Information collections contained in 10 CFR Part 51 for Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors Final Rule

FINAL RULE: GENERIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR LICENSING OF NEW NUCLEAR REACTORS The current submission is a request for a new clearance number, to be discontinued once the burden and associated information collections can be transferred into 3150-0021 (10 CFR Part 51). The final rule amends the regulations that govern the NRC's environmental reviews of new nuclear reactor applications under NEPA. The NRC's regulations in § 51.45, “Environmental report,” require each applicant to prepare and submit an environmental report which includes, among other things, a description of the proposed action, a statement of its purposes, a description of the environment affected, and a discussion of the environmental impacts of the proposed action and alternatives. The rulemaking codifies the generic findings of NUREG-2249, “Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors” (NR GEIS), which presents impact analyses for the environmental issues common to many new nuclear reactors that can be addressed generically, thereby eliminating the need to repeatedly reproduce the same analyses each time a licensing application is submitted. The rule reduces burden on an applicant based on potential simplifications in the environmental report that an applicant must submit to the NRC associated with a new nuclear reactor licensing application. The applicant’s environmental report must assess the environmental impacts of constructing and operating a new nuclear reactor and of alternatives that meet the purpose and need. The applicant is not required to assess the environmental impacts of NR GEIS Category 1 issues (i.e., issues for which a generic analysis is possible) if (1) the applicant has demonstrated that its project is bounded by the applicable nuclear power plant parameter envelope and site parameter envelope values and assumptions, and (2) the applicant has not identified any new and significant information that would change the conclusions in the NR GEIS. If a value or assumption is not met or bounded, then the applicant may be able to limit its analysis to just the impact of not meeting the value or assumption. Similarly, if the applicant identifies new and significant information that would change the conclusions in this NR GEIS, then the applicant may be able to limit its analysis to just the impact of the new and significant information.

The latest form for Information collections contained in 10 CFR Part 51 for Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors Final Rule expires 2029-04-30 and can be found here.