[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 56 (Thursday, March 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20254-20256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06047]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-259, 50-260, and 50-296; NRC-2024-0030]
Tennessee Valley Authority; Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1,
2, and 3; Subsequent License Renewal Application
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Opportunity to request a hearing and to petition for leave to
intervene.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an
application for the subsequent license renewal of Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52, and DPR-68, which authorize
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to operate Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant
(BFN), Units 1, 2, and 3. The subsequent renewed licenses would
authorize TVA to operate BFN for an additional 20 years beyond the
period specified in each of the current licenses. The current operating
licenses for BFN expire as follows: Unit 1 on December 20, 2033, Unit 2
on June 28, 2034, and Unit 3 on July 2, 2036.
DATES: A request for a hearing or petitions for leave to intervene must
be filed by May 20, 2024.
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ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2024-0030 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2024-0030. 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.
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, at 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 this document.
Public Library: A copy of the subsequent license renewal
application for BFN can be accessed at the following public library:
Athens-Limestone County Library, 603 S Jefferson St, Athens, AL 35611.
NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Hammock, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-0740; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC received a subsequent license renewal application (SLRA)
from TVA, dated January 19, 2024 (ADAMS Accession No. ML24019A010),
filed pursuant to section 103 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
amended (the Act), and part 54 of title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR), ``Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses
for Nuclear Power Plants,'' requesting the renewal of the operating
licenses for BFN at 3,952 megawatts thermal for each unit. The BFN
units are boiling-water reactors designed by General Electric and are
located in Athens, Alabama. A notice of receipt of the SLRA was
published in the Federal Register on February 8, 2024, (89 FR 8725).
The NRC staff has determined that TVA has submitted sufficient
information in accordance with 10 CFR 54.19, 54.21, 54.22, 54.23,
51.45, and 51.53(c), to enable the staff to undertake a review of the
application, and that the application is, therefore, acceptable for
docketing. The current docket nos. 50-259, 50-260, and 50-296 for
Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52, and DPR-68,
will be retained. The determination to accept the SLRA for docketing
does not constitute a determination that a subsequent renewed license
should be issued and does not preclude the NRC staff from requesting
additional information as the review proceeds.
Before issuance of the requested subsequent renewed licenses, the
NRC will have made the findings required by the Act and the
Commission's rules and regulations. In accordance with 10 CFR 54.29,
the NRC may issue a subsequent renewed license on the basis of its
review if it finds that actions have been identified and have been or
will be taken with respect to: (1) managing the effects of aging during
the period of extended operation on the functionality of structures and
components that have been identified as requiring aging management
review; and (2) time-limited aging analyses that have been identified
as requiring review, such that there is reasonable assurance that the
activities authorized by the renewed license will continue to be
conducted in accordance with the current licensing basis and that any
changes made to the plant's current licensing basis will comply with
the Act and the Commission's regulations.
Additionally, in accordance with 10 CFR 51.95(c), the NRC staff
will prepare an environmental impact statement as a supplement to the
Commission's NUREG-1437, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for
License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants,'' dated June 2013 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML13106A241). In considering the SLRA, the Commission
must find that the applicable requirements of subpart A of 10 CFR part
51 have been satisfied, and that any matters raised under 10 CFR 2.335
have been addressed. Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.26, and as part of the
environmental scoping process, the staff intends to hold public scoping
meetings. Detailed information regarding the environmental scoping
meetings will be the subject of a separate Federal Register notice.
II. Opportunity To Request a Hearing and Petition for Leave To
Intervene
Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, any
person (petitioner) whose interest may be affected by this action may
file a request for a hearing and petition for leave to intervene
(petition) with respect to the action. Petitions shall be filed in
accordance with the Commission's ``Agency Rules of Practice and
Procedure'' in 10 CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult 10 CFR
2.309. If a petition is filed, the presiding officer will rule on the
petition and, if appropriate, a notice of a hearing will be issued.
Petitions must be filed no later than 60 days from the date of
publication of this notice in accordance with the filing instructions
in the ``Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)'' section of this document.
Petitions and motions for leave to file new or amended contentions that
are filed after the deadline will not be entertained absent a
determination by the presiding officer that the filing demonstrates
good cause by satisfying the three factors in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)
through (iii).
