[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 238 (Tuesday, December 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76219-76221]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27025]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-445 and 50-446; NRC-2022-0183]


Notice of Intent To Conduct Scoping Process and Prepare 
Environmental Impact Statement; Vistra Operations Company LLC; Comanche 
Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will conduct a 
scoping process to gather information necessary to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental 
impacts for the license renewal of the operating licenses for Comanche 
Peak Nuclear Power Plant (CPNPP), Units 1 and 2. The NRC is seeking 
public comment on this action and has scheduled a public scoping 
meeting that will take place in Glen Rose, Texas.

DATES: The NRC will hold a public scoping meeting on January 10, 2023, 
from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. local time. Submit comments on the 
scope of the EIS by January 30, 2023. Comments received after this date 
will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC is able to 
ensure consideration only for comments received on or before this date. 
See Section IV, ``Public Scoping Meeting,'' of this notice for 
additional information.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods; 
however, the NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website.
     Federal rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2022-0183. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 
telephone: 301-415-0624; email: [email protected]. For technical 
questions, contact the individual listed in the For Further Information 
Contact section of this document.
     Email comments to: [email protected].
     Attend the transcribed public meetings on January 10, 
2023.
     Mail comments to: 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: Tam Tran, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3617; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2022-0183 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 https://regulations.gov 
and search for Docket ID NRC-2022-0183.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://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 it is available in ADAMS) is 
provided the first time that a document is referenced.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents, by appointment, at the NRC's PDR, Room P1 B35, One White 
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. To make 
an appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to 
[email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8 
a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

B. Submitting Comments

    The NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website (https://www.regulations.gov). Please 
include Docket ID NRC-2022-0183 in your comment submission to ensure 
that the NRC can 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 
https://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

    On October 3, 2022, the NRC received an application for the renewal 
of Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-87 and NPF89, which would 
authorize Vistra Operations Company LLC (Vistra, the applicant) to 
operate CPNPP, Units 1 and 2 for an additional 20 years of operation 
beyond the period specified in each of the current licenses (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML22276A082). This submission initiated the NRC's 
proposed action: determining whether to grant or deny the license 
renewal

[[Page 76220]]

application for power reactor operating licenses, which, if granted, 
would authorize CPNPP Units 1 and 2 to operate for an additional 20 
years beyond the period specified in each of the current licenses. The 
CPNPP units are pressurized-water reactors designed by Westinghouse 
Electric Corporation and are in Somervell County, Texas. The current 
operating license for Unit 1 expires at midnight on February 8, 2030, 
and the current operating license for Unit 2 expires at midnight on 
February 2, 2033. The license renewal application was submitted 
pursuant to part 54 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 
CFR), ``Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses for Nuclear 
Power Plants,'' and included an environmental report (ER). A notice of 
receipt and availability of the application was published in the 
Federal Register on October 31, 2022 (87 FR 65617). A notice of 
acceptance for docketing of the application and opportunity for hearing 
regarding the license renewal of the CPNPP Units 1 and 2 operating 
licenses was published on December 1, 2022 (87 FR 73798) and is 
available in Regulations.gov by searching for Docket ID NRC-2022-0183.

III. Request for Comments

    This notice informs the public of the NRC's intention to conduct 
environmental scoping and prepare an EIS related to the license renewal 
application for CPNPP, 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 (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) (NEPA) 
process to fulfill the requirements of Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 300101, et seq.) (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, Vistra 
submitted an ER as part of the license renewal application. The ER was 
prepared pursuant to 10 CFR part 51 and is available in ADAMS under 
Accession No. ML22297A246. The ER may also be viewed on the NRC public 
website at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications.html. In addition, the license renewal application, 
including the ER, are available for public review at the Somervell 
County Library, 108 Allen Dr., Glen Rose, TX 76043 and Hood County 
Library, 222 N Travis St. Granbury, TX 76048.
    As required by 10 CFR 51.95, the NRC intends to gather the 
information necessary to prepare a plant-specific supplement 
(supplement 60) to the NRC's NUREG-1437, ``Generic Environmental Impact 
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants'' (ADAMS Package 
Accession No. ML13107A023) (GEIS), related to the license renewal 
application for CPNPP Units 1 and 2. This notice is being published in 
accordance with NEPA and the NRC's regulations found at 10 CFR part 51.
    Supplement 60 to the GEIS will evaluate the environmental impacts 
of the license renewal for CPNPP Units 1 and 2, and reasonable 
alternatives thereto. Possible alternatives to the proposed action 
include the no action alternative and reasonable alternative energy 
sources.
    As part of its environmental review, the NRC will first conduct a 
scoping process for the supplement 60 to the GEIS and, as soon as 
practicable thereafter, will prepare a draft supplement 60 to the GEIS 
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 supplement 60 to the GEIS will 
be used to accomplish the following:
    a. Define the proposed action, which is to be the subject of the 
supplement 60 to the GEIS;
    b. Determine the scope of the supplement 60 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 60 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 decisionmaking schedule;
    g. Identify any cooperating agencies and, as appropriate, allocate 
assignments for preparation and schedules for completing the supplement 
60 to the GEIS to the NRC and any cooperating agencies; and
    h. Describe how the supplement 60 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, Vistra;
    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(b), 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 is announcing that it will hold a public scoping meeting 
for the CPNPP Units 1 and 2 license renewal supplement 60 to the GEIS. 
A court reporter will record and transcribe all comments received 
during the meeting. To be considered, comments must be provided either 
at the transcribed public meeting or in writing, as discussed in the 
ADDRESSES section of this document. The date and times for the public 
scoping meetings are as follows:

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               Meeting                           Date                     Time                   Location
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public EIS Scoping...................  Tuesday, 1/10/2023.....  1 to 3 p.m., as          Somervell County Expo
                                                                 necessary, and 5 to 7    Center, 202 Bo Gibbs
                                                                 p.m., as necessary,      Blvd., W Hwy. 67, Glen
                                                                 local time.              Rose, TX 76043.
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[[Page 76221]]

    In addition, the NRC staff will host informal discussions one hour 
before the start of each session at the same location. The staff will 
not accept formal comments on the proposed scope of the supplement 60 
to the GEIS during these informal discussions.
    The public scoping meeting will include: (1) an overview by the NRC 
staff of the environmental and safety review processes, the proposed 
scope of the supplement 60 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 
environmental issues or the proposed scope of the supplement 60 to the 
GEIS.
    Persons interested in attending should monitor the NRC's Public 
Meeting Schedule at https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg for additional 
information and agendas for the meetings. Please contact Tam Tran no 
later than December 21, 2022, if accommodations, including a telephone 
bridgeline, special equipment, or translation is needed to attend or to 
provide comments, so that the NRC staff can determine whether the 
request can be accommodated.
    Participation in the scoping process for the supplement 60 to the 
GEIS does not entitle participants to become parties to the proceeding 
to which the supplement 60 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: December 8, 2022.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John M. Moses,
Deputy Director, Division of Rulemaking, Environment, and Financial 
Support, Office of Nuclear Material Safety, and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2022-27025 Filed 12-12-22; 8:45 am]
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