Florida Power and Light Company; St. Lucie Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, 79526-79528 [2016-27354]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2016 / Notices
Please refer to the National
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matter, and status of meeting) may be
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UPDATES:
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[FR Doc. 2016–27360 Filed 11–9–16; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50–335 and 50–389; NRC–
2011–0302]
Florida Power and Light Company; St.
Lucie Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Environmental assessment and
finding of no significant impact;
issuance.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of amendments to Renewed
Facility Operating License Nos. DPR–67
and NPF–16, issued on October 2, 2003,
and held by Florida Power and Light
Company (FPL or the licensee) for the
operation of St. Lucie Plant, Unit Nos.
1 and 2 (St. Lucie), located on
Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County,
Florida. The proposed amendments
would revise the Environmental
Protection Plans (Non-Radiological)
(EPPs), contained in Appendix B to the
St. Lucie renewed facility operating
licenses. The NRC is issuing a final
environmental assessment (EA) and
finding of no significant impact (FONSI)
associated with the proposed license
amendments.
SUMMARY:
The EA and FONSI referenced in
this document is available on November
14, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID
NRC–2011–0302 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
https://www.regulations.gov and search
for Docket ID NRC–2011–0302. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol
Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463;
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DATES:
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17:26 Nov 10, 2016
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email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. 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 publiclyavailable documents online in the NRC
Public Documents collection at https://
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 pdr.resource@
nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number
for each document referenced in this
notice (if that document is available in
ADAMS) is provided the first time that
a document is referenced. For the
convenience of the reader, the ADAMS
accession numbers are also 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:
Perry Buckberg, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–
1383; email: Perry.Buckberg@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering issuance of
amendments to Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. DPR–67 and
NPF–16 issued to FPL for operation of
St. Lucie, located on Hutchinson Island
in St. Lucie County, Florida. The
licensee submitted its license
amendment request by letter dated April
29, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML16125A253), as amended by letter
dated August 11, 2016 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML16238A190). If
approved, the license amendments
would revise language in Section 4.2,
‘‘Terrestrial/Aquatic Issues,’’ of the St.
Lucie EPPs to require FPL to adhere to
the specific requirements within the
Incidental Take Statement (ITS) of the
‘‘currently applicable’’ biological
opinion. The NRC prepared an EA to
document its findings related to the
proposed license amendments in
accordance with § 51.21 of title 10 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR).
Based on the results of the EA
documented herein, the NRC did not
identify any significant environmental
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impacts associated with the proposed
amendments and is, therefore, issuing a
FONSI in accordance with 10 CFR
51.32.
II. Environmental Assessment
Plant Site and Environs
St. Lucie is a two-unit plant with
pressurized water reactors and a oncethrough cooling system that withdraws
water from and discharges heated water
to the Atlantic Ocean. St. Lucie lies on
Hutchinson Island in an unincorporated
portion of St. Lucie County, Florida
approximately 7 miles (11 kilometers)
southeast of Fort Pierce, 4.5 miles (7
kilometers) east of Port St. Lucie, and 8
miles (13 kilometers) north of Stuart.
The facility occupies approximately
1,130 acres (457 hectares) on the widest
portion of the island. The Atlantic
Ocean borders the site to the east, and
the Indian River Lagoon, a tidally
influenced estuary, lies to the west.
The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission,
the NRC’s predecessor agency, and the
NRC have previously conducted
environmental reviews of St. Lucie
operations in several documents, which
contain more detailed descriptions of
the plant site and environs. Those
documents include several Final
Environmental Statements related to
construction and initial operation of St.
Lucie; the NRC’s May 2003 Generic
Environmental Impact Statement for
License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:
Regarding St. Lucie Units 1 and 2—
Final Report (NUREG–1437,
Supplement 11) (ADAMS Accession No.
ML031360709); and the NRC’s June
2012 EA for the St. Lucie Extended
Power Uprate (ADAMS Accession No.
ML12165A511).
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise
language in Section 4.2, ‘‘Terrestrial/
Aquatic Issues,’’ of the St. Lucie EPPs to
require FPL to adhere to the specific
requirements within the ITS of the
‘‘currently applicable’’ biological
opinion. The proposed amendments
would remove language specifically
referencing the National Marine
Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) previous
biological opinion, which was issued in
2001. The proposed action would be in
accordance with the licensee’s
application dated April 29, 2016
(ADAMS Accession No. ML16125A253),
as amended by letter dated August 11,
2016 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML16238A190).
