[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 70 (Thursday, April 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17885-17887]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07501]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 52-047; NRC-2016-0119]


Tennessee Valley Authority; Clinch River Nuclear Site; Early Site 
Permit Application

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Intent to prepare environmental impact statement and conduct 
scoping process; public meeting and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received an 
application from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), for an early 
site permit (ESP) for the Clinch River Nuclear (CRN) Site, located in 
Roane County, Tennessee, along the Clinch River, approximately 25 miles 
west-southwest of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. The purposes of this 
notice are to inform the public that the NRC staff will be preparing an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) as part of the review of the 
application for the ESP and to provide the public with an opportunity 
to participate in the environmental scoping process as defined in the 
regulations.

DATES: Submit comments by June 12, 2017. Comments received after this 
date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the Commission 
is able to ensure consideration only for comments received on or before 
this date. The public scoping meetings will be held on May 15, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comment by any of the following methods 
(unless this document describes a different method for submitting 
comments on a specific subject):
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2016-0119. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
of this document.
     NRC Project Email Address: Electronic comments may be sent 
by email to the NRC at [email protected].
     Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, 
Mail Stop: OWFN-12-H08, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555-0001.
    For additional direction on accessing information and submitting 
comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Vokoun, telephone: 1-800-368-
5642, extension 3470, email: [email protected]; or Tamsen Dozier, 
telephone: 1-800-368-5642, extension 2272, email: 
[email protected]. Both are staff of the Office of New Reactors, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2016-0119 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information regarding this document. You may 
obtain publicly-available information related to this action by the 
following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2016-0119.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and 
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, 
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. The 
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available 
in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is mentioned in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. In addition, for the convenience of 
the reader, the ADAMS accession numbers are provided in a table in the 
section of this notice entitled, Availability of Documents.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

B. Submitting Comments

    Please include Docket ID NRC-2016-0119 in the subject line of your 
comment submission, in order to ensure that the NRC is able to make 
your comment submission available to the public in this docket.
    The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact 
information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your 
comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions received 
through the Federal Rulemaking Web site (http://www.regulations.gov) in 
the Regulations.gov docket (NRC-2016-0119), and will also enter the 
comment submissions into ADAMS. Comments submitted through the NRC 
project email address will only be available in ADAMS. The NRC does not 
routinely edit comment submissions to remove identifying or contact 
information.
    If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons 
for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to 
include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be 
publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should 
state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove such information before making the comment submissions available 
to the public or entering the comment submissions into ADAMS.

II. Introduction

    Pursuant to part 52 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
(10 CFR), on May 12, 2016, TVA submitted an application for an ESP for 
the Clinch River Nuclear (CRN) Site, located on approximately 1,200 
acres in Roane County, Tennessee, along the Clinch River, approximately 
25 miles west-southwest of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee.

III. Further Information

    A notice of receipt and availability of the application, including 
the environmental report (ER), was published in the Federal Register on 
June 23, 2016 (81 FR 40929). A notice of acceptance for docketing of 
the

[[Page 17886]]

