NRC Schedules Meeting in Newton, MA, on Proposed Changes to Nuclear Plant License Renewal Environmental Regulations

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will conduct a public meeting on Thursday, Sept. 17 in Newton, Mass., to hear comments on proposed changes to environmental regulations related to nuclear power plant license renewal.

The meeting, which will take place at the Boston Marriott Newton, at 2345 Commonwealth Ave. in Newton, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. It will be preceded by an open house scheduled for 5 p.m. at the same location. At the open house, NRC staff will be available to answer questions. During the formal meeting, members of the public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed revisions.

The proposed changes are contained in the Summary of Findings on National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Issues for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants and the draft revision of Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, NUREG-1437. The NRC is also publishing for comment a revised Regulatory Guide 4.2, Supplement 1, Preparation of Environmental Reports for License Renewal Applications, and NUREG-1555, Supplement 1, Standard Review Plans for Environmental Reviews for Nuclear Power Plants.

The proposed rule revisions redefine the number and scope of environmental impact issues that must be addressed in a nuclear power plant license renewal review. The Commission has stated it intends to review the rule every 10 years and update it as necessary.

The GEIS assesses the overall scope and impact of environmental effects associated with license renewal at any nuclear power plant. Plant-specific supplements to the GEIS are prepared for each individual license renewal review. Those who wish to speak during the meetings are encouraged to pre-register and anyone with questions or special needs should contact Jeffrey Rikhoff, Bo Pham or Jason Lising at 1-800-368-5642, extensions 1090, 8450 or 3220 respectively, or by e-mail at LRGEISupdate.Resource@nrc.gov. Meeting transcripts will be posted to NRC’s Web site at www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment.html.

Comments on the proposed rule, draft revised GEIS and associated documents may be submitted over the federal e-Rulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov (Docket I.D. NRC-2008-0608); by e-mail to Rulemaking.Comments@nrc.gov; by mail to Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, ATTN: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff; or by fax to 301-492-3466. Written comments on the draft revised GEIS should be sent to: Chief, Rulemaking, Directives and Editing Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, Mailstop TWB-05-B01M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001. The deadline for comments is Oct. 14.

The draft revised GEIS is publicly available at the NRC Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md. 20852, or from the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm. The number for the draft revised GEIS is ML090220654; the draft Regulatory Guide 4.2 Supplement 1, Rev. 1 is ML091620409 and the Draft NUREG-1555, Supplement 1, Rev. 1 is ML090230497.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission