Press Release-IV-10-010, NRC Seeks Public Input on Environmental Review of Columbia Generating Station License Renewal; Meetings April 6

Press Release-IV-10-010: NRC Seeks Public Input on Environmental Review of Columbia Generating Station License Renewal; Meetings April 6

ML100850318
Person / Time
Site:	Columbia
Issue date:	03/26/2010
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region IV
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Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-IV-10-010
Download: ML100850318 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region IV 612 E. Lamar Blvd., Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4125 Telephone: (817) 860-8128 No. IV-10-010 March 26, 2010 Contact: Victor Dricks: (817) 860-8128 E-Mail: OPA4.Resource@nrc.gov Lara Uselding: (817) 276-6519 NRC SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION LICENSE RENEWAL; MEETINGS APRIL 6 Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold two public meetings on April 6, in Richland, Wash., to discuss the agencys environmental review of the Columbia Generating Station license renewal application.

The Columbia Generating Station is a boiling-water nuclear reactor. The plant is located 12 miles northwest of Richland, Wash. The licensee, Energy Northwest, submitted the renewal application Jan. 19 for the plant. The current operating license expires on Dec. 20, 2023.

This is the first of several opportunities for the Columbia Generating Station community to let us know what issues the NRC should look at while we review the potential environmental impacts of renewing the license, said Daniel Doyle, a project manager in the NRCs Division of License Renewal. Well consider all the comments and publish them in a scoping summary as we move forward with our review.

The staff will start the first session at 1:30 p.m., and hold a second session at 6 p.m. Both sessions will be held at the Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Dr. Both sessions will follow the same format and cover the same material. The staff will briefly describe the agencys process for reviewing license renewal applications. Members of the audience will then have the opportunity to comment on environmental issues they feel the agency should consider in the review of the Columbia Generating Station application.

NRC staff will be available for informal discussions during an open house session an hour before each meeting. However, formal comments on the renewal will be accepted only during the meetings. Members of the public may register to present oral comments at these meetings by March 30, by contacting NRC Project Manager Daniel Doyle by telephone at 1-800-368-5642, extension 3748, or by e-mail at Daniel.Doyle@nrc.gov. Those who wish to make comments may also register at the meeting 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. Those with special needs should contact Doyle by March 23.

The application is available on the NRC Web site at:

http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/columbia.html and is available for viewing at the Richland Public Library and at the Kennewick branch of Mid-Columbia Libraries.

Members of the public may send written comments on issues to be considered in the environmental review by May 14 to: Michael T. Lesar, Chief, Rulemaking and Directives Branch, Office of Administration, Mailstop TWB 05-B01M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Comments may also be submitted electronically to the NRC via the Federal rulemaking website: http://www.regulations.gov. Search for documents filed under Docket ID NRC-2010-0029. Additional information on the license renewal process is available on the NRCs Web site at:

http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html.

NRC news releases are available through a free list serve subscription at the following Web address:

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.