Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2, 35831-35837 [2021-14456]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 2021–14396 Filed 7–6–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50–456 and 50–457; NRC–
2021–0128]
Exelon Generation Company, LLC;
Braidwood Station, Units 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. NPF–72
and NPF–77, that were issued to Exelon
Generation Company, LLC, (licensee) for
operation of the Braidwood Station,
Units 1 and 2. The proposed
amendments are contained in the
licensee’s letter dated May 27, 2021, and
would change technical specifications
(TSs) surveillance requirement (SR)
3.7.9.2 to allow an ultimate heat sink
(UHS) temperature of less than or equal
to 102.8 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) until
September 30, 2021.
DATES: The environmental assessment
and finding of no significant impact
referenced in this document are
available on July 7, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID
NRC–2021–0128 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:
SUMMARY:
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35831
• Federal Rulemaking website: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov and search
for Docket ID NRC–2021–0128. Address
questions about Docket IDs in
Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann;
telephone: 301–415–0624; email:
Stacy.Schumann@nrc.gov. For technical
questions, contact the individuals 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
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
adams.html. To begin the search, 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. For the convenience of the
reader, the ADAMS accession numbers
are provided in a table in the
‘‘Availability of Documents’’ section of
this document.
• Attention: The PDR, where you may
examine and order copies of public
documents, is currently closed. You
may submit your request to the PDR via
email at pdr.resource@nrc.gov or call 1–
800–397–4209 or 301–415–4737,
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET),
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Briana Arlene, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards,
telephone: 301–415–1042; email:
Briana.Arlene@nrc.gov; and Joel Wiebe,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation,
telephone: 301–415–6606, email:
Joel.Wiebe@nrc.gov. Both are staff of the
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. NPF–72 and
NPF–77, that were issued to Exelon
Generation Company, LLC, (Exelon) for
operation of the Braidwood Station,
Units 1 and 2, located in Will County,
Illinois. Exelon submitted its license
amendment request in accordance with
Section 50.90 of title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulation (10 CFR), by letter
dated May 27, 2021. If approved, the
license amendments would revise
technical specification SR in TS 3.7.9.2
to allow a temporary increase in the
allowable UHS average temperature of
less than or equal to (≤) 102.8 °F (39.3
degrees Celsius (°C)) through September
30, 2021. Therefore, as required by 10
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Notices
CFR 50.21, the NRC performed an
environmental assessment (EA). Based
on the results of the EA that follows, the
NRC has determined not to prepare an
environmental impact statement for the
proposed amendments and is issuing a
finding of no significant impact
(FONSI).
II. Environmental Assessment
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Plant Site and Environs
Braidwood is in Will County, Illinois
approximately 50 miles (mi); 80
kilometers (km) southwest of the
Chicago Metropolitan Area and 20 mi
(32 km) south-southwest of Joliet. The
Kankakee River is approximately 5 mi (8
km) east of the eastern site boundary.
An onsite 2,540-acre (ac); 1,030-hectare
(ha) cooling pond provides condenser
cooling. Cooling water is withdrawn
from the pond through the lake screen
house, which is located at the north end
of the pond. Heated water returns to the
cooling pond through a discharge canal
west of the lake screen house intake that
is separated from the intake by a dike.
The pond typically holds 22,300 acrefeet (27.5 million cubic meters) of water
at any given time. The cooling pond
includes both ‘‘essential’’ and ‘‘nonessential’’ areas. The essential cooling
pond is the portion of the cooling pond
that serves as the UHS for emergency
core cooling, and it consists of a 99-ac
(40-ha) excavated area of the pond
directly in front of the lake screen
house. The essential cooling pond’s
principal functions are to dissipate
residual heat after reactor shutdown and
to dissipate heat after an accident. It is
capable of supplying Braidwood’s
cooling system with water for 30 days
of station operation without additional
makeup water. For clarity, use of the
term ‘‘UHS’’ in this EA refers to the 99ac (40-ha) essential cooling pond, and
use of the term ‘‘cooling pond’’ or
‘‘pond’’ describes the entire 2,540-ac
(1,030-ha) area, which includes both the
essential and non-essential areas.
The cooling pond is part of the
Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and
Wildlife Area, which encompasses the
majority of the non-UHS area of the
cooling pond as well as Illinois
Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
owned lands adjacent to the Braidwood
site to the south and southwest of the
cooling pond. Exelon and the IDNR
have jointly managed the cooling pond
as part of the Mazonia-Braidwood State
Fish and Wildlife Area since 1991
pursuant to a long-term lease agreement.
Under the terms of the agreement, the
public has access to the pond for
fishing, waterfowl hunting, fossil
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collecting, and other recreational
activities.
The cooling pond is a wastewater
treatment works as defined by Section
301.415 of Title 35 of the Illinois
Administrative Code (35 IAC 301.415).
Under this definition, the cooling pond
is not considered waters of the State
under Illinois Administrative Code (35
IAC 301.440) or waters of the United
States under the Federal Clean Water
Act (40 CFR 230.3(s)), and so the
cooling pond is not subject to State
water quality standards. The cooling
pond can be characterized as a managed
ecosystem where IDNR fish stocking
and other human activities primarily
influence the species composition and
population dynamics.
Since the beginning of the lease
agreement between Exelon and IDNR,
the IDNR has stocked the cooling pond
with a variety of game fish, including
largemouth bass (Micropterus
salmoides), smallmouth bass (M.
dolomieu), blue catfish (Ictalurus
furcatus), striped bass (Morone
saxatilis), crappie (Pomoxis spp.),
walleye (Sander vitreum), and tiger
muskellunge (Esox masquinongy x
lucius). IDNR performs annual surveys
to determine which fish to stock based
on fishermen preferences, fish
abundance, different species’ tolerance
to warm waters, predator and prey
dynamics, and other factors. Because of
the warm water temperatures
experienced in the summer months,
introductions of warm-water species,
such as largemouth bass and blue
catfish, have been more successful than
introductions of cool-water species,
such as walleye and tiger muskellunge.
Since annual surveys began in 1980,
IDNR has collected 47 species in the
cooling pond. In recent years, bluegill
(Lepomis macrochirus), channel catfish
(Ictalurus punctatus), threadfin shad
(Dorosoma petenense), and common
carp (Cyprinus carpio) have been among
the most abundant species in the
cooling pond. Gizzard shad (Dorosoma
cepedianum), one of the most frequently
affected species during periods of
elevated pond temperatures, have
decreased in abundance dramatically in
recent years, while bluegills, which can
tolerate high temperatures with
relatively high survival rates, have
noticeably increased in relative
abundance. IDNR-stocked warm water
game species, such as largemouth bass
and blue catfish, continue to persist in
small numbers, while cooler water
stocked species, such as walleye and
tiger muskellunge, no longer appear in
IDNR survey collections. No federally
listed species or designated critical
habitats protected under the Endangered
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Species Act (ESA) occur within or near
the cooling pond.
The Kankakee River serves as the
source of makeup water for the cooling
pond. The river also receives
continuous blowdown from the cooling
pond. Water is withdrawn from a small
river screen house located on the
Kankakee River, and liquid effluents
from Braidwood are discharged into the
cooling pond blowdown line, which
subsequently discharges into the
Kankakee River.
The plant site and environs are
described in greater detail in Chapter 3
of the NRC’s November 2015, Generic
Environmental Impact Statement for
License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:
Regarding Braidwood Station, Units 1
and 2, Final Report (NUREG–1437,
Supplement 55) (herein referred to as
the ‘‘Braidwood FSEIS’’ (Final
Supplemental Environment Impact
Statement)). Figure 3–5 on page 3–7 of
the Braidwood FSEIS depicts the
Braidwood plant layout, and Figure 3–
4 on page 3–6 depicts the cooling pond,
including the portion of the pond that
constitutes the essential cooling pond
(or UHS) and the blowdown line to the
Kankakee River.
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the
Braidwood TS to allow a temporary
increase in the allowable average
temperature of water withdrawn from
the UHS and supplied to the plant for
cooling from ≤102 °F (38.9 °C) to
≤102.8 °F (39.3 °C) until September 30,
2021. Specifically, the proposed action
would revise TS SR 3.7.9.2, which
currently states, ‘‘Verify average water
temperature of UHS is ≤102.8 °F until
September 30, 2020. After September
30, 2020, verify average water
temperature of UHS is ≤102 °F’’ to state
‘‘Verify average water temperature of
UHS is ≤102.8 °F until September 30,
2021. After September 30, 2021, verify
average water temperature of UHS is
≤102 °F.’’
