[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13798-13799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6195]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

(NUREG-1555 and NUREG-1555, Supplement 1)


Updated Environmental Standard Review Plan: Availability

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has prepared an update to 
the Environmental Standard Review Plan for the review of environmental 
reports for nuclear power plants (ESRP). The draft version of this 
update of the ESRP was published in 1997. The updated ESRP is contained 
in two documents, NUREG-1555, ``Environmental Standard Review Plan--
Standard Review Plans for Environmental Reviews for Nuclear Power 
Plants'' and its companion document for operating license renewal 
environmental reviews, NUREG-1555, Supplement 1, ``Standard Review 
Plans for Environmental Reviews for Nuclear Power Plants--Supplement 1: 
Operating License Renewal.'' These documents replace the ESRP (NUREG-
0555) originally issued in 1978.

ADDRESSES: The updated ESRP in printed paper, 3.5-inch disks and 
compact disks (CD) versions 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, and can be found electronically at 
http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/NUREGS/indexnum.html on the NRC Web site. 
Additionally, publically available records will be accessible 
electronically from the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web 
site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Electronic Reading Room).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Luehman, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, Mail Stop O-11F1, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415-3150, or 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a Notice of Availability published in the 
Federal Register on October 3, 1997 (62 FR 51915), the NRC made 
available NUREG-1555, ``Environmental Standard Review Plan--Standard 
Review Plan for Environmental Reviews for Nuclear Power Plants (Draft 
Report for Comment).'' As stated in that Notice of Availability, the 
comment period for the draft report expired January 30, 1998. The NRC 
received seven letters providing comments on the draft report. Three 
letters were received from nuclear industry groups, two letters were 
received from nuclear power reactor licensees, one letter was submitted 
by a law firm, another by a federal agency, and one by an individual. 
All of the comments received were considered and dispositioned. One 
comment received concluded that the requirements for operating license 
renewal review requirements were difficult to extract from the draft 
document which contained review requirements for new applications as 
well as review requirements for operating license renewals. In response 
to that comment, the final ESRP was divided and now consists of NUREG-
1555 and NUREG-1555, Supplement 1, which is specifically devoted to 
operating license renewal issues.
    In addition to updating the draft ESRP to reflect the comments 
received, the NRC has done some additional updating to reflect recent 
rulemaking affecting the environmental reviews required for operating 
license renewal. On September 3, 1999 (64 FR 48495), the NRC published 
a final rule expanding the generic findings about the environmental 
impacts due to transportation of spent fuel and nuclear waste to and 
from a single nuclear power plant. That amendment to Part 51 changed 
the transportation of spent fuel and nuclear waste from a Category 2 
issue (an issue for which the licensee would have to perform a plant-
specific analysis of the impacts) to a Category 1 issue (an issue for 
which the licensee could adopt a generic analysis performed by the NRC 
staff). The appropriate ESRP sections have been changed to reflect the 
rule change.
    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

[[Page 13799]]

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 protocols and process 
modifications were made to account for changes that resulted 
requirements outside the Atomic Energy Act and NRC regulations 
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 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, Environmental, 
Financial, and Rulemaking Branch, which coordinates with the 
appropriate technical review branches and essential technical 
specialists on particular issues.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of March, 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David B. Matthews,
Director, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs.
[FR Doc. 00-6195 Filed 3-13-00; 8:45 am]
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