Browns Ferry Operating License Renewal

Final supplemental environmental impact statement

The Tennessee Valley Authority proposes to extend operation of Units 2 and 3, and potentially Unit 1, of its Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN) located in Limestone County, Alabama. This would require obtaining a renewal of the units’ operating licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Renewal of the current operating licenses would permit operation for an additional 20 years past the current (original) 40-year operating license terms, which expire in 2013, 2014, and 2016 for Units 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

This Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) has been prepared to provide the public and TVA decision-makers with an assessment of the environmental impacts of extending unit operation. License renewal by itself involves existing BFN facilities, and does not involve any new construction or modifications beyond normal maintenance and minor refurbishment. However, there are other projects not directly related to license renewal that are currently contemplated, and which could be proposed for implementation prior to the expiration of the current operating licenses for the BFN facilities.

One of these projects is the recovery of Unit 1, which has been in a nonoperational status for 15 years. Other projects currently being considered for BFN include the addition of a dry cask storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and a few new office buildings. In the interest of completeness, and to avoid the potential delays and costs associated with separate NEPA reviews, these actions are being included in this SEIS.

Documents

The complete text of the final SEIS is available in the following documents (PDF files; require Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Abstract (100 kb)
A one-page summary and contact information.

Executive Summary (444 kb)
Overview of the project, alternatives considered, affected environment, and environmental consequences.

Table of Contents (148 kb)
Contents, list of tables, list of figures, abbreviations used.

Chapter 1 (956 kb)
Purpose of and need for proposed action.

Chapter 2 (7.5 mb)
Description of alternatives.

Chapter 3 (496 kb)
Affected environment.

Chapter 4 (520 kb)
Environmental consequences.

Chapter 5 (140 kb)
Permits and approvals.

Chapter 6 (128 kb)
Scoping and public participation process, and list of lead and cooperating agencies.

Chapter 7 (116 kb)
List of preparers of the document.

Chapter 8 (104 kb)
List of agencies, organizations, and individuals who were sent copies of the EIS.

Appendix A (532 kb)
Analysis of severe accident mitigation alternatives.

Appendix B (5.2 mb)
Agency correspondence.

Appendix C (120 kb)
Scoping meeting report.

Appendix D (3.4 mb)
Announcements, notices, and news releases.

Appendix E (88 kb)
Individuals and agencies providing comments.

Appendix F (180 kb)
Responses to public comments.

Glossary (152 kb)

Index (56 kb)