81_FR_79745 81 FR 79526 - Florida Power and Light Company; St. Lucie Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2

81 FR 79526 - Florida Power and Light Company; St. Lucie Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 219 (November 14, 2016)

Page Range79526-79528
FR Document2016-27354

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR- 67 and NPF-16, issued on October 2, 2003, and held by Florida Power and Light Company (FPL or the licensee) for the operation of St. Lucie Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (St. Lucie), located on Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County, Florida. The proposed amendments would revise the Environmental Protection Plans (Non-Radiological) (EPPs), contained in Appendix B to the St. Lucie renewed facility operating licenses. The NRC is issuing a final environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed license amendments.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 219 (Monday, November 14, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 219 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79526-79528]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27354]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-335 and 50-389; NRC-2011-0302]


Florida Power and Light Company; St. Lucie Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 
2

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; 
issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-
67 and NPF-16, issued on October 2, 2003, and held by Florida Power and 
Light Company (FPL or the licensee) for the operation of St. Lucie 
Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (St. Lucie), located on Hutchinson Island in 
St. Lucie County, Florida. The proposed amendments would revise the 
Environmental Protection Plans (Non-Radiological) (EPPs), contained in 
Appendix B to the St. Lucie renewed facility operating licenses. The 
NRC is issuing a final environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no 
significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed license 
amendments.

DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document is available on 
November 14, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2011-0302 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2011-0302. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the NRC 
Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and 
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, 
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. The 
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced in this notice (if 
that document is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a 
document is referenced. For the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS 
accession numbers are also provided in a table in the ``Availability of 
Documents'' section of this document.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Perry Buckberg, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1383; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility 
Operating License Nos. DPR-67 and NPF-16 issued to FPL for operation of 
St. Lucie, located on Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County, Florida. 
The licensee submitted its license amendment request by letter dated 
April 29, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16125A253), as amended by letter 
dated August 11, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16238A190). If approved, 
the license amendments would revise language in Section 4.2, 
``Terrestrial/Aquatic Issues,'' of the St. Lucie EPPs to require FPL to 
adhere to the specific requirements within the Incidental Take 
Statement (ITS) of the ``currently applicable'' biological opinion. The 
NRC prepared an EA to document its findings related to the proposed 
license amendments in accordance with Sec.  51.21 of title 10 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). Based on the results of the EA 
documented herein, the NRC did not identify any significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed amendments and is, 
therefore, issuing a FONSI in accordance with 10 CFR 51.32.

II. Environmental Assessment

Plant Site and Environs

    St. Lucie is a two-unit plant with pressurized water reactors and a 
once-through cooling system that withdraws water from and discharges 
heated water to the Atlantic Ocean. St. Lucie lies on Hutchinson Island 
in an unincorporated portion of St. Lucie County, Florida approximately 
7 miles (11 kilometers) southeast of Fort Pierce, 4.5 miles (7 
kilometers) east of Port St. Lucie, and 8 miles (13 kilometers) north 
of Stuart. The facility occupies approximately 1,130 acres (457 
hectares) on the widest portion of the island. The Atlantic Ocean 
borders the site to the east, and the Indian River Lagoon, a tidally 
influenced estuary, lies to the west.
    The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the NRC's predecessor agency, 
and the NRC have previously conducted environmental reviews of St. 
Lucie operations in several documents, which contain more detailed 
descriptions of the plant site and environs. Those documents include 
several Final Environmental Statements related to construction and 
initial operation of St. Lucie; the NRC's May 2003 Generic 
Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: 
Regarding St. Lucie Units 1 and 2--Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 
11) (ADAMS Accession No. ML031360709); and the NRC's June 2012 EA for 
the St. Lucie Extended Power Uprate (ADAMS Accession No. ML12165A511).

