Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant License Renewal Application Appendix E - Environmental Report Applicant’s Environmental Report – Operating License Renewal Stage Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Nuclear Management Company, LLC Units 1 and 2 Docket Nos. 50-282 and 50-306 License Nos. DPR-42 and DPR-60 April 2008 Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant License Renewal Application Appendix E - Environmental Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS.................................................................... xi 1.0 PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION ................................................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction and Background........................................................................ 1-1 1.2 Statement of Purpose and Need .................................................................. 1-2 1.3 Environmental Report Scope and Methodology ........................................... 1-3 1.4 Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Licensee and Ownership ............... 1-4 1.5 References ................................................................................................ 1-7 2.0 SITE AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTERFACES............................................. 2-1 2.1 General Site Description............................................................................... 2-1 2.1.1 Regional Features and General Features in the 6-Mile Vicinity............................................................................................. 2-2 2.1.2 PINGP Site Features....................................................................... 2-2 2.2 Hydrology ................................................................................................ 2-3 2.2.1 Upper Mississippi River Basin......................................................... 2-3 2.2.1.1 United States Geological Survey Gaging Stations ........... 2-3 2.2.1.2 Mississippi River Flow Statistics at USGS Stations.......... 2-4 2.2.1.3 Lock and Dam 3 Discharge Statistics............................... 2-4 2.2.1.4 Consumptive Surface Water Use ..................................... 2-4 2.2.2 Alluvial Aquifers............................................................................... 2-4 2.2.3 Deep Aquifers ................................................................................. 2-5 2.2.4 Groundwater Level.......................................................................... 2-5 2.2.5 Consumptive Groundwater Use ...................................................... 2-6 2.3 Biological Resources .................................................................................... 2-7 2.3.1 Aquatic and Riparian Ecological Communities................................ 2-7 2.3.1.1 Aquatic Communities........................................................ 2-7 2.3.1.2 Riparian Communities ...................................................... 2-10 2.3.2 Critical and Important Terrestrial Habitats....................................... 2-12 2.3.2.1 Regional Setting ............................................................... 2-12 2.3.2.2 PINGP Site ....................................................................... 2-12 2.3.2.3 Transmission Corridors .................................................... 2-13 2.3.3 Threatened or Endangered Species ............................................... 2-13 2.3.3.1 Fauna ............................................................................... 2-14 2.3.3.2 Flora ................................................................................. 2-16 2.4 Meteorology and Air Quality ......................................................................... 2-17 2.5 Demography ................................................................................................ 2-19 2.5.1 General Demography...................................................................... 2-19 2.5.2 Transient Populations ..................................................................... 2-21 2.5.3 Minority and Low-Income Populations ............................................ 2-22 2.5.3.1 Minority Populations ......................................................... 2-22 2.5.3.2 Low-Income Populations .................................................. 2-24 ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT Page ii Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant License Renewal Application Appendix E - Environmental Report TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Section Page 2.6 Area Economic Base .................................................................................... 2-25 2.6.1 Labor Force and Employment Opportunities……………… ............. 2-25 2.6.2 Potential for Economic Growth…………………............................... 2-25 2.7 Taxes ................................................................................................ 2-27 2.8 Social Services and Public Facilities ............................................................ 2-29 2.8.1 Public Water Supply........................................................................ 2-29 2.8.2 Transportation................................................................................. 2-30 2.9 Land Use ................................................................................................ 2-32 2.9.1 Goodhue County............................................................................. 2-32 2.9.2 Dakota County ................................................................................ 2-33 2.9.3 Pierce County.................................................................................. 2-34 2.10 Historic and Archaeological Resources ........................................................ 2-36 2.11 Known or Reasonably Foreseeable Projects in Site Vicinity ........................ 2-39 2.12 References ................................................................................................ 2-72 3.0 THE PROPOSED ACTION .......................................................................... 3-1 3.1 General Plant Information............................................................................. 3-2 3.1.1 Reactor and Containment Systems................................................. 3-2 3.1.2 Nuclear Fuel.................................................................................... 3-3 3.1.3 Cooling and Auxiliary Water Systems ............................................. 3-3 3.1.3.1 Water Use Overview......................................................... 3-3 3.1.3.2 Circulating Water System................................................. 3-4 3.1.3.3 Circulating Water System Operating Modes..................... 3-5 3.1.3.4 Biofouling and Scale Control ............................................ 3-6 3.1.3.5 Domestic Water Supply and Sanitary Wastewater Treatment......................................................................... 3-7 3.1.4 Radioactive Waste Treatment Systems .......................................... 3-7 3.1.4.1 Liquid Radioactive Waste Treatment Systems ................. 3-7 3.1.4.2 Gaseous Radioactive Waste Systems.............................. 3-8 3.1.4.3 Solid Radioactive Waste Systems.................................... 3-8 3.1.5 Non-Radioactive Waste Management............................................. 3-9 3.1.6 Transmission Facilities.................................................................... 3-10 3.1.6.1 History/Background .......................................................... 3-10 3.1.6.2 Current System Configuration .......................................... 3-11 3.1.6.3 Avian Mortality Resulting from Collisions with Transmission Lines ......................................................................................... 3-13 3.1.7 Maintenance, Operation and Inspection.......................................... 3-14 3.2 Refurbishment Activities ............................................................................... 3-15 3.3 Programs and Activities for Managing the Effects of Aging .......................... 3-17 3.4 Employment ................................................................................................ 3-18 3.4.1 Current Workforce........................................................................... 3-18 ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT Page iii Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant License Renewal Application Appendix E - Environmental Report TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Section Page 3.4.2 Refurbishment Increment................................................................ 3-18 3.4.3 License Renewal Increment…………… .......................................... 3-19 3.5 References ................................................................................................ 3-25 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE PROPOSED ACTION AND MITIGATING ACTIONS....................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Background ................................................................................................ 4-1 4.1.1 Category 1 License Renewal Issues ............................................... 4-2 4.1.2 Category 2 License Renewal Issues ............................................... 4-2 4.1.3 “NA” License Renewal Issues ......................................................... 4-3 4.2 Surface Water and Groundwater Use Conflicts............................................ 4-4 4.2.1 Impact on Mississippi River Flows and Water Levels...................... 4-5 4.2.2 Indirect Impacts from Surface Water Use ....................................... 4-6 4.2.3 Groundwater Use Conflicts (Plants Using