Press Release-I-10-036, NRC to Discuss Process for Review of License Renewal Application for Seabrook Nuclear Plant, Seek Input on Environmental Review

Press Release-I-10-036: NRC to Discuss Process for Review of License Renewal Application for Seabrook Nuclear Plant, Seek Input on Environmental Review

ML102160633
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	08/04/2010
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-10-036
Download: ML102160633 (2)

Text

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 No. I-10-036 August 4, 2010 Contact: Diane Screnci, 610/337-5330 Email: OPA1.RESOURCE@nrc.gov Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331 NRC TO DISCUSS PROCESS FOR REVIEW OF LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION FOR SEABROOK NUCLEAR PLANT, SEEKS ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW INPUT Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold two public meetings on Thursday, Aug.

19, in Hampton, N.H., to discuss the agencys review process for a license renewal application for the Seabrook nuclear power plant, which is located in Seabrook, N.H. 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 first meeting is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Galley Hatch Conference Center, at 815 Lafayette Road (Route 1) in Hampton. A second identical session is planned for the same location at 7 p.m. (Directions to the center are available at:

www.galleyhatchconferencecenter.com/directions.htm.)

An open house will be held for one hour before the start of each meeting to allow interested members of the public to talk informally with NRC staff on a one-on-one or small-group basis. However, formal comments on the license renewal application will only be accepted during the meetings.

Both meetings will begin with a brief staff presentation on the NRCs process for reviewing such applications. Audience members will then be able to comment on issues they believe the agency should consider as the review of the Seabrook application continues.

Comments on potential environmental impacts of the plants extended operation will be considered as the NRC staff develops an Environmental Impact Statement on the application as part of its review.

This is the first of several opportunities for residents of the Seabrook area to let us know what issues the NRC should evaluate as we review the potential environmental impacts of renewing the Seabrook operating license, said Bo Pham, a Branch Chief in the NRCs Division of License Renewal. Well consider all the comments and publish them in a scoping summary as we move forward with our review.

Seabrook is a pressurized-water reactor owned and operated by NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC. The company submitted a license renewal application for the plant to NRC on May 25, 2010. The facilitys current operating license is set to expire on March 15, 2030.

Under NRC regulations, the original operating license for a nuclear power plant has a term of 40 years. This license term was selected on the basis of economic and anti-trust considerations, not technical limitations. A plant license may be renewed for up to an additional 20 years, provided that NRC requirements are met.

Members of the public may register to present oral comments at the Aug. 19th meetings by contacting Jeremy Susco at 1-800-368-5642, ext. 2927, or by e-mail at Jeremy.susco@nrc.gov. Those who wish to offer comments 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. Those with special needs may contact Mr. Susco no later than Aug. 5th.

The application is available on the NRC web site at:

www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/seabrook.html. A copy is also available at the Seabrook Library, at 25 Liberty St. in Seabrook, and at the Amesbury Public Library, at 149 Main St. in Amesbury, Mass.

Written comments on issues to be considered during the NRCs review of the Seabrook application can be sent by Sept. 21 to: Chief, Rulemaking and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, Mail stop TWB 5B-01M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, or at the Federal rulemaking web site, at www.regulations.gov, by searching on Docket ID NRC-2010-0206.

Additional information on the license renewal process is available on the NRCs web site at: www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html.

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.