ML21279A119

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August 25, 2021, Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 Subsequent License Renewal Application Public Environmental Scoping Meeting Summary
ML21279A119
Person / Time
Site: Oconee  Duke Energy icon.png
Issue date: 08/25/2021
From: Lance Rakovan
NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ELRB
To:
Rakovan L,NMSS/REFS/ELRB
Shared Package
ML21278A670 List:
References
20211035
Download: ML21279A119 (6)


Text

Enclosure 1 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Public Meeting Summary

Title:

Environmental Scoping Meeting Related to the Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2 and 3, Subsequent License Renewal Application Meeting Identifier: 20211035 Date of Meetings: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 Location: Webinar Type of Meeting: Comment-Gathering Meeting Purpose of the Meeting(s):

To gather information necessary to prepare an environmental impact statement to evaluate the environmental impacts for the subsequent license renewal of the operating licenses for Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2 and 3. The NRC is seeking public input on this action.

General Details:

The NRC held a public scoping meeting as part of the Oconee Nuclear Station Subsequent License Renewal environmental review. The meeting started at 2:00 p.m. ET and ended at approximately 2:43 p.m. ET. The meeting began with a review of meeting ground rules and an introduction of the NRC staff, followed by a presentation by the NRC staff on the license renewal safety review process and the license renewal environmental review process. The presentations emphasized that comments were welcome to help focus the environmental review. There was an opportunity for attendees to ask questions about the NRC staffs presentation followed by an opportunity for members of the public to provide oral comments on the scope of the environmental review to be conducted.

Approximately 75 people (this number includes the NRC staff) attended the meeting. The participants included members of the NRC staff and the public, as well as representatives of Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, state and local government officials, members of public advocacy organizations, and the news media.

Summary of Presentation:

The NRC staff reviewed the Principles of License Renewal Safety Reviews, which have not changed with the transition from initial license renewal (40 to 60 years) to subsequent license renewal (60 to 80 years).

The regulatory process adequately ensures the plants current licensing basis provides and maintains an acceptable level of safety.

Each plants current licensing basis is required to be maintained during the renewal term in the same manner and to the same extent as during the original license term.

Therefore, the focus of the safety review is to identify aging effects that could impair the ability of systems, structures, and components within the scope of license renewal to perform their intended functions, and to demonstrate that these aging effects will be adequately managed during the period of extended operation. The NRC staff stressed that this focus has not changed with the transition from initial license renewal to subsequent license renewal. A single, complete Safety Evaluation Report will be issued prior to the NRC staff meeting with the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee on Plant License Renewal.

Regarding the environmental review, the NRC staff explained that it conducts the environmental review in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). NEPA requires federal agencies to follow a systematic approach in evaluating the potential impacts from the proposed action and alternatives to the proposed action. The environmental review begins with the scoping process. Scoping is the process by which the NRC staff identifies the specific impacts and significant issues to be considered within the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and public participation is an important aspect of scoping. The NRC staff considers all scoping comments provided during the public meeting, as well as written comments received during the scoping period in preparing the draft EIS. At the conclusion of the scoping process, NRC will prepare and issue an Environmental Scoping Summary Report that describes comments received during the scoping period and includes significant issues identified as a result of the scoping process.

The NRC staff further explained that it also conducts an independent assessment, including an environmental site audit and documents its findings within the draft EIS. The draft EIS will be issued for public comment and the staff will consider these comments in preparing the final EIS. In conducting our environmental review, the NRC staff will be coordinating with other Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as, tribal leaders to ensure that local technical resource specialists are involved in the review. Within the EIS, the NRC evaluates impacts from the proposed license renewal for a wide range of environmental resources, such as air quality, human health, wetlands, and threatened and endangered species.

Ultimately, the purpose of the environmental review is to determine whether or not the environmental impacts of license renewal could be so great that preserving the option of license renewal for decision makers would become unreasonable.

The staff informed the attendees that the EIS will be considered in conjunction with the NRC staff's safety review in recommending to the Commission whether to renew the Oconee Nuclear Station operating license.

