ML25209A023
| ML25209A023 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Peach Bottom  |
| Issue date: | 09/30/2025 |
| From: | Michele Sampson NRC/NRR/DNRL/NLRP |
| To: | Constellation Energy Generation |
| Shared Package | |
| ML25209A020 | List: |
| References | |
| EPID L-2024-SLE-0003 | |
| Download: ML25209A023 (1) | |
Text
RECORD OF DECISION DOCKET NUMBERS: 50-277 AND 50-278 SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION, AS SUPPLEMENTED, FOR PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 BACKGROUND By letter dated July 10, 2018, Exelon Generating Company, LLC (Exelon, the applicant) (now Constellation Energy Generation, LCC [CEG]) submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) an application requesting subsequent license renewal (SLR) of the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station (Peach Bottom), Units 2 and 3 renewed facility operating licenses (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)
Package Accession No. ML18193A689). Exelon submitted the application for itself and acting as agent for PSEG Nuclear, LLC (PSEG), the co-owner of Peach Bottom. The Peach Bottom, Unit 2 initial renewed facility operating license (DPR-44) was set to expire at midnight on August 8, 2033, and the Peach Bottom, Unit 3 initial renewed facility operating license (DPR-56) was set to expire at midnight on July 2, 2034. In its SLR application, Exelon requested subsequent renewed facility operating licenses for a period of 20 years beyond these expiration dates (i.e., August 8, 2053, and July 2, 2054, for Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3, respectively).
The NRCs environmental protection regulations in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 51, Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions, implement the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and require, in part, that the NRC prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) before the issuance or renewal of a license to operate a nuclear power plant. Pursuant to these regulations, the NRC staff performed an environmental review of the Peach Bottom SLR application as a supplement to NUREG-1437, Revision 1, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Final Report, dated June 2013 (Package ML13107A023) (the 2013 LR GEIS).
Specifically, in August 2019, the NRC staff issued a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS), titled Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 10, Second Renewal, Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3, Draft Report for Comment (Package ML19199A113). In January 2020, after considering public comments on the draft SEIS, the staff issued a final SEIS, titled Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 10, Second Renewal, Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3, Final Report (ML20023A937) (the 2020 FSEIS). The 2020 FSEIS concluded, in part, that the adverse environmental impacts of Peach Bottom SLR are not so great that preserving the option of SLR for energy-planning decisionmakers would be unreasonable. Based, in part, on that environmental review, on March 5, 2020, the NRC issued subsequent renewed licenses for Peach Bottom, with expiration dates
2 of August 8, 2053, for Peach Bottom, Unit 2 and July 2, 2054, for Peach Bottom, Unit 3 (ML20010F285).
On February 24, 2022, the Commission issued Commission Legal Issuance (CLI)-22-02, CLI-22-03, and CLI-22-04 that addressed the NRC staffs environmental reviews in SLR proceedings for five nuclear power plants, including Peach Bottom. In CLI-22-02, the Commission concluded that the 2013 LR GEIS, on which the NRC staff had relied, in part, to meet its obligations under 10 CFR Part 51 and NEPA for its environmental review of the SLR application for Peach Bottom, did not consider SLR (i.e., it only considered initial license renewal). Therefore, in CLI-22-03 and CLI-22-04, the Commission determined that the staffs environmental review of the Peach Bottom SLR application was incomplete. Accordingly, the Commission directed the staff to leave the Peach Bottom subsequent renewed facility operating licenses in place but to modify their expiration dates to reflect the expiration dates of the initial renewed facility operating licenses (i.e., August 8, 2033, and July 2, 2034, for Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3, respectively), which the staff did by letter dated March 25, 2022 (ML22073A207),
as corrected by letter dated April 8, 2022 (ML22096A298). The Commission affirmed this direction in CLI-22-07 (ML22154A217).
In CLI-22-03, the Commission further directed the NRC staff to update the 2013 LR GEIS so that it also covers the environmental impacts of nuclear power plant operation during the SLR period. The Commission stated that it believed the most efficient way to proceed would be for the staff to update the 2013 LR GEIS and then take appropriate action with respect to pending SLR applications, including the Peach Bottom SLR application, to ensure that the environmental impacts for the period of SLR are considered.
