Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Subsequent License Renewal Project; Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, 3017-3020 [2024-00817]

Agencies

• Tennessee Valley Authority

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 17, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3017-3020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00817]


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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Subsequent License Renewal Project; 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.

ACTION: Record of decision.

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SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has decided to adopt the 
Preferred Alternative identified in the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 
(BFN) Subsequent License Renewal (SLR) project Final Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (Final SEIS). The Notice of Availability 
of the Final SEIS for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Subsequent License 
Renewal project was published in the Federal Register on August 11, 
2023. The Preferred Alternative, Alternative B--BFN Units 1, 2, and 3 
Subsequent License Renewal, supports TVA's goal to continue to generate 
baseload power at the BFN site between 2033 and 2056, thus generating 
sufficient electricity to supply the Tennessee Valley with increasingly 
clean, reliable, and affordable electricity for the region's homes and 
businesses as outlined in TVA's 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J. Taylor Johnson, NEPA Compliance 
Specialist, Tennessee Valley Authority, 1101 Market Street, BR 2C-C, 
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402; by telephone (423) 751-2732, or email at 
[email protected]. The Final SEIS, this Record of Decision (ROD), and 
other project documents are available on TVA's website https://www.tva.gov/nepa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is provided in accordance with 
the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations for implementing the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) 1500 through 1508) and TVA's NEPA procedures 18 CFR 
part 1318. TVA is a corporate agency and instrumentality of the United 
States that provides electricity for business customers and local power 
distributors serving 10 million people in the Tennessee Valley--an 
80,000-square-mile region comprised of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, 
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia. TVA 
receives no taxpayer funding and derives virtually all revenues from 
the sale of electricity. In addition to operating and investing 
revenues in its power system, TVA provides flood control, navigation, 
and land management for the Tennessee Valley watershed, and provides 
economic development and job creation assistance within the Tennessee 
Valley power service area.
    In March 2002 and June 2002, TVA issued a Final SEIS and a 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 Final SEIS did not differ from the TVA Final SEIS 
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.
    BFN's 3,900 MWe of electric generating capability provides power to 
the Tennessee Valley Power Service Area. The TVA service area obtains 
approximately 40 percent of its power from nuclear generation and BFN 
provides approximately half of that total. BFN's current baseload 
generation supports future forecasted baseload power needs, as outlined 
in the TVA's 2019 IRP, by helping to maintain grid stability and 
generating capacity for TVA's generation portfolio mix. TVA prepared 
the Final SEIS pursuant to NEPA to assess the environmental impacts 
associated with SLR for BFN Units 1, 2, and 3.

Alternatives Considered

    TVA considered a wide range of options to identify feasible 
alternatives available to supply approximately 3,900 MWe between 2033 
to 2056, and ultimately carried forward two alternatives for 
evaluation. The two alternatives considered by TVA in the Final SEIS 
are:
    Alternative A--No Action. Under this alternative, TVA would not 
submit a SLR application to the NRC to renew the BFN operating 
licenses. If Alternative A were to be selected, TVA would allow the 
current BFN operating licenses to

[[Page 3018]]

