ML25127A028
| ML25127A028 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 99902140 |
| Issue date: | 04/30/2025 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML25127A028 (1) | |
Text
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Environmental Center of Expertise April 2025 John Moses, Deputy Director Mary Richmond, Environmental Project Manager
Purpose of Todays Meeting
- The NRC and its Mission
- Overview of the Environmental Center of Expertise
- The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- The NRCs Environmental Review Process
- Streamlining and Efficiencies 2
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
OUR UPDATED MISSION:
The NRC protects public health and safety and advances the nations common defense and security by enabling the safe and secure use and deployment of civilian nuclear energy technologies and radioactive materials through efficient and reliable licensing, oversight, and regulation for the benefit of society and the environment.
OUR WORK INCLUDES:
- Determining whether it is safe to build and operate a proposed nuclear plant at a site
- Evaluating the environmental impacts of building and operating a nuclear power plant at the proposed site 3
Independent federal agency with 50 years of experience regulating civilian use of nuclear materials, including power and non-power reactors, and is comprised of up to five commissioners and a team of professional staff.
The Environmental Center of Expertise 4
The ECOE performs environmental reviews of agency licensing actions required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other statutes to support NRCs new, advanced, and operating reactors; non-power utilization facilities; and nuclear materials, including production of nuclear fuel used in commercial nuclear reactors.
Established in 2019 to combine all environmental review resources under one roof with a staff of only ~45 the ECOE provides a service to all 7 business lines.
Since July 2023 ECOE staff have completed the highest number of environmental reviews in more than 20 years over a short time period: ~55 environmental reviews that resulted in EAs or EISs.
What is NEPA 5
- Signed into law on January 1, 1970.
- Requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions.
- The NEPA process does require staff to take a hard look (subjectively) at 25 environmental resource areas
- Types of NEPA Environmental Review Documents
- Public Participation
NRCs Environmental Review Process 6
7 Resource Areas Analyzed in NRCs NEPA Reviews*
NRC NEPA Review Process:
Describe the affected environment (baseline conditions) for each resource area.
Determine the consequences of construction and operation on resource areas (impact level).
Analyze cumulative impacts from past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future actions.
- Typical resources analyzed in NEPA reviews
Streamlining the Environmental Review Process Fiscal Responsibility Act/ADVANCE Act Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA):
Signed into law on June 3, 2023. Some specific FRA-driven NEPA changes:
Mandatory deadlines and page limits for EAs and EISs.
Requirements regarding roles of lead, participating, and cooperating agencies.
Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024 (ADVANCE Act):
Signed into law in July 2024. Requires the NRC to take actions, including:
Submit to Congress in January 2025 a report on efforts to facilitate efficient, timely, and predictable environmental reviews of applications.
Assess licensing review process for new nuclear facilities at former fossil-fuel power plant sites and brownfield sites.
Develop strategies and guidance for microreactors.
8 Streamlining and Efficiencies
Streamlining the Environmental Review Process-Ongoing Efforts and Results The environmental review program over 20 discrete process efficiencies currently underway to streamline every aspect of the program to be more efficient timely and predictable.
9 Environmental review timeliness is on par with safety reviews. In only a few instances, has the environmental review timeframe exceeded the safety review.
The NRC has met or been lower than FRA page count and timeliness requirements for every environmental review since passing of the legislation in 2023.
Implementation of the New Reactor Generic Environmental Impact Statement and other review efficiencies, could achieve cuts by more than 60% over historical averages.
Risk-informed Approach to Streamline Consultations and Strengthening Tribal Engagement 10
For More Information:
Visit the Environmental Center of Expertise website:
https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/licensing/ecoe.html or:
Thank you