[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 175 (Monday, September 10, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45692-45694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19462]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-277 and 50-278; NRC-2018-0130]


Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Peach Bottom Atomic Power 
Station, Units 2 and 3

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct a scoping 
process to gather information necessary to prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental impacts for the 
subsequent license renewal of the operating licenses for Peach Bottom 
Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 (Peach Bottom). The NRC is seeking 
stakeholder input on this action and has scheduled a public meeting.

DATES: Submit comments by October 10, 2018. Comments received after 
this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but assurance 
of consideration cannot be given to comments received after this date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
(unless this document describes a different method for submitting 
comments on a specific subject):
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0130. Address 
questions about regulations.gov docket IDs to Jennifer Borges; 
telephone: 301-287-9127; email: [email protected]. For technical 
questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this document.
     Mail Comments to: May Ma, Office of Administration, Mail 
Stop TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001. For additional direction on obtaining information and 
submitting comments, see Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments 
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Drucker, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-6223, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0130 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information regarding this document. You may 
obtain publicly-available information related to this document by any 
of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0130.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the NRC 
Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the 
search, 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 in this document (if that document is available in ADAMS) is 
provided the first time that a document is referenced. Exelon's 
application for subsequent renewal of the Peach Bottom licenses can be 
found in ADAMS under Accession No. ML18193A689.
     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-2018-0130 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 at http://www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions into 
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. Discussion

    By letter dated July 10, 2018 (ADAMS Package Accession No. 
ML18193A689), Exelon submitted to the NRC an application for subsequent 
license renewal of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-44 and DPR-56 
for an additional 20 years of operation at Peach Bottom Atomic Power 
Station, Units 2 and 3. The Peach Bottom units are boiling water 
reactors designed by General Electric Company and are located in Delta, 
PA (17.9 miles south of Lancaster, PA). The current renewed operating 
license for Unit 2 expires at midnight on August 8, 2033, and the 
current renewed operating license for Unit 3 expires at midnight on 
July 2, 2034. The application for subsequent license renewal was 
submitted pursuant to part 54 of title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR) and included an environmental report (ER). A 
notice of receipt and availability of the application was published in 
the Federal Register on August 1, 2018 (83 FR 37529). A separate notice 
of acceptance for docketing of the application and opportunity for 
hearing regarding subsequent license renewal of the facility operating 
licenses will be published in the Federal Register.

[[Page 45693]]

III. Request for Comments

    This notice informs the public of the NRC's intention to conduct 
scoping and prepare an EIS related to the subsequent license renewal 
application, and to provide the public an opportunity to participate in 
the environmental scoping process, as defined in 10 CFR 51.29.
    The regulations in 36 CFR 800.8, ``Coordination with the National 
Environmental Policy Act,'' allow agencies to use their National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) process to fulfill the 
requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 
(NHPA). Therefore, pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8(c), the NRC intends to use 
its 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 at 36 CFR 800.3 through 800.6.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 51.53(c) and 10 CFR 54.23, Exelon 
submitted the ER as part of the subsequent license renewal application. 
The ER was prepared pursuant to 10 CFR part 51 and is publicly 
available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML18193A689. The ER may also be 
viewed on the internet at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/peach-bottom-subsequent.html. In 
addition, a paper copy of the SLR application including the ER are 
available for public review near the site at the Harford County Public 
Library: Whiteford Branch, 2407 Whiteford Road, Whiteford, MD 21160.
    The NRC intends to gather the information necessary to prepare a 
plant-specific supplement to the NRC's ``Generic Environmental Impact 
Statement (GEIS) for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants'' (NUREG-1437), 
related to the application for subsequent license renewal of the Peach 
Bottom operating licenses for an additional 20 years beyond the period 
specified in each of the current renewed licenses.
    Possible alternatives to the proposed action include the no action 
alternative and reasonable alternative energy sources. The NRC is 
required by 10 CFR 51.95 to prepare a supplement to the GEIS in 
connection with the renewal of an operating license. This notice is 
being published in accordance with NEPA and the NRC's regulations found 
at 10 CFR part 51.
    The NRC will first conduct scoping for the supplement to the GEIS 
and, as soon as practicable thereafter, will prepare a draft supplement 
to the GEIS for public comment. Participation in the scoping process by 
members of the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal government 
agencies is encouraged. The scoping process for the supplement to the 
GEIS will be used to accomplish the following:
    a. Define the proposed action, which is to be the subject of the 
supplement to the GEIS;
    b. Determine the scope of the supplement to the GEIS and identify 
the significant issues to be analyzed in depth;
    c. Identify and eliminate from detailed study those issues that are 
peripheral or are not significant; or were covered by a prior 
environmental review;
    d. Identify any environmental assessments and other ElSs that are 
being or will be prepared that are related to, but are not part of, the 
scope of the supplement to the GEIS being considered;
    e. Identify other environmental review and consultation 
requirements related to the proposed action;
    f. Indicate the relationship between the timing of the preparation 
of the environmental analyses and the Commission's tentative planning 
and decision-making schedule;
    g. Identify any cooperating agencies and, as appropriate, allocate 
assignments for preparation and schedules for completing the supplement 
to the GEIS to the NRC and any cooperating agencies; and
    h. Describe how the supplement to the GEIS will be prepared, 
including any contractor assistance to be used.
    The NRC invites the following entities to participate in scoping:
    a. The applicant, Exelon;
    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 has petitioned or intends to petition for leave 
to intervene under 10 CFR 2.309.

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 a public meeting for the 
Peach Bottom subsequent license renewal supplement to the GEIS. The 
scoping meeting will be held on September 25, 2018. The meeting will be 
held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Peach Bottom Inn, 6085 Delta 
Road, Delta, PA, 17314. There will be an open house one hour before the 
meeting for members of the public to meet with NRC staff and sign in to 
speak at the meeting.
    The meeting will be transcribed and will include: (1) An overview 
by the NRC staff of the NEPA environmental review process, the proposed 
scope of the supplement to the GEIS, 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 Peach Bottom 
subsequent license renewal supplement to the GEIS. To be considered, 
comments must be provided either at the transcribed public meeting or 
in writing, as discussed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
    Persons may register to attend or present oral comments at the 
meeting on the scope of the NEPA review by contacting the NRC Project 
Manager, Mr. David Drucker, by telephone at 301-415-6223, or by email 
at [email protected] no later than September 18, 2018. Members of 
the public may also register to speak during the registration period 
prior to the start of the meeting. 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 Peach Bottom subsequent 
license renewal supplement to the GEIS. Please contact Mr. David 
Drucker no later than September 18, 2018, if accommodations or special 
equipment is needed to attend or present information at the public 
meeting, so that the NRC staff can determine whether the request can be 
accommodated.
    Participation in the scoping process for the Peach Bottom 
subsequent license renewal supplement to the GEIS does not entitle 
participants to become parties to the proceeding to which the 
supplement to the GEIS relates. Matters related to participation in any 
hearing are outside the scope of matters to be discussed at this public 
meeting.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of September, 2018.


[[Page 45694]]


    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Eric R. Oesterle,
Chief, License Renewal Projects Branch, Division of Materials and 
License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2018-19462 Filed 9-7-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P