expire at the end of their terms, shutting down each unit no later than 
the current license expiration dates: December 20, 2033, for Unit 1; 
June 28, 2034, for Unit 2; and July 2, 2036, for Unit 3.
    Unlike the Proposed Action, the No Action Alternative does not 
provide a practicable means of meeting future electric system needs. 
Therefore, unless replacement generating capacity is provided as part 
of the No-Action Alternative, approximately 3,900 MWe of baseload 
generation would no longer be available to meet TVA's electricity 
customers' needs, and the alternative would not satisfy the Purpose and 
Need for the Proposed Action. For this reason, the No-Action 
Alternative is defined as having two components: (1) replacing the 
generating capacity of BFN with alternative generating supply available 
during or by the end of the term of the existing BFN operating 
licenses, and (2) decommissioning the BFN facility. The replacement 
generation options considered as part of the No Action Alternative 
include construction of a combination of new generating capacity using 
energy from natural gas, solar, storage, and nuclear small modular 
reactors.
    Alternative B--BFN Units 1, 2, and 3 SLR. TVA would seek renewal of 
operating licenses to allow for the continued operation of Units 1, 2, 
and 3 for an additional 20 years. License renewal does not require any 
new construction or modifications beyond normal maintenance and minor 
refurbishment. Under Alternative B, BFN would continue to produce 
electrical power by using boiling water reactors and steam-driven 
turbine generators. The cooling water needed to support BFN power 
generation would continue to be drawn from Wheeler Reservoir. Once-
through cooling would continue to be used, with helper cooling towers 
operating when river temperatures near one or more of the National 
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit require their use 
to ensure BFN complies with regulatory thermal limits. Water from the 
circulating water system would continue to be discharged into Wheeler 
Reservoir in accordance with BFN's NPDES permit. Solid Low Level 
Radioactive Waste (LLRW) would continue to be generated during the 
proposed subsequent period of extended operation. Routine releases of 
as low as reasonably achievable amounts of radioactive liquids and 
gases would also continue during the proposed subsequent period of 
extended operation and would continue to be controlled in accordance 
with all applicable permit and regulatory requirements, to ensure 
protection of human health and the environment.
    Routine maintenance and upkeep of BFN would continue through the 
proposed SLR period of extended operation to ensure the safe and 
reliable operation of the three units and would be managed in 
accordance with appropriate TVA programs and procedures.
    Current work force requirements, approximately 2,147 personnel, 
would continue during the additional years of operation.
    The proposed SLR period of extended operation would require 
approximately 10 additional refuel cycles per unit, resulting in 
approximately 3,900 acres of additional land being affected by the 
uranium mining necessary to fuel BFN. Refueling of one third of the 
fuel in each unit would continue to be performed approximately every 24 
months. The spent fuel would be stored in the spent fuel storage pools 
until they could be moved to dry cask storage on the onsite Independent 
Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI).

Environmentally Preferred Alternative

    The SEIS includes baseline information for understanding the 
potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with the 
alternatives considered by TVA. TVA considered 23 resource areas 
related to the human and natural environments and the impacts on these 
resources associated with each alternative. The anticipated 
environmental impacts of the No Action and Action Alternative are 
described in detail in the Final SEIS.
    Impacts under Alternative A would occur in association with 
shutdown and decommissioning of BFN, and offsite in association with 
construction and operation of new generation facilities. In association 
with shutdown and decommissioning of BFN, there would be no impacts to 
groundwater, floodplains and flood risk, wetlands, managed and natural 
areas, recreation, and visual resources. There would be minor impacts 
associated with BFN shutdown and decommissioning for land use; soils; 
surface water; air quality; greenhouse gases; socioeconomics; 
environmental justice; archaeological and historic resources; 
hazardous, solid, and low-level radioactive waste; radiological 
effects; uranium fuel cycle; nuclear and plant safety; and non-
radiological public health and safety. Additionally, there would be 
minor and potentially beneficial impacts from shutdown and 
decommissioning of BFN for surface water, aquatic ecology, terrestrial 
ecology, endangered and threatened species, air quality, noise, and 
non-radiological public health and safety.
    Implementation of Alternative A, the No Action Alternative would 
include the impacts of constructing up to 3,900 MWe of new generation 
at sites yet to be determined across the Tennessee Valley. The 
construction and operation of these new generation facilities would 
have potential impacts to most resource areas. Small to moderate 
impacts could occur at the selected generation sites in association 
with land use changes. Ground-disturbing activities during construction 
would result in small to moderate impacts to geology and soils. With 
implementation of permit requirements and best management practices, 
impacts to surface water would be small to large depending on plant 
water needs and thermal impacts. Impacts to groundwater could range 
from small to large depending on the nature of groundwater use and 
site-conditions. Small impacts to floodplains and flood risk would be 
anticipated as all construction would be consistent with Executive 
Order 11988. Impacts to wetlands could be small to large depending on 
site conditions and the physical location of various structures. 
Aquatic ecology impacts would range from small to large depending on 
site-specific conditions, species present, location of structures, and 
water use needs. Terrestrial ecology impacts would be small to moderate 
for the same reasons. Impacts to aquatic and terrestrial ecology would 
be mitigated through permit requirements and best management practices. 
Endangered and threatened species impacts would be small to large 
depending on the presence of such species, alterations in land use, 
habitat loss/fragmentation, and loss of biodiversity. Small to large 
impacts would be anticipated for managed and natural areas due to site 
development. Recreational impacts would be small to moderate depending 
on site location, and the associated noise, dust, viewshed, and 
watershed impacts. There would be temporary small impacts to air 
quality and greenhouse gases during construction which would be 
mitigated through adherence to permit requirements and application of 
best management practices. Small to moderate impacts to air quality and 
greenhouse gases would occur with operations depending on the nature of 
the generation source. Transportation impacts would range from small to 
moderate depending on the local infrastructure, existing traffic 
levels, and project traffic. Impacts to visual resources would range 
from small