A State, local governmental body, federally recognized Indian
Tribe, or designated agency thereof, may submit a petition to the
Commission to participate as a party under 10 CFR 2.309(h) no later
than 60 days from the date of publication of this notice.
Alternatively, a State, local governmental body, federally recognized
Indian Tribe, or agency thereof may participate as a non-party under 10
CFR 2.315(c).
For information about filing a petition and about participation by
a person not a party under 10 CFR 2.315, see ADAMS Accession No.
ML20340A053 (https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20340A053) and the NRC's public website at
https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html#participate.
III. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)
All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings including
documents filed by an interested State, local governmental body,
federally recognized Indian Tribe, or designated agency thereof that
requests to participate under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302. The E-Filing process requires
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participants to submit and serve all adjudicatory documents over the
internet, or in some cases, to mail copies on electronic storage media,
unless an exemption permitting an alternative filing method, as further
discussed, is granted. Detailed guidance on electronic submissions is
located in the ``Guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC''
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13031A056) and on the NRC's public website at
https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.
To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10
days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the
Office of the Secretary by email at [email protected], or by
telephone at 301-415-1677, to (1) request a digital identification (ID)
certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or
representative) to digitally sign submissions and access the E-Filing
system for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise
the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a petition or
other adjudicatory document (even in instances in which the
participant, or its counsel or representative, already holds an NRC-
issued digital ID certificate). Based upon this information, the
Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the proceeding if the
Secretary has not already established an electronic docket.
Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is
available on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html. After a digital ID certificate is
obtained and a docket created, the participant must submit adjudicatory
documents in Portable Document Format. Guidance on submissions is
available on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html. A filing is considered complete at the
time the document is submitted through the NRC's E-Filing system. To be
timely, an electronic filing must be submitted to the E-Filing system
no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the due date. Upon receipt of a
transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps the document and sends
the submitter an email confirming receipt of the document. The E-Filing
system also distributes an email that provides access to the document
to the NRC's Office of the General Counsel and any others who have
advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish to participate in
the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the document on those
participants separately. Therefore, applicants and other participants
(or their counsel or representative) must apply for and receive a
digital ID certificate before adjudicatory documents are filed to
obtain access to the documents via the E-Filing system.
A person filing electronically using the NRC's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC's Electronic
Filing Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC's
public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by
email to [email protected], or by a toll-free call at 1-866-672-
7640. The NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk is available between 9 a.m.
and 6 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Participants who believe that they have good cause for not
submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing
stating why there is good cause for not filing electronically and
requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper
format. Such filings must be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR
2.302(b)-(d). Participants filing adjudicatory documents in this manner
are responsible for serving their documents on all other participants.
Participants granted an exemption under 10 CFR 2.302(g)(2) must still
meet the electronic formatting requirement in 10 CFR 2.302(g)(1),
unless the participant also seeks and is granted an exemption from 10
CFR 2.302(g)(1).
Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in the
NRC's electronic hearing docket, which is publicly available at https://adams.nrc.gov/ehd, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the
presiding officer. If you do not have an NRC-issued digital ID
certificate as previously described, click ``cancel'' when the link
requests certificates and you will be automatically directed to the
NRC's electronic hearing dockets where you will be able to access any
publicly available documents in a particular hearing docket.
Participants are requested not to include personal privacy information
such as social security numbers, home addresses, or personal phone
numbers in their filings unless an NRC regulation or other law requires
submission of such information. With respect to copyrighted works,
except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose of the adjudicatory
filings and would constitute a Fair Use application, participants
should not include copyrighted materials in their submission.
Detailed information about the license renewal process can be found
under the Reactor License Renewal section on the NRC's public website
at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html.
Copies of the application to renew the operating license for BFN are
available for public inspection at the NRC's PDR, and on the NRC's
public website at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications.html. The application may be accessed in ADAMS
through the NRC Library on the internet at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html under ADAMS Accession No. ML24019A010. As previously
stated, persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter
problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS may contact the
NRC's PDR reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-
4737, or by email to [email protected].
Dated: March 18, 2024.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Lauren Gibson,
Chief, License Renewal Project Branch, Division of New and Renewed
Licenses, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2024-06047 Filed 3-20-24; 8:45 am]
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