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« Beyond Nuclear's comments opposed to 80 years of operations proposed at Point Beach, WI | Main | Karl Grossman: "This Reckless Path," on proposed 100-year long operations at U.S. atomic reactors »
Wednesday
Feb172021

Help Protect the Great Lakes Against Radioactive Risks! Please make environmental scoping comments, Wed., Feb. 17, 1-3pm Central (2-4pm Eastern), at NRC's mtg. re: 80 years of proposed operations at the dangerously embrittled Pt. Beach nuclear power plant on Lake Michigan's WI shore

DateFebruary 17, 2021

NRC file photo of Point Beach nuclear power plant Units 1 & 2, located on the Lake Michigan shore in Two Rivers, WI, near Manitowoc.Dear Friends and Colleagues in Wisconsin, and beyond,

Help protect the irreplaceable Great Lakes (21% of Planet Earth's surface fresh water, and 84% of North America's!) against radioactive risks. On Wednesday, February 17, from 1-3pm Central Time (2-4pm Eastern Time), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will hold a public comment meeting re: environmental scoping for NextEra Nuclear's (formerly Florida Power & Light) proposal to operate the two-reactor Point Beach nuclear power plant, in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, not for 40 years, not for 60 years, but for a whopping, and highly risky 80 years. Point Beach Unit 2, for one thing, has the single worst embrittled reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of any Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) in the country. With decades of additional neutron radiation bombardment, the risk of a pressurized thermal shock (PTS) through-wall fracture, core meltdown, and catastrophic release of hazardous radioactivity, will only worsen. And decades of additional operations would mean many hundreds, even thousands, of additional metric tons of highly radioactive waste generated, for which we still have no safe, sound solution -- a further curse on all future generations. There would also be additional decades of "routine releases of radiation" into the environment, which are harmful to children and other living things. Point Beach even lacks cooling towers, which means all its waste heat is dumped into Lake Michigan. As two-thirds of the heat generated by splitting atoms at the 3,600 Megawatt-thermal nuclear power plant is waste, that has meant large-scale ecological impacts on the natural ecosystem of Lake Michigan for the past half-century, and now they want to keep on going for another three decades! All this to continue gouging Wisconsin ratepayers on their electric bills, when cheaper, safer, cleaner wind power, as but one example, is abundant and ready to go in the greater region, but for the lack of political will. Please read on below for how to join the meeting and make comments. Thanks to Hannah Mortensen, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Wisconsin, for the very valuable web posts below, and to Michael Keegan of Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes and Don't Waste Michigan, for additional helpful links below that. Please spread the word, and thank you for anything you can do to help us protect the Great Lakes -- drinking water supply for 40 million people in 8 U.S. states, 2 Canadian provinces, and a large number of Native American/First Nations! When it comes to radioactive risks on the Great Lakes, "We all live downstream!"
For an Atomic Reactor-Free Lake Michigan and Great Lakes,
---Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear radioactive waste specialist & Don't Waste Michigan board of directors member
Physicians for Social Responsibility-WI links and write ups:

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Scoping Meeting for Point Beach Nuclear Reactors

Wednesday, February 17 from 1-3pm CT and 2-4pm ET

Informational FAQ on the EIS process here.

WEBINAR ACCESS

*Please log into both the Teams meeting and Bridgeline audio. Visuals will be through Microsoft Teams and audio will be through Bridgeline.

TEAMS link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YzA4MjM0M2UtZTRjNy00Mjc3LThjOGItNzg1OTFjZjY4Yjdm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22e8d01475-c3b5-436a-a065-5def4c64f52e%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22423488ef-ed1f-4f6b-bd2e-fc72ac8da562%22%7d

Bridgeline Number: 800-369-1750 -> Passcode: 4187785 then #

PHONE ACCESS

Bridge Number: (800) 369-1750
Passcode: 4187785

How to be involved:

  • SHOW UP!

    One of the most important actions for February 17th is to simply join the meeting! You do not need to speak or write anything in advance if you do not wish to. By attending, you are sending a message that the public is involved and cares about what is happening at Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant. If the webinar link is not functioning correctly, try joining by phone.

  • Speak

    If you want to, we encourage you prepare a 2-3 minute statement about concerns and questions you have about the impact of a license extension on the environment as well as the socio-economic impacts. Here are some starter ideas and topics.

    If you wish to speak, follow these instructions to be on the queue:

    • Please press *1 to get in queue to speak

    • State and spell your name and affiliation

    • Press # to return to the meeting

    • The operator will introduce you when it's your turn to speak

  • Write

    You can submit written comments online by March 3rd. Here are some tips for writing comments.

NRC provided slides for February 17th presentation here.

ABOUT
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct a scoping process to gather information necessary to prepare an environmental impact statement to evaluate the environmental impacts for the subsequent license renewal of the operating licenses for Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Point Beach). The NRC is seeking public input on this action.

