Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station - Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 30)

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• NUREG-1437, Supplement 30
• Volume 1 (PDF - 3.69 MB)
• Volume 2 (PDF - 13.1 MB)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: August 2007
Date Published: August 2007

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Availability Notice

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Table of Contents

• Abstract
• Executive Summary
• Abbreviations/Acronyms
• 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 Report Contents
  • 1.2 Background
    • 1.2.1 Generic Environmental Impact Statement
    • 1.2.2 License Renewal Evaluation Process
  • 1.3 The Proposed Federal Action
  • 1.4 The Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
  • 1.5 Compliance and Consultations
  • 1.6 References
• 2.0 Description of Nuclear Power Plant and Site and Plant Interaction with the Environment
  • 2.1 Plant and Site Description and Proposed Plant Operation During the Renewal Term
    • 2.1.1 External Appearance and Setting
    • 2.1.2 Reactor Systems
    • 2.1.3 Cooling and Auxiliary Water Systems
    • 2.1.4 Radioactive Waste Management Systems and Effluent Control Systems
      • 2.1.4.1 Liquid Waste Processing Systems and Effluent Controls
      • 2.1.4.2 Gaseous Waste Processing Systems and Effluent Controls
      • 2.1.4.3 Solid Waste Processing
    • 2.1.5 Nonradioactive Waste Systems
    • 2.1.6 Plant Operation and Maintenance
    • 2.1.7 Power Transmission System
  • 2.2 Plant Interaction with the Environment
    • 2.2.1 Land Use
    • 2.2.2 Water Use
      • 2.2.2.1 Surface Water
      • 2.2.2.2 Groundwater
    • 2.2.3 Water Quality
      • 2.2.3.1 Surface Water
      • 2.2.3.2 Groundwater
    • 2.2.4 Air Quality
      • 2.2.4.1 Climate and Meteorology
      • 2.2.4.2 Air Quality Impacts
    • 2.2.5 Aquatic Resources
      • 2.2.5.1 Description of the Aquatic Resources in the Vicinity of VYNPS
      • 2.2.5.2 Threatened or Endangered Aquatic Species
    • 2.2.6 Terrestrial Resources
      • 2.2.6.1 Description of Terrestrial Resources in the Vicinity of VYNPS
      • 2.2.6.2 Threatened or Endangered Terrestrial Species
    • 2.2.7 Radiological Impacts
    • 2.2.8 Socioeconomic Factors
      • 2.2.8.1 Housing
      • 2.2.8.2 Public Services
      • 2.2.8.3 Offsite Land Use
      • 2.2.8.4 Visual Aesthetics and Noise
      • 2.2.8.5 Demography
      • 2.2.8.6 Economy
    • 2.2.9 Historic and Archaeological Resources
      • 2.2.9.1 Cultural Background
      • 2.2.9.2 Historic and Archaeological Resources at the VYNPS Site
    • 2.2.10 Related Federal Project Activities and Consultations
  • 2.3 References
• 3.0 Environmental Impacts of Refurbishment
  • 3.1 References
• 4.0 Environmental Impacts of Operation
  • 4.1 Cooling System
    • 4.1.1 Water Use Conflicts (Make-Up from a Small River)
    • 4.1.2 Entrainment of Fish and Shellfish in Early Life Stages
    • 4.1.3 Impingement of Fish and Shellfish
    • 4.1.4 Heat Shock
    • 4.1.5 Microbiological Organisms (Public Health)
  • 4.2 Transmission Lines
    • 4.2.1 Electromagnetic Fields – Acute Effects
    • 4.2.2 Electromagnetic Fields – Chronic Effects
  • 4.3 Radiological Impacts of Normal Operations
  • 4.4 Socioeconomic Impacts of Plant Operations During the License Renewal Period
    • 4.4.1 Housing Impacts During Operations
    • 4.4.2 Public Services: Public Utility Impacts During Operations