By amending Section 4.2 of the EPPs
to clarify that FPL must adhere to the
ITS of the ‘‘currently applicable’’
biological opinion, the proposed action
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2016 / Notices
would require FPL’s compliance with
the NMFS’ March 24, 2016, biological
opinion (ADAMS Accession No.
ML16084A616). This biological opinion
applies to smalltooth sawfish (Pristis
pectinata) and five species of sea turtles
(Caretta carreta, Chelonia mydas,
Lepidochelys kempii, Eretmochelys
imbricata, and Dermochelys coriacea),
and concludes that the continued
operation of St. Lucie is not likely to
jeopardize the continued existence of
these species or destroy or adversely
modify the designated critical habitat of
the loggerhead Northwest Atlantic
distinct population segment. The ITS
exempts the incidental take of these
species from the prohibitions of Section
9 of the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended, provided that the
specified Reasonable and Prudent
Measures (RPMs) are implemented. The
RPMs are:
(1) Avoid and minimize entrainment
into the St. Lucie intake canal.
(2) Avoid and minimize injurious or
lethal take from entrainment into,
entrapment in, capture in, and release
from the St. Lucie intake canal or from
impingement at intake wells.
In order to implement the RPMs, the
biological opinion prescribes a number
of Terms and Conditions (T&Cs). The
T&Cs require FPL to design, test,
construct, and implement excluder
devices for the St. Lucie intake pipe
velocity caps that will minimize the
number of nesting or egg-bearing female
sea turtles that enter the intake pipes.
Following testing, in-water construction
of the excluder devices must begin no
later than the first half of 2018. The
licensee must also develop monitoring
and maintenance plans to inspect
routinely and remove debris and
biofouling organisms from the excluder
devices and the intake pipes and to
inspect, repair, and replace, as
necessary, the 8-inch mesh barrier net in
the intake canal.
The T&Cs specify how FPL personnel
should capture and relocate smalltooth
sawfish and sea turtles that enter the
intake canal. Additionally, the T&Cs
specify various monitoring and
reporting requirements, including how
FPL should record the number and
condition of turtles captured in the
intake canal; the periodicity at which
FPL personnel should inspect the banks
of the intake canal for turtle tracks or
signs of nesting; how FPL personnel
should monitor the release site for
possible delayed lethal impacts to
captured smalltooth sawfish; how FPL
must notify NMFS of lethal smalltooth
sawfish or sea turtle takes; and the
information that FPL should include in
monthly and annual reports. The T&Cs
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also require FPL to continue to
participate in the Florida Sea Turtle
Stranding and Salvage Network; to
continue to conduct the ongoing sea
turtle nesting program and public
service turtle walks; and to consult with
the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC) in
accordance with FPL’s FWC Marine
Turtle Permit. Finally, the T&Cs require
FPL contracted biologists to receive
training on smalltooth sawfish and sea
turtle handling.
Notably, because the proposed
amendments would require FPL’s
compliance with the ‘‘currently
applicable’’ biological opinion, if NMFS
were to issue a new biological opinion
in the future, the proposed amendments
would require FPL to adhere to the
specific requirements in the ITS of that
new biological opinion, and FPL would
no longer be required to adhere to the
March 24, 2016, biological opinion
upon issuance of a new biological
opinion.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to
reflect the new biological opinion
issued by NMFS on March 24, 2016, and
to require FPL’s compliance with the
ITS and related RPMs and T&Cs
contained therein. The proposed action
is administrative in nature.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation
of the proposed action and concludes
that the proposed changes are
administrative in nature, would have no
direct effects on plant equipment or
plant operation, and would not involve
any changes to the design bases for St.
Lucie.