The staff ended the meeting by stressing that the closing date for submitting scoping comments is September 9, 2021. In addition to providing comments at the meeting, comments can be: (1) mailed to Office of Administration Mailstop TWFN7A60M, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; (2) submitted online using the Federal Rulemaking website at regulations.gov (Docket ID: NRC-2020-0146); or (3) submitted electronically by email to OconeeEnvironmental@nrc.gov.

Public Participation Themes:

Four speakers provided remarks which primarily expressed support for the continued operation of the plant and the positives that the plant provides.

A complete accounting of the comments provided can be found in the meeting transcript which is available in the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) public electronic reading room under the accession numbers listed below, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.

Action Items/Next Steps:

The NRC staff will address any comments received during the scoping period as part of the license renewal review for Oconee Nuclear Station. The NRC staff will develop and publish a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to NUREG-1437, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, which will be distributed for public comment. The NRC staffs responses to the comments received during the scoping period and received on the draft SEIS will be included in Appendix A of the SEIS. Concurrently, the NRC staff will also be preparing a safety evaluation report which documents the staffs independent safety evaluation.

Attachments:

List of Attendees

Meeting description and agenda - ML21221A217

NRC staff presentation -ML21235A045

Meeting transcript - ML21279A103 List of Attendees August 25, 2021 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Environmental Scoping Meeting Related to the Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2 and 3, Subsequent License Renewal Application NAME AFFILIATION Angela Wu Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Beth Alferink NRC Briana Arlene NRC Caroline Hsu NRC Dave Gasperson NRC Donald Palmrose NRC Hector Rodriguez NRC Jared Nadel NRC Jerry Dozier NRC John Pelchat NRC Kevin Coyne NRC Kevin Folk NRC Lance Rakovan NRC Lauren Gibson NRC Lifeng Guo NRC Lynnea Wilkins NRC Marieliz Johnson NRC Nancy Martinez NRC Phyllis Clark NRC Robert Elliot NRC Robert Hoffman NRC Scott Burnell NRC Tam Tram NRC Alan Stewart Duke Energy Albert Spear Duke Energy Amanda Breland Duke Energy Anne Pifer Duke Energy Arun Kapur Duke Energy Brett Garrison Duke Energy Casey Muggleston Duke Energy Chase Fulk Duke Energy Christopher Seville Duke Energy Daniel Roberts Duke Energy David Lee Duke Energy David Morris Duke Energy David Peltola Duke Energy David Wilson Duke Energy Ed Asbury Duke Energy Elizabeth Glen Duke Energy Ellen Morton Duke Energy Emily DeRoberts Duke Energy Erik Wagner Duke Energy Gerhard Wald Duke Energy Greg Robison Duke Energy Heather Galloway Duke Energy Joe Terrell Duke Energy Mark Hager Duke Energy Lori Hekking Duke Energy Marsha Kinley Duke Energy Matthew Hanche Duke Energy Maverick Raber Duke Energy Michael Smallwood Duke Energy Michelle Spak Duke Energy Mikayla Kueuzberger Duke Energy Mike Ruhe Duke Energy Nicholas Wahl Duke Energy Paul Guill Duke Energy Renee Gamble Duke Energy Rita Sipe Duke Energy Rounette Nader Duke Energy Scott Andresen Duke Energy Scott Fletcher Duke Energy Sheila Dalton Duke Energy Stantson Lanham Duke Energy Steven Capps Duke Energy Steven Graham Duke Energy Steven Snider Duke Energy Tony Garland Duke Energy Tracey Leroy Duke Energy Albert Yeh Court Reporter Brett Titus Nuclear Energy Institute Darryl Broome Oconee Chamber of Commerce Dick Mangrum WGOG Radio Kenneth Harding Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant Lloyd Generette Environmental Protection Agency Paul Bessette Morgan Lewis Rachel Turney-Works Enercon Richard Orthen Next Era Energy Robert Guild Sierra Club Sarita Acker Clemson University Thomas Alexander South Carolina State Senator District 1 Thomas Slavonic Enercon