Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement-Browns Ferry Nuclear Site Subsequent License Renewal, 29351-29353 [2021-11557]
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29351
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 103 / Tuesday, June 1, 2021 / Notices
• 20 CFR 404.1740(b)(8) and
416.1540(b)(8)—This regulatory section
requires representatives to disclose to
SSA whether the representative is or has
been disqualified from participating in
or appearing before any Federal program
or agency, including instances in which
a Federal program or agency took
administrative action to disqualify the
representative in lieu of disciplinary
proceedings. If the disqualification
occurs after the appointment of the
representative, the representative will
immediately disclose the
disqualification to SSA; and;
• 20 CFR 404.1740(b)(9) and
416.1540(b)(9)—This regulatory section
requires representatives to disclose to
SSA whether the representative has
been removed from practice or
suspended by a professional licensing
authority for reasons that reflect on the
representative’s character, integrity,
judgment, reliability, or fitness to serve
as a fiduciary. If the removal or
suspension occurs after the appointment
of the representative, the representative
will immediately disclose the removal
or suspension to SSA.
Number of
respondents
Regulation section
Average
burden per
response
(minutes)
Frequency
of response
A representative’s obligation to report
these events is ongoing, and SSA
requires representatives to report any
time one or more of these events occurs.
We consider this information essential
to ensure the integrity of our
administrative process and to safeguard
the rights of all claimants. SSA requires
representatives to notify SSA in writing,
but there is no prescribed format for
these reports. The respondents are
individuals appointed to represent
claimants before SSA.
Type of Request: Extension of an
OMB-approved information collection.
Estimated
annual
burden
(hours)
Average
theoretical
hourly cost
amount
(dollars) *
Total annual
opportunity
cost
(dollars) **
404.1740(b)(5)/416.1540(b)(5) .................
404.1740(b)(6)/416.1540(b)(6) .................
404.1740(b)(7)/416.1540(b)(7) .................
404.1740(b)(8)/416.1540(b)(8) .................
404.170(b)(9)/416.1540(b)(9) ...................
43,600
2
50
10
10
1
1
1
1
1
5
5
5
5
5
3,633
0
4
1
1
* $26.45
* 69.86
* 69.86
* 69.86
* 69.86
** $96,093
** 0
** 279
** 70
** 70
Totals ................................................
43,672
........................
........................
3,639
........................
96,512
* We based this figure on average hourly wages for paralegals/legal assistants and lawyers as posted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm).
** These figures do not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on representatives to complete the required disclosures; rather, these are
theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time representatives or their employees and associates will spend to complete the required disclosures. There is no actual charge to representatives to complete the required disclosures.
Dated: May 25, 2021.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021–11421 Filed 5–28–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191–02–P
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement—Browns Ferry Nuclear Site
Subsequent License Renewal
Tennessee Valley Authority.
Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA) intends to prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement (SEIS) to address the
potential environmental effects
associated with obtaining subsequent
license renewals (SLR) for the Browns
Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN) Units 1, 2,
and 3 located in Limestone County,
Alabama. Renewal of the operating
licenses would allow the plant to
continue to operate for an additional 20
years beyond the current operating
licenses expiration dates of 2033, 2034,
and 2036 for Units 1, 2, and 3,
respectively. TVA plans to evaluate a
variety of alternatives including a noaction alternative. Public comments are
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SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:20 May 28, 2021
Jkt 253001
invited to identify other potential
alternatives, relevant information, and
analysis related to the proposed action.
DATES: The public scoping period begins
with the publication of this Notice in
the Federal Register and comments on
the scope of the SEIS must be received
or postmarked by July 1, 2021. To
accommodate social distancing
guidelines and public health
recommendations related to the COVID–
19 pandemic, TVA will have a virtual
meeting room available for the duration
of the scoping period. Visit https://
www.tva.com/nepa to obtain more
information.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted in writing to J. Taylor Cates,
NEPA Specialist, 1101 Market Street, BR
2C–C, Chattanooga, TN 37402.
Comments may also be submitted online
at: https://www.tva.com/nepa or by
email to nepa@tva.gov. Due to COVID–
19 teleworking restrictions, electronic
submission of comments is encouraged
to ensure timely review and
consideration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Other related questions should be sent
to Tennessee Valley Authority, J. Taylor
Cates, NEPA Specialist, 1101 Market
Street, BR 2C–C, Chattanooga, TN
37402, or 423–751–2732/jtcates@
tva.gov.
