generating
facilities could result in air quality, land use, ecological, and waste
management impacts significantly greater than those identified for the
proposed EPU.
Alternative Use of Resources
The action does not involve the use of any different resources than
those previously considered for current operations, as described in
NUREG-1437, Supplement 21, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for
License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Browns Ferry Station,
Units 1, 2, and 3--Final Report (NRC 2005).
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC staff did not enter into consultation with any other
Federal or State agency regarding the environmental impacts of the
proposed action. However, on October 6, 2016, the NRC notified the
Alabama State official, Mr. David Walter, Director of Alabama Office of
Radiation Control of the proposed amendments, requesting his comments
by October 13, 2016. The State official provided no comments. The NRC
(2016b) also sent copies of the draft EA to the EPA, FWS, and Alabama
Department of Environmental Management. The NRC received no comments
from these agencies.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC is considering issuing amendments for Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52, and DPR-68, issued to TVA for
operation of BFN to increase the maximum licensed thermal power level
for each of the three BFN reactor units from 3,458 MWt to 3,952 MWt.
On the basis of the EA included in Section II above and
incorporated by reference in this finding, the NRC concludes that the
proposed action would not have significant effects on the quality of
the human environment. The NRC's evaluation considered information
provided in the licensee's application and associated supplements as
well as the NRC's independent review of other relevant environmental
documents. Section IV below lists the environmental documents related
to the proposed action and includes information on the availability of
these documents. Based on its findings, the NRC has decided not to
prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.
IV. Availability of Documents
The following table identifies the references cited in this
document and related to the NRC's FONSI. Documents with an ADAMS
accession number are available for public inspection online through
ADAMS at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html or in person at the
NRC's PDR as previously described.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADAMS Accession No., FRN, or URL
Document reference
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama Department of ML16159A040
Environmental Management.
National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System Permit No.
AL0022080, Tennessee Valley
Authority, Browns Ferry
Nuclear Plant. Dated July 3,
2012. (ADEM 2012).
Alabama Department of ML16259A186
Environmental Management.
Alabama's Draft 2016 Sec.
303(d) List Fact Sheet. Dated
February 7, 2016. (ADEM 2016).
Karpynec T, Rosenwinkel H, ML16197A563
Weaver M, Wright K, and Crook
E. A Phase I Cultural
Resources Surveys of
Tennessee Valley Authority's
Corinth and Holly Springs
Substation Expansions in
Alcorn and Marshall Counties,
Mississippi. Dated May 2016.
(Karpynec et al. 2016).
Missouri Census Data Center. http://mcdc.missouri.edu/websas/
Circular Area Profiles caps10c.html
(CAPS), 2010 Census Summary
File 1, Aggregated Census
Block Group Hispanic or
Latino and Race data and 2010-
2014 American Community
Survey (ACS) data, Summary of
aggregated Census Tract data
in a 50-mile (80-kilometer)
radius around BFN (Latitude =
34.703889355505075, Longitude
= -87.11862504482272).
Accessed September 2016.
(MCDC 2016).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML041840301
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant
Units 2 and 3--Proposed
Technical Specifications
Change TS-418--Request for
License Amendment Extended
Power Uprate (EPU) Operation.
Dated June 25, 2004. (TVA
2004a).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML042800186
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant
Unit 1--Proposed Technical
Specifications Change TS-431--
Request for License
Amendment--Extended Power
Uprate (EPU) Operation. Dated
June 28, 2004. (TVA 2004b).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML062680459
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant--
Unit 1--Technical
Specifications Change TS-431,
Supplement 1--Extended Power
Uprate (EPU). Dated September
22, 2006. (TVA 2006).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML12123A017
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant,
Unit 1, 2, and 3--Annual
Radioactive Effluent Release
Report--2011 Dated April 30,
2012 (TVA 2012).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML13126A100
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant,
Unit 1, 2, and 3--Annual
Radioactive Effluent Release
Report--2012 Dated April 30,
2013 (TVA 2013).
