[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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