NRC ANNOUNCES OPPORTUNITY FOR HEARING ON APPLICATION TO RENE

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NRC ANNOUNCES OPPORTUNITY FOR HEARING ON APPLICATION TO RENEWOPERATING LICENSE FOR GRAND GULF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced the opportunity to request a hearingon an application to renew the operating license for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station Unit 1.Grand Gulf is a boiling-water nuclear reactor located near Port Gibson, Miss., about 20 miles south of Vicksburg. The current operating license expires on Nov. 1, 2024.The licensee, Entergy Operations, Inc., submitted the renewal application on Nov. 1 and it is available on the NRC website.The NRC staff has determined that the application contains sufficient information for theagency to formally "docket," or file, the application and begin its technical review. Docketing theapplication does not preclude requesting additional information as the review proceeds, nor doesit indicate whether the Commission will grant the application.The deadline for requesting a hearing is 60 days following publication of a notice in theFederal Register, expected shortly. By that date, petitions must be filed by anyone whose interestmay be affected by the license renewal and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding. The notice includes detailed instructions for requesting a hearing through the NRC’sE-filing system’s electronic submittal page. The specific guidance and instructions on publicinvolvement in hearings can be found on the NRC website.The license renewal process proceeds along two paths -- one for review of safety or technical issues (10 CFR Part 54) and another for environmental issues (Part 51). An applicantmust provide NRC an evaluation that addresses the technical aspects of plant aging and describesthe ways those effects will be managed over the life of the nuclear plant’s structures and components. An evaluation must also be made of the potential impact on the environment of theplant operating for another 20 years. In addition to this two-prong process, an adjudicatory process offers the public an opportunity to request a hearing to address issues and concerns with the facility and its license renewal application. Information about the license renewal process canbe found on the NRC website. ###