Description of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would revise language in Section 4.2, 
``Terrestrial/Aquatic Issues,'' of the St. Lucie EPPs to require FPL to 
adhere to the specific requirements within the ITS of the ``currently 
applicable'' biological opinion. The proposed amendments would remove 
language specifically referencing the National Marine Fisheries 
Service's (NMFS) previous biological opinion, which was issued in 2001. 
The proposed action would be in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated April 29, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16125A253), as 
amended by letter dated August 11, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML16238A190).
    By amending Section 4.2 of the EPPs to clarify that FPL must adhere 
to the ITS of the ``currently applicable'' biological opinion, the 
proposed action

[[Page 79527]]

would require FPL's compliance with the NMFS' March 24, 2016, 
biological opinion (ADAMS Accession No. ML16084A616). This biological 
opinion applies to smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) and five 
species of sea turtles (Caretta carreta, Chelonia mydas, Lepidochelys 
kempii, Eretmochelys imbricata, and Dermochelys coriacea), and 
concludes that the continued operation of St. Lucie is not likely to 
jeopardize the continued existence of these species or destroy or 
adversely modify the designated critical habitat of the loggerhead 
Northwest Atlantic distinct population segment. The ITS exempts the 
incidental take of these species from the prohibitions of Section 9 of 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, provided that the 
specified Reasonable and Prudent Measures (RPMs) are implemented. The 
RPMs are:
    (1) Avoid and minimize entrainment into the St. Lucie intake canal.
    (2) Avoid and minimize injurious or lethal take from entrainment 
into, entrapment in, capture in, and release from the St. Lucie intake 
canal or from impingement at intake wells.
    In order to implement the RPMs, the biological opinion prescribes a 
number of Terms and Conditions (T&Cs). The T&Cs require FPL to design, 
test, construct, and implement excluder devices for the St. Lucie 
intake pipe velocity caps that will minimize the number of nesting or 
egg-bearing female sea turtles that enter the intake pipes. Following 
testing, in-water construction of the excluder devices must begin no 
later than the first half of 2018. The licensee must also develop 
monitoring and maintenance plans to inspect routinely and remove debris 
and biofouling organisms from the excluder devices and the intake pipes 
and to inspect, repair, and replace, as necessary, the 8-inch mesh 
barrier net in the intake canal.
    The T&Cs specify how FPL personnel should capture and relocate 
smalltooth sawfish and sea turtles that enter the intake canal. 
Additionally, the T&Cs specify various monitoring and reporting 
requirements, including how FPL should record the number and condition 
of turtles captured in the intake canal; the periodicity at which FPL 
personnel should inspect the banks of the intake canal for turtle 
tracks or signs of nesting; how FPL personnel should monitor the 
release site for possible delayed lethal impacts to captured smalltooth 
sawfish; how FPL must notify NMFS of lethal smalltooth sawfish or sea 
turtle takes; and the information that FPL should include in monthly 
and annual reports. The T&Cs also require FPL to continue to 
participate in the Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network; to 
continue to conduct the ongoing sea turtle nesting program and public 
service turtle walks; and to consult with the Florida Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Commission (FWC) in accordance with FPL's FWC Marine 
Turtle Permit. Finally, the T&Cs require FPL contracted biologists to 
receive training on smalltooth sawfish and sea turtle handling.
    Notably, because the proposed amendments would require FPL's 
compliance with the ``currently applicable'' biological opinion, if 
NMFS were to issue a new biological opinion in the future, the proposed 
amendments would require FPL to adhere to the specific requirements in 
the ITS of that new biological opinion, and FPL would no longer be 
required to adhere to the March 24, 2016, biological opinion upon 
issuance of a new biological opinion.

Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to reflect the new biological opinion 
issued by NMFS on March 24, 2016, and to require FPL's compliance with 
the ITS and related RPMs and T&Cs contained therein. The proposed 
action is administrative in nature.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the proposed changes are administrative in nature, would 
have no direct effects on plant equipment or plant operation, and would 
not involve any changes to the design bases for St. Lucie.
    With regard to potential radiological impacts, the proposed action 
would not increase the probability or consequences of accidents, would 
not change the types or increase the amount of effluent that may be 
released offsite, and would result in no increase in occupational or 
public radiation exposure. Therefore, there are no significant 
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, because the 
proposed action is administrative in nature, it would not have any 
direct impacts on land, air, or water resources, including impacts to 
biota. In addition, the NRC staff identified no socioeconomic or 
environmental justice impacts associated with the proposed action. 
Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed action.
    An indirect effect of the proposed action is that FPL will design, 
test, construct, and implement excluder devices for the St. Lucie 
intake pipe velocity caps to minimize the number of nesting or egg-
bearing female sea turtles that enter the intake pipes in accordance 
with the March 24, 2016, biological opinion. The biological opinion 
stipulates that in-water construction of the excluder devices must 
begin no later than the first half of 2018. The excluder devices will 
be prefabricated offsite and will only require limited construction 
equipment for the cleaning and attachment of the excluder devices to 
the velocity caps. The excluder devices will be installed within the 
boundaries of the existing concrete velocity cap structures located 
approximately 1,500 feet (460 meters) offshore. The velocity caps and 
associated functions are not safety related and would, therefore, not 
require any physical changes to systems, structures, or components 
intended for the prevention of accidents. The licensee may need to 
perform some localized cleaning of marine growth on the concrete 
surfaces of the velocity caps prior to attaching the excluder devices 
to the velocity caps. During such cleaning, there is potential for 
minor water turbidity, which FPL would monitor in accordance with the 
biological opinion, FWC Marine Turtle Permit, Army Corps of Engineers 
National Wide Permit, and Florida Department of Environmental 
Protection Environmental Source Permit, as applicable. Installation 
would not require dredging, sediment disturbance, or construction on 
the ocean floor, and would also not result in any land disturbances. 
The NRC staff concludes that the indirect effects of installation of 
the turtle excluder devices will not result in significant 
environmental impacts to the radiological or non-radiological 
environment.
    Based on the foregoing analysis, the NRC concludes that there are 
no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed 
action.

Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered 
denial of the proposed license amendments (i.e., the ``no-action'' 
alternative). Denial of the application would result in no change in 
current environmental conditions or impacts. Accordingly, the 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the no-action 
alternative are similar.

[[Page 79528]]

Alternative Use of Resources

    The proposed action does not involve the use of any different 
resources than those previously considered in NUREG-1437, Supplement 
11, prepared for the license renewal of St. Lucie.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    The NRC did not enter into consultation with any other Federal 
Agency or with the State of Florida regarding the environmental impact 
of the proposed action. However, on August 29, 2016, the NRC notified 
the Florida state official, Cynthia Becker, Bureau of Radiation 
Control, of the proposed amendments. The state official had no 
comments.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC is considering issuing amendments for Renewed Facility 
Operating License Nos. DPR-67 and NPF-16 issued to FPL for operation of 
St. Lucie. The proposed amendments would revise the St. Lucie EPPs to 
require FPL to adhere to the specific requirements within the ITS of 
the ``currently applicable'' biological opinion. On the basis of the EA 
included in Section II of this document and incorporated by reference 
into this finding, the NRC concludes that the proposed action would not 
have significant effects on the quality of the human environment. The 
NRC's evaluation considered information provided in the licensee's 
application, as supplemented, as well as the NRC's independent review 
of other relevant environmental documents. Section IV of this document 
lists the environmental documents related to the proposed action and 
includes information on the availability of these documents. Based on 
its findings, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental 
impact statement for the proposed action.

IV. Availability of Documents

    The documents identified in the following table are available to 
interested persons through ADAMS.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               ADAMS
                        Document                          Accession  No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida Power and Light Company, License Amendment           ML16125A253
 Request to Update Appendix B to the Renewed Facility
 Operating Licenses to Incorporate the 2016 Biological
 Opinion, Dated April 29, 2016..........................
Florida Power and Light Company, Response to Request for     ML16238A190
 Additional Information Regarding License Amendment
 Request for Biological Opinion License Changes, Dated
 August 11, 2016........................................
National Marine Fisheries Service, Biological Opinion        ML16084A616
 for Continued Operation of St. Lucie Nuclear Power
 Plant, Units 1 and 2 in St. Lucie County, Florida,
 Dated March 24, 2016...................................
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Generic                  ML031360709
 Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of
 Nuclear Plants: Regarding St. Lucie Units 1 and 2--
 Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 11), Dated May
 2003...................................................
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, St. Lucie Plant,         ML12165A511
 Units 1 and 2--Environmental Assessment and Finding of
 No Significant Impact Related to the Proposed Extended
 Power Uprate, Dated June 25, 2012......................
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of November 2016.