Under the current TS, if the average
UHS temperature as measured at the
discharge of the operating essential
service water system pumps is greater
than 102 °F (38.9 °C), TS 3.7.9 Required
Actions A.1 and A.2 would be entered
concurrently and would require the
licensee to place Braidwood in hot
standby (Mode 3) within 12 hours and
cold shutdown (Mode 5) within 36
hours. The proposed action would allow
Braidwood to continue to operate
during times when the UHS indicated
average water temperature exceeds
102 °F (38.9 °C) but is less than or equal
to 102.8 °F (39.3 °C) until September 30,
2021. The current TS’s UHS average
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water temperature limit of 102 °F (38.9
°C) would remain applicable to all other
time periods beyond September 30,
2021.
The proposed action is nearly
identical to previously approved license
amendments that allowed for the
average water temperature of the UHS to
be ≤102.8 °F until September 30, 2020.
The NRC issued an EA for the 2020 UHS
amendments in the Federal Register on
September 10, 2020, (85 FR 55863) and
the NRC issued the amendments on
September 24, 2020. The only difference
between the previously approved
amendments to SR 3.7.9.2 and the
proposed action is that the proposed
action would replace ‘‘2020’’ with
‘‘2021.’’ The proposed action is in
accordance with the licensee’s
application dated May 27, 2021.
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Need for the Proposed Action
The licensee has requested the
proposed amendments in connection
with historical meteorological and
atmospheric conditions that have
resulted in the TS UHS temperature
being challenged. These conditions
included elevated air temperatures, high
humidity, and low wind speed.
Specifically, from July 4, 2020, through
July 9, 2020, northern Illinois
experienced high air temperatures and
drought conditions, which caused
sustained elevated UHS temperatures.
In response to these conditions in 2020,
the licensee submitted license
amendment requests contained in the
licensee’s letter dated July 15, 2020, as
supplemented by letter dated August 14,
2020. The NRC subsequently granted
Exelon’s request in September 2020.
The licensee projects that similar
conditions are likely this year.
The proposed action would provide
the licensee with operational flexibility
until September 30, 2021, during which
continued high UHS temperatures are
likely so that the plant shutdown
criteria specified in the TS are not
triggered.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
Regarding radiological impacts, the
proposed action would not result in any
changes in the types of radioactive
effluents that may be released from the
plant offsite. No significant increase in
the amount of any radioactive effluent
released offsite or significant increase in
occupational or public radiation
exposure is expected from the proposed
action. Separate from this EA, the NRC
staff is evaluating the licensee’s safety
analyses of the potential radiological
consequences of an accident that may
result from the proposed action. The
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results of the NRC staff’s safety analysis
will be documented in a safety
evaluation (SE). If the NRC staff
concludes in the SE that all pertinent
regulatory requirements related to
radiological effluents are met by the
proposed UHS temperature limit
increase, then the proposed action
would result in no significant
radiological impact to the environment.
The NRC staff’s SE will be issued with
the license amendments, if approved by
the NRC. If the NRC staff concludes that
all pertinent regulatory requirements are
not met by the proposed UHS
temperature limit increase, the
requested amendment would not be
issued.
Regarding potential non-radiological
impacts, temporarily raising the
maximum allowable UHS temperature
from ≤102 °F (38.9 °C) to ≤102.8 °F (39.3
°C) could cause increased cooling pond
water temperatures until September 30,
2021. Because the proposed action
would not affect Braidwood’s licensed
thermal power level, the temperature
rise across the condensers as cooling
water travels through the cooling system
would remain constant. Thus, if water
in the UHS were to rise to 102.8 °F (39.3
°C), heated water returning to the
cooling pond through the discharge
canal, which lies west of the river
screen house, would also experience a
corresponding 0.8 °F (0.4 °C) increase.
That additional heat load would
dissipate across some thermal gradient
as discharged water travels down the
discharge canal and through the 99-ac
(40-ha) UHS.
Fish kills are likely to occur when
cooling pond temperatures rise above
95 °F (35 °C), the temperature at which
most fish in the cooling pond are
thermally stressed. For example, Section
3.7.4 of the Braidwood FSEIS describes
six fish kill events for the period of 2001
through 2015. The fish kill events,
which occurred in July 2001, August
2001, June 2005, August 2007, June
2009, and July 2012, primarily affected
threadfin shad and gizzard shad,
although bass, catfish, carp, and other
game fish were also affected. Reported
peak temperatures in the cooling pond
during these events ranged from 98.4 °F
(36.9 °C) to over 100 °F (37.8 °C), and
each event resulted in the death of
between 700 to as many as 10,000 fish.
During the July 2012 event, cooling
pond temperatures exceeded 100 °F
(37.8 °C), which resulted in the death of
approximately 3,000 gizzard shad and
100 bass, catfish, and carp. This event
coincided with the NRC’s granting of
Enforcement Discretion to allow
Braidwood to continue to operate above
the TS limit of ≤100 °F (37.8 °C). The
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IDNR attributed this event, as well as
four of the other fish kill events, to high
cooling pond temperatures resulting
from Braidwood operation. Appendix B,
Section 4.1 of the Braidwood renewed
facility operating licenses, requires
Exelon to report to the NRC the
occurrence of unusual or important
environmental events, including fish
kills, causally related to plant operation.
Since the issuance of the Braidwood
FSEIS in November 2015, Exelon has
not reported any additional fish kill
events to the NRC. Although not
causally related to plant operation, fish
kills have occurred since this time, the
most recent of which occurred in
August 2018 and July 2020.
In Section 4.7.1.3 of the Braidwood
FSEIS, the NRC staff concluded that
thermal impacts associated with
continued operation of Braidwood
during the license renewal term would
result in SMALL to MODERATE
impacts to aquatic resources in the
cooling pond. MODERATE impacts
would primarily be experienced by
gizzard shad and other non-stocked and
low-heat tolerant species. As part of its
conclusion, the NRC staff also noted
that because the cooling pond is a
highly managed system, any cascading
effects that result from the loss of
gizzard shad (such as reduction in prey
for stocked species, which in turn could
affect those stocked species’
populations) could be mitigated through
IDNR’s annual stocking and continual
management of the pond. At that time,
the UHS TS limit was ≤100 °F (37.8 °C).
In 2016, the NRC granted license
amendments that increased the
allowable UHS average water
temperature TS limit from ≤100 °F (37.8
°C) to ≤102.0 °F (38.9 °C). In the EA
associated with these amendments, the
NRC staff concluded that increasing the
TS limit to ≤102.0 °F (38.9 °C) would
have no significant environmental
impacts, and the NRC issued a FONSI
with the EA.
In 2020, the NRC granted license
amendments that temporarily increased
the allowable UHS average water
temperature TS limit from ≤102.0 °F
(38.9 °C) to ≤102.8 °F (39.3 °C) until
September 30, 2020. In the EA
associated with these amendments, the
NRC staff concluded that temporarily
increasing the TS limit to ≤102.8 °F
(39.3 °C) would have no significant
environmental impacts, and the NRC
issued a FONSI with the EA.
The NRC staff finds that the proposed
action would not result in significant
impacts to aquatic resources in the
cooling pond for the same reasons that
the NRC staff made this conclusion
regarding the 2020 amendments. The
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staff’s justification for this conclusion
follows.
The proposed increase in the
allowable UHS average water
temperature limit by 0.8 °F (0.4 °C)
would not increase the likelihood of a
fish kill event attributable to high
cooling pond temperatures because the
current TS limit for the UHS of 102.0 °F
(38.9 °C) already allows cooling pond
temperatures above those at which most
fish species are thermally stressed (95 °F
(35 °C)). In effect, if the UHS
temperature rises to the current TS
limit, fish within or near the discharge
canal, within the flow path between the
discharge canal and UHS, or within the
UHS itself would have already
experienced thermal stress and possibly
died. Thus, an incremental increase in
the allowable UHS water temperature by
0.8 °F (0.4 °C) and the corresponding
temperature increases within and near
the discharge canal and within the flow
path between the discharge canal and
UHS would not significantly affect the
number of fish kill events experienced
in the cooling pond. Additionally, the
proposed action would only increase
the allowable UHS average water
temperature until September 30, 2021.
Thus, any impacts to the aquatic
community of the cooling pond, if
experienced, would be temporary in
nature, and fish populations would
likely recover relatively quickly.