PO 00000
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This
Notice is provided in accordance with
the Council on Environmental Quality’s
(CEQ) regulations for implementing the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) at 40 CFR parts 1500–1508 and
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA), and its
implementing regulations (36 CFR part
800). The SEIS will be prepared
consistent with the 2020 CEQ
regulations for implementing NEPA at
40 CFR parts 1500–1508 (85 FR 43304–
43376, Jul. 16, 2020). The regulations of
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) in 10 CFR part 54 set forth the
applicable license extension
requirements.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
TVA Power System
TVA is a corporate agency and
instrumentality of the United States,
created by and existing pursuant to the
TVA Act of 1933 (16 U.S.C. part 831),
and created to, among other things,
foster the social and economic welfare
of the people of the Tennessee Valley
region and promote the proper use and
conservation of the Valley’s natural
resources. TVA generates and
distributes electricity for business
customers and local power distributors,
serving more than 10 million people in
parts of seven southeastern states. TVA
is fully self-financed without Federal
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29352
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 103 / Tuesday, June 1, 2021 / Notices
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appropriations, and funds virtually all
operations through electricity sales and
power system bond financing. In
addition to operating and investing its
revenues in its electric system, TVA
provides flood control, navigation and
management for the Tennessee River
system, and assists local power
companies and state and local
governments with economic
development efforts.
Dependable electrical capacity on the
TVA power system is about 33,000
Mega Watts Electric (MWe). TVA’s
current generating assets include one
pumped-storage facility, one diesel
generator site, three nuclear plants, five
coal plants, nine combustion turbine
plants, eight combined cycle plants, 14
solar energy sites, 29 hydroelectric
dams, and several small renewable
generating facilities. A portion of
delivered power is obtained through
long-term power purchase agreements.
About 13 percent of TVA’s annual
generation is from hydro; 14 percent is
from coal; 27 percent is from natural
gas; 41 percent is from nuclear; and the
remainder is from wind and solar. TVA
also gains available capacity through its
energy efficiency programs. TVA
transmits electricity from these facilities
over almost 16,000 miles of
transmission lines. Like other utility
systems, TVA has power interchange
agreements with utilities surrounding
the Tennessee Valley region, and
routinely buys and sells power.
Background
TVA operates BFN Units 1, 2, and 3
in Limestone County, Alabama. BFN is
located on an 840-acre tract on the north
shore of Wheeler Reservoir at Tennessee
River Mile (TRM) 294, approximately 10
miles northwest of Decatur, Alabama,
and 10 miles southwest of Athens,
Alabama. BFN consists of three General
Electric boiling water reactors (BWRs)
and associated turbine generators that
collectively supply approximately 3,900
MWe of electric power to the TVA
transmission and distribution system.
In March 2002 and June 2002, TVA
issued a Final SEIS (FSEIS) and a
Record of Decision (ROD) for the
operating license renewal of BFN. TVA
submitted a License Renewal
Application (LRA) to the NRC in
December 2003 for a 20-year renewal of
the operating licenses for each BFN
unit. The environmental conclusions of
the NRC FSEIS did not differ from the
TVA FSEIS conclusions, and the NRC
issued Supplement 21 regarding Browns
Ferry Nuclear Plant Units 1, 2, and 3, to
the Generic EIS (GEIS) for License
Renewal of Nuclear Plants (NUREG–
1437) in June 2005. The NRC issued
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:20 May 28, 2021
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operating license renewals for Units 1,
2, and 3 in May 2006, allowing
continued operation of the three BFN
units until 2033, 2034, and 2036,
respectively.
In September 2015, TVA submitted a
license amendment request (LAR) for
extended power uprate (EPU) of all
three units. The NRC issued a draft
Environmental Assessment (EA) and
Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) in the Federal Register on
December 1, 2016 for public comment.
On May 22, 2017 the NRC issued the
Final EA and FONSI related to the EPU
license amendment.
