NRC TO HOLD MANDATORY HEARING REGARDING VOGTLENEW REACTOR AP

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NRC TO HOLD MANDATORY HEARING REGARDING VOGTLENEW REACTOR APPLICATION SEPT. 27-28 IN ROCKVILLE, MDThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct a mandatory hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 27, and Wednesday, Sept. 28, on an application for Combined Licenses (COL) and related Limited Work Authorizations (LWA) to build and operate two new reactors at the Vogtle sitenear Waynesboro, Ga. The Vogtle application is the first to reach this final step in the Part 52 new reactor licensing process.“This mandatory hearing on the first COL application represents a critical step in theNRC’s license review process,” said NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko. “I look forward to working with my colleagues as we approach this significant assignment of delving into the adequacy of the NRC staff’s review of this application.”The Commission’s hearing will include testimony and exhibits from the applicant, Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC), and NRC staff on the question of whether thestaff’s review has been adequate to support the findings necessary to issue a COL and/or a LWA. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. on Sept. 27 in the Commissioner’s Conference Room at NRC Headquarters, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md. The Commission expects to discussthe staff’s Final Safety Evaluation Report (FSER) on the first day, with discussion of the staff’s Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) starting on Sept. 28. The hearingwill be open to public observation and will be webcast. A detailed agenda and presentation slides will be available in advance on the Commission’s meeting transcript page.SNC is applying for permission to build and operate two AP1000 reactors at the Vogtlesite, adjacent to the company’s existing reactors approximately 26 miles southeast of Augusta, Ga. SNC submitted its COL application for Vogtle on March 28, 2008, and supplemented the application on Oct. 2, 2009. The LWA would authorize a specific set of activities that fall short of full reactor construction. Westinghouse submitted an application to amend the already-certified AP1000, a 1100 megawatt electric design, on May 26, 2007. More information on theAP1000 amendment review is available on the NRC website. The NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) independently reviewed aspects of the application that concern safety, as well as an earlier version of the FSER. TheACRS provided the results of its review to the Commission in a report dated Jan. 24. The NRCNRC NEWSU.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOffice of Public AffairsTelephone: 301/415-8200Washington, D.C. 20555-0001E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: www.nrc.govBlog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.govNo. 11-178September 22, 2011
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completed its environmental review and issued the FSEIS for the Vogtle COL on March 24. TheNRC completed and issued the FSER on Aug. 9. Because the Vogtle COL application references the amended AP1000 design, the Commission must first make a decision on the AP1000 design certification rule before it can render a mandatory hearing decision on the COL.Media Notes: At this time, the NRC is considering media interest before decidingwhether the event will be a mandatory pool for television. Seats on one side of the Commission hearing room will be reserved for accredited members of the news media. Photographers will have limited space at the meeting in which to take photos. Movement must be kept to a minimumso as not to be distracting and entry into the inner well closest to the Commission briefing tableis prohibited. Plan to arrive in advance of the meeting at the NRC’s One White Flint North entrance, at the corner of Rockville Pike and Marinelli Road, with proper media credentials. The NRC is located across the street from the White Flint Metro station. Parking is available at the WhiteFlint metro parking garage on Marinelli Road. Members of the media are asked to call the NRCOffice of Public Affairs (301-415-8200) in advance to provide the names of those attending the meeting to assure sufficient seating.###