NRC: News Release - 2008-143 - NRC Meeting Aug. 19 in Bloomsburg, Pa., to Discuss Review Process for Expected New Reactor Application

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NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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Washington, DC 20555-0001	E-mail: opa@nrc.gov
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No. 08-143

August 5, 2008

NRC MEETING AUG. 19 IN BLOOMSBURG, PA., TO DISCUSS
REVIEW PROCESS FOR EXPECTED NEW REACTOR APPLICATION
Printable Version

Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will conduct a public meeting in Bloomsburg, Pa., on Tuesday, Aug. 19, to discuss how the agency will review an expected Combined License (COL) application for a new reactor at the Bell Bend site, about 7 miles northeast of Berwick, Pa. The prospective applicant, PPL, has told the NRC it intends to apply later this year for a license to build and operate an Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) at the site.

“The NRC is prepared to review the Bell Bend application, and the nearby community needs to know what’s ahead,” said David Matthews, Director of the Division of New Reactor Licensing in the NRC’s Office of New Reactors. “We’re going to work with residents to help them understand the process and how they can participate, because they can provide valuable information.”

The NRC will hold the meeting at Bloomsburg University’s Kehr Union Ballroom, 400 East Second St. in Bloomsburg, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. NRC staff presentations will describe the overall COL review process, which includes safety and environmental assessments, as well as how the public can participate in the process. The NRC will host an open house for an hour prior to the meeting so members of the public have the opportunity to talk informally with agency staff.

A COL, if issued, provides NRC authorization to construct and, with conditions, operate a nuclear power plant at a specific site and in accordance with laws and regulations. More information on the NRC’s new reactor licensing process is available on the agency’s Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactor-licensing.html.

The EPR is a large pressurized water reactor of evolutionary design, with a design output of approximately 1,600 MWe. The EPR’s designer, Areva, filed an application Dec. 11, 2007, to certify the design. The EPR application, minus proprietary or security-related details, is available on the NRC Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/design-cert/epr.html.

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