Press Release-11-017, NRC to Meet with Public March 2 for Input on South Texas Project Nuclear Plant Environmental Review for License Renewal

Press Release-11-017: NRC to Meet with Public March 2 for Input on South Texas Project Nuclear Plant Environmental Review for License Renewal

ML110380405
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	02/07/2011
From:	Office of Public Affairs
To:
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Press Release-11-017
Download: ML110380405 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: http://www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov No.11-017 February 7, 2011 NRC TO MEET WITH PUBLIC MARCH 2 FOR INPUT ON SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT NUCLEAR PLANT ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR LICENSE RENEWAL The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold two public meetings on Wednesday, March 2, in Bay City, Texas, on the environmental review of South Texas Project (STP) Nuclear Operating Co.s application to renew the operating licenses for the STP nuclear reactors near Bay City. The public is invited to attend and comment on environmental issues the NRC should consider in its review of the proposed license renewal.

The meetings will be held at the Bay City Civic Center located at 201 7th St. There will be two sessions: one in the afternoon from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., and one in the evening from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. In addition, the NRC staff will host informal discussions one hour prior to each meeting to answer questions and provide additional information about the process. Formal comments on environmental issues should be provided during either of the scheduled sessions.

This is the first of several opportunities for public participation during the course of our evaluation of the South Texas license renewal application, said Bo Pham, branch chief in the NRCs Division of License Renewal. Public input is important to the process and all of the comments we receive will be considered as we move forward with our review.

The meetings will include an NRC staff presentation on the license renewal process, after which members of the public will be given the opportunity to present their comments on what environmental issues the NRC should consider during its review.

For planning purposes, those who wish to present oral comments at the meeting are encouraged to contact Tam Tran, email at tam.tran@nrc.gov or telephone at 301- 415-3617.

People may also register to speak before the start of each session. Individual comment time may be limited by the time available.

Both South Texas Project Units 1 and 2 are pressurized-water nuclear reactors, located 12 miles southwest of Bay City, Texas. The plants current operating licenses for Units 1 and 2 will expire on Aug. 20, 2027, and Dec. 15, 2028, respectively.

The licensee, STP Nuclear Operating Co., submitted the renewal application in a letter dated Oct. 25, 2010. 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. Therefore, if approved, the current operating license for STP Units 1 and 2, would be extended until 2047 and 2048, respectively.

The application is available for public review at the Bay City Public Library, located at 1100 7th Street, Bay City, Texas. It is also available in the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md., and on the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/south-texas-project.html.

An existing NRC document, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear 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 NRC staff is gathering information at these meetings for a supplement to the generic environmental impact statement (EIS) that will be specific to STP. It will contain a recommendation regarding potential environmental impacts of the license renewal action.

At the conclusion of the information-gathering process, the NRC staff will prepare a summary of conclusions and significant issues, and will send a copy to interested persons who participated in the scoping process.

The NRC staff will then prepare a draft environmental impact statement supplement for public comment and will hold a public meeting to solicit comments. After consideration of comments received on the draft, the NRC will prepare a final EIS supplement.

Members of the public may also submit written comments on the scope of the STP specific supplement to the generic environmental impact statement. Comments should be submitted either by mail to Cindy Bladey, Chief, Rules, Announcements, and Directives Branch (RADB), Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWB-05-B01M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by electronic submission at:

www.regulations.gov reference Docket ID NRC-10-0375, or by fax to RADB at (301) 492-3446.

NOTE: Anyone wishing to take photos or use a camera to record any portion of a NRC meeting should contact the Office of Public Affairs beforehand.

News releases are available through a free listserv 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 website.