With regard to potential radiological
impacts, the proposed action would not
increase the probability or consequences
of accidents, would not change the
types or increase the amount of effluent
that may be released offsite, and would
result in no increase in occupational or
public radiation exposure. Therefore,
there are no significant radiological
environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, because the
proposed action is administrative in
nature, it would not have any direct
impacts on land, air, or water resources,
including impacts to biota. In addition,
the NRC staff identified no
socioeconomic or environmental justice
impacts associated with the proposed
action. Therefore, there are no
significant non-radiological
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79527
environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
An indirect effect of the proposed
action is that FPL will design, test,
construct, and implement excluder
devices for the St. Lucie intake pipe
velocity caps to minimize the number of
nesting or egg-bearing female sea turtles
that enter the intake pipes in accordance
with the March 24, 2016, biological
opinion. The biological opinion
stipulates that in-water construction of
the excluder devices must begin no later
than the first half of 2018. The excluder
devices will be prefabricated offsite and
will only require limited construction
equipment for the cleaning and
attachment of the excluder devices to
the velocity caps. The excluder devices
will be installed within the boundaries
of the existing concrete velocity cap
structures located approximately 1,500
feet (460 meters) offshore. The velocity
caps and associated functions are not
safety related and would, therefore, not
require any physical changes to systems,
structures, or components intended for
the prevention of accidents. The
licensee may need to perform some
localized cleaning of marine growth on
the concrete surfaces of the velocity
caps prior to attaching the excluder
devices to the velocity caps. During
such cleaning, there is potential for
minor water turbidity, which FPL
would monitor in accordance with the
biological opinion, FWC Marine Turtle
Permit, Army Corps of Engineers
National Wide Permit, and Florida
Department of Environmental Protection
Environmental Source Permit, as
applicable. Installation would not
require dredging, sediment disturbance,
or construction on the ocean floor, and
would also not result in any land
disturbances. The NRC staff concludes
that the indirect effects of installation of
the turtle excluder devices will not
result in significant environmental
impacts to the radiological or nonradiological environment.
Based on the foregoing analysis, the
NRC concludes that there are no
significant environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
Environmental Impacts of the
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. Accordingly, the
environmental impacts of the proposed
action and the no-action alternative are
similar.
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2016 / Notices
Alternative Use of Resources
The proposed action does not involve
the use of any different resources than
those previously considered in NUREG–
1437, Supplement 11, prepared for the
license renewal of St. Lucie.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC did not enter into
consultation with any other Federal
Agency or with the State of Florida
regarding the environmental impact of
the proposed action. However, on
August 29, 2016, the NRC notified the
Florida state official, Cynthia Becker,
Bureau of Radiation Control, of the
proposed amendments. The state official
had no comments.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC is considering issuing
amendments for Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. DPR–67 and
NPF–16 issued to FPL for operation of
St. Lucie. The proposed amendments
would revise the St. Lucie EPPs to
require FPL to adhere to the specific
requirements within the ITS of the
‘‘currently applicable’’ biological
opinion. On the basis of the EA
included in Section II of this document
and incorporated by reference into 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,
as supplemented, as well as the NRC’s
independent review of other relevant
environmental documents. Section IV of
this document 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 determined
not to prepare an environmental impact
statement for the proposed action.
IV. Availability of Documents
The documents identified in the
following table are available to
interested persons through ADAMS.
ADAMS
Accession
No.
Document
Florida Power and Light Company, License Amendment Request to Update Appendix B to the Renewed Facility Operating Licenses to Incorporate the 2016 Biological Opinion, Dated April 29, 2016 .....................................................................................
Florida Power and Light Company, Response to Request for Additional Information Regarding License Amendment Request for
Biological Opinion License Changes, Dated August 11, 2016 ........................................................................................................
National Marine Fisheries Service, Biological Opinion for Continued Operation of St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2
in St. Lucie County, Florida, Dated March 24, 2016 .......................................................................................................................
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding St. Lucie Units 1 and 2—Final Report (NUREG–1437, Supplement 11), Dated May 2003 .............................................
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, St. Lucie Plant, Units 1 and 2—Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant
Impact Related to the Proposed Extended Power Uprate, Dated June 25, 2012 ..........................................................................
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day
of November 2016.
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Perry H. Buckberg,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing
Branch II–2, Division of Operating Reactor
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2016–27354 Filed 11–10–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
Week of November 28, 2016—Tentative
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
9:00 a.m. Briefing on Uranium
Recovery (Public Meeting);
(Contact: Samantha Crane: 301–
415–6380).
This meeting will be webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov/.
Week of December 5, 2016—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the week of December 5, 2016.
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
Week of December 12, 2016—Tentative
[NRC–2016–0001]
Sunshine Act Meeting Notice
November 14, 21, 28, December 5,
12, 19, 2016.