While the proposed action would not
affect the likelihood of a fish kill event
occurring during periods when the
average UHS water temperature
approaches the TS limit, the proposed
action could increase the number of fish
killed per high temperature event. For
fish with thermal tolerances at or near
95 °F (35 °C), there would likely be no
significant difference in the number of
affected fish per high temperature event
because, as already stated, these fish
would have already experienced
thermal stress and possibly died and the
additional temperature increase would
not measurably affect the mortality rate
of these individuals. For fish with
thermal tolerances above 95 °F (35 °C),
such as bluegill, increased mortality is
possible, as described in this notice.
The available scientific literature
provides conflicting information as to
whether incremental temperature
increases would cause a subsequent
increase in mortality rates of bluegill or
other high-temperature-tolerant fish
when temperatures exceed 100 °F (37.8
°C). For instance, in laboratory studies,
Banner and Van Arman (1973)
demonstrated 85 percent survival of
juvenile bluegill after 24 hours of
exposure to 98.6 °F (37.0 °C) water for
stock acclimated to 91.2 °F (32.9 °C). At
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100.0 °F (37.8 °C), survival decreased to
25 percent, and at 100.4 °F (38.0 °C) and
102.0 °F (38.9 °C), no individuals
survived. Even at one hour of exposure
to 102.0 °F (38.9 °C) water, average
survival was relatively low at between
40 to 67.5 percent per replicate.
However, in another laboratory study,
Cairns (1956 in Banner and Van Arman
1973) demonstrated that if juvenile
bluegill were acclimated to higher
temperatures at a 3.6 °F (2.0 °C) increase
per day, individuals could tolerate
water temperatures up to 102.6 °F (39.2
°C) with 80 percent survival after 24
hours of exposure.
Although these studies provide
inconsistent thermal tolerance limits,
information from past fish kill events
indicates that Cairns’ results better
describe the cooling pond’s bluegill
population because Exelon has not
reported bluegill as one of the species
that has been affected by past high
temperature events. Thus, bluegills are
likely acclimating to temperature rises
at a rate that allows those individuals to
remain in high temperature areas until
temperatures decrease or that allows
individuals time to seek refuge in cooler
areas of the pond. Alternately, if Banner
and Van Arman’s results were more
predictive, 75 percent or more of
bluegill individuals in high temperature
areas of the cooling pond could be
expected to die at temperatures
approaching or exceeding 100 °F (37.8
°C) for 24 hours, and shorter exposure
time would likely result in the death of
some reduced percentage of bluegill
individuals.
Under the proposed action, fish
exposure to temperatures approaching
the proposed UHS TS average water
temperature limit of 102.8 °F (39.3 °C)
and those exposed to the associated
discharge, which would be 0.8 °F (0.4
°C) higher than under the current TS
limit, for at least one hour would result
in observable deaths. However, as stated
previously, Exelon has not reported
bluegill as one of the species that has
been affected during past fish kills.
Consequently, the NRC staff assumes
that bluegill and other hightemperature-tolerant species in the
cooling pond would experience effects
similar to those observed in Cairn’s
study. Based on Cairn’s results, the
proposed action’s incremental and
short-term increase of 0.8 °F (0.4 °C)
could result in the death of some
additional high-temperature-tolerant
individuals, especially in cases where
cooling pond temperatures rise
dramatically over a short period of time
(more than 3.6 °F (2.0 °C) in a 24-hour
period).
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Nonetheless, the discharge canal, flow
path between the discharge canal and
the UHS, and the UHS itself is a small
portion of the cooling pond. Thus, while
the incremental increase would likely
increase the area over which cooling
pond temperatures would rise, most of
the cooling pond would remain at
tolerable temperatures, and fish would
be able to seek refuge in those cooler
areas. Therefore, only fish within or
near the discharge canal, within the
flow path between the discharge canal
and UHS, or within the UHS itself at the
time of elevated temperatures would
likely be affected, and fish would
experience such effects to lessening
degrees over the thermal gradient that
extends from the discharge canal. This
would not result in a significant
difference in the number of fish killed
per high temperature event resulting
from the proposed action when
compared to current operations for
those species with thermal tolerances at
or near 95 °F (35 °C) and an insignificant
increase in the number of individuals
affected for species with thermal
tolerances above 95 °F (35 °C), such as
bluegill. Additionally, the cooling pond
is a managed ecosystem in which fish
stocking, fishing pressure, and predatorprey relationships constitute the
primary population pressures.
Fish populations affected by fish kills
generally recover quickly, and thus, fish
kills do not appear to significantly
influence the fish community structure.
This is demonstrated by the fact that the
species that are most often affected by
high temperature events (threadfin shad
and gizzard shad) are also among the
most abundant species in the cooling
pond. Managed species would continue
to be assessed and stocked by the IDNR
on an annual basis in accordance with
the lease agreement between Exelon and
IDNR. Continued stocking would
mitigate any minor effects resulting
from the proposed action.
Based on the foregoing analysis, the
NRC staff concludes that the proposed
action would not result in significant
impacts to aquatic resources in the
cooling pond.
Some terrestrial species, such as birds
or other wildlife, rely on fish or other
aquatic resources from the cooling pond
as a source of food. The NRC staff does
not expect any significant impacts to
birds or other wildlife because, if a fish
kill occurs, the number of dead fish
would be a small proportion of the total
population of fish in the cooling pond.
Furthermore, during fish kills, birds and
other wildlife could consume many of
the floating, dead fish. Additionally,
and as described previously, the NRC
staff does not expect that the proposed
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action would result in a significant
difference in the number or intensity of
fish kill events or otherwise result in
significant impacts on aquatic resources
in the cooling pond.
With respect to water resources and
ecological resources along and within
the Kankakee River, the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency
imposes regulatory controls on
Braidwood’s thermal effluent through
Title 35, Environmental Protection,
Section 302, ‘‘Water Quality Standards,’’
of the Illinois Administrative Code (35
IAC 302) and through the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) permitting process pursuant to
the Clean Water Act. Section 302 of the
Illinois Administrative Code stipulates
that ‘‘[t]he maximum temperature rise
shall not exceed 2.8 °C (5 °F) above
natural receiving water body
temperatures,’’ (35 IAC 302.211(d)) and
that ‘‘[w]ater temperature at
representative locations in the main
river shall at no time exceed 33.7 °C
(93 °F) from April through November
and 17.7 °C (63 °F) in other months’’ (35
IAC 302.211(e)). Additional stipulations
pertaining to the mixing zone further
protect water resources and biota from
thermal effluents. The Braidwood
NPDES permit contains special
conditions that mirror these temperature
requirements and that stipulate more
detailed temperature requirements at
the edge of the mixing zone. Under the
proposed action, Braidwood thermal
effluent would continue to be limited by
the Illinois Administrative Code and the
Braidwood NPDES permit to ensure that
Braidwood operations do not create
adverse effects on water resources or
ecological resources along or within the
Kankakee River. Occasionally, Exelon
has applied for a provisional variance to
allow higher-than-permitted
temperatures at the edge of the
discharge mixing zone. For instance,
Exelon applied for and the IEPA granted
one provisional variance in 2012 during
a period of extremely warm weather and
little to no precipitation. Exelon
reported no fish kills or other events to
the IEPA or the NRC that would indicate
adverse environmental effects resulting
from the provisional variance. The
details of this provisional variance are
described in Section 4.7.1.3 of the
Braidwood FSEIS.
Under the proposed action, Exelon
would remain subject to the regulatory
controls described in this notice. The
NRC staff finds it reasonable to assume
that Exelon’s continued compliance
with, and the State’s continued
enforcement of, the Illinois
Administrative Code and the Braidwood
NPDES permit would ensure that
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Kankakee River water and ecological
resources are protected. Further, the
proposed action would not alter the
types or amount of effluents being
discharged to the river as blowdown.
Therefore, the NRC staff does not expect
any significant impacts to water
resources or ecological resources within
and along the Kankakee River from
temporarily increasing the allowable
UHS average water temperature TS
limit.
With respect to federally listed
species, the NRC staff consulted with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS) pursuant to section 7 of the ESA
during its license renewal
environmental review for Braidwood.
During that consultation, the NRC staff
found that the sheepnose (Plethobasus
cyphyus) and snuffbox (Epioblasma
triquetra) mussels had the potential to
occur in the areas that would be directly
or indirectly affected by license renewal
(i.e., the action area). In September
2015, Exelon transmitted the results of
a mussel survey to the NRC and FWS.
