[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 116 (Friday, June 16, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39487-39492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12853]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-456 and 50-457; NRC-2023-0105]
Constellation Energy Generation, LLC; Braidwood Station, Units 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. NPF-
72 and NPF-77, which authorize Constellation Energy Generation, LLC,
(Constellation, licensee) to operate Braidwood Station (Braidwood),
Units 1 and 2. The proposed amendments would change Technical
Specification (TS) 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) from the date of issuance of the amendments
through September 30, 2023.
DATES: The environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant
impact (FONSI) referenced in this document are available on June 16,
2023.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2023-0105 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-2023-0105. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann;
telephone: 301-415-0624; 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
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,
instructions about obtaining materials referenced in this document are
provided in the ``Availability of Documents'' section.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents, by appointment, at the NRC's PDR, Room P1 B35, One White
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. To make
an appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to
[email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joel S. Wiebe, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001, telephone: 301-415-6606; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. NPF-72 and NPF-77, which authorize Constellation
Energy Generation, LLC, to operate Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2,
located in Will County, Illinois. Constellation 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 March 24, 2023. If
approved, the license amendments would revise TS SR 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)) from
the date of issuance of the amendments through September 30, 2023.
Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, 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 FONSI.
II. Environmental Assessment
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) from the date of
issuance of the amendments through September 30, 2023. 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, 2022. After September 30, 2022, 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, 2023. After
September 30, 2023, 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) from
the date of issuance of the amendments through September 30, 2023. The
current TS's UHS average water temperature limit of 102 [deg]F (38.9
[deg]C) would remain applicable to all other time periods beyond
September 30, 2023. 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 for specified periods
until September 30, 2020, September 30, 2021, and September 30, 2022.
The NRC issued EAs for the 2020, 2021, and 2022, UHS amendments in the
Federal Register on September 10, 2020 (85 FR 55863), July 7, 2021 (86
FR 35831), and July 20, 2022 (87 FR 43301), respectively. The NRC
issued the amendments on September 24, 2020, July 13, 2021, and August
10, 2022, respectively. The only difference
[[Page 39488]]
between the previously approved amendments to SR 3.7.9.2 and the
proposed action is that the proposed action would replace the year with
``2023.'' It should also be noted that during the past 3 years, the
temperature of the UHS has not exceeded 102 [deg]F, so no cumulative
effects of the previously authorized amendments need be considered. The
proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated
March 24, 2023.
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 the
licensee's request in September 2020. A similar request for subsequent
years was granted by NRC letters dated July 13, 2021, and August 10,
2022. Constellation projects that have similar conditions are likely
this year. The proposed action would provide the licensee with
operational flexibility until September 30, 2023, during which period
continued high UHS temperatures are likely, so that the plant shutdown
criteria specified in the TS are not triggered.
Plant Site and Environs
Braidwood is in Will County, Illinois, approximately 50 miles (mi)
or 80 kilometers (km) southwest of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and 20
mi (32 km) south-southwest of Joliet, IL. The Kankakee River is
approximately 5 mi (8 km) east of the eastern site boundary. An onsite
2,540-acre (ac) or 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. The licensee 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 the 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 the licensee 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.
[[Page 39489]]
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 and no 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 doses 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 nonradiological 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, 2023. 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 by 0.8 [deg]F (0.4 [deg]C) 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 Constellation 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, the licensee 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, 2021, and 2022, 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, September 30, 2021, and September 30, 2022,
respectively. In the EAs 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
and 2021 amendments. The staff's justification for this conclusion is
as 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, 2023. 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
[[Page 39490]]
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 EA.
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 1 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
the licensee 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 allowed
under the current TS limit, for at least one hour would result in
observable deaths. However, as stated previously, the licensee 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, the flow path between the
discharge canal and the UHS, and the UHS itself constitute a small area
as compared to the cooling pond. Thus, while the incremental increase
would likely increase the area over which cooling pond temperatures
would rise above currently allowed temperatures, 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 as compared to current operations, for those species
with thermal tolerances at or near 95 [deg]F (35 [deg]C), and would
result in an insignificant increase in the number of individuals
affected for species with thermal tolerances above 95 [deg]F (35
[deg]C), such as bluegill.
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 Constellation and IDNR. Continued stocking would mitigate any
effects resulting from the proposed action. Also, as stated previously,
although the plants have been authorized to operate up to 102.8 [deg]F
temporarily, at no time in the past 3 years did the UHS temperature
exceed 102 [deg]F. 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 action
would result in a significant difference in the number or intensity of
fish kill events or otherwise result in significant impacts to 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
(IEPA) 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.
Under the proposed action, Constellation would remain subject to
[[Page 39491]]
the federal and State regulatory controls described in this notice. The
NRC staff finds that Constellation'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 amounts 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 as a result of 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 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 regarding the proposed action is not
necessary because the NRC staff has determined that the requested
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 to 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 from the date of issuance of the amendments through
September 2023. The no-action alternative would result in no change in
environmental conditions or impacts at Braidwood beyond those
considered in the Braidwood FSEIS.
Alternative Use of Resources
There are no unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of
available resources under the proposed action.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Illinois State
official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendment on
April 25, 2023. The State official had no comments.
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 Constellation for
operation of Braidwood that would revise the TS for the plant to
temporarily increase the allowable average temperature of the UHS from
the date of issuance of the amendments to September 30, 2023.
On the basis of the EA included in section II and incorporated by
reference 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 one or more of the following methods, as
indicated.
[[Page 39492]]
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Document ADAMS accession No.
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License Amendment Request
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Constellation Energy Generation, LLC. ML23083B941.
License Amendment to Braidwood Station,
Units 1 and 2, Technical Specification
3.7.9, ``Ultimate Heat Sink,'' dated March
23, 2023.
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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. Final Report: ML15274A093 (Package).
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 ML14339A044.
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 ML15299A013.
Letter Concluding Informal Consultation
with the NRC for Braidwood License
Renewal, dated October 20, 2015.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC. License ML21147A543.
Amendment to Braidwood Station, Units 1
and 2, Technical Specification 3.7.9,
``Ultimate Heat Sink,'' dated May 27, 2021.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC. License ML20197A434.
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 ML20227A375.
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 ML15314A814.
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 ML053040362.
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 ML053040366.
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 ML15322A317.
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.
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2--Issuance ML22173A214.
of Amendments Re: Ultimate Heat Sink
Temperature Increase, dated August 10,
2022.
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.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ML21165A041.
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact Related to Temporary
Revision of Technical Specifications for
the Ultimate Heat Sink, dated June 30,
2021.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ML21154A046.
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2--Issuance
of Amendments Re: Temporary Revision of
Technical Specifications for the Ultimate
Heat Sink, dated July 13, 2021.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(\1\) These references are subject to copyright laws and are, therefore,
not reproduced in ADAMS.
Dated: June 12, 2023.
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. 2023-12853 Filed 6-15-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P