ML23214A153

Ltr to Muscogee Creek Nation, Notification of Issuance of the Feis for the Construction Permit for the Kairos Hermes Test Reactor in Oak Ridge, Tn

ML23214A153
Person / Time
Site:	Hermes File:Kairos Power icon.png
Issue date:	08/17/2023
From:	Christopher Regan NRC/NMSS/DREFS
To:	Hill D Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Shared Package
ML23214A153	List: ML23214A153
References
Download: ML23214A153 (3)

Text

D. Hill David Hill, Principal Chief Muscogee (Creek) Nation P.O. Box 580 Okmulgee, OK 74447

SUBJECT:

NOTIFICATION OF THE ISSUANCE OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOR THE KAIROS HERMES TEST REACTOR IN OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-7513)

Dear Principal Chief Hill:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the Kairos Power LLC (Kairos) construction permit (CP) application for the Hermes non-power test reactor. Kaiross application was submitted in two parts by letters dated September 29, 2021 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)

ML21272A375) and October 31, 2021 (ML21306A131). The FEIS, Environmental Impact Statement for a Construction Permit for the Kairos Hermes Test Reactor, Final Report, (NUREG-2263) is publicly available at ML23214A269. ADAMS is accessible from the NRC website at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. In addition, the FEIS can be found on the NRCs Website at: https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/non-power/new-facility-licensing/hermes-kairos.html.

The FEIS evaluates the impacts of building, operating, and decommissioning a non-power test reactor at a site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. A CP does not, however, authorize operation of the reactor. Should Kairos choose to proceed with its proposed project, they would need to apply for, and receive, a separate operating license from the NRC. This authorization would constitute a separate NRC undertaking and would require the NRC to conduct an environmental review of the operating license application.

By letter dated March 4, 2022, the NRC staff notified your office that, in accordance with 36 CFR 800.8(c), the staff is using the National Environmental Policy Act process to comply with its obligations under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended, in lieu of the procedures set forth in 36 CFR 800.3 through 800.6.

As discussed in Section 5.4 of the FEIS, the NRC staffs recommendation is that the CP should be issued once the NHPA Section 106 process is complete. This recommendation is based on:

(1) the environmental report submitted by the applicant, as revised; (2) the consideration of public comments; (3) consultation with Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies; and (4) the NRC staffs independent environmental review and assessment summarized in the final EIS.

A notice of availability of the FEIS is anticipated to be published by the NRC on or before August 22, 2023, in the Federal Register. A separate notice regarding the FEIS will be placed in the Federal Register through the filing process with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is anticipated to be published on August 25, 2023.

August 17, 2023

D. Hill 2

If you have any questions concerning the NRC staffs environmental review of this CP application, please contact Tamsen Dozier at (301) 415-2272 or via email at Tamsen.Dozier@nrc.gov, or Peyton Doub at (301) 415-6703 or via email at Peyton.Doub@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Christopher M. Regan, Director Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No.: 50-7513 cc: Turner Hunt, THPO Signed by Regan, Christopher on 08/17/23

ML23214A153 OFFICE PM:REFS LA:REFS BC:REFS NAME TDozier AWalker-Smith KErwin DATE 07/18/2023 07/18/2023 07/19/2023 OFFICE OCG:(NLO)

DivDir:REFS NAME MWright CRegan DATE 07/27/2023 08/17/2023