    For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Perry H. Buckberg,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of 
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2016-27354 Filed 11-10-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P



                                                  79526                      Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2016 / Notices

                                                  UPDATES:  Please refer to the National                  email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For                   impacts associated with the proposed
                                                  Science Board Web site for additional                   technical questions, contact the                      amendments and is, therefore, issuing a
                                                  information. Meeting information and                    individual listed in the FOR FURTHER                  FONSI in accordance with 10 CFR
                                                  schedule updates (time, place, subject                  INFORMATION CONTACT section of this                   51.32.
                                                  matter, and status of meeting) may be                   document.
                                                                                                                                                                II. Environmental Assessment
                                                  found at http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/                           • NRC’s Agencywide Documents
                                                  meetings/notices.jsp.                                   Access and Management System                          Plant Site and Environs
                                                  AGENCY CONTACT: John Veysey, jveysey@                   (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-                       St. Lucie is a two-unit plant with
                                                  nsf.gov, 703–292–7000.                                  available documents online in the NRC                 pressurized water reactors and a once-
                                                  PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Nadine Lymn,                    Public Documents collection at http://                through cooling system that withdraws
                                                  nlymn@nsf.gov, 703–292–2490.                            www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.                    water from and discharges heated water
                                                                                                          To begin the search, select ‘‘ADAMS                   to the Atlantic Ocean. St. Lucie lies on
                                                  Chris Blair,                                            Public Documents’’ and then select                    Hutchinson Island in an unincorporated
                                                  Executive Assistant, National Science Board             ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For                 portion of St. Lucie County, Florida
                                                  Office.                                                 problems with ADAMS, please contact                   approximately 7 miles (11 kilometers)
                                                  [FR Doc. 2016–27360 Filed 11–9–16; 11:15 am]            the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR)                  southeast of Fort Pierce, 4.5 miles (7
                                                  BILLING CODE 7555–01–P                                  reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–               kilometers) east of Port St. Lucie, and 8
                                                                                                          415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@                miles (13 kilometers) north of Stuart.
                                                                                                          nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number                   The facility occupies approximately
                                                  NUCLEAR REGULATORY                                      for each document referenced in this                  1,130 acres (457 hectares) on the widest
                                                  COMMISSION                                              notice (if that document is available in              portion of the island. The Atlantic
                                                                                                          ADAMS) is provided the first time that                Ocean borders the site to the east, and
                                                  [Docket Nos. 50–335 and 50–389; NRC–
                                                                                                          a document is referenced. For the                     the Indian River Lagoon, a tidally
                                                  2011–0302]
                                                                                                          convenience of the reader, the ADAMS                  influenced estuary, lies to the west.
                                                  Florida Power and Light Company; St.                    accession numbers are also provided in                  The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission,
                                                  Lucie Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2                          a table in the ‘‘Availability of                      the NRC’s predecessor agency, and the
                                                                                                          Documents’’ section of this document.                 NRC have previously conducted
                                                  AGENCY:  Nuclear Regulatory                                • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and                   environmental reviews of St. Lucie
                                                  Commission.                                             purchase copies of public documents at                operations in several documents, which
                                                  ACTION: Environmental assessment and                    the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One                       contain more detailed descriptions of
                                                  finding of no significant impact;                       White Flint North, 11555 Rockville                    the plant site and environs. Those
                                                  issuance.                                               Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.                      documents include several Final
                                                                                                          FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                      Environmental Statements related to
                                                  SUMMARY:   The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory                  Perry Buckberg, Office of Nuclear
                                                  Commission (NRC) is considering                                                                               construction and initial operation of St.
                                                                                                          Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear                      Lucie; the NRC’s May 2003 Generic
                                                  issuance of amendments to Renewed                       Regulatory Commission, Washington,
                                                  Facility Operating License Nos. DPR–67                                                                        Environmental Impact Statement for
                                                                                                          DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–                    License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:
                                                  and NPF–16, issued on October 2, 2003,                  1383; email: Perry.Buckberg@nrc.gov.
                                                  and held by Florida Power and Light                                                                           Regarding St. Lucie Units 1 and 2—
                                                  Company (FPL or the licensee) for the                   SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                            Final Report (NUREG–1437,
                                                  operation of St. Lucie Plant, Unit Nos.                                                                       Supplement 11) (ADAMS Accession No.
                                                                                                          I. Introduction
                                                  1 and 2 (St. Lucie), located on                                                                               ML031360709); and the NRC’s June
                                                                                                             The NRC is considering issuance of                 2012 EA for the St. Lucie Extended
                                                  Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County,
                                                                                                          amendments to Renewed Facility                        Power Uprate (ADAMS Accession No.
                                                  Florida. The proposed amendments
                                                                                                          Operating License Nos. DPR–67 and                     ML12165A511).
                                                  would revise the Environmental
                                                                                                          NPF–16 issued to FPL for operation of
                                                  Protection Plans (Non-Radiological)                                                                           Description of the Proposed Action
                                                                                                          St. Lucie, located on Hutchinson Island
                                                  (EPPs), contained in Appendix B to the
                                                                                                          in St. Lucie County, Florida. The                        The proposed action would revise
                                                  St. Lucie renewed facility operating
                                                                                                          licensee submitted its license                        language in Section 4.2, ‘‘Terrestrial/
                                                  licenses. The NRC is issuing a final
                                                                                                          amendment request by letter dated April               Aquatic Issues,’’ of the St. Lucie EPPs to
                                                  environmental assessment (EA) and
                                                                                                          29, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No.                         require FPL to adhere to the specific
                                                  finding of no significant impact (FONSI)
                                                                                                          ML16125A253), as amended by letter                    requirements within the ITS of the
                                                  associated with the proposed license
                                                                                                          dated August 11, 2016 (ADAMS                          ‘‘currently applicable’’ biological
                                                  amendments.
                                                                                                          Accession No. ML16238A190). If                        opinion. The proposed amendments
                                                  DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in                   approved, the license amendments                      would remove language specifically
                                                  this document is available on November                  would revise language in Section 4.2,                 referencing the National Marine
                                                  14, 2016.                                               ‘‘Terrestrial/Aquatic Issues,’’ of the St.            Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) previous
                                                  ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID                    Lucie EPPs to require FPL to adhere to                biological opinion, which was issued in
                                                  NRC–2011–0302 when contacting the                       the specific requirements within the                  2001. The proposed action would be in
                                                  NRC about the availability of                           Incidental Take Statement (ITS) of the                accordance with the licensee’s
                                                  information regarding this document.                    ‘‘currently applicable’’ biological                   application dated April 29, 2016
                                                  You may obtain publicly-available                       opinion. The NRC prepared an EA to                    (ADAMS Accession No. ML16125A253),
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES




                                                  information related to this document                    document its findings related to the                  as amended by letter dated August 11,
                                                  using any of the following methods:                     proposed license amendments in                        2016 (ADAMS Accession No.
                                                    • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to                  accordance with § 51.21 of title 10 of the            ML16238A190).
                                                  http://www.regulations.gov and search                   Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR).                    By amending Section 4.2 of the EPPs
                                                  for Docket ID NRC–2011–0302. Address                    Based on the results of the EA                        to clarify that FPL must adhere to the
                                                  questions about NRC dockets to Carol                    documented herein, the NRC did not                    ITS of the ‘‘currently applicable’’
                                                  Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463;                     identify any significant environmental                biological opinion, the proposed action


                                             VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:26 Nov 10, 2016   Jkt 241001   PO 00000   Frm 00116   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\14NON1.SGM   14NON1


                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2016 / Notices                                               79527

                                                  would require FPL’s compliance with                     also require FPL to continue to                       environmental impacts associated with
                                                  the NMFS’ March 24, 2016, biological                    participate in the Florida Sea Turtle                 the proposed action.
                                                  opinion (ADAMS Accession No.                            Stranding and Salvage Network; to                        An indirect effect of the proposed
                                                  ML16084A616). This biological opinion                   continue to conduct the ongoing sea                   action is that FPL will design, test,
                                                  applies to smalltooth sawfish (Pristis                  turtle nesting program and public                     construct, and implement excluder
                                                  pectinata) and five species of sea turtles              service turtle walks; and to consult with             devices for the St. Lucie intake pipe
                                                  (Caretta carreta, Chelonia mydas,                       the Florida Fish and Wildlife                         velocity caps to minimize the number of
                                                  Lepidochelys kempii, Eretmochelys                       Conservation Commission (FWC) in                      nesting or egg-bearing female sea turtles
                                                  imbricata, and Dermochelys coriacea),                   accordance with FPL’s FWC Marine                      that enter the intake pipes in accordance
                                                  and concludes that the continued                        Turtle Permit. Finally, the T&Cs require              with the March 24, 2016, biological
                                                  operation of St. Lucie is not likely to                 FPL contracted biologists to receive                  opinion. The biological opinion
                                                  jeopardize the continued existence of                   training on smalltooth sawfish and sea                stipulates that in-water construction of
                                                  these species or destroy or adversely                   turtle handling.                                      the excluder devices must begin no later
                                                  modify the designated critical habitat of                  Notably, because the proposed                      than the first half of 2018. The excluder
                                                  the loggerhead Northwest Atlantic                       amendments would require FPL’s                        devices will be prefabricated offsite and
                                                  distinct population segment. The ITS                    compliance with the ‘‘currently                       will only require limited construction
                                                  exempts the incidental take of these                    applicable’’ biological opinion, if NMFS              equipment for the cleaning and
                                                  species from the prohibitions of Section                were to issue a new biological opinion                attachment of the excluder devices to
                                                  9 of the Endangered Species Act of                      in the future, the proposed amendments                the velocity caps. The excluder devices
                                                  1973, as amended, provided that the                     would require FPL to adhere to the                    will be installed within the boundaries
                                                  specified Reasonable and Prudent                        specific requirements in the ITS of that              of the existing concrete velocity cap
                                                  Measures (RPMs) are implemented. The                    new biological opinion, and FPL would                 structures located approximately 1,500
                                                  RPMs are:                                               no longer be required to adhere to the                feet (460 meters) offshore. The velocity
                                                     (1) Avoid and minimize entrainment                   March 24, 2016, biological opinion                    caps and associated functions are not
                                                  into the St. Lucie intake canal.                        upon issuance of a new biological                     safety related and would, therefore, not
                                                     (2) Avoid and minimize injurious or
                                                                                                          opinion.                                              require any physical changes to systems,
                                                  lethal take from entrainment into,
                                                                                                                                                                structures, or components intended for
                                                  entrapment in, capture in, and release                  Need for the Proposed Action
                                                                                                                                                                the prevention of accidents. The
                                                  from the St. Lucie intake canal or from
                                                                                                             The proposed action is needed to                   licensee may need to perform some
                                                  impingement at intake wells.