    • 4.4.3 Offsite Land Use During Operations
    • 4.4.4 Public Services: Transportation Impacts During Operations
    • 4.4.5 Historic and Archaeological Resources
    • 4.4.6 Environmental Justice
  • 4.5 Groundwater Use and Quality
    • 4.5.1 Groundwater-Use Conflicts (Make-Up from a Small River)
  • 4.6 Threatened or Endangered Species
    • 4.6.1 Aquatic Species
    • 4.6.2 Terrestrial Species
  • 4.7 Evaluation of New and Potentially Significant Information on Impacts of Operations During the Renewal Term
    • 4.7.1 Evaluation of Potential New and Significant Information Concerning Biocides in Cooling Water Drift
    • 4.7.2 Evaluation of Potential New and Significant Information Concerning Thermal Discharges to the Connecticut River
  • 4.8 Cumulative Impacts
    • 4.8.1 Cumulative Impacts on Aquatic Resources
    • 4.8.2 Cumulative Impacts on Terrestrial Resources
    • 4.8.3 Cumulative Human Health Impacts
    • 4.8.4 Cumulative Socioeconomic Impacts
    • 4.8.5 Cumulative Impacts on Groundwater Use and Quality
    • 4.8.6 Conclusions Regarding Cumulative Impacts
  • 4.9 Summary of Impacts of Operations During the Renewal Term
  • 4.10 References
• 5.0 Environmental Impacts of Postulated Accidents
  • 5.1 Postulated Plant Accidents
    • 5.1.1 Design-Basis Accidents
    • 5.1.2 Severe Accidents
  • 5.2 Severe Accident Mitigation Alternatives
    • 5.2.1 Introduction
    • 5.2.2 Estimate of Risk
    • 5.2.3 Potential Plant Improvements
    • 5.2.4 Evaluation of Risk Reduction and Costs of Improvements
    • 5.2.5 Cost-Benefit Comparison
    • 5.2.6 Conclusions
  • 5.3 References
• 6.0 Environmental Impacts of the Uranium Fuel Cycle and Solid Waste Management
  • 6.1 The Uranium Fuel Cycle
  • 6.2 References
• 7.0 Environmental Impacts of Decommissioning
  • 7.1 Decommissioning
  • 7.2 References
• 8.0 Environmental Impacts of Alternatives
  • 8.1 No-Action Alternative
  • 8.2 Alternative Energy Sources
    • 8.2.1 Coal-Fired Plant Generation
      • 8.2.1.1 Coal-Fired Plant with a Closed-Cycle Cooling System
      • 8.2.1.2 Coal-Fired Plant with a Once-Through Cooling System
    • 8.2.2 Natural-Gas-Fired Plant Generation
      • 8.2.2.1 Natural-Gas-Fired Plant with a Closed-Cycle Cooling System
      • 8.2.2.2 Natural-Gas-Fired Plant with a Once-Through Cooling System
    • 8.2.3 Nuclear Power Plant Generation
      • 8.2.3.1 New Nuclear Plant with a Closed-Cycle Cooling System
      • 8.2.3.2 New Nuclear Plant with a Once-Through Cooling System
    • 8.2.4 Purchased Electrical Power
    • 8.2.5 Other Alternatives
      • 8.2.5.1 Oil-Fired Plant Generation
      • 8.2.5.2 Wind Power
      • 8.2.5.3 Solar Power
      • 8.2.5.4 Hydropower
      • 8.2.5.5 Geothermal Energy
      • 8.2.5.6 Wood Waste
      • 8.2.5.7 Municipal Solid Waste
      • 8.2.5.8 Other Biomass-Derived Fuels
      • 8.2.5.9 Fuel Cells
      • 8.2.5.10 Delayed Retirement
      • 8.2.5.11 Utility-Sponsored Conservation
    • 8.2.6 Combination of Alternatives
  • 8.3 Summary of Alternatives Considered
  • 8.4 References
• 9.0 Summary and Conclusions
  • 9.1 Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action – License Renewal
    • 9.1.1 Unavoidable Adverse Impacts
    • 9.1.2 Irreversible or Irretrievable Resource Commitments
    • 9.1.3 Short-Term Use Versus Long-Term Productivity
  • 9.2 Relative Significance of the Environmental Impacts of License Renewal and Alternatives
  • 9.3 NRC Staff Conclusions and Recommendations
  • 9.4 References