The survey documented the absence of
federally listed mussels near the
Braidwood discharge site in the
Kankakee River. Based on this survey
and other information described in the
Braidwood FSEIS, the NRC concluded
that the license renewal may affect, but
is not likely to adversely affect the
sheepnose mussel, and the NRC
determined that license renewal would
have no effect on the snuffbox mussel.
The FWS concurred with the NRC’s
‘‘not likely to adversely affect’’
determination in a letter dated October
20, 2015. The results of the consultation
are further summarized in the Record of
Decision for Braidwood license renewal.
As previously described, impacts of
the proposed action would be confined
to the cooling pond and would not
affect water resources or ecological
resources along and within the
Kankakee River. The NRC’s previous
ESA section 7 consultation confirmed
that no federally listed aquatic species
occur within or near the cooling pond.
The NRC has not identified any
information indicating the presence of
federally listed species in the area since
that consultation concluded, and the
FWS has not listed any new aquatic
species that may occur in the area since
that time. The proposed action would
not result in any disturbance or other
impacts to terrestrial habitats, and thus,
no federally listed terrestrial species
would be affected. Accordingly, the
NRC staff concludes that the proposed
action would have no effect on federally
listed species or designated critical
habitat. Consultation with the FWS for
the proposed action is not necessary
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because Federal agencies are not
required to consult with the FWS if the
agency determines that an action will
have no effect on listed species or
critical habitat.
The NRC staff has identified no
foreseeable land use, visual resource,
noise, or waste management impacts
given that the proposed action would
not result in any physical changes to
Braidwood facilities or equipment or
changes any land uses on or off site. The
NRC staff has identified no air quality
impacts given that the proposed action
would not result in air emissions
beyond what would be experienced
during current operations. Additionally,
there would be no socioeconomic,
environmental justice, or historic and
cultural resource impacts associated
with the proposed action since no
physical changes would occur beyond
the site boundaries and any impacts
would be limited to the cooling pond.
Based on the foregoing analysis, the
NRC staff concludes that the proposed
action would have no significant
environmental impacts.
Environmental Impacts of the
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed
action, the NRC staff considered the
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the
‘‘no-action’’ alternative). Denial of the
proposed action would result in no
changes to the current TS. Thus, under
the proposed action, the licensee would
continue to be required to place
Braidwood in hot standby (Mode 3) if
average UHS water temperatures exceed
102 °F (38.9 °C) for the temporary period
of July 2021 through September 2021.
The no-action alternative would result
in no change in current environmental
conditions or impacts at Braidwood.
Alternative Use of Resources
There are no unresolved conflicts
concerning alternative uses of available
resources under the proposed action.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
No additional agencies or persons
were consulted regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed
action.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC is considering issuing
amendments for Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. NPF–72 and
NPF–77, issued to Exelon for operation
of Braidwood that would revise the TS
for the plant to temporarily increase the
allowable average temperature of the
UHS.
On the basis of the EA included in
Section II and incorporated by reference
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Notices
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 as
well as the NRC’s independent review
of other relevant environmental
documents. Section IV lists the
environmental documents related to the
proposed action and includes
information on the availability of these
documents. Based on its finding, the
NRC has decided not to prepare an
environmental impact statement for the
proposed action.
This FONSI and other related
environmental documents are available
for public inspection and are accessible
online in the ADAMS Public Documents
collection at https://www.nrc.gov/
reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who
do not have access to ADAMS or who
encounter problems in accessing the
documents located in ADAMS should
contact the NRC’s PDR reference staff by
telephone at 1–800–397–4209 or 301–
415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@
nrc.gov.
IV. Availability of Documents
The documents identified in the
following table are available to
interested persons through the methods
indicated.
ADAMS
Accession No.
Document
License Amendment Request
Exelon Generation Company, LLC .....................................................................................................................................................
License Amendment to Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2, Technical Specification 3.7.9, ‘‘Ultimate Heat Sink.’’
Dated May 27, 2021.
ML21147A543
Other Referenced Documents
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Cairns J. 1956. Effects of heat on fish. Industrial Wastes, 1 :180–183 .............................................................................................
Banner A, Van Arman JA. 1973. Thermal effects on eggs, larvae and juveniles of bluegill sunfish. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA–R3–73–041.
Ecological Specialists, Inc ...................................................................................................................................................................
Final Report: Five Year Post-Construction Monitoring of the Unionid Community Near the Braidwood Station Kankakee River
Discharge.
Dated September 29, 2015.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC .....................................................................................................................................................
Byron and Braidwood Stations, Units 1 and 2, License Renewal Application, Braidwood Station Applicant’s Environmental Report, Responses to Requests for Additional Information, Environmental RAIs AQ–11 to AQ–15.
Dated April 30, 2014.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ............................................................................................................................................................
Concurrence Letter Concluding Informal Consultation with the NRC for Braidwood License Renewal.
Dated October 20, 2015.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC .....................................................................................................................................................
License Amendment to Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2, Technical Specification 3.7.9, ‘‘Ultimate Heat Sink.’’
Dated July 15, 2020.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC .....................................................................................................................................................
Supplement to License Amendment to Braidwood Station, Unit 1 and 2, Technical Specification 3.7.9, ‘‘Ultimate Heat Sink.’’
Dated August 14, 2020.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ................................................................................................................................................
Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Braidwood Station, Units 1 and
Final Report (NUREG–1437, Supplement 55).
Dated November 30, 2015.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ................................................................................................................................................
Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Docket No. STN 50–456; Braidwood Station, Unit 1 Renewed Facility Operating License.
Issued on January 27, 2016.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ................................................................................................................................................
Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Docket No. STN 50–457; Braidwood Station, Unit 2 Renewed Facility Operating License.
Issued on January 27, 2016.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ................................................................................................................................................
Record of Decision; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Docket Nos. 50–456 and 560–457; License Renewal Application for
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2.
Dated January 27, 2016.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ................................................................................................................................................
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Ultimate Heat Sink Modification.
Dated July 18, 2016.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ................................................................................................................................................
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2—Issuance of Amendments Re: Ultimate Heat Sink Temperature Increase.
Dated July 26, 2016.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ................................................................................................................................................
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Temporary Revision of Technical Specifications for
the Ultimate Heat Sink.
Dated September 3, 2020.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ................................................................................................................................................
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2—Issuance of Amendments Re: Temporary Revision of Technical Specifications for the Ultimate Heat Sink.
Dated September 24, 2020.
(1) These
references are subject to copyright laws and are, therefore, not reproduced in ADAMS.
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Notices
Dated: June 30, 2021.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joel S. Wiebe,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing
Branch III, Division of Operating Reactor
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2021–14456 Filed 7–6–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[NRC–2020–0266]
Replacement Energy Cost Estimates
for Nuclear Power Plants: 2020–2030
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: NUREG; issuance.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is issuing NUREG–
2242, ‘‘Replacement Energy Cost
Estimates for Nuclear Power Plants:
2020–2030.’’ This report updates
previous estimates of replacement
energy costs for potential shutdowns of
U.S. nuclear electricity-generating units
due to a temporary power reactor outage
to implement safety modifications or the
loss of generation associated with a
possible severe reactor accident. The
final NUREG largely, is unchanged from
the draft issued for public comment but
has been revised to reflect the recent
change to retirement dates for Byron
Units 1 and 2, and Dresden Units 2 and
3.
DATES: NUREG–2242 is available on July
7, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID
NRC–2020–0266 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 Website: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov and search
for Docket ID NRC–2020–0266. Address
questions about Docket IDs to Stacy
Schumann; telephone: 301–415–0624;
email: Stacy.Schumann@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
ADAMS Public Documents collection at
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
adams.html. To begin the search, select
‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For
problems with ADAMS, please contact
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SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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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 (if it is
available in ADAMS) is provided the
first time that it is mentioned in this
document.
• Attention: The PDR, where you may
examine and order copies of public
documents, is currently closed. You
may submit your request to the PDR via
email at pdr.resource@nrc.gov or call 1–
800–397–4209 or 301–415–4737,
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET),
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Pamela Noto, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–
6795, email: Pamela.Noto@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Discussion
The NRC has developed new
replacement energy cost estimates for
both short and long-term nuclear power
plant outages. This NUREG–2242,
‘‘Replacement Energy Cost Estimates for
Nuclear Power Plants: 2020–2030’’
(ADAMS Accession No. ML21174A176),
updates and replaces the replacement
energy cost estimate information in
NUREG/CR–4012, Volume 4,
‘‘Replacement Energy Costs for Nuclear
Electricity-Generating Units in the
United States: 1997–2001,’’ and
NUREG/CR–6080, ‘‘Replacement
Energy, Capacity, and Reliability Costs
for Permanent Nuclear Reactor
Shutdowns’’ (ADAMS Accession Nos.