Project Purpose and Need
The purpose of the proposed action is
to help provide continued generation of
baseload power between 2033 and 2053
by obtaining license renewals to operate
BFN Units 1, 2, and 3. BFN is
considered baseload power because the
plant generally runs at close to
maximum output. BFN’s current
baseload generation supports future
forecasted baseload power needs, as
outlined in TVA’s 2019 Integrated
Resource Plan (IRP), by helping to
maintain grid stability and generating
capacity for TVA’s generation portfolio
mix. As an integral part of TVA’s
current generation portfolio, in 2020,
BFN produced approximately 20
percent of TVA’s average generation
capacity. Renewal of the current
operating licenses would allow BFN to
continue supplying approximately 3,900
MWe capacity of baseload power.
TVA needs to generate sufficient
electricity to supply the Tennessee
Valley with increasingly clean, reliable,
and affordable electricity for the
foreseeable future for the region’s homes
and businesses, working with local
power companies to keep service steady
and reliable. By renewing the licenses,
TVA would maximize use of existing
assets to support TVA’s goals of
generating electricity at the lowest
feasible cost for the people of the
Tennessee Valley. BFN’s carbon-free
generating capacity supports TVA’s goal
of a net-zero carbon emissions
generating system by 2050.
Preliminary Proposed Action and
Alternatives
TVA proposes to submit a Subsequent
LRA (SLRA) to the NRC requesting
renewal of BFN operating licenses.
Renewal of the current operating
licenses would permit operation for an
additional 20 years past the current
operating license terms, which expire in
2033, 2034, and 2036 for Units 1, 2, and
3, respectively. This SEIS is being
prepared to provide the public and TVA
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
decision-makers an assessment of the
environmental impacts of renewing BFN
Unit 1, 2, and 3 operations, as well as
provide the public an opportunity to
participate in the SEIS process. License
renewal does not require any new
construction or modifications beyond
normal maintenance and minor
refurbishment. However, there are other
proposed projects not directly related to
SLR that are connected to, or could
affect, license renewal.
The SEIS proposes to address a range
of alternatives (A–D) including: (A) The
No-Action Alternative; (B) BFN
Subsequent License Renewal; (C) Use of
Existing Generating Assets; and (D) Use
of Existing and Construction of New
Generating Assets. Two additional
alternatives, (E) Replacement of BFN
Generating Capacity Entirely with
Renewable Energy Sources and (F)
Replacement of BFN Generating
Capacity Entirely with Purchase Power,
were considered but eliminated.
Anticipated Environmental Impacts
The SEIS will include a detailed
evaluation of the environmental, social,
and economic impacts associated with
implementation of the proposed action.
Resource areas to be addressed in the
SEIS include, but are not limited to: Air
quality; aquatics; botany; climate
change; cultural resources; emergency
planning; floodplains; geology and
groundwater; hydrothermal; land use;
navigation; noise and vibration;
radiological safety; soil erosion and
surface water; socioeconomics and
environmental justice; threatened and
endangered species; transportation;
visual; waste; water use; wetlands; and
wildlife. Measures to avoid, minimize,
and mitigate adverse effects will be
identified and evaluated in the SEIS.
In preparing this SEIS, TVA will
consider the analysis within the NRC’s
Generic Environmental Impact
Statement (GEIS) for License Renewal of
Nuclear Plants (NUREG–1437, Revision
1), where the NRC generically
considered the environmental effects of
renewing nuclear power plant operating
licenses for a 20-year period (results are
codified in 10 CFR part 51). The GEIS
identified 78 environmental issues and
reached generic conclusions on
environmental impacts for 59 of those
issues that apply to all plants or to
plants with specific design or site
characteristics. The GEIS’ generic
assessment is relevant to the assessment
of impacts of the proposed action at
BFN. Generic information from the NRC
GEIS that is related to the current
assessment would be incorporated by
reference, generally following the tiering
process described in 40 CFR 1501.11,
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 103 / Tuesday, June 1, 2021 / Notices
with the SEIS providing a more narrow
analysis relevant to the specific aspects
of this proposed project. Additional
plant-specific review would be
conducted for impacts not covered by
the GEIS and which are encompassed by
the range of resource issue areas
identified above.
