NRC to Discuss Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Oconee Nuclear Station License Renewal at Local Public Meeting

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NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II 61 Forsyth Street, Suite 23T85, Atlanta, GA 30303

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No: II-99-39
June 24, 1999

CONTACT:

Ken Clark (Phone: 404/562-4416, E-mail: kmc2@nrc.gov) Roger Hannah (Phone 404/562-4417, E-mail: rdh1@nrc.gov)

 

NRC TO DISCUSS DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR OCONEE
NUCLEAR STATION LICENSE RENEWAL AT LOCAL PUBLIC MEETING

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will meet with the public on July 8 to discuss its draft environmental impact statement on Duke Energy Corporation's (Duke Energy's) application to renew its operating licenses for the Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, in Oconee County, South Carolina. The draft was published for comment on May 20, 1999.

Two identical meetings will be held at the Ramada Inn in Clemson, South Carolina. The first session will start at 1:30 p.m. and the second session will start at 7:00 p.m. The meetings are scheduled to last up to 3 hours each or until all interested members of the public are given an opportunity to be heard. Staff from the NRC and its contractors involved in the development of the document will be available to clarify the environmental issues raised at the public meeting.

Duke Energy submitted an application to the NRC in July 1998 to renew the licenses for Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 for another 20 years. The current licenses expire on February 6 and October 6, 2013, and on July 19, 2014, for Units 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

The document to be discussed during the meeting is an Oconee Nuclear Station, plant-specific supplement to the "Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants," (NUREG-1437, 1996). Known as NUREG-1437, Supplement 2, the draft document includes the staff's preliminary analysis of the environmental effects of the proposed action and alternatives available for reducing or avoiding adverse impacts. It also examines possible alternatives to the proposed action, including no action and those energy sources that are reasonable alternatives.

The NRC staff has made a preliminary determination that there are no environmental impacts that would preclude Oconee Nuclear Station license renewal for environmental reasons. In preparing the document, the NRC considered comments made during the environmental scoping process, including the public meetings held in October of last year in Clemson, South Carolina.

Interested parties may register to attend or present oral comments by contacting James H. Wilson at 800/368-5642, extension 1108, or by e-mail at oconeeis@nrc.gov, no later than July 2. The public may also register 15 minutes before the start of each session. Individual comment time may be limited by the time available.

Single copies of the draft supplement are available at no charge by written request to the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Reproduction and Distribution Services Section, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; by e-mail to distribution.resource@nrc.gov; or by fax to 301/415-2289.

Copies are also available for review at the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, and the Local Public Document Room for Oconee at the Oconee County Library, 501 West South Broad Street, Walhalla, South Carolina, 29691.

Comments on the draft supplement may be provided during the meeting. Those wishing to submit written comments should do so by August 16. Comments should be addressed to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Mailstop T-6D-59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by Internet to oconeeis@nrc.gov.