                                                     In order to implement the RPMs, the                  reflect the new biological opinion                    localized cleaning of marine growth on
                                                  biological opinion prescribes a number                  issued by NMFS on March 24, 2016, and                 the concrete surfaces of the velocity
                                                  of Terms and Conditions (T&Cs). The                     to require FPL’s compliance with the                  caps prior to attaching the excluder
                                                  T&Cs require FPL to design, test,                       ITS and related RPMs and T&Cs                         devices to the velocity caps. During
                                                  construct, and implement excluder                       contained therein. The proposed action                such cleaning, there is potential for
                                                  devices for the St. Lucie intake pipe                   is administrative in nature.                          minor water turbidity, which FPL
                                                  velocity caps that will minimize the                                                                          would monitor in accordance with the
                                                                                                          Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
                                                  number of nesting or egg-bearing female                                                                       biological opinion, FWC Marine Turtle
                                                                                                          Action
                                                  sea turtles that enter the intake pipes.                                                                      Permit, Army Corps of Engineers
                                                  Following testing, in-water construction                  The NRC has completed its evaluation                National Wide Permit, and Florida
                                                  of the excluder devices must begin no                   of the proposed action and concludes                  Department of Environmental Protection
                                                  later than the first half of 2018. The                  that the proposed changes are                         Environmental Source Permit, as
                                                  licensee must also develop monitoring                   administrative in nature, would have no               applicable. Installation would not
                                                  and maintenance plans to inspect                        direct effects on plant equipment or                  require dredging, sediment disturbance,
                                                  routinely and remove debris and                         plant operation, and would not involve                or construction on the ocean floor, and
                                                  biofouling organisms from the excluder                  any changes to the design bases for St.               would also not result in any land
                                                  devices and the intake pipes and to                     Lucie.                                                disturbances. The NRC staff concludes
                                                  inspect, repair, and replace, as                          With regard to potential radiological               that the indirect effects of installation of
                                                  necessary, the 8-inch mesh barrier net in               impacts, the proposed action would not                the turtle excluder devices will not
                                                  the intake canal.                                       increase the probability or consequences              result in significant environmental
                                                     The T&Cs specify how FPL personnel                   of accidents, would not change the                    impacts to the radiological or non-
                                                  should capture and relocate smalltooth                  types or increase the amount of effluent              radiological environment.
                                                  sawfish and sea turtles that enter the                  that may be released offsite, and would                  Based on the foregoing analysis, the
                                                  intake canal. Additionally, the T&Cs                    result in no increase in occupational or              NRC concludes that there are no
                                                  specify various monitoring and                          public radiation exposure. Therefore,                 significant environmental impacts
                                                  reporting requirements, including how                   there are no significant radiological                 associated with the proposed action.
                                                  FPL should record the number and                        environmental impacts associated with
                                                                                                          the proposed action.                                  Environmental Impacts of the
                                                  condition of turtles captured in the
                                                                                                                                                                Alternatives to the Proposed Action
                                                  intake canal; the periodicity at which                    With regard to potential non-
                                                  FPL personnel should inspect the banks                  radiological impacts, because the                        As an alternative to the proposed
                                                  of the intake canal for turtle tracks or                proposed action is administrative in                  action, the NRC staff considered denial
                                                  signs of nesting; how FPL personnel                     nature, it would not have any direct                  of the proposed license amendments
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                                                  should monitor the release site for                     impacts on land, air, or water resources,             (i.e., the ‘‘no-action’’ alternative). Denial
                                                  possible delayed lethal impacts to                      including impacts to biota. In addition,              of the application would result in no
                                                  captured smalltooth sawfish; how FPL                    the NRC staff identified no                           change in current environmental
                                                  must notify NMFS of lethal smalltooth                   socioeconomic or environmental justice                conditions or impacts. Accordingly, the
                                                  sawfish or sea turtle takes; and the                    impacts associated with the proposed                  environmental impacts of the proposed
                                                  information that FPL should include in                  action. Therefore, there are no                       action and the no-action alternative are
                                                  monthly and annual reports. The T&Cs                    significant non-radiological                          similar.