Anticipated Permits and Other
Authorizations
TVA anticipates consulting with the
required authorities including, but not
limited to: The Endangered Species Act;
Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act;
Rare Species Protection and
Conservation Act; National Historic
Preservation Act; Clean Air Act; and
Federal Clean Water Act.
TVA anticipates seeking required
permits or authorizations as
appropriate, from the following
governmental entities: The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission; US Army
Corps of Engineers; US Coast Guard; US
Environmental Protection Agency;
Alabama Department of Environment
and Conservation; US Fish and Wildlife
Service; Alabama State Historic
Preservation Officer; and Tribal Historic
Preservation Officers. This is not an
exhaustive list, other permits or
authorizations may be sought as
required or appropriate.
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Rebecca Tolene,
Vice President, Environment.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Notice of Intent To Release Certain
Properties From All Terms, Conditions,
Reservations and Restrictions of a
Quitclaim Deed Agreement Between
City of Tallahassee and the Federal
Aviation Administration for the
Tallahassee International Airport,
Tallahassee, FL
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Request for public comment.
AGENCY:
The FAA hereby provides
notice of intent to release certain airport
properties 44.66 acres at the Tallahassee
International Airport, Tallahassee, FL
from the conditions, reservations, and
restrictions as contained in a Quitclaim
Deed agreement between the FAA and
the City of Tallahassee, dated March 14,
1990. The release of property will allow
the City of Tallahassee to dispose of the
property for non-aeronautical purposes.
The City of Tallahassee requests the
release of a 44.66 acre tract located
along Capital Circle SW in Tallahassee,
SUMMARY:
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Florida to facilitate the widening of
State Road 263 for municipal
development. This capital improvement
project is funded by the Florida
Department of Transportation. The
parcel is currently designated as
aeronautical property. The property will
be released of its federal obligations
given the land is no longer required by
The City of Tallahassee. The Fair Market
Value (FMV) of this parcel has been
determined to be $2,020,050.00.
Documents reflecting the Sponsor’s
request are available, by appointment
only, for inspection at the Tallahassee
International Airport and the FAA
Airports District Office.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Section 125 of The Wendell H. Ford
Aviation Investment and Reform Act for
the 21st Century (AIR–21) requires the
FAA to provide an opportunity for
public notice and comment prior to the
‘‘waiver’’ or ‘‘modification’’ of a
sponsor’s Federal obligation to use
certain airport land for non-aeronautical
purposes.
Comments are due on or before
July 1, 2021.
DATES:
Documents are available for
review at the Tallahassee International
Airport, 3300 Capital Circle SW, Suite
One, Tallahassee, FL 32310–8732 and
the FAA Airports District Office, 8427
SouthPark Circle, Suite 524, Orlando,
FL 32819–9058. Written comments on
the Sponsor’s request must be delivered
or mailed to: Stephen Wilson, Program
Manager, Orlando Airports District
Office, 8427 South Park Circle, Suite
524, Orlando, FL 32819–9058.
In addition, a copy of any comments
submitted to the FAA must be mailed or
delivered to Mr. Eric Houge, Airport
Engineer, Tallahassee International
Airport, 3300 Capital Circle SW, Suite
One, Tallahassee, FL 32310–8732.
ADDRESSES:
BILLING CODE 8120–08–P
TVA seeks comment and participation
from all interested parties for the
proposed action, including, but not
limited to, assisting TVA in determining
the scope of issues for analysis in the
SEIS. Information about this project is
available at https://www.tva.com/nepa,
which includes a link to an online
public comment page. TVA invites the
public to identify other alternatives, and
analysis relevant to the proposed action.
Comments must be received or
postmarked no later than July 1, 2021.
Federal, state, local agencies, and Native
American Tribes are also invited to
provide comments.
Please note that any comments
received, including names and
addresses, will become part of the
project administrative record and will
be available for public inspection.
To accommodate social distancing
guidelines and public health
recommendations related to the COVID–
19 pandemic, TVA will have a virtual
meeting room available for the duration
of the scoping period that includes a
range of information on the proposed
action. Visit https://www.tva.com/nepa
to obtain more information about the
virtual open house.
18:20 May 28, 2021
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9.
[FR Doc. 2021–11557 Filed 5–28–21; 8:45 am]
Public Participation and Scoping
Process
VerDate Sep<11>2014
SEIS Preparation and Schedule
TVA will consider comments received
during the scoping period and develop
a scoping report which will be
published at https://www.tva.com/nepa.
