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Environmental Impact Statement - radioactive monticello

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Description of Site and Environment<br />

preservation of farmland and/or the rural character of the county is a major concern and goal of<br />

planning efforts in Sherburne County (Sherburne County 1992).<br />

Sherco, a coal-fired plant also owned by Xcel Energy, is the closest industrial facility on the<br />

Mississippi river. Over 4500 ac comprise the Sherco site, the majority of which are leased for<br />

agricultural purposes.<br />

Numerous public recreational and natural areas are located within 50 mi of the Monticello site.<br />

Federal properties include 35 ac owned by the National Park Service in the Mississippi National<br />

River and Recreation Area, as well as three Federal wildlife refuges. Three State parks, three<br />

State forests, eighteen State Scientific and Natural Areas, and numerous State wildlife<br />

management areas are also located within a 50-mi radius of the Monticello site (NMC 2005a).<br />

2.2.8.4 Visual Aesthetics and Noise<br />

Monticello is situated on the north and south banks of the Mississippi River in Wright and<br />

Sherburne counties. The local terrain is level to gently undulating. The area around Monticello<br />

is largely small residential communities, farmland and forest. There are two 9-cell cooling<br />

towers and one 328-foot-high off-gas stack on the site. The Monticello site is visible from the<br />

highway along its border. The off-gas stack is visible from the local community. The majority of<br />

the physical plant is not visible from the local communities. Noise has not been considered -a<br />

problem due to:the plant's distance from other communities.<br />

2.2.8.5 Demography<br />

Census data from 2000 found at the USCB website and geographic information system<br />

software (ArcView) were used to determine demographic characteristics in the Monticello<br />

vicinity. NRC guidance calls for the use of the most recent USCB decennial census data,<br />

which, in the case of publication of the NMC ER (NMC 2005a), was the 2000 Census.<br />

Population was estimated from the Monticello site out to 50 mi.<br />

As derived from 2000 USCB information, approximately 166,860 people live within 20 mi of<br />

Monticello. Applying the GElS sparseness measures, Monticello has a population density of<br />

133 persons/mi 2 within 20 mi of the plant, and therefore falls into Category 4 of NRC's GElS<br />

sparseness classification. The City of Buffalo is the largest city in Wright County and has a<br />

population of 10,097 persons (USCB 2000a). As estimated from 2000 USCB information,<br />

approximately 2,740,995 people live within 50 mi of Monticello. This equates to a population<br />

density of 349 persons/mi 2 within 50 mi, and falls into Category 4 of NRC's GElS proximity<br />

classification.<br />

According to the GElS sparseness and proximity matrix, the ranking (sparseness Category 4<br />

and proximity Category 4), indicates that Monticello is located in a high-population area. All or<br />

parts of 21 counties are located within 50 mi of the plant.<br />

NUREG-1437, Supplement 26 2-36 August 2006 1

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