On August 6, 2024, the NRC published a final rule (89 FR 64166) revising its license renewal environmental review requirements at 10 CFR Part 51. The final rule was updated with a correction to Appendix B to Subpart A of 10 CFR Part 51 on August 21, 2024 (89 FR 67522).
The final rule updated the potential environmental impacts associated with the renewal of an operating license for a nuclear power plant for up to an additional 20 years, which could either be an initial license renewal or one term of SLR. As part of this update, the NRC updated the 2013 LR GEIS with NUREG-1437, Revision 2, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Final Report (Package ML24087A133) (the 2024 LR GEIS), to account for new information and to address the impacts of initial license renewal as well as one term of SLR. The 2024 LR GEIS provides the technical basis for the final rule.
The license renewal environmental review final rule became effective for the NRC staff on September 5, 2024. Thereafter, consistent with the Commissions direction in CLI-22-03 and CLI-22-04 to complete the Peach Bottom SLR environmental review, the staff initiated a supplemental environmental review of the Peach Bottom SLR application, which would consider the new and modified environmental issues in the final rule, as applicable, as well as any new and significant information since the 2020 FSEIS.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT On January 7, 2025, the NRC staff issued a notice of intent to prepare a supplement to the 2020 FSEIS in order to complete its evaluation of the environmental impacts of the SLR of Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-44 and DPR-56 for Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3, respectively (90 FR 1201). The staff initiated the preparation of the draft supplement in accordance with 10 CFR 51.92(a)(2) and 10 CFR 51.92(c), which address the preparation of a
3 supplement to a final EIS for proposed actions that have not been taken under the following conditions, respectively:
There are new and significant circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns and bearing on the proposed action or its impacts.
The NRC staff determines, in its opinion, that preparation of a supplement will further the purposes of NEPA.
The NRC staff assessed whether any significant new information since the 2020 FSEIS, including the 2024 final rule and the 2024 LR GEIS, warranted any modification to the NRC staff's previous recommendation that the adverse environmental impacts of Peach Bottom SLR are not so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy-planning decisionmakers would be unreasonable. In support of the development of the supplement, CEG submitted additional environmental information to the NRC by letter dated November 14, 2024 (ML24319A074). Together, the supplement and the 2020 FSEIS evaluate all of the environmental impacts of continued operation during the SLR term for Peach Bottom, Unit 2 from August 8, 2033, to August 8, 2053, and for Peach Bottom, Unit 3 from July 2, 2034, to July 2, 2054.
Upon completion of a supplemental environmental audit and review of CEGs 2024 additional information, the NRC staff compiled its findings in a draft supplement, titled Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 10, Second Renewal, Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station Units 2 and 3, Supplement 1, Draft Report for Comment (ML25111A147). The draft supplement was issued on May 21, 2025, and noticed in the Federal Register (FR) on May 30, 2025 (90 FR 23075). The staff made the draft supplement available for public comment through July 14, 2025. As directed by the Commission, the staff also provided an opportunity to request a hearing specifically with respect to new information in the draft supplement. One hearing request was received (ML25210A563). On September 17, 2025, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board issued a memorandum and order denying the hearing request and terminating the proceeding. Based on the information gathered during the public comment period and any other new information received, the staff amended the draft supplement, as necessary, and developed a final supplement.
In August 2025, the NRC staff issued its final supplement to the 2020 FSEIS, titled Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 10, Second Renewal, Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station Units 2 and 3, Supplement 1, Final Report (ML25191A237), which together with the 2020 FSEIS provides the staffs final evaluation of the environmental impacts of Peach Bottom SLR. The notice of issuance was published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2025 (ML25204A125; 90 FR 42278). On August 29, 2025, the EPA published a notice of availability of the final supplement (90 FR 42243).1 Appendix A.2 of the final supplement discusses the comments received during the draft supplement comment period. After consideration of those comments and its independent review, the staff recommended that the adverse environmental impacts of Peach Bottom SLR are not so great that preserving the option of SLR for energy-planning decisionmakers would be unreasonable. Because the Commission in CLI-22-04 1The EPA notice of availability established a 30-day review period (90 FR 42243), which expired on September 29, 2025.