The scoping report will summarize
public and agency comments that were
received and identify the projected
schedule for completing the SEIS
process. Following completion of the
environmental analysis for SLR, TVA
will post a Draft SEIS for public review
and comment on the project web page.
TVA anticipates holding a public open
house, which may be virtual, after
releasing the Draft SEIS. Open house
details will be posted on TVA’s website
in conjunction with the Draft SEIS. TVA
expects to release the Draft SEIS in mid2022.
TVA will consider comments received
on the Draft SEIS, as well as cost,
engineering, risk and other applicable
evaluations before selecting one or more
alternatives as preferred in the Final
SEIS. TVA projects completing a Final
SEIS in early 2023. A final
determination on proceeding with the
preferred alternative will be
documented in a ROD.
29353
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stephen Wilson, Program Manager,
(407) 487–7229, Orlando Airports
District Office, 8427 SouthPark Circle,
Suite 524, Orlando, FL 32819–9058.
Issued in Orlando, FL on May 26, 2021.
Bartholomew Vernace,
Manager, Orlando Airports District Office,
Southern Region.
Revision Date 11/22/00.
[FR Doc. 2021–11435 Filed 5–28–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 103 (Tuesday, June 1, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29351-29353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11557]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement--Browns Ferry Nuclear
Site Subsequent License Renewal
AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) intends to prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to address the
potential environmental effects associated with obtaining subsequent
license renewals (SLR) for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN) Units
1, 2, and 3 located in Limestone County, Alabama. Renewal of the
operating licenses would allow the plant to continue to operate for an
additional 20 years beyond the current operating licenses expiration
dates of 2033, 2034, and 2036 for Units 1, 2, and 3, respectively. TVA
plans to evaluate a variety of alternatives including a no-action
alternative. Public comments are invited to identify other potential
alternatives, relevant information, and analysis related to the
proposed action.
DATES: The public scoping period begins with the publication of this
Notice in the Federal Register and comments on the scope of the SEIS
must be received or postmarked by July 1, 2021. To accommodate social
distancing guidelines and public health recommendations related to the
COVID-19 pandemic, TVA will have a virtual meeting room available for
the duration of the scoping period. Visit https://www.tva.com/nepa to
obtain more information.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted in writing to J. Taylor Cates,
NEPA Specialist, 1101 Market Street, BR 2C-C, Chattanooga, TN 37402.
Comments may also be submitted online at: https://www.tva.com/nepa or
by email to [email protected]. Due to COVID-19 teleworking restrictions,
electronic submission of comments is encouraged to ensure timely review
and consideration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Other related questions should be sent
to Tennessee Valley Authority, J. Taylor Cates, NEPA Specialist, 1101
Market Street, BR 2C-C, Chattanooga, TN 37402, or 423-751-2732/[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice is provided in accordance with
the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations for
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) at 40 CFR
parts 1500-1508 and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act (NHPA), and its implementing regulations (36 CFR part 800). The
SEIS will be prepared consistent with the 2020 CEQ regulations for
implementing NEPA at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508 (85 FR 43304-43376, Jul.
16, 2020). The regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
in 10 CFR part 54 set forth the applicable license extension
requirements.
TVA Power System
TVA is a corporate agency and instrumentality of the United States,
created by and existing pursuant to the TVA Act of 1933 (16 U.S.C. part
831), and created to, among other things, foster the social and
economic welfare of the people of the Tennessee Valley region and
promote the proper use and conservation of the Valley's natural
resources. TVA generates and distributes electricity for business
customers and local power distributors, serving more than 10 million
people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA is fully self-
financed without Federal
[[Page 29352]]
appropriations, and funds virtually all operations through electricity
sales and power system bond financing. In addition to operating and
investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood
control, navigation and management for the Tennessee River system, and
assists local power companies and state and local governments with
economic development efforts.