[[Page 25014]]
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML14265A487
Technical Specifications
Changes TS-431 and TS-418--
Extended Power Uprate (EPU)--
Withdrawal of Requests and
Update to EPU Plans and
Schedules. Dated September
18, 2014. (TVA 2014a).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML14122A344
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant,
Unit 1, 2, and 3--Annual
Radioactive Effluent Release
Report--2013 Dated April 30,
2014 (TVA 2014b).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML15282A152
Proposed Technical
Specifications Change TS-505--
Request for License
Amendments--Extended Power
Uprate, Cover Letter. Dated
September 21, 2015. (TVA
2015a).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML15317A361
Proposed Technical
Specification Change TS-505--
Request for License
Amendments--Extended Power
Uprate--Supplemental
Information. Dated November
13, 2015. (TVA 2015b).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML15351A113
Proposed Technical
Specifications (TS) Change TS-
505--Request for License
Amendments--Extended Power
Uprate (EPU)--Supplement 2,
MICROBURN-B2 Information.
Dated December 15, 2015. (TVA
2015c).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML15355A413
Proposed Technical
Specifications (TS) Change TS-
505--Request for License
Amendments--Extended Power
Uprate (EPU)--Supplement 3,
Interconnection System Impact
Study Information. Dated
December 18, 2015. (TVA
2015d).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML15120A283
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant,
Unit 1, 2, and 3--Annual
Radioactive Effluent Release
Report--2014 Dated April 30,
2015 (TVA 2015e).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML16159A040
Proposed Technical
Specifications (TS) Change TS-
505--Request for License
Amendments--Extended Power
Uprate (EPU)--Supplement 13,
Responses to Requests for
Additional Information. Dated
April 22, 2016. (TVA 2016a).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML16197A563
Proposed Technical
Specifications (TS) Change TS-
505--Request for License
Amendments--Extended Power
Uprate (EPU)--Supplement 18,
Responses to Requests for
Additional Information and
Updates Associated with
Interconnection System Impact
Study Modifications. Dated
May 27, 2016. (TVA 2016b).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML16123A149
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant,
Unit 1, 2, and 3--Annual
Radioactive Effluent Release
Report--2015 Dated April 30,
2016 (TVA 2016c).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML17034A562
Proposed Technical
Specifications (TS) Change TS-
505--Request for License
Amendments--Extended Power
Uprate, BFN EPU LAR,
Attachment 42, Supplemental
Environmental Report,
Revision 2. Enclosure 2.
Dated February 3, 2017. (TVA
2017a).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML17023A199
Proposed Technical
Specifications (TS) Change TS-
505--Request for License
Amendments--Extended Power
Uprate (EPU)--Supplement 36,
Transmission System Update--
Safety Aspects Dated January
20, 2017. (TVA 2017b).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML17034A562
Proposed Technical
Specifications (TS) Change TS-
505--Request for License
Amendments--Extended Power
Uprate (EPU)--Supplement 36,
Transmission System Update--
Environmental Aspects Dated
February 3, 2017. (TVA 2017c).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML17023A200
BFN EPU LAR, Attachment 47,
List and Status of Plant
Modifications, Revision 4
(Enclosure 7). Dated January
20, 2017. (TVA 2017d).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML17034A562
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant,
RERP-RAI-GE-2 Response,
Attachment 1, Revision 1:
Supplemental Environmental
Information for Transmission
System and BFN Main Generator
Upgrades (Excluding Limestone
Substation. Dated February 3,
2017. (TVA 2017e).
Tennessee Valley Authority. ML17034A562
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant,
RERP-RAI-GE-2 Response,
Attachment 2: Supplemental
Environmental Information for
Limestone Substation Static
VAR Compensator Construction.
Dated January 2017. (TVA
2017f).
U.S. Census Bureau. American http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/
FactFinder, Table DP-1, jsf/pages/searchresults.xhtml?refresh=t
``Profile of General
Population and Housing
Characteristics: 2010, 2010
Census Summary File 1'' for
Limestone County, Alabama;
American FactFinder, Table
DP05, ``ACS Demographic and
Housing Estimates, 2015
American Community Survey 1-
Year Estimates'' for
Limestone County, Alabama;
and Table DP03--``Selected
Economic Characteristics,
2015 American Community
Survey 1-Year Estimates'' for
Alabama and Limestone County,
and Table B25002--``Occupancy
Status, 2015 American
Community Survey 1-Year
Estimates'' for Limestone
County, Alabama. Accessed
September 2016. (USCB 2016).
U.S. Fish and Wildlife ML16120A505
Service. Endangered Species
Consultations Frequently
Asked Questions. Dated July
15, 2013. (FWS 2013).
