ML25182A123
| ML25182A123 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000615 |
| Issue date: | 07/16/2025 |
| From: | Rome M NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ETRB1 |
| To: | Loichinger J US Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Office of Federal Agency Programs |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-LNE-0000 | |
| Download: ML25182A123 (1) | |
Text
Jaime Loichinger, Director Office of Federal Agency Programs Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 401 F Street NW, Suite 308 Washington, DC 20001-2637
SUBJECT:
NOTIFICATION OF SECTION 106 CONSULTATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF THE CONSTRUCTION PERMIT APPLICATION FOR THE CLINCH RIVER NUCLEAR SITE IN ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE (EPID NUMBER: L-2025-LNE-0000) (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-615)
Dear Jaime Loichinger:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is reviewing an application submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) requesting a construction permit (CP) to construct a GE Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor at the Clinch River Nuclear (CRN) Site, in Roane County, Tennessee. The application was submitted pursuant to Section 103 of the Atomic Energy Act and Part 50 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities. In accordance with 10 CFR Part 51, Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions, TVA submitted an environmental report. To operate the proposed small modular reactor, TVA would need to request and receive an operating license from the NRC. The purpose of this letter is to notify your office about the NRCs environmental review activities.
The application is available through the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/adams.html under Accession No. ML25140A062. The environmental report is listed under ADAMS Accession No. ML25118A209. You may also find general information concerning the CP review via the following link: https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced/who-were-working-with/applicant-projects/clinch-river.html.
As part of the review, the NRC is preparing a supplement to its 2019 environmental impact statement (EIS) the NUREG-2226, Environmental Impact Statement for an Early Site Permit (ESP) at the Clinch River Nuclear Site: Final Report, (ADAMS Package No. ML19087A266).
Additionally in 2024, the NRC issued an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact for an exemption request from TVA to conduct certain excavation support activities at the July 16, 2025
J. Loichinger 2
CRN Site prior to the issuance of a construction permit (ML24312A321). The NRC is preparing this supplement to the ESP EIS in support of the review of the CP application, as required by 10 CFR 51.92(b). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Nashville District, has been invited to participate as a cooperating agency on the environmental review (ML25174A015).
The U.S. Department of Energy may also be invited to participate as a cooperating agency during the environmental review. Once a cooperating agency status is established for the project, the NRC will notify your office. The NRC will be the lead Federal agency under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) and for NHPA Section 106 consultation.
In accordance with 36 CFR Section 800.8(c), the NRC intends to comply with Section 106 through the NEPA process, in lieu of the procedures set forth in 36 CFR 800.3 through 800.6.
The draft supplement will include the identification of historic and cultural resources and historic properties, an analysis of potential effects of the proposed agency action, including potential effects on historic and cultural resources and historic properties as well as the NRC staffs preliminary environmental effects determination.
The CRN Site is located in Roane County, approximately 25 miles west-southwest of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, on the Clinch River. The NRC has defined the area of potential effects as the CRN Site and its immediate environs which may be directly or indirectly impacted by land-disturbing and building activities associated with the construction of the small modular reactor (see Enclosure 1).
As a Federal agency, TVA conducts NEPA and the NHPA reviews independent of the NRC and the USACE. In its environmental report TVA described its Section 106 compliance activities with the Tennessee State Historic Preservation Office and Federally recognized Tribes. The NRC will review this information during the environmental and NHPA Section 106 process.
Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8(c)(1)(iii), the NRC invites you to submit any comments or concerns that you may have on the environmental review and NRCs NHPA Section 106 consultation by August 18, 2025. The NRC plans to issue the draft supplement for consulting party and public review and comment by December 2025. A copy of the draft supplement will also be made available for your review and comment.
J. Loichinger 3
If you have any questions concerning the NRCs Section 106 consultation or the environmental review, please contact Jennifer Davis, Staff Archaeologist, by phone at 301-415-3835 or via email at Jennifer.Davis@nrc.gov, or the Environmental Project Manager, Madelyn Nagel, by phone at 301-415-0371 or via email at Madelyn.Nagel@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Michelle M. Rome, Chief Environmental Technical Review Branch 1 Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 50-615
Enclosure:
As stated cc: Listserv Bill Marzella, Program Analyst bmarzella@achp.gov Rikhoff, Jeffrey signing on behalf of Rome, Michelle on 07/16/25
J. Loichinger 4
SUBJECT:
NOTIFICATION OF SECTION 106 CONSULTATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF THE CONSTRUCTION PERMIT APPLICATION FOR THE CLINCH RIVER NUCLEAR SITE IN ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE (EPID NUMBER: L-2025-LNE-0000) (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-615)
DATED:
DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC MNagel, NMSS DBarnhurst, NMSS JZimmerman, NMSS KMorgan-Butler, NMSS AFetter, NRR JGlisan, NRR IBanks, NRR MHayes, NRR MWright, OGC KWilson SBurnell, HQ/OPA DGasperson, RII/OPA JPelchat, RII/RSLO KHenry, RII/RSLO KLeigh, PNNL (Kimberly.Leigh@pnnl.gov)
RPrasad, PNNL (Rajiv.Prasad@pnnl.gov)
CConrad, PNNL (cyler.n.conrad@pnnl.gov)
JFrost, USACE (joshua.w.frost@usace.army.mil)
CBeverly, USACE (cara.c.beverly@usace.army.mil)
TDotson, USACE (Timothy.S.Dodson@usace.army.mil)
BMcDermott, TVA (bmcdermott@tva.gov)
RShiele, TVA (rjschiele@tva.gov)
ADAMS Package Accession No: ML25182A102 (Package)
- via Email OFFICE PM:REFS/ETR1 LA:REFS/EPM2 PM:REFS/EPM3 BC:REFS/EPM3 OGC NAME JDavis AWalker-Smith MNagel DBarnhurst KWilson DATE 07/01/2025 07/01/2025 07/02/2025 07/03/2025 07/10/2025 OFFICE BC:REFS/ETRB1 NAME JRikhoff DATE 07/16/2025 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY July 16, 2025