Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants—Final Report (NUREG-1437, Revision 2)

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• Publication Information
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• NUREG-1437, Volume 1, Revision 2: Main Report — Final Report (PDF –5.24 MB)
• NUREG-1437, Volume 2, Revision 2: Appendice A — Final Report (PDF – 3.70 MB)
• NUREG-1437, Volume 3, Revision 2: Appendice B - J — Final Report (PDF – 6.34 MB)

Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: August 2024
Date Published: August 2024

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

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Abstract

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations allow for the renewal of commercial nuclear power plant operating licenses. There are no specific limitations in the Atomic Energy Act or the NRC’s regulations restricting the number of times a license may be renewed. To support license renewal environmental reviews, the NRC published the first Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (LR GEIS) in 1996. Per NRC regulations, a review and update of the LR GEIS is conducted every 10 years, if necessary. The proposed action is the renewal of nuclear power plant operating licenses.

Since publication of the 1996 LR GEIS, 59 nuclear power plants (96 reactor units) have undergone license renewal environmental reviews and have received renewed licenses (either an initial license renewal [initial LR] or subsequent license renewal [SLR]), the results of which were published as supplements to the LR GEIS. This revision evaluates the issues and findings of the 2013 LR GEIS (Revision 1). Lessons learned and knowledge gained from initial LR and SLR environmental reviews provide an important source of new information for this assessment. In addition, new research, findings, public comments, changes in applicable laws and regulations, and other information were considered in evaluating the environmental impacts associated with license renewal. Additionally, this revision fully considers and evaluates the environmental impacts of initial LR and one term of SLR.

The purpose of the LR GEIS is to identify and evaluate environmental issues for license renewal and determine which could result in the same or similar impact at all nuclear power plants or a specific subset of plants (i.e., generic issues) and which issues could result in different levels of impact.