Clinch River Nuclear Site Application

Graphic provided by Tennessee Valley Authority

Who:	Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
What:	Application for a Construction Permit for a small modular reactor (BWRX-300)
When:	April 2025 to present (date of application submittal)                                                                                          February 2022 to April 2025 (pre-application)
Website:	https://www.tva.com/energy/technology-innovation/advanced-nuclear-solutions

On this page:

• Project Overview
• Topical Reports
• Public Meeting Materials and Meeting Summaries
• Audits and Audit Reports
• Exemption Requests
• Key Milestones
• Contacts

Project Overview

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently engaged in review activities for Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) construction permit application for the Clinch River Nuclear Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This comes after the NRC’s issuance of the site’s Early Site Permit (ESP) in 2019.

Additional information on pre-application activities can be obtained from ADAMS using a search by docket number 99902056.

Additional information regarding the ESP can be found at Clinch River Nuclear Site Early Site Permit webpage.

Topical Reports

Submittal Date	Title	Reference	Status
08/25/2022	Clinch River, Topical Report Quality Assurance Program Description for New Nuclear Program	Rev 0 Rev 1 Rev 2	Safety Evaluation Issued Verification Letter for -A Version of QAPD Topical Report

Public Meeting Materials and Meeting Summaries

Meeting Date	Title
01/14/2025	Meeting between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) regarding TVA’s request for clarification and alignment on the acceptability of TVA's approach to mapping of geology and geologic features during excavation activities at the Clinch River Nuclear Site Meeting Summary
12/05/2024	Meeting between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Tennessee Valley Authority regarding Tennessee Valley Authority’s request for clarification on the following question: “When the Spent Fuel Pool and Reactor Cavity pool water volumes are cojoined during refueling operation (Pool divider gate removed), is the Regulatory Guidance provided in Regulatory Guide 1.13 and Standard Review Plans 9.1.2 and 9.1.4 applicable to the contiguous volume of water? Meeting Summary
10/18/2023	Pre-Submittal Meeting for CRN PSAR Chapter 7 NRC Annotated Outline Audit Comments on Use of NRC I&C Design Review Guide
09/13/2023	TVA Clinch River CRN-1 Reactor Building Excavation
10/03/2022	Pre-Application Topics for Discussion Meeting Summary
08/22/2022	Pre-Application Standing Meeting with Tennessee Valley Authority on Matters Related to the Development of a Construction Permit Application for the Clinch River Nuclear Site Meeting Summary
05/02/2023	TVA CRN Strategy on Structural and Seismic Analyses based on existing Subsurface Investigation

Audits and Audit Reports

Title	Status/Report
Pre-Application Readiness Assessment Activities and Audit Plan for the Clinch River Nuclear Site Draft Application	Complete
Construction Permit Readiness Assessment for TVA’s Clinch River Nuclear Site (Preliminary Safety Analysis Report)	Safety Review Summary Report Enclosure 1 to Summary Report
Construction Permit Readiness Assessment for TVA’s Clinch River Nuclear Site (Environmental Report)	Environmental Report Summary Report Enclosure to Summary Report

Exemption Requests

Title	Status/Report
Request for Exemption from Certain Requirements of 10 CFR 2.101(a)(5)	Granted
Request for Exemption from 10 CFR 50.10(c) to Allow Excavation at the Clinch River Nuclear Site Prior to Construction Permit Issuance	Granted
Final Environmental Assessment for the Clinch River Nuclear Site Exemption Request	Complete
Clinch River Exemption Request EA Issuance Letter	Complete
Letter to Tennessee Valley Authority transmitting Exemption Allowing Early Excavation at the Clinch River Nuclear Site	Complete
Letter to Tennessee Valley Authority - NRC Acceptance of Exemption Request on Early Excavation at the Clinch River Nuclear Site	Complete
NRC's Response to TVA's Request for Regulatory Interpretation of the Applicability of 10 CFR 50.10(a)(1) to the Permanent Backfill underneath the Power Block Foundations	Complete
Letter to Tennessee Valley Authority - Geologic and Geotechnical Audit Plan, Exemption for Early Excavation at the Clinch River Nuclear Site	Complete

Key Milestones

Milestones	Completion Date Actual - A Target - T
Environmental Report Submitted (Part One)	April 28, 2025 – A
Preliminary Safety Analysis Report Submitted (Part Two)	May 20, 2025 – A
Environmental Report Acceptance Review Completion (Decision Letter Issued)	June 12, 2025 – A
Preliminary Safety Analysis Report Acceptance Review Completion	July 11, 2025 – T
Docketing Decision Letter Issued/Acceptance Review Complete	July 11, 2025 – T
Review Schedule Established/Schedule Letter Issued to Applicant	TBD
Safety Review*	TBD
Environmental Review*	TBD
Hearing	TBD
Construction Permit Decision	TBD

Contacts

Contacts for Clinch River Nuclear Site
Safety Project Manager	Allen Fetter
Safety Project Manager	Ricky Vivanco
Safety Project Manager	Jordan Glisan
Safety Project Manager	India Banks
Environmental Project Manager	Madelyn Nagel
Contact a Public Affairs Officer