U.S. Fish and Wildlife ML16032A044
Service. Updated List of
Threatened and Endangered
Species That May Occur in
Your Proposed Project
Location for Browns Ferry
EPU. Dated February 1, 2016.
(FWS 2016).
U.S. Fish and Wildlife ML17089A314
Service. List of Threatened
and Endangered Species That
May Occur in Your Proposed
Project Location, and/or May
Be Affected by Your Proposed
Project. Dated March 30,
2017. (FWS 2017).
U.S. Global Change Research ML100580077
Program. Global Climate
Change Impacts in the United
States. Dated June 2009.
(USGCRP 2009).
U.S. Global Change Research ML14129A233
Program. Climate Change
Impacts in the United States:
The Third National Climate
Assessment. Dated May 2014.
(USGCRP 2014).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 63 FR 46491
Commission. Browns Ferry
Nuclear Plant, Units 2 and 3--
Environmental Assessment
Regarding Power Uprate. Dated
September 1, 1998. (NRC 1998).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ML040690720
Commission. Generic
Environmental Impact
Statement for License Renewal
of Nuclear Plants (NUREG-
1437, Volume 1, Addendum 1).
Dated August 1999. (NRC 1999).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ML003716792
Commission. Alternative
Radiological Source Terms for
Evaluating Design Basis
Accidents at Nuclear Power
Reactors (Regulatory Guide
1.183). Dated July 2000. (NRC
2000).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ML033640024
Commission. Review Standard
for Extended Power Uprates
(RS-001). Revision 0. Dated
December 2003. (NRC 2003).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ML042990348
Commission. Biological
Assessment, Browns Ferry
Nuclear Power Plant, License
Renewal Review, Limestone
County, Alabama. Dated
October 2004. (NRC 2004a).
[[Page 25015]]
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ML042730028
Commission Browns Ferry
Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2,
and 3--Issuance of Amendments
Regarding Full-Scope
Implementation of Alternative
Source Term. September 27,
2004. (NRC 2004b).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ML051730443
Commission. Generic
Environmental Impact
Statement for License Renewal
of Nuclear Plants: Regarding
Browns Ferry Plant, Units 1,
2, and 3--Final Report (NUREG-
1437, Supplement 21). Dated
June 30, 2005. (NRC 2005).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ML060970332
Commission. Issuance of
Renewed Facility Operating
License Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52,
and DPR-68 for Browns Ferry
Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2,
and 3. Dated May 4, 2006.
(NRC 2006a).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 71 FR 65009
Commission. Browns Ferry
Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2,
and 3--Draft Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact Related to
the Proposed Extended Power
Uprate. Dated November 6,
2006. (NRC 2006b).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 72 FR 6612
Commission. Browns Ferry
Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2,
and 3--Final Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact Related to
the Proposed Extended Power
Uprate. Dated February 12,
2007. (NRC 2007a).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ML063350404
Commission. Browns Ferry
Nuclear Plant, Unit 1--
Issuance of Amendment
Regarding Five Percent
Uprate. Dated March 6, 2007.
(NRC 2007b).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ML15075A438
Commission. Generic
Environmental Impact
Statement for License Renewal
of Nuclear Plants: Regarding
Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Unit
1 and 2 --Final Report (NUREG-
1437, Supplement 53). Dated
March 2015. (NRC 2015).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 81 FR 86732
Commission. Tennessee Valley
Authority; Browns Ferry
Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2,
and 3; Draft environmental
assessment and draft finding
of no significant impact;
request for comments. Dated
December 1, 2016. (NRC 2016a).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ML16287A525
Commission. Issuance of
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant,
Units 1, 2, and 3--Draft
Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant
Impact Related to the
Proposed Extended Power
Uprate. Dated November 21,
2016. (NRC 2016b).
Watkins JH. A Cultural ML17034A562
Resource Survey of the
Proposed Limestone Substation
Station VAR Compensator Site
in Limestone County, Alabama.
Dated January 2017.
Yokely P Jr. Mussel Study near ML042800176
Hobbs Island on the Tennessee
River for Butler Basin
Marina. Dated April 1998.
(Yokely 1998).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22nd day of May 2017.
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Benjamin G. Beasley,
Chief, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of Operating Reactor
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2017-11184 Filed 5-30-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P