application for the ESP was published in the Federal Register on 
January 12, 2017 (82 FR 3812). A notice of hearing and opportunity to 
petition for leave to intervene in the proceeding on the application 
was published in the Federal Register on April 4, 2017, (82 FR 16436).
    The purposes of this notice are to inform the public that the NRC 
staff will be preparing an environmental impact statement as part of 
the review of the application for the ESP and to provide the public 
with an opportunity to participate in the environmental scoping process 
as defined in 10 CFR 51.29.
    In addition, as outlined in 36 CFR 800.8(c), ``Coordination with 
the National Environmental Policy Act,'' the NRC staff plans to 
coordinate compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (NHPA) with steps taken to meet the requirements of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). 
Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8(c), the NRC staff intends to use the process 
and documentation for the preparation of the EIS on the proposed action 
to comply with Section 106 of the NHPA in lieu of the procedures set 
forth on 36 CFR 800.3 through 800.6.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 51.45 and 51.50, TVA submitted the 
environmental ER as part of the application; the ER is available in 
ADAMS under Accession No. ML16144A145. The application may also be 
viewed on the NRC's public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/esp/clinch-river.html. In addition, the Oak Ridge Public 
Library, 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the 
Kingston Public Library, 1004 Bradford Way, Kingston, Tennessee, have 
agreed to make the ER available for public inspection.
    This notice advises the public that the NRC intends to gather the 
information necessary to prepare an EIS as part of the review of the 
application for the ESP at the CRN Site. Possible alternatives to the 
proposed action (issuance of the ESP for the CRN Site) include no 
action and alternate sites. As set forth in 10 CFR 51.20(b)(1), 
issuance of an ESP under 10 CFR part 52 is an action that requires an 
EIS. This notice is being published in accordance with NEPA and the 
NRC's regulations in 10 CFR part 51.
    The NRC will first conduct a scoping process for the EIS and, as 
soon as practicable thereafter, will prepare a draft EIS for public 
comment. Participation in this scoping process by members of the public 
and local, State, Tribal, and Federal Government agencies is 
encouraged. The scoping process for the draft EIS will be used to 
accomplish the following:
    a. Define the proposed action that is to be the subject of the EIS;
    b. Determine the scope of the EIS and identify the significant 
issues to be analyzed in depth;
    c. Identify and eliminate from detailed study those issues that are 
peripheral or that are not significant;
    d. Identify any environmental assessments and other EISs that are 
being or will be prepared that are related to but are not part of the 
scope of the EIS being considered;
    e. Identify other ER and consultation requirements related to the 
proposed action;
    f. Identify parties consulting with the NRC under the NHPA, as set 
forth in 36 CFR 800.8(c)(1)(i);
    g. Indicate the relationship between the timing of the preparation 
of the environmental analyses and the Commission's tentative planning 
and decision-making schedule;
    h. Identify any cooperating agencies and, as appropriate, allocate 
assignments for preparation and schedules for completing the EIS to the 
NRC and any cooperating agencies; and
    i. Describe how the EIS will be prepared, including any contractor 
assistance to be used.
    The NRC invites the following entities to participate in the 
scoping process:
    a. The applicant, TVA;
    b. Any Federal agency that has jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise with respect to any environmental impact involved or that is 
authorized to develop and enforce relevant environmental standards;
    c. Affected State and local government agencies, including those 
authorized to develop and enforce relevant environmental standards;
    d. Any affected Indian Tribe;
    e. Any person who requests or has requested an opportunity to 
participate in the scoping process; and
    f. Any person who intends to petition for leave to intervene in the 
proceeding, or who has submitted such a petition, who is admitted as a 
party.

III. Availability of Documents

    The following table indicates how the key reference documents 
related to the application and the NRC staff's review processes may be 
accessed.

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             Document title              ADAMS Accession No. or Web site
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10 CFR Part 51, Environmental            https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
 Protection Regulations for Domestic      doc-collections/cfr/part051/.
 Licensing and Related Regulatory
 Function.
10 CFR Part 52, Licenses,                https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
 Certifications, and Approvals for        doc-collections/cfr/part052/.
 Nuclear Power Plants.
10 CFR Part 100, Reactor Site Criteria.  https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part100/.
NUREG-1555, Standard Review Plans for    https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
 Environmental Reviews for Nuclear        doc-collections/nuregs/staff/
 Power Plants.                            sr1555/.
NUREG/BR-0298, Brochure on Nuclear       https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
 Power Plant Licensing Process.           doc-collections/nuregs/
                                          brochures/br0298/.
Regulatory Guide 4.2, Preparation of     https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1306/
 Environmental Reports for Nuclear        ML13067A354.pdf.
 Power Stations (Supplement 1).
Regulatory Guide 4.7, General Site       https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1218/
 Suitability Criteria for Nuclear Power   ML12188A053.pdf.
 Stations.
Fact Sheet on Nuclear Power Plant        https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
 Licensing Process.                       doc-collections/fact-sheets/
                                          licensing-process-fs.html.
Regulatory Guide 1.206, Combined         https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
 License Applications for Nuclear Power   doc-collections/reg-guides/
 Plants.                                  power-reactors/rg/01-206/.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Policy     https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/
 Statement on the Treatment of            FR-2004-08-24/pdf/04-
 Environmental Justice Matters in NRC     19305.pdf.
 Regulatory and Licensing Actions.
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[[Page 17887]]