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                                                  79528                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2016 / Notices

                                                  Alternative Use of Resources                                      III. Finding of No Significant Impact                             evaluation considered information
                                                     The proposed action does not involve                                                                                             provided in the licensee’s application,
                                                                                                                       The NRC is considering issuing                                 as supplemented, as well as the NRC’s
                                                  the use of any different resources than                           amendments for Renewed Facility
                                                  those previously considered in NUREG–                                                                                               independent review of other relevant
                                                                                                                    Operating License Nos. DPR–67 and                                 environmental documents. Section IV of
                                                  1437, Supplement 11, prepared for the
                                                                                                                    NPF–16 issued to FPL for operation of                             this document lists the environmental
                                                  license renewal of St. Lucie.
                                                                                                                    St. Lucie. The proposed amendments                                documents related to the proposed
                                                  Agencies and Persons Consulted                                    would revise the St. Lucie EPPs to                                action and includes information on the
                                                    The NRC did not enter into                                      require FPL to adhere to the specific                             availability of these documents. Based
                                                  consultation with any other Federal                               requirements within the ITS of the
                                                                                                                                                                                      on its findings, the NRC has determined
                                                  Agency or with the State of Florida                               ‘‘currently applicable’’ biological
                                                                                                                                                                                      not to prepare an environmental impact
                                                  regarding the environmental impact of                             opinion. On the basis of the EA
                                                                                                                                                                                      statement for the proposed action.
                                                  the proposed action. However, on                                  included in Section II of this document
                                                  August 29, 2016, the NRC notified the                             and incorporated by reference into this                           IV. Availability of Documents
                                                  Florida state official, Cynthia Becker,                           finding, the NRC concludes that the
                                                  Bureau of Radiation Control, of the                               proposed action would not have                                      The documents identified in the
                                                  proposed amendments. The state official                           significant effects on the quality of the                         following table are available to
                                                  had no comments.                                                  human environment. The NRC’s                                      interested persons through ADAMS.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ADAMS
                                                                                                                                 Document                                                                                         Accession
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     No.

                                                  Florida Power and Light Company, License Amendment Request to Update Appendix B to the Renewed Facility Operating Li-
                                                    censes to Incorporate the 2016 Biological Opinion, Dated April 29, 2016 .....................................................................................                ML16125A253
                                                  Florida Power and Light Company, Response to Request for Additional Information Regarding License Amendment Request for
                                                    Biological Opinion License Changes, Dated August 11, 2016 ........................................................................................................           ML16238A190
                                                  National Marine Fisheries Service, Biological Opinion for Continued Operation of St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2
                                                    in St. Lucie County, Florida, Dated March 24, 2016 .......................................................................................................................   ML16084A616
                                                  U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Re-
                                                    garding St. Lucie Units 1 and 2—Final Report (NUREG–1437, Supplement 11), Dated May 2003 .............................................                                       ML031360709
                                                  U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, St. Lucie Plant, Units 1 and 2—Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant
                                                    Impact Related to the Proposed Extended Power Uprate, Dated June 25, 2012 ..........................................................................                         ML12165A511