4 directed that the Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3 subsequent renewed facility operating licenses be maintained with the expiration dates of the previous licenses until completion of the NEPA analysis, this recommendation supports restoring the expiration dates for the licenses from August 8, 2033, to August 8, 2053, and from July 2, 2034, to July 2, 2054, respectively. This recommendation is based on: (1) the LR GEIS; (2) information in the applicants environmental report, as supplemented, and other documents submitted by the applicant; (3) the staffs consultation with Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies; (4) the staffs independent environmental reviews in the 2020 FSEIS and the supplement to the 2020 FSEIS; and (5) the staffs consideration of public comments.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.102(b) and 51.103(a)(1)-(5), the NRC staff has prepared this Record of Decision (ROD) to accompany its Federal action on the Peach Bottom SLR application. This ROD incorporates by reference materials contained in the final supplement to the 2020 FSEIS, in accordance with 10 CFR 51.103(c).
The final supplement to the 2020 FSEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action of SLR for Peach Bottom. The NRC designates these environmental impacts as SMALL, MODERATE, or LARGE.
SMALL: Environmental effects are not detectable or are so minor that they will neither destabilize nor noticeably alter any important attribute of the resource. For the purpose of assessing radiological impacts, the Commission has concluded that those impacts that do not exceed permissible levels in the Commissions regulations are considered SMALL.
MODERATE: Environmental effects are sufficient to alter noticeably, but not to destabilize, important attributes of the resource.
LARGE: Environmental effects are clearly noticeable and are sufficient to destabilize important attributes of the resource.
The NRC staffs recommendation is that the adverse environmental impacts of Peach Bottom SLR (i.e., the continued operation of Peach Bottom for a period of 20 years beyond the expiration dates of the initial renewed licenses) are not so great that preserving the option of SLR for energy-planning decisionmakers would be unreasonable. The staff based this recommendation on the LR GEIS, the applicants environmental report, as supplemented, the staffs consultation with Federal, State, Tribal, and local government agencies, the staffs independent environmental review, which is documented in the 2020 FSEIS and the final supplement to the 2020 FSEIS, and the staffs consideration of public comments.
DECISION For the 2020 FSEIS, the proposed action was to determine whether to issue subsequent renewed licenses for Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3 for an additional 20 years of operation (i.e., from August 8, 2033, to August 8, 2053, and from July 2, 2034, to July 2, 2054, respectively). After issuing the 2020 FSEIS, the NRC issued subsequent renewed licenses for Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3 with the expiration dates of August 8, 2053, and July 2, 2054, respectively. In 2022, at the direction of the Commission, the NRC staff returned those expiration dates to August 8, 2033, and July 2, 2034, pending the revision of the LR GEIS and the supplementation of the 2020 FSEIS to reflect the revised LR GEIS.
5 Pursuant to the Commissions direction, after the issuance of the 2024 final rule and the 2024 LR GEIS, the NRC staff prepared a supplement, including a draft supplement for public comment and a final supplement, to the 2020 FSEIS in accordance with 10 CFR 51.92. In the supplement, the staff determined that new information since the 2020 FSEIS, including the 2024 final rule and the 2024 LR GEIS, did not warrant any modification to the staffs recommendation in the 2020 FSEIS. This supported the conclusion that the adverse environmental impacts of SLR for Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3 for an additional 20 years beyond the expiration dates of the initial renewed licenses (i.e., the restoration of the expiration dates in the subsequent renewed licenses to August 8, 2053, and to July 2, 2054, respectively) are not so great that preserving the option of SLR for energy-planning decisionmakers would be unreasonable.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 54.29, Standards for issuance of a renewed license, a renewed license may be issued if the Commission finds, in part, that any applicable requirements of Subpart A of 10 CFR Part 51 have been satisfied; pursuant to 10 CFR 51.102, this includes the completion of a ROD.