    The NRC may post materials related to this document, including 
public comments, on the Federal Rulemaking Web site at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2016-0119. The Federal 
Rulemaking Web site allows you to receive alerts when changes or 
additions occur in a docket folder. To subscribe: (1) Navigate to the 
docket folder (NRC-2016-0119); (2) click the ``Sign up for Email 
Alerts'' link; and (3) enter your email address and select how 
frequently you would like to receive emails (daily, weekly, or 
monthly).

IV. Public Scoping Meeting

    In accordance with 10 CFR 51.26, the scoping process for an EIS may 
include a public scoping meeting to help identify significant issues 
related to a proposed activity and to determine the scope of issues to 
be addressed in an EIS. The NRC will hold two identical public scoping 
meetings for the EIS regarding the TVA ESP application.
    The scoping meetings will be held at Pollard Technology Conference 
Center Auditorium, 210 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee on May 15, 
2017. The meeting will convene at 2:00 p.m. and will continue until 
approximately 4:00 p.m. The second meeting will convene at 7:00 p.m., 
with a repetition of the overview portions of the first meeting, and 
will continue until approximately 9:00 p.m. The meetings will be 
transcribed and will include the following:
    (1) An overview by the NRC staff of the NEPA environmental review 
process, the proposed scope of the EIS, and the proposed review 
schedule; and
    (2) the opportunity for interested government agencies, 
organizations, and individuals to submit comments or suggestions on the 
environmental issues or the proposed scope of the EIS. Additionally, 
the NRC staff will host informal discussions for 1 hour prior to the 
start of each public meeting. No formal comments on the proposed scope 
of the EIS will be accepted during the informal discussions. To be 
considered, comments must be provided either at the transcribed public 
meeting or in writing, as discussed below.
    Persons may register to attend or present oral comments at the 
meeting on the scope of the NEPA review by contacting Ms. Patricia 
Vokoun by telephone at 1-800-368-5642, extension 3470, or by email to 
the NRC at [email protected] (no formal comments will be 
accepted through this email address) no later than May 7, 2017. Members 
of the public may also register to speak at the meeting prior to the 
start of the session. Individual oral comments may be limited by the 
time available, depending on the number of persons who register. 
Members of the public who have not registered may also have an 
opportunity to speak, if time permits. Public comments will be 
considered in the scoping process for the EIS. If special equipment or 
accommodations are needed to attend or present information at the 
public meeting, the need should be brought to Ms. Vokoun's attention no 
later than May 1, 2017, so that the NRC staff can determine whether the 
request can be accommodated. Participation in the scoping process for 
the EIS does not entitle participants to become parties to the 
proceeding to which the EIS relates.
    At the conclusion of the scoping process, the NRC staff will 
prepare a concise summary of the determination and conclusions reached 
on the scope of the environmental review including the significant 
issues identified, and will send this summary to each participant in 
the scoping process for whom the staff has an address and will make 
this summary publicly available. The NRC staff will then prepare and 
issue for comment the draft EIS, which will be the subject of a 
separate Federal Register notice and a separate public meeting. Copies 
of the draft EIS will be available for public inspection at the PDR 
through the address in Section I.A. of this notice and one copy per 
request will be provided free of charge. After receipt and 
consideration of comments on the draft EIS, the NRC will prepare a 
final EIS, which will also be available to the public.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of April, 2017.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Francis M. Akstulewicz,
Director, Division of New Reactor Licensing, Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2017-07501 Filed 4-12-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P