[[Page 3019]]

to moderate depending on site location. Noise impacts would range from 
small to moderate during construction to small during operations. New 
generation facilities could partially offset impacts to socioeconomics 
associated with shutdown of BFN if workers transfer to new sites. 
Impacts on housing and schools and education could range from small to 
large depending on site location and existing availability. Impacts to 
local government revenues would be small. Environmental justice impacts 
could range from small to moderate depending on location and the 
socioeconomic impacts. Impacts to archaeological and historic resources 
would be small to large depending on site location, presence of these 
features, and ability to avoid them. Mitigation would be developed as 
appropriate. Hazardous, solid, and low-level waste impacts would be 
small due to adherence to permit requirements and TVA waste management 
practices. Radiological effects, uranium fuel cycle impacts, and 
nuclear plant safety and security effects would only occur for a new 
nuclear generation source and would be expected to be small and 
mitigated through adherence to all applicable permits and requirements. 
Non-radiological public health and safety impacts would range from 
small to moderate depending on the type of facility, equipment, and 
site conditions.
    Implementation of Alternative B, TVA's preferred alternative, would 
result in no impact or small impacts to the environment for all 
resource areas. The renewal of the BFN licenses would allow for the 
proposed SLR period of extended operation of the units under the same 
requirements, technical specifications, and limits currently in place. 
Any changes to the provisions of the operating licenses (i.e., license 
amendments) would require appropriate environmental review and NRC 
approval in accordance with applicable regulations. The decommission 
impacts would be the same as Alternative A after the SLR period, 20 
years later. No changes would be expected for the permits currently in 
place. The current programs, procedures, and permits would be followed; 
no major changes would be needed to implement this alternative. There 
would continue to be small impacts to surface water, wetlands, aquatic 
ecology; terrestrial ecology; endangered and threatened species; 
managed and natural areas; air quality, climate change, and greenhouse 
gases; noise and vibration; hazardous, solid, and low-level radioactive 
waste; radiological effects; uranium fuel cycle; nuclear plant safety 
and security; and non-radiological public health and safety. 
Additionally, there would be no changes to land use; geology and soils; 
groundwater; floodplains and flood risk; recreation; transportation; 
visual resources; socioeconomics; environmental justice; and 
archaeological and historic resources.
    Alternative B--BFN Units 1, 2, and 3 SLR, would provide the 
Tennessee Valley Authority service area with an additional 20 years of 
reliable base load power while promoting TVA's aspiration for net-zero 
carbon emissions by 2050, make beneficial use of existing assets, and 
deliver power at the lowest feasible cost. Therefore, the 
environmentally preferred action alternative that meets the project 
purpose and need is Alternative B, TVA's preferred alternative. 
Alternative B would meet the purpose and need of the project and would 
have less impact than Alternative A.

Decision

    Informed by the summary of the submitted alternatives, information, 
and analyses in the Final SEIS, TVA certifies it has considered all the 
alternatives, information, analyses, and objections submitted by State, 
Tribal, and local governments, and public commenters for consideration 
in developing the SEIS. TVA has selected the preferred alternative 
identified in the Final PEIS, Alternative B--BFN Units 1, 2, and 3 SLR.