Dependable electrical capacity on the TVA power system is about
33,000 Mega Watts Electric (MWe). TVA's current generating assets
include one pumped-storage facility, one diesel generator site, three
nuclear plants, five coal plants, nine combustion turbine plants, eight
combined cycle plants, 14 solar energy sites, 29 hydroelectric dams,
and several small renewable generating facilities. A portion of
delivered power is obtained through long-term power purchase
agreements. About 13 percent of TVA's annual generation is from hydro;
14 percent is from coal; 27 percent is from natural gas; 41 percent is
from nuclear; and the remainder is from wind and solar. TVA also gains
available capacity through its energy efficiency programs. TVA
transmits electricity from these facilities over almost 16,000 miles of
transmission lines. Like other utility systems, TVA has power
interchange agreements with utilities surrounding the Tennessee Valley
region, and routinely buys and sells power.
Background
TVA operates BFN Units 1, 2, and 3 in Limestone County, Alabama.
BFN is located on an 840-acre tract on the north shore of Wheeler
Reservoir at Tennessee River Mile (TRM) 294, approximately 10 miles
northwest of Decatur, Alabama, and 10 miles southwest of Athens,
Alabama. BFN consists of three General Electric boiling water reactors
(BWRs) and associated turbine generators that collectively supply
approximately 3,900 MWe of electric power to the TVA transmission and
distribution system.
In March 2002 and June 2002, TVA issued a Final SEIS (FSEIS) and a
Record of Decision (ROD) for the operating license renewal of BFN. TVA
submitted a License Renewal Application (LRA) to the NRC in December
2003 for a 20-year renewal of the operating licenses for each BFN unit.
The environmental conclusions of the NRC FSEIS did not differ from the
TVA FSEIS conclusions, and the NRC issued Supplement 21 regarding
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Units 1, 2, and 3, to the Generic EIS (GEIS)
for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (NUREG-1437) in June 2005. The
NRC issued operating license renewals for Units 1, 2, and 3 in May
2006, allowing continued operation of the three BFN units until 2033,
2034, and 2036, respectively.
In September 2015, TVA submitted a license amendment request (LAR)
for extended power uprate (EPU) of all three units. The NRC issued a
draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) in the Federal Register on December 1, 2016 for public
comment. On May 22, 2017 the NRC issued the Final EA and FONSI related
to the EPU license amendment.
Project Purpose and Need
The purpose of the proposed action is to help provide continued
generation of baseload power between 2033 and 2053 by obtaining license
renewals to operate BFN Units 1, 2, and 3. BFN is considered baseload
power because the plant generally runs at close to maximum output.
BFN's current baseload generation supports future forecasted baseload
power needs, as outlined in TVA's 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP),
by helping to maintain grid stability and generating capacity for TVA's
generation portfolio mix. As an integral part of TVA's current
generation portfolio, in 2020, BFN produced approximately 20 percent of
TVA's average generation capacity. Renewal of the current operating
licenses would allow BFN to continue supplying approximately 3,900 MWe
capacity of baseload power.
TVA needs to generate sufficient electricity to supply the
Tennessee Valley with increasingly clean, reliable, and affordable
electricity for the foreseeable future for the region's homes and
businesses, working with local power companies to keep service steady
and reliable. By renewing the licenses, TVA would maximize use of
existing assets to support TVA's goals of generating electricity at the
lowest feasible cost for the people of the Tennessee Valley. BFN's
carbon-free generating capacity supports TVA's goal of a net-zero
carbon emissions generating system by 2050.
Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives
TVA proposes to submit a Subsequent LRA (SLRA) to the NRC
requesting renewal of BFN operating licenses. Renewal of the current
operating licenses would permit operation for an additional 20 years
past the current operating license terms, which expire in 2033, 2034,
and 2036 for Units 1, 2, and 3, respectively. This SEIS is being
prepared to provide the public and TVA decision-makers an assessment of
the environmental impacts of renewing BFN Unit 1, 2, and 3 operations,
as well as provide the public an opportunity to participate in the SEIS
process. License renewal does not require any new construction or
modifications beyond normal maintenance and minor refurbishment.
However, there are other proposed projects not directly related to SLR
that are connected to, or could affect, license renewal.
The SEIS proposes to address a range of alternatives (A-D)
including: (A) The No-Action Alternative; (B) BFN Subsequent License
Renewal; (C) Use of Existing Generating Assets; and (D) Use of Existing
and Construction of New Generating Assets. Two additional alternatives,
(E) Replacement of BFN Generating Capacity Entirely with Renewable
Energy Sources and (F) Replacement of BFN Generating Capacity Entirely
with Purchase Power, were considered but eliminated.
