NRC proposes technology-neutral approach for new reactor licensing

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking public opinion on new Proposed Rulemaking on the Advanced Nuclear Reactor General Environmental Impact Statement (ANR GEIS).

According to the NRC, the new approach is intended to simplify environmental reviews for future nuclear reactors. If the rules will be updated, they will require new reactor license applications to supplement the relevant general environmental conclusions with an assessment of design-specific issues.

In a Memorandum published in April 2024, Commission Secretary Kerry Safford drew attention to the need to revise the ANR GEIS every ten years and instructed NRC staff to remove the term “advanced nuclear reactor” from the rule package and associated guidance documents.

Kerry Safford noted that the documents should be revised to change the limited scope of this report from being limited to “advanced reactors” to apply to any nuclear reactor, provided that the reactor parameters are consistent with those used in the GEIS development.