ML20073J435 and ML20076F500).
This report provides replacement
energy costs that have been estimated
for the U.S. electricity wholesale market
regions with nuclear electricitygenerating units, over the 2020–2030
period. These estimates were developed
to assist the NRC in evaluating proposed
regulatory actions that (1) require safety
modifications that might necessitate
temporary reactor outages and (2)
reduce the potential for extended
outages resulting from a severe reactor
accident. Estimates were calculated
using ABB’s PROMOD model and ICF’s
Integrated Planning Model for North
America. The models simulate
dispatching a collection of generating
units in merit order (i.e., lowest to
highest incremental cost of dispatch)
until the regional power demand is met.
Each generating unit is characterized by
the technology and fuel it uses to
generate electricity, the unit’s heat rate,
and the variable and fixed costs
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35837
incurred in owning and operating the
unit. To estimate the replacement
energy cost, the report models a
Reference Case, in which all operational
nuclear power plants are generating,
and an Alternative Case, in which a
nuclear generating unit is taken offline
so that the next unit in merit order is
dispatched to replace the lost
generation. The difference in market
clearing prices between the two cases is
the replacement energy cost.
The resulting wholesale power price
projections capture the dynamics and
economics of the U.S. electricity
markets that provide short and longterm replacement energy cost estimates
on a market area basis. Factors that
affect replacement energy costs include
load growth, replacement sources of
generation, fuel prices, air emission
requirement outlooks and seasonal
variations.
II. Public Outreach
Following development of the
updated report, the NRC posted the
draft NUREG–2242 to the Federal
Rulemaking website at https://
www.regulations.gov for a 60-day public
comment period (85 FR 82528;
December 18, 2020). The comment
period closed on February 16, 2021. The
NRC received no comments on the draft
NUREG. The NRC staff held a Category
3 public meeting on November 18, 2020
to discuss the updated replacement
energy cost estimates. The NRC
presentation can be found in ADAMS
under Accession No. ML20322A003,
and the meeting summary can be found
in ADAMS under Accession No.
ML20336A181.
III. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and
Issue Finality
The NRC’s issuance and use of this
report do not constitute backfitting as
that term is defined in Section 50.109 of
title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR), ‘‘Backfitting,’’ and
as described in NRC Management
Directive (MD) 8.4, ‘‘Management of
Backfitting, Forward Fitting, Issue
Finality, and Information Requests’’; do
not affect the issue finality of an
approval under 10 CFR part 52,
‘‘Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals
for Nuclear Power Plants’’ and do not
constitute forward fitting as that term is
defined and described in MD 8.4.
Dated: June 30, 2021.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kevin A. Coyne,
Deputy Director, Division of Rulemaking,
Environmental, and Financial Support.
[FR Doc. 2021–14364 Filed 7–6–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35831-35837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14456]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-456 and 50-457; NRC-2021-0128]
Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Braidwood Station, Units 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. NPF-
72 and NPF-77, that were issued to Exelon Generation Company, LLC,
(licensee) for operation of the Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2. The
proposed amendments are contained in the licensee's letter dated May
27, 2021, and would change technical specifications (TSs) surveillance
requirement (SR) 3.7.9.2 to allow an ultimate heat sink (UHS)
temperature of less than or equal to 102.8 degrees Fahrenheit ([deg]F)
until September 30, 2021.
DATES: The environmental assessment and finding of no significant
impact referenced in this document are available on July 7, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2021-0128 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 website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2021-0128. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann;
telephone: 301-415-0624; email: [email protected]. For technical
questions, contact the individuals 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 https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, 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.
Attention: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of public documents, is currently closed. You may submit your request
to the PDR via email at [email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or
301-415-4737, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Briana Arlene, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, telephone: 301-415-1042; email:
[email protected]; and Joel Wiebe, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation, telephone: 301-415-6606, email: [email protected]. Both
are staff of the 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. NPF-72 and NPF-77, that were issued to Exelon
Generation Company, LLC, (Exelon) for operation of the Braidwood
Station, Units 1 and 2, located in Will County, Illinois. Exelon
submitted its license amendment request in accordance with Section
50.90 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulation (10 CFR), by letter
dated May 27, 2021. If approved, the license amendments would revise
technical specification SR in TS 3.7.9.2 to allow a temporary increase
in the allowable UHS average temperature of less than or equal to (<=)
102.8 [deg]F (39.3 degrees Celsius ([deg]C)) through September 30,
2021. Therefore, as required by 10
[[Page 35832]]
CFR 50.21, the NRC performed an environmental assessment (EA). Based on
the results of the EA that follows, the NRC has determined not to
prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed amendments
and is issuing a finding of no significant impact (FONSI).
II. Environmental Assessment
Plant Site and Environs
Braidwood is in Will County, Illinois approximately 50 miles (mi);
80 kilometers (km) southwest of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and 20 mi
(32 km) south-southwest of Joliet. The Kankakee River is approximately
5 mi (8 km) east of the eastern site boundary. An onsite 2,540-acre
(ac); 1,030-hectare (ha) cooling pond provides condenser cooling.
Cooling water is withdrawn from the pond through the lake screen house,
which is located at the north end of the pond. Heated water returns to
the cooling pond through a discharge canal west of the lake screen
house intake that is separated from the intake by a dike. The pond
typically holds 22,300 acre-feet (27.5 million cubic meters) of water
at any given time. The cooling pond includes both ``essential'' and
``non-essential'' areas. The essential cooling pond is the portion of
the cooling pond that serves as the UHS for emergency core cooling, and
it consists of a 99-ac (40-ha) excavated area of the pond directly in
front of the lake screen house. The essential cooling pond's principal
functions are to dissipate residual heat after reactor shutdown and to
dissipate heat after an accident. It is capable of supplying
Braidwood's cooling system with water for 30 days of station operation
without additional makeup water. For clarity, use of the term ``UHS''
in this EA refers to the 99-ac (40-ha) essential cooling pond, and use
of the term ``cooling pond'' or ``pond'' describes the entire 2,540-ac
(1,030-ha) area, which includes both the essential and non-essential
areas.
The cooling pond is part of the Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and
Wildlife Area, which encompasses the majority of the non-UHS area of
the cooling pond as well as Illinois Department of Natural Resources
(IDNR) owned lands adjacent to the Braidwood site to the south and
southwest of the cooling pond. Exelon and the IDNR have jointly managed
the cooling pond as part of the Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and
Wildlife Area since 1991 pursuant to a long-term lease agreement. Under
the terms of the agreement, the public has access to the pond for
fishing, waterfowl hunting, fossil collecting, and other recreational
activities.
The cooling pond is a wastewater treatment works as defined by
Section 301.415 of Title 35 of the Illinois Administrative Code (35 IAC
301.415). Under this definition, the cooling pond is not considered
waters of the State under Illinois Administrative Code (35 IAC 301.440)
or waters of the United States under the Federal Clean Water Act (40
CFR 230.3(s)), and so the cooling pond is not subject to State water
quality standards. The cooling pond can be characterized as a managed
ecosystem where IDNR fish stocking and other human activities primarily
influence the species composition and population dynamics.
Since the beginning of the lease agreement between Exelon and IDNR,
the IDNR has stocked the cooling pond with a variety of game fish,
including largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), smallmouth bass (M.
dolomieu), blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), striped bass (Morone
saxatilis), crappie (Pomoxis spp.), walleye (Sander vitreum), and tiger
muskellunge (Esox masquinongy x lucius). IDNR performs annual surveys
to determine which fish to stock based on fishermen preferences, fish
abundance, different species' tolerance to warm waters, predator and
prey dynamics, and other factors. Because of the warm water
temperatures experienced in the summer months, introductions of warm-
water species, such as largemouth bass and blue catfish, have been more
successful than introductions of cool-water species, such as walleye
and tiger muskellunge. Since annual surveys began in 1980, IDNR has
collected 47 species in the cooling pond. In recent years, bluegill
(Lepomis macrochirus), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), threadfin
shad (Dorosoma petenense), and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) have been
among the most abundant species in the cooling pond. Gizzard shad
(Dorosoma cepedianum), one of the most frequently affected species
during periods of elevated pond temperatures, have decreased in
abundance dramatically in recent years, while bluegills, which can
tolerate high temperatures with relatively high survival rates, have
noticeably increased in relative abundance. IDNR-stocked warm water
game species, such as largemouth bass and blue catfish, continue to
persist in small numbers, while cooler water stocked species, such as
walleye and tiger muskellunge, no longer appear in IDNR survey
collections. No federally listed species or designated critical
habitats protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) occur within
or near the cooling pond.