APPENDIX

• Appendix A - Comments Received on the Environmental Review
• Appendix B - Contributors to the Supplement
• Appendix C - Chronology of NRC Staff Environmental Review Correspondence Related to the Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Application for License Renewal of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station
• Appendix D - Organizations Contacted
• Appendix E - Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Compliance Status and Consultation Correspondence
• Appendix F - Generic Environmental Impact Statement Environmental Issues Not Applicable to Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station
• Appendix G - NRC Staff Evaluation of Severe Accident Mitigation Alternatives (SAMAs) for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station

FIGURES

• 2-1 Location of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station, 50-mi Region
• 2-2 Location of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station, 6-mi Region
• 2-3 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Site Layout
• 2-4 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Exclusion Zone
• 2-5 Major State and Federal Lands Within 50 mi of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station
• 2-6 Location of the Chestnut Hill Transmission Line
• 2-7 Location of the Coolidge Transmission Line
• 2-8 Average Monthly Flow Rates at Vernon Dam from 2000 to 2005
• 2-9 Average Monthly Flow Rates at Vernon Dam for 2004 and 2005
• 2-10 Locations of NPDES Outfalls at the VYNPS
• 2-11 Locations of Vernon Dam and River Monitoring Stations 3 and 7 Relative to VYNPS
• 2-12 Seasonal Variation in Measured Temperature at River Monitoring Station 3, Located About 0.65 Miles Downstream of Vernon Dam (2000-2004)
• 2-13 Seasonal Variation in Measured Temperature at River Monitoring Station 7, Located 4 Miles Upstream of VYNPS (2000-2004)
• 2-14 Difference in Average Measured Monthly Temperatures Between River Monitoring Stations 3 (downstream) and 7 (upstream)
• 2-15 Locations of Thermistor Stations at Vernon Pool
• 4-1 Geographic Distribution of Minority Populations (shown in shaded areas) Within 50 mi of the VYNPS Site Based on Census Block Group Data
• 4-2 Geographic Distribution of Low-Income Populations (shown in shaded areas) Within 50 mi of the VYNPS Site Based on Census Block Group Data

TABLES

• 2-1 VYNPS NPDES Discharge Locations
• 2-2 VYNPS Potable Water Wells
• 2-3 Monitoring Requirements for Water Quality Parameters at NPDES Outfalls
• 2-4 Discharge Temperature Requirements Under the Current and Amended NPDES Permits for VYNPS
• 2-5 Maximum Calculated River Temperature Increase at River Monitoring Station 3 During the NPDES Winter Period (October 15 through May 15)
• 2-6 Maximum Calculated River Temperature Increase at River Monitoring Station 3 During the NPDES Summer Period (May 16 through October 14)
• 2-7 Total Water Depth and Temperature Sampling Depths in Vernon Pool
• 2-8 Summary of Migratory Fish Passage at Vernon Dam, 1981 Through 2006
• 2-9 Summary of Migratory Fish Passage at Holyoke, Turners Falls, Vernon, and Bellows Falls Dams, 2004 and 2005
• 2-10 American Shad Counts at Holyoke, Turners Falls, and Vernon Dams from 1981 Through 2005
• 2-11 Federally and Vermont-Listed Aquatic Species Potentially Occurring in the Vicinity of VYNPS and Associated Transmission Lines
• 2-12 Federally Listed and State-Listed Terrestrial Species Whose Ranges Include the VYNPS Site, Transmission Lines Within the Scope of License Renewal, and Vicinity
• 2-13 VYNPS Permanent Employee Residence Information by County and City
• 2-14 Housing Units and Housing Units Vacant (Available) by County During 1990 and 2000
• 2-15 Major County Public Water Supply Systems in 2004
• 2-16 Population Growth in Windham County, Cheshire County, and Franklin County, 1990 to 2032
• 2-17 Major Employment Facilities Within 10 mi of the VYNPS Site
• 2-18 VYNPS Contribution to Vernon Tax Revenues
• 3-1 Category 1 Issues for Refurbishment Evaluation
• 3-2 Category 2 Issues for Refurbishment Evaluation
• 4-1 Category 1 Issues Applicable to the Operation of the VYNPS Cooling System During the Renewal Term
• 4-2 Category 2 Issues Applicable to the Operation of the VYNPS Cooling System During the Renewal Term
• 4-3 Percentages (and Numbers) of Fish Eggs and Larvae Entrained at VYNPS
• 4-4 Percentages (and Numbers) of Fish Species Impinged at VYNPS
• 4-5 Thermal Preferences and Tolerances of Warmwater Species That Occur in the VYNPS Area
• 4-6 Category 1 Issues Applicable to the VYNPS Transmission Lines During the Renewal Term
• 4-7 Category 2 and Uncategorized Issues Applicable to the VYNPS Transmission Lines During the Renewal Term
• 4-8 Category 1 Issues Applicable to Radiological Impacts of Normal Operations During the Renewal Term
• 4-9 Category 1 Issues Applicable to Socioeconomics During the Renewal Term
• 4-10 Environmental Justice and GEIS Category 2 Issues Applicable to Socioeconomics During the Renewal Term
• 4-11 Category 1 Issue Applicable to Groundwater Use and Quality During the Renewal Term
• 4-12 Category 2 Issue Applicable to Groundwater Use and Quality During the Renewal Term
• 4-13 Category 2 Issue Applicable to Threatened or Endangered Species During the Renewal Term
• 5-1 Category 1 Issue Applicable to Postulated Accidents During the Renewal Term
• 5-2 Category 2 Issue Applicable to Postulated Accidents During the Renewal Term
• 5-3 VYNPS Core Damage Frequency
• 5-4 Breakdown of Population Dose by Containment Release Mode
• 6-1 Category 1 Issues Applicable to the Uranium Fuel Cycle and Solid Waste Management During the Renewal Term
• 7-1 Category 1 Issues Applicable to the Decommissioning of VYNPS Following the Renewal Term
• 8-1 Summary of Environmental Impacts of the No-Action Alternative
• 8-2 Summary of Environmental Impacts of a Coal-Fired Plant Using Closed-Cycle Cooling at an Alternate Site
• 8-3 Summary of Environmental Impacts of Coal-Fired Plant Generation at an Alternate Site with Once-Through Cooling System
• 8-4 Summary of Environmental Impacts of a Natural-Gas-Fired Plant Using Closed-Cycle Cooling at the VYNPS Site and at an Alternate Site
• 8-5 Summary of Environmental Impacts of Natural-Gas-Fired Generation at an Alternate Site with Once-Through Cooling
• 8-6 Summary of Environmental Impacts of a New Nuclear Power Plant Using Closed-Cycle Cooling at an Alternate Site
• 8-7 Summary of Environmental Impacts of a New Nuclear Power Plant Using Once-Through Cooling
• 8-8 Summary of Environmental Impacts of Combination of Alternatives at the VYNPS Site and at an Alternate Site
• 9-1 Summary of Environmental Significance of License Renewal, the No-Action Alternative, and Alternative Power Generation Using Closed-Cycle Cooling
• A-1 Individuals Providing Comments During Scoping Comment Period
• A-2 Comments Received on the Draft SEIS
• E-1 Consultation Correspondence
• E-2 Federal, State, Local, and Regional Licenses, Permits, Consultations, and Other Approvals for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station
• F-1 GEIS Environmental Issues Not Applicable to Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station
• G-1 VYNPS Core Damage Frequency
• G-2 Breakdown of Population Dose by Containment Release Mode
• G-3 VYNPS PSA Historical Summary
• G-4 Dominant Contributors to Total Fire CDF at VYNPS
• G-5 SAMA Cost-Benefit Screening Analysis for VYNPS
• G-6 Uncertainty in the Calculated CDF for VYNPS

