[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-1095]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: January 18, 1994]


                                                    VOL. 59, NO. 11

                                          Tuesday, January 18, 1994
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 51

[RIH 3150-AD94]

 

Environmental Review for Renewal of Operating Licenses: Public 
Meeting

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing regional 
meetings to discuss options for addressing certain concerns expressed 
by a number of States in comments submitted to the NRC on the proposed 
rule on the environmental review required for renewal of nuclear power 
plant operating licenses. The concerns that will be addressed involve 
provisions of the proposed rule that the States see as being in 
conflict with the traditional authority of the States to regulate 
electrical utilities with respect to questions of need, reliability, 
cost, resource options, and other non-safety aspects of nuclear power 
generation. The minutes will be transcribed by a court recorder in all 
regional meetings.

DATES: The dates of the regional meetings are: Rockville, MD, February 
9, 1994; Rosemont, IL, February 15, 1994; Chicopee, MA, February 17, 
1994. Parties interested in participating in a panel should contact 
Donald P. Cleary no later than January 28, 1994. Written comments on 
the matters covered in the staff paper and the meetings that are 
received by March 4, 1994 will be considered along with comments made 
during the meetings. Comments received after this date will be 
considered if it is practical to do so.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the following locations: The 
Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852; 
The Holiday Inn, O'Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018; The 
Comfort Inn at the Parwick Centre, 450 Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA 
01020. Written comments should be sent to Donald P. Cleary at the 
address given below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald P. Cleary, Office of Nuclear 
Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555; Telephone: (301) 492-3936.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the regional meetings is to 
gain the views of the States and other interested parties on how the 
NRC should treat need for generating capacity and alternative energy 
sources in its final rule on the environmental review for renewal of 
nuclear power plant operating licenses. The NRC published in the 
Federal Register proposed amendments to its environmental protection 
regulations, 10 CFR part 51, which would establish new requirements for 
the environmental review of applications to renew operating licenses 
for nuclear power plants (September 17, 1991; 56 FR 47016). 
Concurrently, the NRC published NUREG-1437, a draft Generic 
Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) that contained the analyses which 
the NRC proposed to codify in part 51. The public comment period on the 
proposed rule, the GEIS, and other related documents closed on March 
17, 1992. In commenting on the proposed rule and the draft GEIS, a 
number of States expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment of need 
for generating capacity, and alternative energy sources. The States' 
concerns involve provisions of the proposed rule that the States see as 
being in conflict with the traditional authority of the States to 
regulate electrical utilities with respect to questions of need, 
reliability, cost, resource options, and other non-safety aspects of 
nuclear power generation. The Commission instructed the NRC staff to 
develop options for responding to these State concerns. In developing 
the options the staff is to solicit the views of the States.
    The staff is soliciting the views of the States through four 
regional meetings and a request for written comments. To facilitate 
discussions with the States the staff has prepared a paper, 
``Addressing the Concerns of States and Others Regarding the Role of 
Need for Generating Capacity, Alternative Energy Sources, Utility 
Costs, and Cost-Benefit Analysis in NRC Environmental Reviews for 
Relicensing Nuclear Power Plants: An NRC Staff Discussion Paper,'' 
which may be either examined at the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L 
Street NW. (Lower Level), Washington, DC 20037, or obtained from Donald 
P. Cleary at the address provided above.
    Each meeting will be conducted in a panel format with panelists 
representing those States that submitted comments on the treatment of 
need for generating capacity and alternative energy sources, other 
interested States, electric utilities, the NRC, and interest groups 
concerned with the economic regulation of electric utilities. All 
interested persons are invited to attend as observers and time will be 
scheduled to take questions and comments from the floor. The meeting 
minutes will be transcribed by a court reporter. Written comments on 
the matters covered in the staff paper and the meetings are invited. 
The public comment period will close on March 4, 1994.
    Each meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and, with a 1 hour lunch break, 
will continue until 5 p.m. if participation warrants. Registration will 
be conducted one-half hour prior to the meeting.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 11th day of January 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Bill M. Morris,
Director, Division of Regulatory Applications, Office of Nuclear 
Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 94-1095 Filed 1-14-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P