The Kankakee River serves as the source of makeup water for the
cooling pond. The river also receives continuous blowdown from the
cooling pond. Water is withdrawn from a small river screen house
located on the Kankakee River, and liquid effluents from Braidwood are
discharged into the cooling pond blowdown line, which subsequently
discharges into the Kankakee River.
The plant site and environs are described in greater detail in
Chapter 3 of the NRC's November 2015, Generic Environmental Impact
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Braidwood
Station, Units 1 and 2, Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 55)
(herein referred to as the ``Braidwood FSEIS'' (Final Supplemental
Environment Impact Statement)). Figure 3-5 on page 3-7 of the Braidwood
FSEIS depicts the Braidwood plant layout, and Figure 3-4 on page 3-6
depicts the cooling pond, including the portion of the pond that
constitutes the essential cooling pond (or UHS) and the blowdown line
to the Kankakee River.
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the Braidwood TS to allow a
temporary increase in the allowable average temperature of water
withdrawn from the UHS and supplied to the plant for cooling from <=102
[deg]F (38.9 [deg]C) to <=102.8 [deg]F (39.3 [deg]C) until September
30, 2021. Specifically, the proposed action would revise TS SR 3.7.9.2,
which currently states, ``Verify average water temperature of UHS is
<=102.8 [deg]F until September 30, 2020. After September 30, 2020,
verify average water temperature of UHS is <=102 [deg]F'' to state
``Verify average water temperature of UHS is <=102.8 [deg]F until
September 30, 2021. After September 30, 2021, verify average water
temperature of UHS is <=102 [deg]F.''
Under the current TS, if the average UHS temperature as measured at
the discharge of the operating essential service water system pumps is
greater than 102 [deg]F (38.9 [deg]C), TS 3.7.9 Required Actions A.1
and A.2 would be entered concurrently and would require the licensee to
place Braidwood in hot standby (Mode 3) within 12 hours and cold
shutdown (Mode 5) within 36 hours. The proposed action would allow
Braidwood to continue to operate during times when the UHS indicated
average water temperature exceeds 102 [deg]F (38.9 [deg]C) but is less
than or equal to 102.8 [deg]F (39.3 [deg]C) until September 30, 2021.
The current TS's UHS average
[[Page 35833]]
water temperature limit of 102 [deg]F (38.9 [deg]C) would remain
applicable to all other time periods beyond September 30, 2021.
The proposed action is nearly identical to previously approved
license amendments that allowed for the average water temperature of
the UHS to be <=102.8 [deg]F until September 30, 2020. The NRC issued
an EA for the 2020 UHS amendments in the Federal Register on September
10, 2020, (85 FR 55863) and the NRC issued the amendments on September
24, 2020. The only difference between the previously approved
amendments to SR 3.7.9.2 and the proposed action is that the proposed
action would replace ``2020'' with ``2021.'' The proposed action is in
accordance with the licensee's application dated May 27, 2021.
Need for the Proposed Action
The licensee has requested the proposed amendments in connection
with historical meteorological and atmospheric conditions that have
resulted in the TS UHS temperature being challenged. These conditions
included elevated air temperatures, high humidity, and low wind speed.
Specifically, from July 4, 2020, through July 9, 2020, northern
Illinois experienced high air temperatures and drought conditions,
which caused sustained elevated UHS temperatures. In response to these
conditions in 2020, the licensee submitted license amendment requests
contained in the licensee's letter dated July 15, 2020, as supplemented
by letter dated August 14, 2020. The NRC subsequently granted Exelon's
request in September 2020. The licensee projects that similar
conditions are likely this year.
The proposed action would provide the licensee with operational
flexibility until September 30, 2021, during which continued high UHS
temperatures are likely so that the plant shutdown criteria specified
in the TS are not triggered.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
Regarding radiological impacts, the proposed action would not
result in any changes in the types of radioactive effluents that may be
released from the plant offsite. No significant increase in the amount
of any radioactive effluent released offsite or significant increase in
occupational or public radiation exposure is expected from the proposed
action. Separate from this EA, the NRC staff is evaluating the
licensee's safety analyses of the potential radiological consequences
of an accident that may result from the proposed action. The results of
the NRC staff's safety analysis will be documented in a safety
evaluation (SE). If the NRC staff concludes in the SE that all
pertinent regulatory requirements related to radiological effluents are
met by the proposed UHS temperature limit increase, then the proposed
action would result in no significant radiological impact to the
environment. The NRC staff's SE will be issued with the license
amendments, if approved by the NRC. If the NRC staff concludes that all
pertinent regulatory requirements are not met by the proposed UHS
temperature limit increase, the requested amendment would not be
issued.
Regarding potential non-radiological impacts, temporarily raising
the maximum allowable UHS temperature from <=102 [deg]F (38.9 [deg]C)
to <=102.8 [deg]F (39.3 [deg]C) could cause increased cooling pond
water temperatures until September 30, 2021. Because the proposed
action would not affect Braidwood's licensed thermal power level, the
temperature rise across the condensers as cooling water travels through
the cooling system would remain constant. Thus, if water in the UHS
were to rise to 102.8 [deg]F (39.3 [deg]C), heated water returning to
the cooling pond through the discharge canal, which lies west of the
river screen house, would also experience a corresponding 0.8 [deg]F
(0.4 [deg]C) increase. That additional heat load would dissipate across
some thermal gradient as discharged water travels down the discharge
canal and through the 99-ac (40-ha) UHS.
Fish kills are likely to occur when cooling pond temperatures rise
above 95 [deg]F (35 [deg]C), the temperature at which most fish in the
cooling pond are thermally stressed. For example, Section 3.7.4 of the
Braidwood FSEIS describes six fish kill events for the period of 2001
through 2015. The fish kill events, which occurred in July 2001, August
2001, June 2005, August 2007, June 2009, and July 2012, primarily
affected threadfin shad and gizzard shad, although bass, catfish, carp,
and other game fish were also affected. Reported peak temperatures in
the cooling pond during these events ranged from 98.4 [deg]F (36.9
[deg]C) to over 100 [deg]F (37.8 [deg]C), and each event resulted in
the death of between 700 to as many as 10,000 fish. During the July
2012 event, cooling pond temperatures exceeded 100 [deg]F (37.8
[deg]C), which resulted in the death of approximately 3,000 gizzard
shad and 100 bass, catfish, and carp. This event coincided with the
NRC's granting of Enforcement Discretion to allow Braidwood to continue
to operate above the TS limit of <=100 [deg]F (37.8 [deg]C). The IDNR
attributed this event, as well as four of the other fish kill events,
to high cooling pond temperatures resulting from Braidwood operation.
Appendix B, Section 4.1 of the Braidwood renewed facility operating
licenses, requires Exelon to report to the NRC the occurrence of
unusual or important environmental events, including fish kills,
causally related to plant operation. Since the issuance of the
Braidwood FSEIS in November 2015, Exelon has not reported any
additional fish kill events to the NRC. Although not causally related
to plant operation, fish kills have occurred since this time, the most
recent of which occurred in August 2018 and July 2020.
In Section 4.7.1.3 of the Braidwood FSEIS, the NRC staff concluded
that thermal impacts associated with continued operation of Braidwood
during the license renewal term would result in SMALL to MODERATE
impacts to aquatic resources in the cooling pond. MODERATE impacts
would primarily be experienced by gizzard shad and other non-stocked
and low-heat tolerant species. As part of its conclusion, the NRC staff
also noted that because the cooling pond is a highly managed system,
any cascading effects that result from the loss of gizzard shad (such
as reduction in prey for stocked species, which in turn could affect
those stocked species' populations) could be mitigated through IDNR's
annual stocking and continual management of the pond. At that time, the
UHS TS limit was <=100 [deg]F (37.8 [deg]C).
In 2016, the NRC granted license amendments that increased the
allowable UHS average water temperature TS limit from <=100 [deg]F
(37.8 [deg]C) to <=102.0 [deg]F (38.9 [deg]C). In the EA associated
with these amendments, the NRC staff concluded that increasing the TS
limit to <=102.0 [deg]F (38.9 [deg]C) would have no significant
environmental impacts, and the NRC issued a FONSI with the EA.
In 2020, the NRC granted license amendments that temporarily
increased the allowable UHS average water temperature TS limit from
<=102.0 [deg]F (38.9 [deg]C) to <=102.8 [deg]F (39.3 [deg]C) until
September 30, 2020. In the EA associated with these amendments, the NRC
staff concluded that temporarily increasing the TS limit to <=102.8
[deg]F (39.3 [deg]C) would have no significant environmental impacts,
and the NRC issued a FONSI with the EA.
The NRC staff finds that the proposed action would not result in
significant impacts to aquatic resources in the cooling pond for the
same reasons that the NRC staff made this conclusion regarding the 2020
amendments. The
[[Page 35834]]
staff's justification for this conclusion follows.
The proposed increase in the allowable UHS average water
temperature limit by 0.8 [deg]F (0.4 [deg]C) would not increase the
likelihood of a fish kill event attributable to high cooling pond
temperatures because the current TS limit for the UHS of 102.0 [deg]F
(38.9 [deg]C) already allows cooling pond temperatures above those at
which most fish species are thermally stressed (95 [deg]F (35 [deg]C)).
In effect, if the UHS temperature rises to the current TS limit, fish
within or near the discharge canal, within the flow path between the
discharge canal and UHS, or within the UHS itself would have already
experienced thermal stress and possibly died. Thus, an incremental
increase in the allowable UHS water temperature by 0.8 [deg]F (0.4
[deg]C) and the corresponding temperature increases within and near the
discharge canal and within the flow path between the discharge canal
and UHS would not significantly affect the number of fish kill events
experienced in the cooling pond. Additionally, the proposed action
would only increase the allowable UHS average water temperature until
September 30, 2021. Thus, any impacts to the aquatic community of the
cooling pond, if experienced, would be temporary in nature, and fish
populations would likely recover relatively quickly.
While the proposed action would not affect the likelihood of a fish
kill event occurring during periods when the average UHS water
temperature approaches the TS limit, the proposed action could increase
the number of fish killed per high temperature event. For fish with
thermal tolerances at or near 95 [deg]F (35 [deg]C), there would likely
be no significant difference in the number of affected fish per high
temperature event because, as already stated, these fish would have
already experienced thermal stress and possibly died and the additional
temperature increase would not measurably affect the mortality rate of
these individuals. For fish with thermal tolerances above 95 [deg]F (35
[deg]C), such as bluegill, increased mortality is possible, as
described in this notice.
The available scientific literature provides conflicting
information as to whether incremental temperature increases would cause
a subsequent increase in mortality rates of bluegill or other high-
temperature-tolerant fish when temperatures exceed 100 [deg]F (37.8
[deg]C). For instance, in laboratory studies, Banner and Van Arman
(1973) demonstrated 85 percent survival of juvenile bluegill after 24
hours of exposure to 98.6 [deg]F (37.0 [deg]C) water for stock
acclimated to 91.2 [deg]F (32.9 [deg]C). At 100.0 [deg]F (37.8 [deg]C),
survival decreased to 25 percent, and at 100.4 [deg]F (38.0 [deg]C) and
102.0 [deg]F (38.9 [deg]C), no individuals survived. Even at one hour
of exposure to 102.0 [deg]F (38.9 [deg]C) water, average survival was
relatively low at between 40 to 67.5 percent per replicate. However, in
another laboratory study, Cairns (1956 in Banner and Van Arman 1973)
demonstrated that if juvenile bluegill were acclimated to higher
temperatures at a 3.6 [deg]F (2.0 [deg]C) increase per day, individuals
could tolerate water temperatures up to 102.6 [deg]F (39.2 [deg]C) with
80 percent survival after 24 hours of exposure.
Although these studies provide inconsistent thermal tolerance
limits, information from past fish kill events indicates that Cairns'
results better describe the cooling pond's bluegill population because
Exelon has not reported bluegill as one of the species that has been
affected by past high temperature events. Thus, bluegills are likely
acclimating to temperature rises at a rate that allows those
individuals to remain in high temperature areas until temperatures
decrease or that allows individuals time to seek refuge in cooler areas
of the pond. Alternately, if Banner and Van Arman's results were more
predictive, 75 percent or more of bluegill individuals in high
temperature areas of the cooling pond could be expected to die at
temperatures approaching or exceeding 100 [deg]F (37.8 [deg]C) for 24
hours, and shorter exposure time would likely result in the death of
some reduced percentage of bluegill individuals.
Under the proposed action, fish exposure to temperatures
approaching the proposed UHS TS average water temperature limit of
102.8 [deg]F (39.3 [deg]C) and those exposed to the associated
discharge, which would be 0.8 [deg]F (0.4 [deg]C) higher than under the
current TS limit, for at least one hour would result in observable
deaths. However, as stated previously, Exelon has not reported bluegill
as one of the species that has been affected during past fish kills.
Consequently, the NRC staff assumes that bluegill and other high-
temperature-tolerant species in the cooling pond would experience
effects similar to those observed in Cairn's study. Based on Cairn's
results, the proposed action's incremental and short-term increase of
0.8 [deg]F (0.4 [deg]C) could result in the death of some additional
high-temperature-tolerant individuals, especially in cases where
cooling pond temperatures rise dramatically over a short period of time
(more than 3.6 [deg]F (2.0 [deg]C) in a 24-hour period).
Nonetheless, the discharge canal, flow path between the discharge
canal and the UHS, and the UHS itself is a small portion of the cooling
pond. Thus, while the incremental increase would likely increase the
area over which cooling pond temperatures would rise, most of the
cooling pond would remain at tolerable temperatures, and fish would be
able to seek refuge in those cooler areas. Therefore, only fish within
or near the discharge canal, within the flow path between the discharge
canal and UHS, or within the UHS itself at the time of elevated
temperatures would likely be affected, and fish would experience such
effects to lessening degrees over the thermal gradient that extends
from the discharge canal. This would not result in a significant
difference in the number of fish killed per high temperature event
resulting from the proposed action when compared to current operations
for those species with thermal tolerances at or near 95 [deg]F (35
[deg]C) and an insignificant increase in the number of individuals
affected for species with thermal tolerances above 95 [deg]F (35
[deg]C), such as bluegill. Additionally, the cooling pond is a managed
ecosystem in which fish stocking, fishing pressure, and predator-prey
relationships constitute the primary population pressures.
Fish populations affected by fish kills generally recover quickly,
and thus, fish kills do not appear to significantly influence the fish
community structure. This is demonstrated by the fact that the species
that are most often affected by high temperature events (threadfin shad
and gizzard shad) are also among the most abundant species in the
cooling pond. Managed species would continue to be assessed and stocked
by the IDNR on an annual basis in accordance with the lease agreement
between Exelon and IDNR. Continued stocking would mitigate any minor
effects resulting from the proposed action.
Based on the foregoing analysis, the NRC staff concludes that the
proposed action would not result in significant impacts to aquatic
resources in the cooling pond.
Some terrestrial species, such as birds or other wildlife, rely on
fish or other aquatic resources from the cooling pond as a source of
food. The NRC staff does not expect any significant impacts to birds or
other wildlife because, if a fish kill occurs, the number of dead fish
would be a small proportion of the total population of fish in the
cooling pond. Furthermore, during fish kills, birds and other wildlife
could consume many of the floating, dead fish. Additionally, and as
described previously, the NRC staff does not expect that the proposed
[[Page 35835]]
action would result in a significant difference in the number or
intensity of fish kill events or otherwise result in significant
impacts on aquatic resources in the cooling pond.
With respect to water resources and ecological resources along and
within the Kankakee River, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
imposes regulatory controls on Braidwood's thermal effluent through
Title 35, Environmental Protection, Section 302, ``Water Quality
Standards,'' of the Illinois Administrative Code (35 IAC 302) and
through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
permitting process pursuant to the Clean Water Act. Section 302 of the
Illinois Administrative Code stipulates that ``[t]he maximum
temperature rise shall not exceed 2.8 [deg]C (5 [deg]F) above natural
receiving water body temperatures,'' (35 IAC 302.211(d)) and that
``[w]ater temperature at representative locations in the main river
shall at no time exceed 33.7 [deg]C (93 [deg]F) from April through
November and 17.7 [deg]C (63 [deg]F) in other months'' (35 IAC
302.211(e)). Additional stipulations pertaining to the mixing zone
further protect water resources and biota from thermal effluents. The
Braidwood NPDES permit contains special conditions that mirror these
temperature requirements and that stipulate more detailed temperature
requirements at the edge of the mixing zone. Under the proposed action,
Braidwood thermal effluent would continue to be limited by the Illinois
Administrative Code and the Braidwood NPDES permit to ensure that
Braidwood operations do not create adverse effects on water resources
or ecological resources along or within the Kankakee River.
