Siting Reviews for New Reactor Applications

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Siting Reviews for New Reactor Applications

• Brent Clayton, Branch Chief
• Environmental Technical Support
• Office of New Reactors

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Who is the NRC?

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• We are an independent U.S. Federal regulatory
  agency
• We protect public health, security, safety and
  the environment when it comes to the use of
  nuclear materials
• We regulate many types of nuclear activities
  including the design, construction, and operation
  of new nuclear power plants

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What the NRC does

• Determines whether it is safe to build and
  operate a proposed nuclear plant at a site
• Evaluates the environmental impacts of building
  and operating a nuclear power plant at the
  proposed site
• Licenses construction and safe operation of
  commercial nuclear power plants and their
  operators

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Licensing Process

• Described in 10 CFR 52
• Design Certification
• Early Site Permit
• Combined License

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Combined License Review Process
Safety Evaluation Report
Safety Review
Commission Decision on Application
Combined License Application
Notice of Hearing
Hearing
Final EIS
Environmental Review
Public Documents
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Siting Safety Review

• Geology and Surface Faulting
• Seismology
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Hydrology/Flooding/Groundwater
• Meteorology
• Demographics
• Site Hazards
• Dose Consequences
• Design Basis Accident Analysis
• Severe Accident Analyses

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National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

• NEPA requires U.S. Federal agencies to use a
  systematic approach to consider environmental
  impacts
• NRC prepares an Environmental Impact Statement
  (EIS) describing the impacts of constructing and
  operating a commercial nuclear power plant

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Environmental Review

• NEPA requires U.S. Federal agencies to use a
  systematic approach to consider environmental
  impacts
• An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is
  required for issuing a combined license (COL) to
  construct and operate a commercial nuclear reactor

Alternative Energy Sources and Sites
Fuel Cycle/ Waste/ Accident Analysis
Atmospheric Science
Radiation Protection
Terrestrial Ecology
Socioeconomics/ Environmental Justice
Aquatic Ecology
Land Use
Archaeology/Cultural Resources
Hydrologic Sciences (Surface and
Groundwater)/ Water Use
Water Quality
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Environmental Review Information Sources
Public Comments
Combined License Application

• EIS

Federal Agencies
Staffs Site Audit
Social Services
Tribal, State Local Agencies
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Opportunities for Public Involvement

• Rulemaking on Design Certification
• Hearing Process
• Environmental Scoping
• Comment on Draft Environmental Impact Statement
• Comment at Numerous Public Meetings

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• www.nrc.gov