NRC MEETING SEPTEMBER 11 IN RAINSVILLE, ALA., TO DISCUSS
REVIEW PROCESS FOR EXPECTED NEW REACTOR APPLICATION
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Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will conduct a public meeting in Rainsville, Ala., on Tuesday, Sept. 11, to discuss how the agency will review an expected Combined License (COL) application for new reactors at the Bellefonte site near Scottsboro. The prospective applicant, Tennessee Valley Authority, has told the NRC it intends to apply later this year for a license to build and operate two AP1000 reactors at Bellefonte.

“The NRC’s reviews of this application and the others we’re expecting before the end of this year could certainly affect nearby communities,” said William Borchardt, Director of the NRC’s Office of New Reactors. “This meeting will be one of several where the NRC will work with residents to help them understand and participate in this process, because we value the information they can provide.”

The meeting will be held in the Tom Bevill Lyceum at the Northeast Alabama Community College, 138 Alabama Highway 35 in Rainsville, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. NRC staff presentations will describe the overall Combined License review process, which includes safety and environmental assessments, as well as how the public can participate in the process. The NRC will host an open house for an hour prior to the meeting so members of the public have the opportunity to talk informally with agency staff.

A COL, if issued, is authorization from the NRC to construct and, with conditions, operate a nuclear power plant at a specific site and in accordance with laws and regulations. More information on the NRC’s new reactor licensing process is available on the agency’s Web site here: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactor-licensing.html.

The AP1000 is one of four NRC-certified reactor designs that can be referenced in a COL. It is a 1,000 MWe advanced pressurized water reactor that incorporates passive safety systems and simplified system designs. The AP1000 is similar to another certified design, the AP600, but uses a taller reactor vessel to accommodate longer fuel, and also includes larger steam generators and a larger pressurizer.

NRC news releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC Home Page at www.nrc.gov also offers a Subscribe to News link in the News & Information menu. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web Site.

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Friday, November 28, 2008