DATE:
Commissioners’ Conference
Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland.
PLACE:
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STATUS:
Public and Closed.
Week of December 19, 2016—Tentative
Week of November 14, 2016
There are no meetings scheduled for
the week of November 14, 2016.
Week of November 21, 2016—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the week of November 21, 2016.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:26 Nov 10, 2016
Thursday, December 15, 2016
9:30 a.m. Briefing on Equal
Employment Opportunity,
Affirmative Employment, and Small
Business (Public Meeting); (Contact:
Larniece McKoy Moore: 301–415–
1942).
This meeting will be webcast live at
the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov/.
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There are no meetings scheduled for
the week of December 19, 2016.
*
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The schedule for Commission
meetings is subject to change on short
notice. For more information or to verify
the status of meetings, contact Denise
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ML16125A253
ML16238A190
ML16084A616
ML031360709
ML12165A511
McGovern at 301–415–0981 or via email
at Denise.McGovern@nrc.gov.
*
*
*
*
*
The NRC Commission Meeting
Schedule can be found on the Internet
at: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/
public-meetings/schedule.html.
*
*
*
*
*
The NRC provides reasonable
accommodation to individuals with
disabilities where appropriate. If you
need a reasonable accommodation to
participate in these public meetings, or
need this meeting notice or the
transcript or other information from the
public meetings in another format (e.g.,
braille, large print), please notify
Kimberly Meyer, NRC Disability
Program Manager, at 301–287–0739, by
videophone at 240–428–3217, or by
email at Kimberly.Meyer-Chambers@
nrc.gov. Determinations on requests for
reasonable accommodation will be
made on a case-by-case basis.
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Members of the public may request to
receive this information electronically.
If you would like to be added to the
distribution, please contact the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Office of the
Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 (301–
415–1969), or email
Brenda.Akstulewicz@nrc.gov or
Patricia.Jimenez@nrc.gov.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 219 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79526-79528]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27354]
=======================================================================
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-335 and 50-389; NRC-2011-0302]
Florida Power and Light Company; St. Lucie Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and
2
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact;
issuance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-
67 and NPF-16, issued on October 2, 2003, and held by Florida Power and
Light Company (FPL or the licensee) for the operation of St. Lucie
Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (St. Lucie), located on Hutchinson Island in
St. Lucie County, Florida. The proposed amendments would revise the
Environmental Protection Plans (Non-Radiological) (EPPs), contained in
Appendix B to the St. Lucie renewed facility operating licenses. The
NRC is issuing a final environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no
significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed license
amendments.
DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document is available on
November 14, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2011-0302 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 https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2011-0302. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. 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 NRC
Public Documents collection at https://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 pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced in this notice (if
that document is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a
document is referenced. For the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS
accession numbers are also 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: Perry Buckberg, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1383; email: Perry.Buckberg@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. DPR-67 and NPF-16 issued to FPL for operation of
St. Lucie, located on Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County, Florida.
The licensee submitted its license amendment request by letter dated
April 29, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16125A253), as amended by letter
dated August 11, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16238A190). If approved,
the license amendments would revise language in Section 4.2,
``Terrestrial/Aquatic Issues,'' of the St. Lucie EPPs to require FPL to
adhere to the specific requirements within the Incidental Take
Statement (ITS) of the ``currently applicable'' biological opinion. The
NRC prepared an EA to document its findings related to the proposed
license amendments in accordance with Sec. 51.21 of title 10 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). Based on the results of the EA
documented herein, the NRC did not identify any significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed amendments and is,
therefore, issuing a FONSI in accordance with 10 CFR 51.32.
II. Environmental Assessment
Plant Site and Environs
St. Lucie is a two-unit plant with pressurized water reactors and a
once-through cooling system that withdraws water from and discharges
heated water to the Atlantic Ocean. St. Lucie lies on Hutchinson Island
in an unincorporated portion of St. Lucie County, Florida approximately
7 miles (11 kilometers) southeast of Fort Pierce, 4.5 miles (7
kilometers) east of Port St. Lucie, and 8 miles (13 kilometers) north
of Stuart. The facility occupies approximately 1,130 acres (457
hectares) on the widest portion of the island. The Atlantic Ocean
borders the site to the east, and the Indian River Lagoon, a tidally
influenced estuary, lies to the west.
