NRC Announces Opportunity to Request Hearing on Vogtle Unit 4 Notice of Intended Operation

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: 22-005 February 2, 2022
CONTACT: Scott Burnell, 301-415-8200

NRC Announces Opportunity to Request Hearing on Vogtle Unit 4 Notice of Intended Operation

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has published in the Federal Register a notice of opportunity to request a limited scope adjudicatory hearing regarding Southern Nuclear Operating Co.’s notice to load nuclear fuel into the Vogtle Unit 4 reactor in Georgia, beginning in September. The company has also submitted notifications describing the completion of inspections and other actions required before the fuel load.

Petitions requesting a hearing must be filed by April 4, by anyone with interests that might be affected by Vogtle Unit 4’s proposed operation who wants to participate as a party in the proceeding. This hearing opportunity is limited to petitions regarding the licensee’s conformance with the acceptance criteria in the combined license for the facility. Petitions requesting a hearing in this matter must show which acceptance criteria have not been or will not be met, as well as why failure to meet the criteria would prevent the NRC from having reasonable assurance that public health and safety will be adequately protected. Environmental contentions and other issues outside the scope of the proceeding will not be considered. The Commission will determine whether to grant the hearing request.

Information on Southern Nuclear’s completion of the required inspections and other actions, without proprietary details, is available on the NRC’s website. The NRC will consider this information when making a finding later this year on whether Vogtle Unit 4 can begin operating.

22-005.pdf