Nuclear

NRC updates proposal aimed at streamlining nuclear reactor environmental reviews

The proposal could result in net savings of up to $2 million per application, according to NRC’s analysis.
NRC updates proposal aimed at streamlining nuclear reactor environmental reviews

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has updated a proposed rule to simplify environmental reviews for new nuclear reactor applications, according to an Oct. 11 notice in the Federal Register.

The rulemaking would codify the generic findings of the NRC’s draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors, or NR GEIS. The draft statement uses a technology-neutral framework and a set of plant and site parameters to determine which potential environmental impacts would be common to the construction, operation and decommissioning of many new nuclear reactors.

The idea would be to save time and money by avoiding repeated reviews for each project. Assuming 20 applications over the next decade, fully utilized NR GEIS could result in total net savings of up to $40.1 million, or $2 million per application, according to NRC’s analysis.

NRC said other benefits include “greater regulatory stability, predictability and clarity to the licensing process.”

The proposed rule would reduce the cost to industry of preparing environmental reports for new reactor applications by focusing resources on project-specific analyses, according to NRC. Unique issues would still get specific attention, the regulator said.

This follows an NRC vote in April on an earlier GEIS framework for advanced nuclear reactor applications. At that time, the Commission directed NRC staff to change the applicability of the GEIS and rule from “advanced nuclear reactors” to any new nuclear reactor application that meets the values and assumptions of the plant parameter envelopes and the site parameter envelopes used to develop the GEIS.

The NRC is asking for public feedback and will hold several public meetings in November 2024. Public comments are due by December 18, 2024.

The NR GEIS could potentially be used for microreactors, but the NRC said its staff currently does not have enough information to determine whether the proposed rule could potentially affect any small entities under NRC size standards. NRC staff is requesting public comment on the potential impact of the proposed rule on these small entities.