NRC seeks public comment on environmental impact study

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced Friday that it and the Army Corps of Engineers are seeking public comment on a preliminary conclusion of environmental impact of a new reactor in Pennsylvania.

The proposed reactor would be built at the Bell Bend site adjacent to the Susquehanna nuclear plant in the area. The preliminary findings indicate that a combined license could be issued at the recommendation of the NRC.

The draft environmental impact statement is available until the comment period ends July 10 at the regulations.gov website. The docket ID is NRC-2008-0603. The NRC has also scheduled a public meeting for June 4 in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Comments can be submitted via mail to Cindy Bladely, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington D.C. 20555-0001 or online.

NRC staff collaborated with local and tribal governments in Pennsylvania and with state officials from 2009-12. Within this public scoping process, no other sites were deemed to be a better location in terms of environmental importance or efficiency.

This review process intends to include factors relating to the construction and operations at the site. Further meeting details will be announced at a later time, the NRC states.