The NRC staff documented the results of its safety review of the Peach Bottom SLR application in Safety Evaluation Report Related to the Subsequent License Renewal of Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3, dated February 2020 (ML20044D902). The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards provided its independent review in accordance with 10 CFR 54.25, Report of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, and documented its findings recommending subsequent renewal in a letter to the Commission dated December 19, 2019 (ML19353D382). In CLI-22-07, the Commission stated that the Peach Bottom SLR safety review had not been disturbed and, therefore, no additional safety-related review is required to support this action.
This ROD and the final supplement to the 2020 FSEIS (ML25191A237), which is incorporated by reference herein and which supplements the 2020 FSEIS (ML20023A937) and its ROD (ML20024G429), document the NRCs final decision for the environmental review of the Peach Bottom SLR application, as supplemented, that the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3 are not so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy-planning decisionmakers would be unreasonable, in accordance with 10 CFR 51.103(a)(5). These documented findings support restoring the expiration dates for the Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3 subsequent renewed facility operating licenses DPR-44 and DPR-56 from August 8, 2033, to August 8, 2053, and from July 2, 2034, to July 2, 2054, respectively.
PURPOSE AND NEED The purpose and need for the proposed action is to provide an option that allows for power generation capability beyond the term of the current nuclear power plant operating licenses to meet future system generating needs. Such needs may be determined by energy-planning decisionmakers, such as State regulators, utility operators, and, where authorized, Federal agencies other than the NRC. This definition of purpose and need reflects the NRCs recognition that, unless there are findings in the NRCs safety review (required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended) or findings in the NRCs environmental analysis (required by NEPA) that would lead the NRC to reject an SLR application, the NRC does not have a role in energy-planning decisions as to whether a particular nuclear power plant should continue to operate. Ultimately, the appropriate energy-planning decisionmakers and CEG will decide whether Peach Bottom will continue to operate based on the need for power or other factors within the states jurisdiction or the purview of the owners.
6 NRC EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES In license renewal environmental reviews, the NRC considers the environmental consequences of the proposed action, the environmental consequences of the no-action alternative, and the environmental consequences of various alternatives to the proposed action, including for replacing the nuclear power plants generating capacity. Section 102(2)(C)(iii) of NEPA, as amended, specifies in part the consideration of a reasonable range of alternatives to the proposed agency action. In this case, the proposed action would authorize CEG to operate the plant for an additional period beyond the expiration dates of the current licenses. Chapters 2 and 4 of the 2020 FSEIS present the NRC staffs evaluation of the environmental impacts of the proposed action, which is updated by the final supplement to the 2020 FSEIS, as discussed below, and of alternatives to the proposed action, for which the staff did not identify in the supplement any significant new information that would change the impacts discussed in the 2020 FSEIS. The evaluation considered the environmental impacts of the proposed action and each alternative across the following impact areas: land use and visual resources, air quality and noise, geologic environment, water resources, terrestrial resources, aquatic resources, special status species and habitats (now Federally protected ecological resources), historic and cultural resources, socioeconomics, human health, and waste management.
As explained in the purpose and need for the proposed action, outside of its safety and environmental reviews, the NRC does not have a role in the energy-planning decisions as to whether a particular nuclear power plant should continue to operate. Should the expiration dates of Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3 subsequent renewed facility operating licenses not be restored from August 8, 2033, to August 8, 2053, and from July 2, 2034, to July 2, 2054, respectively, and the plant shuts down at the expiration of its current licenses, the appropriate energy-planning decisionmakers will decide how best to replace the nuclear power plants generating capacity. In evaluating alternatives to license renewal, the NRC staff considered energy technologies or options currently in commercial operation, as well as technologies not currently in commercial operation but likely to be commercially available by the time that the licenses for Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3 would expire.
For a replacement power alternative to be considered reasonable, it must be both commercially viable on a utility scale and operational before the reactors operating license expires or expected to become commercially viable on a utility scale and operational before the expiration of the reactors operating license. The current subsequent renewed facility operating licenses for Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3 expire on August 8, 2033, and July 2, 2034, respectively.
