Press Release-11-186, NRC to Hold Mandatory Hearing Regarding Summer New Reactor Application Oct. 12-13 in Rockville, MD

Press Release-11-186: NRC to Hold Mandatory Hearing Regarding Summer New Reactor Application Oct. 12-13 in Rockville, MD

ML11276A130
Person / Time
Site:	Summer
Issue date:	10/03/2011
From:	Office of Public Affairs
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Press Release-11-186
Download: ML11276A130 (2)

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NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov No.11-186 October 3, 2011 NRC TO HOLD MANDATORY HEARING REGARDING SUMMER NEW REACTOR APPLICATION OCT. 12-13 IN ROCKVILLE, MD The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct a mandatory hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 12, and Thursday, Oct. 13, on an application for Combined Licenses (COL) to build and operate two new reactors at the V.C. Summer site near Jenkinsville, S.C. The Summer application is the second to reach this final step in the Part 52 new reactor licensing process.

At this hearing, my colleagues and I will be carefully evaluating whether the NRC staffs safety and environmental reviews have been adequate to support the necessary regulatory findings, said NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko. The review of a new reactor license is a complex undertaking and a critical part of our regulatory and safety mission.

The Commissions hearing will include testimony and exhibits from the applicant, South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G), and NRC staff on the question of whether the staffs review has been adequate to support the findings necessary to issue a COL.

The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. on Oct. 12 in the Commission Hearing Room at NRC Headquarters, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md. The Commission expects to discuss the staffs Final Safety Evaluation Report (FSER) on the first day, with discussion of the staffs Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on Oct. 13. The hearing will be open to public observation and will be webcast. A detailed agenda and presentation slides will be available in advance on the Commissions meeting transcript page.

SCE&G is applying for permission to build and operate two AP1000 reactors at the Summer site, adjacent to the companys existing reactor approximately 26 miles northwest of Columbia, S.C. SCE&G submitted its COL application for Summer on March 27, 2008.

Westinghouse submitted an application to amend the already-certified AP1000, an 1,100-megawatt electric design, on May 26, 2007. More information on the AP1000 amendment review is available on the NRC website.

The NRCs Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) independently reviewed aspects of the application that concern safety, as well as an earlier version of the FSER. The ACRS provided the results of its review to the Commission in a report dated Feb. 17. The NRC completed its environmental review and issued the FEIS for the Summer COL on April 15. The NRC completed and issued the FSER on Aug. 18. Because the Summer COL application references the amended AP1000 design, the Commission must first make a decision on the AP1000 design certification rule before it can render a mandatory hearing decision on the COL.

The Commission held its first Part 52 mandatory hearing Sept. 27-28 on the application by Southern Nuclear Operating Company for COLs to build and operate two AP1000 reactors at the Vogtle site southeast of Augusta, Ga.

Media Notes: At this time, this event will be open for television; the agency reserves the right to seek a mandatory pool if demand exceeds available space. Seats on one side of the commission hearing room will be reserved for accredited members of the news media.

Photographers will have limited space at the meeting in which to take photos. Movement must be kept to a minimum so as not to be distracting and entry into the inner well closest to the Commission briefing table is prohibited.

Plan to arrive in advance of the meeting at the NRCs One White Flint North entrance, at the corner of Rockville Pike and Marinelli Road, with proper media credentials. The NRC is located across the street from the White Flint Metro station. Parking is available at the White Flint metro parking garage on Marinelli Road. Members of the media are asked to call the NRC Office of Public Affairs (301-415-8200) in advance to provide the names of those attending the meeting to assure sufficient seating.

NOTE: Anyone wishing to take photos or use a camera to record any portion of a NRC meeting should contact the Office of Public Affairs beforehand.

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