                                                    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day                      Week of November 28, 2016—Tentative                               McGovern at 301–415–0981 or via email
                                                  of November 2016.                                                                                                                   at Denise.McGovern@nrc.gov.
                                                    For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
                                                                                                                    Tuesday, November 29, 2016
                                                                                                                                                                                      *      *     *    *      *
                                                  Perry H. Buckberg,                                                9:00 a.m. Briefing on Uranium                                        The NRC Commission Meeting
                                                  Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing                               Recovery (Public Meeting);                                    Schedule can be found on the Internet
                                                  Branch II–2, Division of Operating Reactor                            (Contact: Samantha Crane: 301–                                at: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/
                                                  Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor                                  415–6380).                                                    public-meetings/schedule.html.
                                                  Regulation.
                                                                                                                      This meeting will be webcast live at                            *      *     *    *      *
                                                  [FR Doc. 2016–27354 Filed 11–10–16; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                                    the Web address—http://www.nrc.gov/.                                 The NRC provides reasonable
                                                  BILLING CODE 7590–01–P                                                                                                              accommodation to individuals with
                                                                                                                    Week of December 5, 2016—Tentative                                disabilities where appropriate. If you
                                                                                                                      There are no meetings scheduled for                             need a reasonable accommodation to
                                                  NUCLEAR REGULATORY
                                                                                                                    the week of December 5, 2016.                                     participate in these public meetings, or
                                                  COMMISSION
                                                                                                                                                                                      need this meeting notice or the
                                                                                                                    Week of December 12, 2016—Tentative                               transcript or other information from the
                                                  [NRC–2016–0001]                                                                                                                     public meetings in another format (e.g.,
                                                                                                                      Thursday, December 15, 2016
                                                                                                                                                                                      braille, large print), please notify
                                                  Sunshine Act Meeting Notice                                       9:30 a.m. Briefing on Equal
                                                                                                                                                                                      Kimberly Meyer, NRC Disability
                                                                                                                        Employment Opportunity,
                                                                                                                                                                                      Program Manager, at 301–287–0739, by
                                                  DATE: November 14, 21, 28, December 5,                                Affirmative Employment, and Small
                                                                                                                                                                                      videophone at 240–428–3217, or by
                                                  12, 19, 2016.                                                         Business (Public Meeting); (Contact:
                                                                                                                                                                                      email at Kimberly.Meyer-Chambers@
                                                                                                                        Larniece McKoy Moore: 301–415–
                                                  PLACE:Commissioners’ Conference                                                                                                     nrc.gov. Determinations on requests for
                                                                                                                        1942).
                                                  Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,                                                                                              reasonable accommodation will be
                                                                                                                      This meeting will be webcast live at                            made on a case-by-case basis.
                                                  Maryland.
                                                                                                                    the Web address—http://www.nrc.gov/.
                                                                                                                                                                                      *      *     *    *      *
                                                  STATUS:     Public and Closed.                                                                                                         Members of the public may request to
                                                                                                                    Week of December 19, 2016—Tentative
                                                  Week of November 14, 2016                                                                                                           receive this information electronically.
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                      There are no meetings scheduled for                             If you would like to be added to the
                                                    There are no meetings scheduled for                             the week of December 19, 2016.                                    distribution, please contact the Nuclear
                                                  the week of November 14, 2016.                                    *     *     *    *     *                                          Regulatory Commission, Office of the
                                                  Week of November 21, 2016—Tentative                                 The schedule for Commission                                     Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 (301–
                                                                                                                    meetings is subject to change on short                            415–1969), or email
                                                    There are no meetings scheduled for                             notice. For more information or to verify                         Brenda.Akstulewicz@nrc.gov or
                                                  the week of November 21, 2016.                                    the status of meetings, contact Denise                            Patricia.Jimenez@nrc.gov.


                                             VerDate Sep<11>2014      17:26 Nov 10, 2016      Jkt 241001    PO 00000      Frm 00118     Fmt 4703     Sfmt 4703     E:\FR\FM\14NON1.SGM          14NON1



Document Created: 2018-10-24 10:46:38
Document Modified: 2018-10-24 10:46:38
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionEnvironmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; issuance.
DatesThe EA and FONSI referenced in this document is available on November 14, 2016.
ContactPerry Buckberg, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1383; email: [email protected]
FR Citation81 FR 79526 

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