The application is available on the NRC’s website here and in the NRC’s publicly available Agency-wide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS). The ADAMS Accession Number is ML20329A292.

Point Beach Nuclear Reactors - Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

You can attend and speak at the public scoping meeting on February 17th from 2 - 4 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST), 1- 3 pm Central Standard Time (CST). Click here for more information and the link to join the meeting.

You can also submit comments by March 3, 2021 at 10:59pm CT. You can submit online here or mail to Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff.

What is an EIS?

The environmental impact statement (EIS) is a government document that outlines the impact of a proposed project on its surrounding environment. In the United States, these statements are mandated by federal law for certain projects. Environmental impact statements are meant to inform the work and decisions of policymakers and community leaders. (source)

What is the connection with an EIS and the Point Beach license renewal application?

In accordance with 10 CFR 51.95(c), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) must prepare an environmental impact statement with the renewal of an operation.

What is the purpose of public scoping in the EIS process?

The goal of scoping is to identify specific elements of the environment that might be affected if the renewal of the reactor licenses is carried out. The scoping process is a critical time to identify issues, determine points of contact, determine project schedules and provide recommendations to the agency. The overall goal is to define the scope of issues to be addressed in depth in the analyses that will be included in the EIS.

How do I get involved with the EIS process?

You can attend and speak at the public scoping meeting on February 17th from 2 - 4 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST), 1- 3 pm Central Standard Time (CST). Click here for more information and the link to join the meeting.

You can also submit comments by March 3, 2021 at 10:59pm CT. You can submit online here or mail to Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff.

What should I focus on during the public scoping meeting on February 17th from 2-4pm ET / 1-3pm CT and in the public scoping comments due March 3rd?

Download a PDF of tips for writing comments here >>

View our topic ideas and starter points for Point Beach EIS scoping comments here >>

Who writes and creates the EIS?

An EIS might have one or more authors. Federal agencies (this would include the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) typically outsource the writing of an EIS to third party contractors (including lawyers, scientists, engineers) with expertise in their preparation and in relation to the proposed project. As a result, the EIS varies in appearance, as well as length and number of supplemental attachments. (source)

Will there be another chance to get involved with this process?

Yes! Following the scoping process, the EIS will be drafted and then the draft will be released to the public. After the release, there will be a meeting and comment period in regards to the draft EIS during a 45-day period. The NRC predicts this will be in fall 2021, but be prepared for it to be delayed.

What is included in an EIS?

According to the American Bar Association, a typical federal EIS includes the following four sections:

  • Section 1—Introduces the Proposed Action and its Purpose and Need

  • Section 2—Describes the Affected Environment, provides a baseline for understanding the current environmental situation in relation to the Proposed Action.

  • Section 3—Presents a Range of Alternatives to the Proposed Action—this is considered the “heart” of the EIS. There is always a No Action Alternative presented. Understanding how the environment would respond if no action were taken helps to evaluate the Proposed Action and Alternatives.

  • Section 4—Analyzes the environmental impact of each of the Proposed Actions and Range of Alternatives. The analysis include:

    • Impacts to threatened or endangered species

    • Air and water quality impacts

    • Impacts to historical and cultural sites, particularly sites of significance for indigenous peoples

    • Social and economical impacts to local communities, including housing stock, businesses, property values, and considerations of aesthetics and noise expected

    • Cost and schedule analysis for all of the actions and alternatives presented

The EIS may include additional topics not required for every project, including financial plans, environmental mitigation plans, and plans for complying with any additional required federal, state, or local permits.

What is the proposed action with the Point Beach Nuclear Reactors?

The proposed action is the subsequent license renewal of the operating licenses for Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2.

What does no action alternative mean?

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires agencies to always describe and analyze a “no action” alternative in an EIS. In simple terms, a no action alternative for an existing or ongoing federal project considers what would happen if the federal agency continued to operate and maintain the authorized project with no changes.

Agencies are obligated to evaluate a reasonable range of alternatives in enough detail so that a reader can compare and contrast the environmental effects of the various alternatives to the proposed action. The no action alternative analysis provides a benchmark to allow decision makers and the public to compare the levels of environmental effects of the alternatives. (source)



---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Michael J Keegan <mkeeganj@comcast.net>
Date: Mon, Feb 15, 2021 at 1:27 PM
Subject: Point Beach 2/17/2021 Scoping Mtg Slides


Slides for 2/17/2021 Point Beach Scoping Meeting - 
Document Title: Point Beach Scoping and Process Meeting - February 17, 2021
Document Type: Meeting Briefing Package/Handouts
Slides and Viewgraphs
Document Date: 02/17/2021
 
Document Title: 02/17/2021 Environmental Scoping Meeting Related to the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Point Beach), Subsequent License Renewal Application
Document Type: Meeting Notice
Meeting Agenda
Document Date: 02/03/2021
N2
Michael J. Keegan
Don't Waste Michigan
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