Therefore, to be considered in the alternatives evaluation, replacement power alternatives had to be available (i.e., constructed, permitted, and connected to the grid) by those dates. To determine whether replacement power alternatives were reasonable, or likely to be commercially suitable to replace Peach Bottom, the NRC staff reviewed energy-relevant statutes, regulations, and policies; the state of technologies; and information on energy outlook from sources such as the Energy Information Administration, other organizations within the U.S. Department of Energy, industry sources and publications, and information submitted by CEG in its environmental report, as supplemented.
Table 1 provides a summary (comparison) of environmental impacts of the proposed action and reasonable alternatives. As summarized in Table 1, each of the four reasonable replacement power alternatives have identified environmental impacts in at least six areas that are greater than the impacts from the proposed action of SLR (and one resource area, aquatic resources, that has less impacts). Based on its review, the NRC staff concludes that the environmentally preferred alternative is the proposed action of SLR.
7 Table 1 Summary of Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action and Reasonable Alternatives to the Proposed Action Impact Area (Resource)
Peach Bottom Subsequent License Renewal (Proposed Action)
No-Action Alternative New Nuclear (Small Modular Reactors)
Alternative Supercritical Pulverized Coal Alternative Natural Gas Combined-Cycle Alternative Combination Alternative (Natural Gas Combined-Cycle, Wind, Solar, and Purchased Power)
Land Use SMALL SMALL SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to LARGE Visual Resources SMALL SMALL MODERATE to LARGE MODERATE to LARGE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to LARGE Air Quality SMALL SMALL SMALL SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE Noise SMALL SMALL SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE Geologic Environment SMALL SMALL SMALL SMALL to MODERATE SMALL SMALL to MODERATE Surface Water Resources SMALL SMALL SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE Groundwater Resources SMALL SMALL SMALL SMALL to MODERATE SMALL SMALL Terrestrial Resources SMALL SMALL SMALL SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE Aquatic Resources SMALL to MODERATE(a)
SMALL SMALL SMALL SMALL SMALL to MODERATE Federally Protected Ecological Resources See Note(b)
See Note(c)
See Note(c)
See Note(c)
See Note(c)
See Note(c)
Historic and Cultural Resources See Note(d)
See Note(e)
See Note(f)
See Note(f)
See Note(f)
See Note(f)
Socioeconomics SMALL SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to LARGE Transportation SMALL SMALL SMALL to LARGE MODERATE to LARGE SMALL to MODERATE SMALL to LARGE Human Health SMALL(g)
SMALL(g)
SMALL(g)
SMALL(g)
SMALL(g)
SMALL(g)
8 Impact Area (Resource)
Peach Bottom Subsequent License Renewal (Proposed Action)
No-Action Alternative New Nuclear (Small Modular Reactors)
Alternative Supercritical Pulverized Coal Alternative Natural Gas Combined-Cycle Alternative Combination Alternative (Natural Gas Combined-Cycle, Wind, Solar, and Purchased Power)
Waste Management SMALL(h)
SMALL(h)
SMALL(h)
MODERATE SMALL SMALL to MODERATE Greenhouse Gas Emissions SMALL SMALL SMALL MODERATE to LARGE MODERATE MODERATE (a) Due to thermal impacts on the aquatic organisms in the Conowingo Pond, the impact of Peach Bottom SLR to aquatic resources would be SMALL to MODERATE.
(b) Peach Bottom SLR may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect, the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), Indiana bat (M. sodalis), tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), and monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concurred with these determinations in correspondence dated September 4, 2019 and November 22, 2024. The SLR would have no effect on any other Federally listed or proposed species or on designated or proposed critical habitat. The proposed SLR would have no adverse effects on designated essential fish habitat.
(c)
The types and magnitudes of adverse impacts to species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.-TN1010),
designated critical habitat, and essential fish habitat would depend on Peach Bottom shutdown activities, the proposed alternative site, and plant design and operation, as well as listed species and habitats present when the alternative is implemented. Therefore, the NRC staff cannot forecast a level of impact for this alternative.
