ML25205A005

Letter to TVA, Schedule and Resource Estimates for CP Application Review (Clinch River Nuclear Site, Unit 1)

ML25205A005
Person / Time
Site:	05000615, 99902056
Issue date:	07/25/2025
From:	Allen Fetter NRC/NRR/DNRL/NLIB
To:	Hunnewell S Tennessee Valley Authority
References
EPID L-2025-PMP-0006, EPID L-2025-LNE-0000, CAC 001912, EPID L-2025-CPS-0001, EPID L-2025-CPS-0001 [through 0017]
Download: ML25205A005 (3)

Text

July 25, 2025 Scott Hunnewell Vice President, New Nuclear Program Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402

SUBJECT:

CLINCH RIVER NUCLEAR SITE, UNIT 1, CONSTRUCTION PERMIT APPLICATION REVIEW SCHEDULE AND RESOURCE ESTIMATE (CAC/DOCKET/EPID(S): 001912/050-000615/L-2025-CPS-0001 [through 0017];

L-2025-PMP-0006; & L-2025-LNE-0000)

Dear Mr. Hunnewell:

This letter provides a summary of the review schedule and resource estimate for the detailed review of the Clinch River Nuclear Site (CRNS), Unit 1, construction permit (CP) application (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession Nos.

ML25118A209 and ML25140A062). By letter dated July 9, 2025, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff sent Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) a letter accepting the CRNS CP application for detailed review (ML25182A151). A notice of the acceptance for docketing was published in the Federal Register on July 15, 2025 (90 FR 31709). The tables below provide key milestones for both the safety review and the environmental review.

Safety Review Milestones Estimated Completion Dates Draft Safety Evaluation1 February 2026 Advance Safety Evaluation Report2 October 2026 Final Safety Evaluation Report November 2026 Notes:

1. Safety Evaluation sections drafted and information gaps identified.

2. Advanced Safety Evaluation Report without open items.

Environmental Review Milestones Estimated Completion Dates Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement December 2025 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement April 2026 The schedule reflects the NRC staffs best estimate of the level of effort needed for its review and the NRC staffs understanding of TVAs deployment timeline for CRNS Unit 1. The schedule was developed, in part, considering: (1) the complexity of the technical and regulatory issues associated with the design; (2) the completeness and quality of the application; (3) the effectiveness of pre-application, readiness review, and acceptance review engagements; and (4) the availability of the NRC staffs resources and prioritization with concurrent workload. This

schedule does not include the hearing process, which follows the completion of the safety evaluation and environmental review.

The schedule is also based, in part, on TVAs commitment to provide timely responses to requests for additional information. The applicant is also expected to provide support determined necessary by the NRC staff in a timely and organized manner during technical audits. To achieve this schedule, the NRC staff intends to engage TVA frequently during the application review to assess progress and address emerging technical issues. Delays in the NRC staffs receipt of necessary information could result in changes to the review schedule. In the event that potential delays arise in its support of the schedule, the NRC requests that TVA inform the NRC staff in writing, as early as possible.

Based on pre-application activities and the information provided in TVAs CNRS, Unit 1 CP application submittal, the NRC staff estimates that it will need approximately 25,000, staff hours and $1.4 million in contractor support to complete the safety and environmental reviews of the application. Hearing activities are not included in this resource estimate.

If you have any questions, please contact Allen Fetter at 301-415-8556 or via email at allen.fetter@nrc.gov; and Stacy Joseph at 301-415-3256 or via email at stacy.joseph@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Allen Fetter, Senior Project Manager New Reactor Licensing and Infrastructure Branch Division of New and Renewed Licenses Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Project No./Docket No.: 99902056/05000615 cc: GovDelivery

Letter: ML25205A005 via* email NRR-106 OFFICE DNRL/NLIB:PM DNRL/NLIB:LA REFS/EPMB:PM REFS/EPMB3 DNRL/NLIB:

(A) BC DNRL/NLIB:PM NAME AFetter SGreen*

MNagel*

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AFetter DATE 07/23/2025 07/24/2025 07/24/2025 07/24/2025 07/24/2025 07/25/2025