Occasionally, Exelon has applied for a provisional variance to allow
higher-than-permitted temperatures at the edge of the discharge mixing
zone. For instance, Exelon applied for and the IEPA granted one
provisional variance in 2012 during a period of extremely warm weather
and little to no precipitation. Exelon reported no fish kills or other
events to the IEPA or the NRC that would indicate adverse environmental
effects resulting from the provisional variance. The details of this
provisional variance are described in Section 4.7.1.3 of the Braidwood
FSEIS.
Under the proposed action, Exelon would remain subject to the
regulatory controls described in this notice. The NRC staff finds it
reasonable to assume that Exelon's continued compliance with, and the
State's continued enforcement of, the Illinois Administrative Code and
the Braidwood NPDES permit would ensure that Kankakee River water and
ecological resources are protected. Further, the proposed action would
not alter the types or amount of effluents being discharged to the
river as blowdown. Therefore, the NRC staff does not expect any
significant impacts to water resources or ecological resources within
and along the Kankakee River from temporarily increasing the allowable
UHS average water temperature TS limit.
With respect to federally listed species, the NRC staff consulted
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) pursuant to section 7 of
the ESA during its license renewal environmental review for Braidwood.
During that consultation, the NRC staff found that the sheepnose
(Plethobasus cyphyus) and snuffbox (Epioblasma triquetra) mussels had
the potential to occur in the areas that would be directly or
indirectly affected by license renewal (i.e., the action area). In
September 2015, Exelon transmitted the results of a mussel survey to
the NRC and FWS. The survey documented the absence of federally listed
mussels near the Braidwood discharge site in the Kankakee River. Based
on this survey and other information described in the Braidwood FSEIS,
the NRC concluded that the license renewal may affect, but is not
likely to adversely affect the sheepnose mussel, and the NRC determined
that license renewal would have no effect on the snuffbox mussel. The
FWS concurred with the NRC's ``not likely to adversely affect''
determination in a letter dated October 20, 2015. The results of the
consultation are further summarized in the Record of Decision for
Braidwood license renewal.
As previously described, impacts of the proposed action would be
confined to the cooling pond and would not affect water resources or
ecological resources along and within the Kankakee River. The NRC's
previous ESA section 7 consultation confirmed that no federally listed
aquatic species occur within or near the cooling pond. The NRC has not
identified any information indicating the presence of federally listed
species in the area since that consultation concluded, and the FWS has
not listed any new aquatic species that may occur in the area since
that time. The proposed action would not result in any disturbance or
other impacts to terrestrial habitats, and thus, no federally listed
terrestrial species would be affected. Accordingly, the NRC staff
concludes that the proposed action would have no effect on federally
listed species or designated critical habitat. Consultation with the
FWS for the proposed action is not necessary because Federal agencies
are not required to consult with the FWS if the agency determines that
an action will have no effect on listed species or critical habitat.
The NRC staff has identified no foreseeable land use, visual
resource, noise, or waste management impacts given that the proposed
action would not result in any physical changes to Braidwood facilities
or equipment or changes any land uses on or off site. The NRC staff has
identified no air quality impacts given that the proposed action would
not result in air emissions beyond what would be experienced during
current operations. Additionally, there would be no socioeconomic,
environmental justice, or historic and cultural resource impacts
associated with the proposed action since no physical changes would
occur beyond the site boundaries and any impacts would be limited to
the cooling pond.
Based on the foregoing analysis, the NRC staff concludes that the
proposed action would have no significant environmental impacts.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered
the denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action''
alternative). Denial of the proposed action would result in no changes
to the current TS. Thus, under the proposed action, the licensee would
continue to be required to place Braidwood in hot standby (Mode 3) if
average UHS water temperatures exceed 102 [deg]F (38.9 [deg]C) for the
temporary period of July 2021 through September 2021. The no-action
alternative would result in no change in current environmental
conditions or impacts at Braidwood.
Alternative Use of Resources
There are no unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of
available resources under the proposed action.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
No additional agencies or persons were consulted regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed action.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC is considering issuing amendments for Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. NPF-72 and NPF-77, issued to Exelon for
operation of Braidwood that would revise the TS for the plant to
temporarily increase the allowable average temperature of the UHS.
On the basis of the EA included in Section II and incorporated by
reference
[[Page 35836]]
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 as well as the NRC's independent review of other relevant
environmental documents. Section IV lists the environmental documents
related to the proposed action and includes information on the
availability of these documents. Based on its finding, the NRC has
decided not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the
proposed action.
This FONSI and other related environmental documents are available
for public inspection and are accessible online in the ADAMS Public
Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in
accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC's PDR
reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by
email to [email protected].
IV. Availability of Documents
The documents identified in the following table are available to
interested persons through the methods indicated.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Document ADAMS Accession No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
License Amendment Request
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exelon Generation Company, LLC........... ML21147A543
License Amendment to Braidwood Station,
Units 1 and 2, Technical Specification
3.7.9, ``Ultimate Heat Sink.''
Dated May 27, 2021.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Referenced Documents
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cairns J. 1956. Effects of heat on fish. n/a (1)
Industrial Wastes, 1 :180-183.
Banner A, Van Arman JA. 1973. Thermal n/a (1)
effects on eggs, larvae and juveniles of
bluegill sunfish. Washington, DC: U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. EPA-R3-
73-041.
Ecological Specialists, Inc.............. ML15274A093 (Package)
Final Report: Five Year Post-Construction
Monitoring of the Unionid Community Near
the Braidwood Station Kankakee River
Discharge.
Dated September 29, 2015.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC........... ML14339A044
Byron and Braidwood Stations, Units 1 and
2, License Renewal Application,
Braidwood Station Applicant's
Environmental Report, Responses to
Requests for Additional Information,
Environmental RAIs AQ-11 to AQ-15.
Dated April 30, 2014.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service........... ML15299A013
Concurrence Letter Concluding Informal
Consultation with the NRC for Braidwood
License Renewal.
Dated October 20, 2015.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC........... ML20197A434
License Amendment to Braidwood Station,
Units 1 and 2, Technical Specification
3.7.9, ``Ultimate Heat Sink.''
Dated July 15, 2020.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC........... ML20227A375
Supplement to License Amendment to
Braidwood Station, Unit 1 and 2,
Technical Specification 3.7.9,
``Ultimate Heat Sink.''
Dated August 14, 2020.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission....... ML15314A814
Generic Environmental Impact Statement
for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:
Regarding Braidwood Station, Units 1 and
Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement
55).
Dated November 30, 2015.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission....... ML053040362
Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Docket
No. STN 50-456; Braidwood Station, Unit
1 Renewed Facility Operating License.
Issued on January 27, 2016.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission....... ML053040366
Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Docket
No. STN 50-457; Braidwood Station, Unit
2 Renewed Facility Operating License.
Issued on January 27, 2016.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission....... ML15322A317
Record of Decision; U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission; Docket Nos. 50-
456 and 560-457; License Renewal
Application for Braidwood Station, Units
1 and 2.
Dated January 27, 2016.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission....... ML16181A007
Environmental Assessment and Finding of
No Significant Impact Related to
Ultimate Heat Sink Modification.
Dated July 18, 2016.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission....... ML16133A438
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2--
Issuance of Amendments Re: Ultimate Heat
Sink Temperature Increase.
Dated July 26, 2016.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission....... ML20231A469
Environmental Assessment and Finding of
No Significant Impact Related to
Temporary Revision of Technical
Specifications for the Ultimate Heat
Sink.
Dated September 3, 2020.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission....... ML20245E419
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2--
Issuance of Amendments Re: Temporary
Revision of Technical Specifications for
the Ultimate Heat Sink.
Dated September 24, 2020.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) These references are subject to copyright laws and are, therefore,
not reproduced in ADAMS.
[[Page 35837]]
Dated: June 30, 2021.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joel S. Wiebe,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch III, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2021-14456 Filed 7-6-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P