ML18106A726
| ML18106A726 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/30/2018 |
| From: | Gettys E Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Meyd, Donald | |
| References | |
| NUREG/BR-0291 R3 | |
| Download: ML18106A726 (2) | |
Text
human health, postulated accidents, environmental Individuals or groups whose interests may be affected by a justice, waste management, and cumulative impacts. license renewal application may request intervention and a For plant-specific issues, applicants typically present an hearing before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board. Such analysis of the potential impacts associated with the issue individuals or groups must be able to demonstrate that they using site-specific information or disposition the issue would be affected by the renewal and meet the requirements as not applicable. Where adverse impacts are identified, for requesting a hearing. The NRC provides notices of public mitigation and alternatives to reduce the adverse impacts meetings and opportunities for participation in a hearing through must also be discussed. The use of a generic environmental the Federal Register, local news media, or the NRCs Web site.
impact statement with a plant-specific supplement improves the efficiency and focus of the environmental review process for licensees and the NRC.
More information about license renewal can be found at https://
www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/process. REACTOR LICENSE html.
Public Involvement The public plays an important role in the license renewal RENEWAL process. Members of the public have multiple opportunities to contribute to the process, including at the beginning of the environmental review and when the NRC publishes the draft environmental impact statement. The NRC shares information provided by the applicant and holds public AND SUBSEQUENT meetings. The NRC fully and publicly documents the results of its technical and environmental reviews. In addition, the ACRS public meetings discuss technical or safety issues related to reactor designs or a particular plant or site.
NUREG/BR-0291, Rev. 3 April 2018 RENEWAL
REACTOR LICENSE RENEWAL & SUBSEQUENT RENEWAL The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (as amended) authorizes including NUREG-1800, Standard Review the NRC to issue 40-year initial licenses for commercial Plan for the Review of License Renewal power reactors. The Act also allows the NRC to renew Applications for Nuclear Power Plants, these licenses. Under the NRCs regulations, the agency and NUREG-1801, Generic Aging Lessons can renew reactor licenses for 20 years at a time. Congress Learned (GALL) Report.
set the original 40-year term for reactor licenses based on economic and antitrust issues, not on limitations of nuclear The figure, License Renewal Process, technology. However, some parts of a reactor may have shows how a license renewal application been engineered based on an expected 40-year service goes from review to NRC decision. The life. The NRC has established a license renewal process NRC staff first performs an acceptance to ensure that these parts are maintained and monitored review of the application (not depicted in during any additional period of extended operation. the figure) and then upon acceptance and Licensees may also choose to replace some of these parts docketing of the application, evaluates the and components. licensees plans for managing aging for structures and components in the scope Nuclear power plant owners typically seek license renewal of license renewal during the renewal based on a plants economic situation and on whether it can period (i.e., the period from 40 to 60 continue to meet NRC regulatory requirements during the years). The NRC will renew a license only if period of extended operation. it determines that a currently operating plant will continue to maintain reasonable assurance of The license renewal application (LRA) includes general safe operation during the renewal period.
information and technical information as required by Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 54, The NRC staff has also developed guidance and a standard Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses for review plan for subsequent license renewals that would Nuclear Power Plants. The applicant must also submit allow plants to operate for more than 60 years (i.e., following Environmental an environmental report as required by 10 CFR Part 51, the 40-year original license term plus the 20-year initial license An applicant must also provide the NRC with an evaluation Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic renewal term). These guidance documents include NUREG-2192, of the environmental impacts of extended operation.
Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions. The NRC Standard Review Plan for Review of Subsequent License Renewal The NRC uses NUREG-1437, Generic Environmental staff reviews a license renewal application on two tracks: Applications for Nuclear Power Plants, and NUREG-2191, Impact Statement (GEIS) for the License Renewal of (1) the safety review and (2) the environmental impact Volumes 1 and 2, Generic Aging Lessons Learned for Subsequent Nuclear Plants, to evaluate impacts common to all nuclear review. The license renewal process ensures that plants License Renewal (GALL-SLR) Report. As with the initial license power plants. In accordance with its responsibilities under can safely operate, with acceptable environmental impacts, renewal process, the NRC staff evaluates the licensees plans the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), the during the period of extended operation. The NRC has for managing aging for structures and components. However, in NRC staff prepares a supplemental environmental impact considerable experience with license renewals with the subsequent license renewal, the staff reviews for safe operation statement for each individual plant. The supplement first such renewal issued in 2000. To date, the NRC has from 60-to-80 years instead of 40-to-60 years. examines impacts unique to the plants site.
approved renewed licenses for approximately 90 percent of the currently operating reactors. More information is The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) conducts Using the Generic Environmental Impact Statement (also available on the NRCs Web site: https://www.nrc.gov/ an independent safety review of license renewal and subsequent called the GEIS) allows the applicant and the NRC staff reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications.html license renewal applications and NRC evaluations. The to concentrate on those environmental issues that have independently appointed committee provides a forum where potential plant-specific impacts. The NRC assesses the Safety experts representing many technical perspectives give advice effects of extended plant operation for the following areas:
An applicant must describe and justify the methods that it that the Commission considers in its decisionmaking. For the land use, visual resources, air quality, noise, geologic will use to manage the effects of aging for each structure remaining license renewals and for subsequent license renewals, environment, surface water, groundwater, terrestrial and component in the scope of license renewal. The the NRC staff intends to present their completed safety evaluation resources, aquatic resources, special status species and NRC provides guidance documents for license renewal to streamline the interactions with ACRS. habitat, historic and cultural resources, socioeconomics,