[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58636-58637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23099]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 72-1041; NRC-2025-1535]
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact of
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Facilities Decommissioning Funding Plans
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice; issuance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing
this notice regarding the issuance of a final environmental assessment
(EA) and a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for its review and
approval of the initial and updated decommissioning funding plans
(DFPs) submitted for the independent spent fuel storage installation
(ISFSI) at South Texas Project Electric Generating Station, Unit 1 and
2 (STP 1 and 2).
DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on
December 17, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2025-1535 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-2025-1535. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Bridget Curran;
telephone: 301-415-1003; email: [email protected]. For technical
questions, contact the individual(s) 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 ADAMS Public 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.
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: Daneira Mel[eacute]ndez-Col[oacute]n,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-
7295, email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering the approval of the initial and updated DFPs
submitted by the STP 1 and 2 ISFSI licensee, and the NRC staff has
prepared a final EA and FONSI determination for the initial and updated
STP 1 and 2 ISFSI DFPs in accordance with the NRC regulations in part
51 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR),
``Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and
Related Regulatory Functions,'' which implement the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
The NRC requires its licensees to plan for the eventual
decommissioning of their licensed facilities prior to license
termination. On June 17, 2011, the NRC published a final rule in the
Federal Register amending its decommissioning planning regulations (76
FR 35512). The final rule amended the NRC regulation, 10 CFR 72.30,
``Financial assurance and recordkeeping for decommissioning,'' which
concerns financial assurance and decommissioning for ISFSIs. This
regulation requires each holder of, or applicant for, a license under
10 CFR part 72 to submit a DFP for the NRC's review and approval. The
purpose of the DFP is to demonstrate the licensee's financial
assurance, i.e., that funds will be available to decommission the
ISFSI. The NRC staff will later publish its financial analyses of the
DFP submittals which will be available for public inspection in ADAMS.
II. Discussion
The table in this notice includes the plant name, docket number,
licensee, and ADAMS accession number for the final EA and FONSI
determination for the STP 1 and 2 ISFSI. The table also includes the
ADAMS accession numbers for other relevant documents, including the
initial and updated DFP submittals. For further details with respect to
these actions, see the NRC staff's final EA and FONSI determinations
which are available for public inspection in ADAMS and at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2025-1535. For additional
direction on accessing information related to this document, see the
ADDRESSES section of this document.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facility South Texas Project, Unit 1 and 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Docket No.............................. 72-1041.
Licensee............................... South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC).
Proposed Action........................ The NRC's review and approval of STPNOC's initial and updated
decommissioning funding plans (DFPs) submitted in accordance with 10
CFR 72.30(b) and (c), respectively.
[[Page 58637]]
Environmental Impact of Proposed Action The NRC staff has determined that the proposed action, the review and
approval of STPNOC's initial and updated DFPs, submitted in accordance
with 10 CFR 72.30(b) and (c), will not authorize changes to licensed
operations or maintenance activities, or result in changes in the
types, characteristics, or quantities of radiological or non-
radiological effluents released into the environment from the
independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI), or result in the
creation of solid waste. Moreover, the approval of the initial and
updated DFPs will not authorize any construction activity, facility
modification, or other land-disturbing activity. The NRC staff has
concluded that the proposed action is a procedural and administrative
action that will not have a significant impact on the environment.
Finding of No Significant Impact....... The proposed action does not require changes to the ISFSI's licensed
routine operations, maintenance activities, or monitoring programs,
nor does it require new construction or land-disturbing activities.
The scope of the proposed action concerns only the NRC's review and
approval of STPNOC's initial and updated DFPs. The scope of the
proposed action does not include, and will not result in, the review
and approval of decontamination or decommissioning activities or
license termination for the ISFSI or for other parts of STP 1 and 2.
Therefore, the NRC staff determined that approval of the initial and
updated DFPs for the STP 1 and 2 ISFSI will not significantly affect
the quality of the human environment, and accordingly, the staff has
concluded that a FONSI is appropriate. The NRC staff further finds
that preparation of an environmental impact statement is not required.
Available Documents.................... Federal Register notice. Final Rule ``Environmental Protection
Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions
and Related Conforming Amendments,'' published March 12, 1984 (49 FR
9381).
Federal Register notice. Final Rule ``Decommissioning Planning,''
published June 17, 2011 (76 FR 35512).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 2003/08/31-NUREG-1748,
``Environmental Review Guidance for Licensing Actions Associated with
NMSS Programs, Final Report.'' August 2003 (ML032540811).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ``Environmental Assessment for
Final Rule: Decommissioning Planning'' (10 CFR parts 20, 30, 40, 50,
70, and 72; RIN 3150-AI55). February 2009 (ML090500648).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ESA Section 7 No Effect
Determination for ISFSI DFP Reviews (Note to File), dated May 15, 2017
(ML17135A062).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ``Final Environmental Assessment
and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to the South Texas
Project Nuclear Operating Company Initial and Updated Decommissioning
Funding Plans Submitted in Accordance with 10 CFR 72.30(b) and 10 CFR
72.30(c) for South Texas Project Electric Generating Station Unit 1
and 2 Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation,'' dated December 4,
2025 (ML25258A170).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ``Review of the Draft Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for South Texas
Project Electric Generating Station Unit 1 and 2 Independent Spent
Fuel Storage Installation Initial and Updated Decommissioning Funding
Plans,'' dated August 1, 2025 (ML25085A350).
South Texas Project, Unit 1 and 2 ISFSI--Decommissioning Funding Plan
for the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation, dated September
26, 2018 (ML18269A258).
South Texas Project ISFSI--Decommissioning Funding Plan for the
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation, dated September 27, 2021
(ML21270A142).
South Texas Project ISFSI, Decommissioning Funding Plan for the
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation, dated September 25, 2024
(ML24270A273).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated: December 12, 2025.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Yoira Diaz-Sanabria,
Chief, Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch, Division of Fuel
Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2025-23099 Filed 12-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P