[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 4, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10663]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 4, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 51

 

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) staff will meet with 
the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and Yankee Atomic Electric Company 
(YAEC) to discuss their written comments that are responsive to the 
States' concerns regarding NRC's proposed rule on the environmental 
review required for renewal of nuclear power plant operating licenses. 
These concerns focus on provisions of the proposed rule that the States 
see as being in conflict with the traditional authority of the States 
to regulate electric utilities with respect to non-safety aspects of 
nuclear power generation. The purpose of the meeting is to assure that 
the NRC staff and the public understands the approaches proposed by NEI 
and YAEC.

DATES: The date of the meeting is May 16, 1994. The meeting will begin 
at 1 p.m. and will finish by 4:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-2738, room 1-S 7&9.

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 NRC published 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. 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 electric utilities with 
respect to non-safety aspects of nuclear power generation. The 
Commission instructed the NRC staff to develop options for responding 
to these States' concerns and in doing so to solicit the views of the 
States.
    The NRC staff solicited the views of the States and others through 
three regional meetings and a request for written comments (January 18, 
1994; 59 FR 2542). To facilitate discussions with the States the NRC 
staff 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.'' The regional meetings were held in Rockville, MD, February 9, 
1994; Rosemont, IL, February 15, 1994; and Chicopee, MA, February 17, 
1994. A number of parties, including NEI and YAEC, filed written 
comments subsequent to the meetings. The discussion paper, meeting 
transcripts, and written comments, including NEI's proposal dated March 
23, 1994, and YAEC's proposal dated March 18, 1994, may be examined at 
the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW. (Lower Level), 
Washington, DC 20037.
    The NEI and the YAEC proposals were not adequately developed for 
discussion at the time of the regional meetings, and now the NRC staff 
needs to be assured that it understands the two proposals before 
reporting to the Commission on the options considered. All interested 
persons are invited to attend as observers. After the NRC staff's 
questions have been answered, time will be allowed to take questions 
and comments from the floor on the NEI and YAEC proposals. The meeting 
minutes will be transcribed by a court reporter.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22th day of April, 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Bill M. Morris,
Director, Division of Regulatory Applications, Office of Nuclear 
Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 94-10663 Filed 5-3-94; 8:45 am]
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