Environmental assessment for final rule on nuclear power plant license renewal
The Atomic Energy Act and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations provide for the renewal of nuclear power plant operating licenses beyond their initial 40-year term. The Act and NRC regulations, however, do not specify the procedures, criteria, and standards that must be satisfied in order to renew a license. The NRC is promulgating a rule (10 CFR Part 54) to codify such requirements prior to the receipt of applications for license renewal. The NRC has assessed the possible environmental effects of promulgating requirements in 10 CFR Part 54 now rather than employing such requirements in an ad hoc manner in individual licensing actions. The final part 54 rule requires the development of information and analyses to identify aging problems of systems, structures, and components unique to license renewal that will be of concern during the period of extended operation and will not be controlled by existing effective programs. In general, licensee activities for license renewal may involve replacement, refurbishment, inspection, testing, or monitoring. Such actions will be generally be within the range of similar actions taken for plants during the initial operating term. These actions would be primarily confined within the plants with potential for only minor disruption to the environment. It is unlikely that these actions would change the operating conditions of plants in ways that would change the environmental effects already being experienced. Relicensing under existing regulations would also be primarily focused on aging degradation and would likely result in requirements similar to those that will result from relicensing under the final rule.
- Research Organization:
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Safety Issue Resolution
- Sponsoring Organization:
- NRC; Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5906460
- Report Number(s):
- NUREG-1398; ON: TI92004275
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
210700* -- Nuclear Power Plants-- Regulation & Licensing
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
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ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
ATOMIC ENERGY ACT
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DOCUMENT TYPES
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