ML21144A282
| ML21144A282 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/26/2021 |
| From: | Margaret Doane NRC/EDO |
| To: | Mayock A Council on Environmental Quality |
| Mroz S | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML21134A098 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML21144A282 (2) | |
Text
Climate Action Plan in Response to EO 14008 Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad Purpose On January 27, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order (EO) 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Section 211 of the EO directs each agency to develop a Climate Action Plan to describe steps that the agency can take with regard to its facilities and operations to mitigate the effects of climate change. This document serves as the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions (NRCs) Climate Action Plan.
Responsibility The Director, Office of Administration, is designated at the NRCs Chief Sustainability Officer and is responsible for agency efforts related to sustainability, including compliance, as appropriate, with EO 14008.
NRCs Mission The NRCs mission is to license and regulate the Nations civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials, to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment. The NRCs regulatory activities, conducted under its independent regulatory mission, are outside the scope of section 211 of EO 14008.
As a part of its regulatory activities, the NRC conducts safety and environmental reviews to support its licensing decisions. Nuclear power plants and fuel cycle facilities are owned, managed, and operated by licensees. Climate impacts are considered in licensing decisions related to natural hazards for a facility (e.g., external flooding from various flood-causing mechanisms such as storm surge, local intense precipitation, and riverine and coastal flooding; low water conditions; extreme temperatures; and high winds) and are assessed as part of the NRCs safety review. The environmental review is focused on the impact that a facility has on the environment. In accordance with Commission direction, the NRC considers carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in its environmental reviews for major licensing actions under the National Environmental Policy Act.
NRC Facilities and Procurement The NRC is committed to reducing any detrimental effects that its own operations have on the environment. The NRC does not own or lease real property, nor does it manage public lands and waters. Each NRC facility is occupied via an Occupancy Agreement between the NRC and the General Services Administration (GSA). The NRC makes concerted efforts to limit energy consumption and its effect on the environment, in many cases over and above the standard GSA requirements. This is evidenced by: continual reduction of energy usage, equating to a 77% reduction in the NRCs green-house gas emissions (as compared to 2003); implementation of water conservation devices; installation and usage of more efficient LED lighting; and significant reductions in overall electrical usage through more efficient motors and motion detectors, more efficient chillers, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and overall building management systems. Additionally, the NRC includes environmentally preferable requirements in contracts for services such as landscaping and building operations and maintenance.
Enclosure
2 Conclusion The NRC is deeply committed to protecting people and the environment, and these goals are integral to our decision-making in our agency operations. The NRC continues to maintain awareness of the state of climate change science and to apply lessons to agency operations as appropriate and applicable.