The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the NRC's predecessor agency,
and the NRC have previously conducted environmental reviews of St.
Lucie operations in several documents, which contain more detailed
descriptions of the plant site and environs. Those documents include
several Final Environmental Statements related to construction and
initial operation of St. Lucie; the NRC's May 2003 Generic
Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:
Regarding St. Lucie Units 1 and 2--Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement
11) (ADAMS Accession No. ML031360709); and the NRC's June 2012 EA for
the St. Lucie Extended Power Uprate (ADAMS Accession No. ML12165A511).
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise language in Section 4.2,
``Terrestrial/Aquatic Issues,'' of the St. Lucie EPPs to require FPL to
adhere to the specific requirements within the ITS of the ``currently
applicable'' biological opinion. The proposed amendments would remove
language specifically referencing the National Marine Fisheries
Service's (NMFS) previous biological opinion, which was issued in 2001.
The proposed action would be in accordance with the licensee's
application dated April 29, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16125A253), as
amended by letter dated August 11, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML16238A190).
By amending Section 4.2 of the EPPs to clarify that FPL must adhere
to the ITS of the ``currently applicable'' biological opinion, the
proposed action
[[Page 79527]]
would require FPL's compliance with the NMFS' March 24, 2016,
biological opinion (ADAMS Accession No. ML16084A616). This biological
opinion applies to smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) and five
species of sea turtles (Caretta carreta, Chelonia mydas, Lepidochelys
kempii, Eretmochelys imbricata, and Dermochelys coriacea), and
concludes that the continued operation of St. Lucie is not likely to
jeopardize the continued existence of these species or destroy or
adversely modify the designated critical habitat of the loggerhead
Northwest Atlantic distinct population segment. The ITS exempts the
incidental take of these species from the prohibitions of Section 9 of
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, provided that the
specified Reasonable and Prudent Measures (RPMs) are implemented. The
RPMs are:
(1) Avoid and minimize entrainment into the St. Lucie intake canal.
(2) Avoid and minimize injurious or lethal take from entrainment
into, entrapment in, capture in, and release from the St. Lucie intake
canal or from impingement at intake wells.
In order to implement the RPMs, the biological opinion prescribes a
number of Terms and Conditions (T&Cs). The T&Cs require FPL to design,
test, construct, and implement excluder devices for the St. Lucie
intake pipe velocity caps that will minimize the number of nesting or
egg-bearing female sea turtles that enter the intake pipes. Following
testing, in-water construction of the excluder devices must begin no
later than the first half of 2018. The licensee must also develop
monitoring and maintenance plans to inspect routinely and remove debris
and biofouling organisms from the excluder devices and the intake pipes
and to inspect, repair, and replace, as necessary, the 8-inch mesh
barrier net in the intake canal.
The T&Cs specify how FPL personnel should capture and relocate
smalltooth sawfish and sea turtles that enter the intake canal.
Additionally, the T&Cs specify various monitoring and reporting
requirements, including how FPL should record the number and condition
of turtles captured in the intake canal; the periodicity at which FPL
personnel should inspect the banks of the intake canal for turtle
tracks or signs of nesting; how FPL personnel should monitor the
release site for possible delayed lethal impacts to captured smalltooth
sawfish; how FPL must notify NMFS of lethal smalltooth sawfish or sea
turtle takes; and the information that FPL should include in monthly
and annual reports. The T&Cs also require FPL to continue to
participate in the Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network; to
continue to conduct the ongoing sea turtle nesting program and public
service turtle walks; and to consult with the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC) in accordance with FPL's FWC Marine
Turtle Permit. Finally, the T&Cs require FPL contracted biologists to
receive training on smalltooth sawfish and sea turtle handling.
Notably, because the proposed amendments would require FPL's
compliance with the ``currently applicable'' biological opinion, if
NMFS were to issue a new biological opinion in the future, the proposed
amendments would require FPL to adhere to the specific requirements in
the ITS of that new biological opinion, and FPL would no longer be
required to adhere to the March 24, 2016, biological opinion upon
issuance of a new biological opinion.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to reflect the new biological opinion
issued by NMFS on March 24, 2016, and to require FPL's compliance with
the ITS and related RPMs and T&Cs contained therein. The proposed
action is administrative in nature.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that the proposed changes are administrative in nature, would
have no direct effects on plant equipment or plant operation, and would
not involve any changes to the design bases for St. Lucie.
