ML091620576

Summary of Changes to Rg 4.2, Supplement 1 (DG-4015)

ML091620576
Person / Time
Issue date:	07/15/2009
From:	NRC/RES/DE
To:
O'Donnell, Edward, RES/RGB
Shared Package
ML091620192	List: ML091620409 ML091620576
References
DG-4015 RG-4.002, S1
Download: ML091620576 (3)

Text

July 15, 2009 Summary of Changes in RG 4.2 S1 [DG-4015]

(a) major editorial changes, including the arrangement of contents; RG 4.2, S1 was reorganized to conform with 10 CFR 51, Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 51-Format for Presentation of Material in Environmental Impact Statements.

(b) minor editorial changes/clarifications, updating references, etc.;

RG 4.2, S1, R1 was updated in keeping with the 10-year review of the Rule. This draft RG reflects the changes to the rule and is supported by the technical basis (GEIS) for the 10-year update of Appendix B to Subpart A of Part 51-Environmental Effect of Renewing the Operating License of a Nuclear Power Plant in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51.

(c) change of scope, if any, and the reasons, e.g., rule change; The overall scope of RG 4.2, S1, R1 has not changed.

(d) any deletion of existing regulatory position, including the bases;

None. (e) any addition of existing regulatory position, including the bases; No (f) any modification to existing regulatory position, including the bases;

No (g) changes in scope and/or regulatory position due to codes and standards changes, including exceptions, as applicable;

None. (h) changes due to operational experience data, or advances in the technology (instrumentation, software, model, calculation, technical understanding of the phenomenon, etc.) leading to safety improvements, as applicable;

Not applicable.

(i) either the resolution of previously unresolved (including generic) safety issue or the emergence of any new unresolved (including generic) safety issue; Not applicable.

July 15, 2009 (j) reconciliation with potentially inconsistent staff positions in different guidance documents; None (k) any other issue (open depending on the situation/context, such as, but not limited to, Commission direction, Orders, post 9/11 security/safeguards issues, fitness-for-duty (inattentive guards); and, None. (l) Other

Regulatory Guide 4.2, Supplement 1, Revision 1, differs from typical regulatory guides issued by the Office of Research. The structure of this regulatory guide is predicated upon the NRC's environmental protection regulations at 10 CFR Part 51.

The NRC is proposing to amend Title 10, Part 51, "Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions," of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 51) by updating Table B-1 in Appendix B to Subpart A of "Summary of Findings on NEPA Issues for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants," and other related provisions in Part 51 (e.g., § 51.53(c)(3)), which describes the requirements for the license renewal applicant's environmental report. Table B-1 in Appendix B to Part 51 summarizes the findings of the analyses conducted for the 1996 Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, NUREG-1437 (GEIS).

As stated in the 1996 final rule that incorporated the findings of the GEIS in Part 51, the NRC recognized that the assessment of the environmental impact issues might change over time, and that additional issues may be identified for consideration. This proposed rule is the result of the 10-year review conducted by the NRC on the information and findings currently presented in Table B-1 of Appendix B to Part 51.

The GEIS revision evaluates the environmental issues and findings of the 1996 GEIS. Lessons learned and knowledge gained during previous license renewal reviews provided a significant source of new information for this assessment. Public comments on previous plant-specific license renewal reviews were analyzed to assess the existing environmental issues and identify new ones. The purpose of this evaluation was to determine if the findings presented in the 1996 GEIS remain valid. In doing so, the NRC considered the need to modify, add to, or delete any of the 92 environmental issues in the 1996 GEIS. After this evaluation, the staff carried forward 78 impact issues for detailed consideration in this GEIS revision. Fifty-eight of these issues were determined to be Category 1 and would not require additional plant-specific analysis. Of the remaining twenty issues, nineteen were determined to be Category 2 and one remained uncategorized. No environmental issues identified in Table B-1 and in the 1996 GEIS were eliminated, but several were combined or regrouped according to similarities.

The structure of the revised GEIS and associated guidance documents (Regulatory Guide and Environmental Standard Review Plan) adopts the NRC's standard format for EISs as established in Part 51, Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 51-"Format for Presentation of Material in Environmental Impact Statements." The environmental impacts of license renewal activities, July 15, 2009 including plant operations and refurbishment along with replacement power alternatives, are addressed in each resource area.