Anticipated Environmental Impacts
The SEIS will include a detailed evaluation of the environmental,
social, and economic impacts associated with implementation of the
proposed action. Resource areas to be addressed in the SEIS include,
but are not limited to: Air quality; aquatics; botany; climate change;
cultural resources; emergency planning; floodplains; geology and
groundwater; hydrothermal; land use; navigation; noise and vibration;
radiological safety; soil erosion and surface water; socioeconomics and
environmental justice; threatened and endangered species;
transportation; visual; waste; water use; wetlands; and wildlife.
Measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse effects will be
identified and evaluated in the SEIS.
In preparing this SEIS, TVA will consider the analysis within the
NRC's Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for License Renewal
of Nuclear Plants (NUREG-1437, Revision 1), where the NRC generically
considered the environmental effects of renewing nuclear power plant
operating licenses for a 20-year period (results are codified in 10 CFR
part 51). The GEIS identified 78 environmental issues and reached
generic conclusions on environmental impacts for 59 of those issues
that apply to all plants or to plants with specific design or site
characteristics. The GEIS' generic assessment is relevant to the
assessment of impacts of the proposed action at BFN. Generic
information from the NRC GEIS that is related to the current assessment
would be incorporated by reference, generally following the tiering
process described in 40 CFR 1501.11,
[[Page 29353]]
with the SEIS providing a more narrow analysis relevant to the specific
aspects of this proposed project. Additional plant-specific review
would be conducted for impacts not covered by the GEIS and which are
encompassed by the range of resource issue areas identified above.
Anticipated Permits and Other Authorizations
TVA anticipates consulting with the required authorities including,
but not limited to: The Endangered Species Act; Bald and Golden Eagle
Protection Act; Rare Species Protection and Conservation Act; National
Historic Preservation Act; Clean Air Act; and Federal Clean Water Act.
TVA anticipates seeking required permits or authorizations as
appropriate, from the following governmental entities: The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission; US Army Corps of Engineers; US Coast Guard; US
Environmental Protection Agency; Alabama Department of Environment and
Conservation; US Fish and Wildlife Service; Alabama State Historic
Preservation Officer; and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. This
is not an exhaustive list, other permits or authorizations may be
sought as required or appropriate.
Public Participation and Scoping Process
TVA seeks comment and participation from all interested parties for
the proposed action, including, but not limited to, assisting TVA in
determining the scope of issues for analysis in the SEIS. Information
about this project is available at https://www.tva.com/nepa, which
includes a link to an online public comment page. TVA invites the
public to identify other alternatives, and analysis relevant to the
proposed action. Comments must be received or postmarked no later than
July 1, 2021. Federal, state, local agencies, and Native American
Tribes are also invited to provide comments.
Please note that any comments received, including names and
addresses, will become part of the project administrative record and
will be available for public inspection.
To accommodate social distancing guidelines and public health
recommendations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, TVA will have a
virtual meeting room available for the duration of the scoping period
that includes a range of information on the proposed action. Visit
https://www.tva.com/nepa to obtain more information about the virtual
open house.
SEIS Preparation and Schedule
TVA will consider comments received during the scoping period and
develop a scoping report which will be published at https://www.tva.com/nepa. The scoping report will summarize public and agency
comments that were received and identify the projected schedule for
completing the SEIS process. Following completion of the environmental
analysis for SLR, TVA will post a Draft SEIS for public review and
comment on the project web page. TVA anticipates holding a public open
house, which may be virtual, after releasing the Draft SEIS. Open house
details will be posted on TVA's website in conjunction with the Draft
SEIS. TVA expects to release the Draft SEIS in mid-2022.
TVA will consider comments received on the Draft SEIS, as well as
cost, engineering, risk and other applicable evaluations before
selecting one or more alternatives as preferred in the Final SEIS. TVA
projects completing a Final SEIS in early 2023. A final determination
on proceeding with the preferred alternative will be documented in a
ROD.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9.
Rebecca Tolene,
Vice President, Environment.
[FR Doc. 2021-11557 Filed 5-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P
