NRC: News Release - 2006-058 - NRC to Hold Public Meetings May 10-11 in Georgia to Discuss Review of Possible Early Site Permit Application

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NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs	Telephone: 301/415-8200
Washington, DC 20555-0001	E-mail: opa@nrc.gov
www.nrc.gov

No. 06-058

April 25, 2006

NRC TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS MAY 10-11 IN GEORGIA
TO DISCUSS REVIEW OF POSSIBLE EARLY SITE PERMIT APPLICATION
Printable Version

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will meet with the public in Waynesboro, Ga., on Wednesday, May 10, and Thursday, May 11, to discuss how the agency would review an expected application for an Early Site Permit (ESP) at the Vogtle site, about 23 miles southeast of Augusta, Ga. The site, owned by Southern Nuclear Operating Co., currently contains two commercial nuclear power plants.

On May 10, the staff will hold an open house from noon until 2 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Burke County Library, 130 Highway 24 South in Waynesboro. There will be no formal presentations, but the staff will have information available about the ESP process and will informally discuss the process with interested members of the public.

On May 11, the meeting will be held in the Auditorium of the Augusta Technical College’s Waynesboro campus, 216 Highway 24 South, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Before the meeting NRC staff will be available for informal discussions during an open house from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The NRC will then make a formal presentation at the meeting which will include information on the NRC’s overall licensing process for nuclear power plants, as well as an overview of how the ESP process works and how the public can participate. Members of the public are invited to ask questions regarding the agency’s ESP review.

The ESP process allows an applicant to address site-related issues, such as environmental impacts, for possible future construction and operation of a nuclear power plant at the site. The NRC’s review process requires both a technical review of safety issues and an environmental review for each application. If approved, an ESP gives the applicant up to 20 years to decide whether to build one or more nuclear plants on the site and to file an application with the NRC for approval to begin construction.

If Southern submits an ESP application as expected, the NRC staff will review it to determine whether Southern has provided enough information for the agency to begin a formal review. If the application has sufficient information, the NRC will formally docket, or file, the application and will announce an opportunity to request a hearing.