Public Involvement

    On June 1, 2021, TVA published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the 
Federal Register (86 FR 29351) announcing plans to prepare a SEIS to 
address the potential environmental effects associated with extending 
the operation of BFN Units 1, 2, and 3, for an additional 20 years. The 
NOI initiated a 30-day public scoping period, which concluded on July 
1, 2021. In addition to the NOI in the Federal Register, TVA published 
notices regarding this effort in two local newspapers: The Decatur 
Daily, which serves Decatur and the Tennessee Valley in northern 
Alabama, and the News Courier, which serves Limestone County. TVA also 
issued a news release to media and posted the news release on the TVA 
website. The scoping report is included in Appendix A of the Final 
SEIS.
    TVA also created a virtual meeting room that remained available for 
the duration of the NEPA analysis. The virtual meeting room can be 
accessed through TVA's website (https://www.tva.com/environment/environmental-stewardship/environmental-reviews/nepa-detail/browns-ferry-nuclear-plant-subsequent-license-renewal). The virtual scoping 
meeting room contains information on the NEPA process and the proposed 
action, as well as links to TVA and NRC websites related to the 
project.
    On February 10, 2023, the Draft SEIS was released for public review 
and comment in a Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register 
(88 FR 8843). The availability of the Draft SEIS and request for 
comments was announced in newspapers that serve the Limestone County 
area, and the Draft SEIS was posted on TVA's website. TVA's agency 
involvement included notification of the availability of the Draft SEIS 
to local, state, and federal agencies and federally recognized tribes. 
Comments were accepted through March 27, 2023, via TVA's website, mail, 
and email.
    TVA received two comment letters from members of the public via 
TVA's website and one comment letter from the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA). TVA carefully reviewed all the comments. 
Comments raised during the comment period are summarized by topic along 
with TVA's responses to each comment in Appendix B of the Final SEIS. A 
copy of each of the comments are included at the end of the appendix.
    The NOA for the Final SEIS was published in the Federal Register 
(88 FR 54612) on August 11, 2023. Following the publication of the NOA 
for the Final SEIS, and therefore outside of the comment period for the 
EIS, TVA received an additional public comment in September 2023, from 
the EPA. The EPA reviewed the document in accordance with section 309 
of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and section 102(2)(C) of NEPA. The comments 
raised by the EPA reiterated the agency's earlier comments on the Draft 
SEIS, recognized TVA's efforts that were revised in the Final SEIS, and 
did not raise new issues of relevance that were not already addressed 
by TVA in the Final SEIS or Appendix B of the Final EIS. TVA recognizes 
EPA's additional recommendations. TVA plans to stay up to date on best 
practices for heightened engagement with communities with environmental 
justice concerns to ensure that all communities, including those with 
environmental justice concerns, are meaningfully engaged throughout the 
NEPA process. As appropriate, TVA incorporates Environmental Justice 
into its environmental reviews, including the BFN SLR Final SEIS.

[[Page 3020]]

Mitigation Measures

    Because BFN would continue operating within all applicable federal, 
state, and local regulations, and because no new construction or 
modifications to the facility is anticipated or planned during the 
proposed subsequent period of extended operations, no new mitigation 
measures would be required beyond those already implemented as a result 
of initial construction and operations. Should any construction or 
modification be anticipated or planned, TVA would follow all 
appropriate permitting requirements and environmental reviews would be 
pursued prior to deciding to pursue those projects. Best Management 
Practices would be implemented including those described in A Guide for 
Environmental Protection and Best Management Practices for Tennessee 
Valley Authority (TVA 2017b), stormwater pollution and Spill 
Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan, and other permit 
conditions
     BFN also has an Integrated Pollution Prevention Plan that 
addresses storage, secondary containment, and inspections of fuel, 
hazardous materials, and chemicals like biocides. Attachment 5 of the 
plan provides an inventory of all tanks, pumps, transformers, and other 
containers where these materials are used or stored, including the type 
of secondary containment for each. The secondary containment limits the 
potential for minor chemical spills to occur outside of containment 
areas.
     The discharge of chemicals to surface water would be 
regulated by the conditions set forth in the NPDES permit.
     Dredged material would be disposed of on land lying and 
being outside the 500-year floodplain in an onsite spoils area and 
above the 500-year flood elevation.
     Water-use and water-dependent structures and facilities 
would be located within 100-year floodplains, and flood-damageable 
equipment and facilities would be located at a minimum outside 100-year 
floodplains, and Critical Actions would be located at a minimum outside 
500-year floodplains.
     All handling and disposal of non-radioactive and 
radioactive wastes would be in accordance with applicable rules, 
regulations and requirements of local, state, and federal laws.

Timothy Rausch,
Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer, Tennessee Valley 
Authority.
[FR Doc. 2024-00817 Filed 1-16-24; 8:45 am]
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