Press Release-I-07-058, - NRC to Discuss Process for Review of License Renewal Application for Beaver Valley Nuclear Plant, Seek Environmental Input

Press Release-I-07-058 - NRC to Discuss Process for Review of License Renewal Application for Beaver Valley Nuclear Plant, Seek Environmental Input

ML073120267
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley
Issue date:	11/08/2007
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
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Category:Press Release
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Press Release-I-07-058
Download: ML073120267 (2)

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No. I-07-058 Contact: Diane Screnci, 610/337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331 November 8, 2007 NRC TO DISCUSS PROCESS FOR REVIEW OF LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION FOR BEAVER VALLEY NUCLEAR PLANT, SEEK ENVIRONMENTAL INPUT Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will conduct two public meetings on Tuesday, Nov. 27, to discuss the agency's review process for the license renewal application for the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant, located in Shippingport (Beaver County), Pa. The sessions will also provide an opportunity for members of the public to comment on environmental issues they believe the NRC should consider during its review of the application, which requests an additional 20 years of operation.

The meetings, which will be transcribed, will take place at the Embassy Suites Pittsburgh-International Airport, at 550 Cherrington Parkway in Pittsburgh. The first session will run from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The second session, which will follow the same format as the first meeting, will get under way at 7 p.m. and continue until 10 p.m. The NRC will also host an "open house" beginning 1 hour1.157407e-5 days <br />2.777778e-4 hours <br />1.653439e-6 weeks <br />3.805e-7 months <br /> before the start of each meeting to provide interested citizens with an opportunity to talk informally with agency staff. However, formal comments must be expressed during the transcribed meetings.

Both sessions will start with an NRC presentation on the overall license renewal review process, which includes safety and environmental assessments. Following the presentations, audience members can ask questions and offer comments on environmental issues they consider worthy of evaluation as the agency reviews the Beaver Valley application. Additional information on the license renewal process is available on the NRC's web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html .

"We look forward to this opportunity to explain our review process and to receive the public's input on environmental issues relating to the Beaver Valley license renewal application," said Rani Franovich, a Branch Chief in the NRC's Division of License Renewal. "This will be the first of several opportunities for the public to weigh in on the proposal."

Under NRC regulations, the original operating license for a nuclear power plant has a term of 40 years. The license may be renewed for up to an additional 20 years if NRC NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov Site: http://www.nrc.gov

requirements are met. The current operating licenses for Beaver Valley Units 1 and 2 expire, respectively, on Jan. 29, 2016, and May 27, 2027. The plant is owned and operated by FirstEnergy.

The company's license renewal application for Beaver Valley was received by the NRC on Aug. 28, 2027. As part of the application, the company submitted an environmental report, which is posted on the NRC's web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/bvalley.html . It is also available for review at the NRC's Public Document Room in Rockville, Md., which can be reached by phone at 1-800-397-4209 or by e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov , and at the following public libraries: Beaver Area Memorial Library, 100 College Ave., Beaver, Pa.; and the Beaver County Library System, 1 Campus Drive, Monaca, Pa.

An existing NRC document, "Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants" (NUREG-1437), assesses the scope and impact of environmental effects that would be associated with license renewal at any nuclear power plant site. The document for which the NRC will gather information at the Nov. 27 th meetings will be a supplement to that generic environmental statement that is specific to Beaver Valley. It will contain a recommendation regarding the environmental acceptability of the license renewal

action.

At the conclusion of the information-gathering process, the NRC staff will prepare a summary of the conclusions and significant issues. A copy will be sent to each person who participated in the "scoping" process. The summary will also be made available on the NRC's web site through the Public Electronic Reading Room at: www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html and at the previously listed libraries. Help in accessing documents through the Reading Room is available by contacting the Public Document Room.

The NRC staff will subsequently prepare a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) supplement for public comment and will hold public meetings at a future date to solicit comments. After consideration of comments on the draft report, the NRC will prepare a final EIS

supplement.

Interested individuals may register to attend or present oral comments at the Nov. 27 th meetings by contacting Project Manager Kent Howard at 1-800-368-5642, ext. 2989, or by e-mail to BeaverValleyEIS@nrc.gov no later than Nov. 15, 2007. Those who wish to comment may also register at the meetings within 15 minutes of the start of each session. Individual oral comments may be limited by the time available, depending on the number of persons who register.

1. 1. 1. News releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html . The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.