(d) Based on (1) that no new ground disturbance, construction, or modifications are anticipated during the SLR period, (2) State historic preservation office input, and (3) Peach Bottom procedures, SLR would not adversely affect any known historic properties or historic and cultural resources.
(e) As a result of facility shutdown, land-disturbance activities or dismantlement are not anticipated as these would be conducted during decommissioning and, therefore, facility shutdown would have no immediate effect on historic properties.
(f)
The potential for impacts to historic and cultural resources from construction and operation of a replacement power alternative would vary greatly depending on the location of the site. The impacts on historic and cultural resources could range from will not adversely affect known historic and cultural resources to may adversely affect known historic and cultural resources.
(g) The effects of electromagnetic fields on human health associated with operating nuclear power and other electricity generating plants are uncertain.
(h) NUREG-2157, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel (ML14198A440), discusses the environmental impact of spent fuel storage for the timeframe beyond the licensed life for reactor operations.
9 MITIGATION MEASURES The NRC has taken all practicable measures within its jurisdiction to avoid or minimize environmental harm from the alternative selected, which is the proposed action of Peach Bottom SLR. The 2020 FSEIS, as supplemented by the final supplement to the 2020 FSEIS, concludes that Peach Bottom SLR operations would have SMALL environmental impacts for all resource categories except for aquatic resources. Due to thermal impacts on the aquatic organisms in the Conowingo Pond, the impact of Peach Bottom SLR operations to aquatic resources would be SMALL to MODERATE.
The NRC is not imposing any license conditions in connection with mitigation measures for the Peach Bottom SLR operations. However, Peach Bottom is subject to requirements including permits, authorizations, and regulatory orders imposed by other Federal, State, and local agencies governing facility operation including the operation of the cooling system. For example, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued to CEG imposes effluent limitations and monitoring requirements as well as best management practices to ensure that impacts to water quality and aquatic life are minimized. The NRC is not requiring any new environmental monitoring programs outside of what is required for the NPDES permit or otherwise required of the licensee under the NRCs regulations or by other Federal, State, or local agencies.
CONSIDERATION OF EMERGING INFORMATION AND COMMENTS ON THE FINAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE 2020 FSEIS Environmental Protection Agency Comments on the Final Supplement to the 2020 FSEIS By letter dated September 11, 2025 (ML25258A009), EPA Region 3 responded to the NRC on the Peach Bottom final supplement. EPA Region 3 acknowledged that the NRC staff had addressed their comments on the draft supplement and had no additional comments.
DETERMINATION Based on the LR GEIS, CEGs environmental report, as supplemented, and other documents submitted by the applicant, the NRC staffs consultation with Federal, State, Tribal, and local government agencies, the NRC staffs independent environmental review, which is documented in the 2020 FSEIS and the final supplement to the 2020 FSEIS, and the NRC staffs consideration of public comments, the NRC has determined that the standard for issuance of renewed licenses in 10 CFR 54.29(b) that any applicable requirements of Subpart A of 10 CFR Part 51 have been satisfied is met as are the requirements of Section 102 of NEPA. The NRC has determined that the adverse environmental impacts of Peach Bottom SLR are not so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy-planning decisionmakers would be unreasonable.
10 Dated at Rockville, MD, this 30th day of September, 2025.
APPROVED BY:
Michele Sampson, Director Division of New and Renewed Licenses Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Signed by Sampson, Michele on 09/30/25
- via eConcurrence NRR-106 OFFICE PM/ERLRB/REFS*
PM/NLRP/DNRL*
LA/NRLP/DNRL*
BC/ERLRB/REFS*
NAME KFolk JHammock KBratcher SKoenick DATE 08/01/2025 08/01/2025 08/06/2025 08/11/2025 OFFICE BC/NLRP/DNRL*
D/DNRL*
NAME LGibson (LBauer for)
JWachutka MSampson DATE 08/11/2025 09/19/2025