With regard to potential radiological impacts, the proposed action
would not increase the probability or consequences of accidents, would
not change the types or increase the amount of effluent that may be
released offsite, and would result in no increase in occupational or
public radiation exposure. Therefore, there are no significant
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, because the
proposed action is administrative in nature, it would not have any
direct impacts on land, air, or water resources, including impacts to
biota. In addition, the NRC staff identified no socioeconomic or
environmental justice impacts associated with the proposed action.
Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological environmental
impacts associated with the proposed action.
An indirect effect of the proposed action is that FPL will design,
test, construct, and implement excluder devices for the St. Lucie
intake pipe velocity caps to minimize the number of nesting or egg-
bearing female sea turtles that enter the intake pipes in accordance
with the March 24, 2016, biological opinion. The biological opinion
stipulates that in-water construction of the excluder devices must
begin no later than the first half of 2018. The excluder devices will
be prefabricated offsite and will only require limited construction
equipment for the cleaning and attachment of the excluder devices to
the velocity caps. The excluder devices will be installed within the
boundaries of the existing concrete velocity cap structures located
approximately 1,500 feet (460 meters) offshore. The velocity caps and
associated functions are not safety related and would, therefore, not
require any physical changes to systems, structures, or components
intended for the prevention of accidents. The licensee may need to
perform some localized cleaning of marine growth on the concrete
surfaces of the velocity caps prior to attaching the excluder devices
to the velocity caps. During such cleaning, there is potential for
minor water turbidity, which FPL would monitor in accordance with the
biological opinion, FWC Marine Turtle Permit, Army Corps of Engineers
National Wide Permit, and Florida Department of Environmental
Protection Environmental Source Permit, as applicable. Installation
would not require dredging, sediment disturbance, or construction on
the ocean floor, and would also not result in any land disturbances.
The NRC staff concludes that the indirect effects of installation of
the turtle excluder devices will not result in significant
environmental impacts to the radiological or non-radiological
environment.
Based on the foregoing analysis, the NRC concludes that there are
no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed
action.
Environmental Impacts of the 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. Accordingly, the
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the no-action
alternative are similar.
[[Page 79528]]
Alternative Use of Resources
The proposed action does not involve the use of any different
resources than those previously considered in NUREG-1437, Supplement
11, prepared for the license renewal of St. Lucie.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC did not enter into consultation with any other Federal
Agency or with the State of Florida regarding the environmental impact
of the proposed action. However, on August 29, 2016, the NRC notified
the Florida state official, Cynthia Becker, Bureau of Radiation
Control, of the proposed amendments. The state official had no
comments.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC is considering issuing amendments for Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. DPR-67 and NPF-16 issued to FPL for operation of
St. Lucie. The proposed amendments would revise the St. Lucie EPPs to
require FPL to adhere to the specific requirements within the ITS of
the ``currently applicable'' biological opinion. On the basis of the EA
included in Section II of this document and incorporated by reference
into 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, as supplemented, as well as the NRC's independent review
of other relevant environmental documents. Section IV of this document
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 determined not to prepare an environmental
impact statement for the proposed action.
IV. Availability of Documents
The documents identified in the following table are available to
interested persons through ADAMS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADAMS
Document Accession No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida Power and Light Company, License Amendment ML16125A253
Request to Update Appendix B to the Renewed Facility
Operating Licenses to Incorporate the 2016 Biological
Opinion, Dated April 29, 2016..........................
Florida Power and Light Company, Response to Request for ML16238A190
Additional Information Regarding License Amendment
Request for Biological Opinion License Changes, Dated
August 11, 2016........................................
National Marine Fisheries Service, Biological Opinion ML16084A616
for Continued Operation of St. Lucie Nuclear Power
Plant, Units 1 and 2 in St. Lucie County, Florida,
Dated March 24, 2016...................................
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Generic ML031360709
Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of
Nuclear Plants: Regarding St. Lucie Units 1 and 2--
Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 11), Dated May
2003...................................................
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, St. Lucie Plant, ML12165A511
Units 1 and 2--Environmental Assessment and Finding of
No Significant Impact Related to the Proposed Extended
Power Uprate, Dated June 25, 2012......................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of November 2016.
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Perry H. Buckberg,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2016-27354 Filed 11-10-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
