[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]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Updated Environmental Standard Review Plan: Availability

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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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