Press Release-I-07-042, - NRC Seeks Public Input on Environmental Impact Statement for Indian Point Nuclear Plant License Renewal Application

Press Release-I-07-042 - NRC Seeks Public Input on Environmental Impact Statement for Indian Point Nuclear Plant License Renewal Application

ML072340513
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	08/10/2007
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
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Category:Press Release
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Press Release-I-07-042
Download: ML072340513 (2)

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NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa.

www.nrc.gov No. I-07-042August 10, 2007Contact:Diane Screnci, 610/337-5330Email: opa1@nrc.gov Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331 NRC SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR INDIAN POINT NUCLEAR PLANT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will conduct two public meetings on Wednesday, Sept.

19, on the environmental review related to the license renewal application for the Indian Point nuclear

power plant. Members of the public are invited to attend and comment on environmental issues they

believe the NRC should consider during its review of the applicant's proposal to extend by 20 years the

operating licenses for the two reactors at the site, located in Buchanan (Westchester County), N.Y., and

operated by Entergy Nuclear Northeast.

There will be two sessions held that day at the Colonial Terrace catering facility, 119 Oregon Road in Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. (Directions to the facility are available at:

www.colonialterracecaterers.com/.) Attendees are advised that parking may be limited.

The first session will begin at 1:30 p.m. and continue until 4:30 p.m. The second session, which will follow the same format as the first meeting, will get under way at 7 p.m. and continue until

10 p.m. The NRC will host an "open house" beginning 1 hour1.157407e-5 days <br />2.777778e-4 hours <br />1.653439e-6 weeks <br />3.805e-7 months <br /> before the start of each meeting to

provide members of the public with an opportunity to talk informally with agency staff. However, formal comments must be expressed during the transcribed meetings.

Both sessions will start with an overview and an NRC staff presentation on the environmental review process for license renewal applications. After the NRC presentation, audience members will

be given the opportunity to present their comments on environmental issues they consider worthy of

review as the agency reviews the Indian Point application.

"During public meetings we held in Cortlandt Manor on June 27 regarding our overall review process for the application, we explained there will be several opportunities for members of the public

to raise concerns or offer comments on the proposed license extension for the Indian Point plant. The

meetings scheduled for September 19 th will be one such opportunity and we look forward to receiving the public's input," said Bo Pham, the NRC Senior Project Manager who is leading the environmental

review.

Under NRC regulations, the original operating license for a nuclear power plant has a term of 40 years. The license may be renewed for up to an additional 20 years if NRC requirements are met.

The current operating licenses for Indian Point 2 and 3 expire, respectively, on Sept. 28, 2013 and Dec.

12, 2015.Entergy's license renewal application for Indian Point was received by the NRC on April 30, 2007. As part of the application, the company submitted an environmental report, which is posted on

the NRC's web site at:

www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/indian-point.html. It is also available for review at the NRC's Public Document Room in Rockville, Md., which can be reached by phone at

800-397-4209, and at the following area libraries: The White Plains Public Library, 100 Martine Ave.,

White Plains, N.Y.; the Hendrick Hudson Free Library, 185 Kings Ferry Road, Montrose, N.Y., and the

Field Library, 4 Nelson Ave., Peekskill, N.Y.

An existing NRC document, "Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants" (NUREG-1437), assesses the scope and impact of environmental effects that

would be associated with license renewal at any nuclear power plant site. The document for which the

NRC will gather information at the Sept. 19 th meetings will be a supplement to that generic environmental statement that is specific to Indian Point. It will contain a recommendation regarding

the environmental acceptability of the license renewal action.

At the conclusion of the information-gathering process, the NRC staff will prepare a summary of the conclusions reached and significant issues identified. A copy will be sent to each person who

participated in the "scoping" process. The summary will also be available on the NRC's web site

through the Public Electronic Reading Room at:

www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html and at the libraries previously listed. Help in accessing documents through the Reading Room is available by

contacting the NRC's Public Document Room at 800-397-4209 or by e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov .The NRC staff will subsequently prepare a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) supplement for public comment and will hold public meetings at a future date to solicit comments.

After consideration of comments on the draft report, the NRC will prepare a final EIS supplement.

Interested individuals may register to attend or present oral comments at the Sept. 19 th meetings by contacting Bo Pham at 800-368-5642, ext. 8450, or by e-mail to IndianPointEIS@nrc.gov no later than Sept. 10, 2007. Those who wish to comment may also register at the meetings within 15 minutes

of the start of each session. Individual oral comments may be limited by the time available, depending

on the number of persons who register.