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Abstract

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) considered the environmental impacts of renewing nuclear power plant operating licenses (OLs) for a 20-year period in its Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (GEIS), NUREG-1437, Volumes 1 and 2, and codified the results in Title 10, Part 51, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 51). In the GEIS (and its Addendum 1), the NRC staff identifies 92 environmental issues and reaches generic conclusions related to environmental impacts for 69 of these issues that apply to all plants or to plants with specific design or site characteristics. Additional plant-specific review is required for the remaining 23 issues. These plant-specific reviews are to be included in a supplement to the GEIS.

This Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) has been prepared in response to an application submitted to the NRC by Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy), to renew the OL for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VYNPS) for an additional 20 years under 10 CFR Part 54. This SEIS includes the NRC staff's analysis that considers and weighs the environmental impacts of the proposed action, the environmental impacts of alternatives to the proposed action, and mitigation measures available for reducing or avoiding adverse impacts. It also includes the NRC staff's recommendation regarding the proposed action.

Regarding the 69 issues for which the GEIS reached generic conclusions, neither Entergy nor the NRC staff has identified information that is both new and significant for any issue that applies to VYNPS. In addition, the NRC staff determined that information provided during the scoping process and the public comments on the draft SEIS did not call into question the conclusions in the GEIS. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the impacts of renewing the VYNPS OL would not be greater than the impacts identified for these issues in the GEIS. For each of these issues, the NRC staff's conclusion in the GEIS is that the impact is of SMALL^(a) significance (except for collective offsite radiological impacts from the fuel cycle and high-level waste and spent fuel, which were not assigned a single significance level).

Regarding the remaining 23 issues, those that apply to VYNPS are addressed in this SEIS. For each applicable issue, the NRC staff concludes that the significance of the potential environmental impacts of renewal of the OL is SMALL. The NRC staff also concludes that no additional mitigation is warranted. However, under the provisions of the Clean Water Act 316(b) regulations, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation may impose further restrictions or require modifications to the cooling system to reduce the impacts on aquatic resources from entrainment and impingement under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting process. The NRC staff determined that information provided during the scoping process and the public comments on the draft SEIS did not identify any new issue that has a significant environmental impact.

The NRC staff's recommendation is that the Commission determine that the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for VYNPS are not so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy-planning decisionmakers would be unreasonable. This recommendation is based on (1) the analysis and findings in the GEIS; (2) the Environmental Report submitted by Entergy; (3) consultation with Federal, State, and local agencies; (4) the NRC staff's own independent review; and (5) the NRC staff's consideration of public comments received during the scoping process and the draft SEIS public comment period.

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^(a) Environmental effects are not detectable or are so minor that they will neither destabilize nor noticeably alter any important attribute of the resource.