[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 192 (Friday, October 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51915-51916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26269]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Updated Environmental Standard Review Plan: Availability
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has prepared an update
to the Environmental Standard Review Plan for the review of
environmental reports for nuclear power plants (ESRP) for review and
comment. A draft of the updated ESRP, NUREG-1555, incorporates changes
in the regulation of the nuclear power industry, and changes in the
treatment of environmental protection and siting issues that have
occurred since the ESRP was initially issued in 1978 as NUREG-0555.
Organizational changes have been made to the structure of ESRP sections
to conform to the structure of the companion safety Standard Review
Plan for the review of safety analysis reports for nuclear power plants
(SRP), NUREG-0800. Most notably, significant changes have been made to
incorporate the changes in environmental protection and resource
statutes, other Federal regulations, Presidential executive orders,
hearing decisions and case law, and NRC regulations related to new
plant and site licensing, and license renewal. NUREG-1555 will
supersede NUREG-0555.
DATES: The comment period expires January 30, 1998. Comments received
after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the
Commission is able to assure consideration only for comments received
on or before this date.
ADDRESSES AND SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS: Mail comments to: Chief, Rules
and Directives Branch, Division of Freedom of Information and
Publications Services, Mail Stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Comments may be hand-delivered
to the NRC at 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland between 7:45
a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays. Comments may be submitted
electronically in WordPerfect or ASCII format via the Internet to the
NRC at [email protected]. Written comments and comments received
electronically will be available for inspection at the NRC Public
Document Room, 2120 L Street NW (Lower Level), Washington, DC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Zalcman, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, Mail Stop O-10H5, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415-3467.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed text in NUREG-1555,
``Environmental Standard Review Plan,'' reflects the combined effort of
NRC staff and NRC contractors. NRC staff review and evaluation,
including resolution of public comments, and consideration by the
Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards will be needed before a final
version of NUREG-1555 can be published.
Due to the significance of the changes in NRC regulations related
to new plant and site licensing, NRC regulations related to license
renewal and environmental protection, other Federal regulations,
environmental protection and resource statutes, Presidential executive
orders, hearing decisions and case law, and due to the goal of
restructuring the ESRP to conform to the structure of NUREG-0800,
``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for
Nuclear Power Plants--LWR Edition,'' NUREG-1555 will supersede the
earlier ESRP (NUREG-0555). For every section, the ESRP now identifies
the specific acceptance criteria, which may have been the driver that
forms the basis for the change to ESRP sections. For these reasons, the
NRC judged that supporting documentation, including a redline/strikeout
copy, that traces back to the original ESRP need not be provided. The
updated ESRP also contains several new sections to address issues that
emerged since 1978, for example, severe accident mitigation design
alternatives and environmental justice.
The updated ESRP is not a generic communication that proposes new
NRC staff positions or seeks additional licensee commitments. It does
not impose new or revised requirements but simply compiles and
documents NRC and other Federal requirements, and NRC staff positions.
The ESRP does not explicitly incorporate State, regional or Native
American tribal agency requirements that may also need to be addressed
by applicants or licensees.
Work activities related to updating the ESRP were performed
substantially in conformance with the guidance in NUREG-1447,
``Standard Review Plan Update and Development Program--Implementing
Procedures Document,'' dated May 1992. NUREG-1447 documents the results
of developing the major work assumptions and work processes for
completing the standard review plan revision process. Information
management protocols and process modifications were made to account for
the unique drivers that resulted from changes outside of the Atomic
Energy Act and NRC regulations arena including, but not limited to, the
National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the
Presidential executive order on environmental justice, guidance from
the Council on Environmental Quality, and the regulations of the
Environmental Protection Agency on non-radiological issues. The entire
work effort and responsibility for updating the ESRP resides in the NRC
Generic Issues and Environmental Projects Branch, which coordinates
with the appropriate technical review branches and essential technical
specialists on particular issues.
The purpose of this notice is to solicit specific public comment on
whether the updated ESRP accurately and fully reflects established NRC
staff positions and existing requirements that include statutes,
regulations, executive orders, and NRC decisions. Consideration should
be given to the thoroughness and utility in use of the guidance
provided to implement NRC rules promulgated since the original ESRP was
published in 1978 with particular emphasis given to those related to
siting and environmental protection and to those new licensing
frameworks related to early site permits, combined licenses, and
license renewal. The SRP is made available to the public as part of
NRC's policy to inform the nuclear industry and general public of
regulatory procedures and policies. Environmental standard review plans
are not substitutes for regulatory guides or NRC regulations.
Compliance with ESRPs is not required. Published environmental standard
review plans will be revised periodically, as appropriate, to
accommodate comments and to reflect new information and experience.
The NRC encourages comment from all interested parties; however,
public review is not intended to reopen a dialogue on the merits of the
requirements themselves but should be focused on the purposes stated
above.
[[Page 51916]]
Comments should reference the page number and section (either ESRP
section or Introduction or appendices).
The updated ESRP in printed paper, 3.5-inch disks and compact disk
(CD) versions, and comments submitted are available for inspection and
copying for a fee at the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW
(Lower Level), Washington, DC 20555-0001.
A limited number of copies of the updated draft ESRP in printed
paper and CD versions (in WordPerfect 6.1 format) are available free,
to the extent of supply, upon written request to the Office of
Information Resources Management, Distribution Section, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 11th day of September, 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David B. Matthews,
Acting Chief, Generic Issues and Environmental Projects Branch,
Division of Reactor Program Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-26269 Filed 10-2-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P