ML20135D069

Press Release 96-179, NRC Certifies Two Standardized Reactor Designs

ML20135D069
Person / Time
Issue date:	12/06/1996
From:	NRC OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (OPA)
To:
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PR-96-179, NUDOCS 9612090226
Download: ML20135D069 (1)

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i United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Public Affairs i Washington, DC 20555 i Phone 301-415-8200 Fax 301-415-2234 Internet:opa@nrc. gov

No.96-179 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Friday, December 6. 1996) i 4

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION CERTIFIES TWO 4

STANDARDIZED REACTOR DESIGNS 1 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved rules that will certify two evolutionary reactor designs, the ASEA Brown Boveri-Combustion Engineering i System 80+ and General Electric Nuclear Energy's Advanced Boiling Water i

Reactor.

In an affirmation vote today, the Commission apaproved with some changes proposed regulations submitted by the staff earlier t1is year. The NRC staff will now prepare rules which are expected to be published in the Federal j Register early next year.

l In the past, reactor designs were generally approved by the NRC's Office

of Nuclear Reactor Regulation as part of the licensing process for a specific

plant rather than by rulemaking. The new process gives industry an option to j seek approval by rulemaking for a generic reactor design.

Use of a standardized reactor design would permit a utility to apply for

! a combined license in place of the historical two-step process involving l separate proceedings at both the construction permit and operating license stages.

The Advanced Boiling Reactor and the System 80+ designs are for nuclear power facilities which would be ca)able of producing about 1300 megawatts of electricity, slightly more power tlan the largest reactors in use by industry today.

Designs for the two plants were received by the NRC in 1987 and NRC staff completed its technical review in 1994, issuing Final Design Approvals.

On April 7,1995. NRC aublished two proposed rules for certification of the U.S. Advanced Boiling dater Reactor and the System 80+ designs, and the environmental assessments for each design. NRC invited public comment on the proposed rules and environmental assessments. and provided an op)ortunity to request an informal hearing before an Atomic Safety & Licensing 3oard.

In addition NRC conducted a series of public meetings for the purpose I of clarifying the provisions of the rules and affording the public o]portunity for comments. The official comment period ended August 7,1995 and 1RC did not receive any requests for an informal hearing or comments on the environmental assessments.

9612090226 961206 PDR HG-96-179 PRESS R PDR fW 080029 olf  ;

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