The DEIS is the NRC’s independent evaluation of the environmental impacts of the CC3 project, performed by the NRC under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
– By April Murelio –
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for UniStar Nuclear Energy’s Calvert Cliffs 3 (CC3) project.
The DEIS is the NRC’s independent evaluation of the environmental impacts of the CC3 project, performed by the NRC under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As the lead federal agency, the NRC’s preliminary recommendation was that the environmental portion of CC3’s Combined License (COL) be issued as proposed. This is a significant regulatory milestone in our licensing efforts for the CC3 project and another step toward meeting the region’s energy needs through secure, reliable, carbon-free electricity generation.
The 1,200-page DEIS is the culmination of more than two years of review and independent assessment by the NRC. It incorporates information from site surveys, as well as analyses performed by NRC staff, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and experts from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. We believe the CC3 DEIS is the most comprehensive DEIS performed by the NRC to date.
As part the NRC’s DEIS process, there will be a 75-day public comment period for the document, both by the public and by other federal and state agencies. The NRC has scheduled two public meetings on Tuesday, May 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Select, in Solomons, Maryland, where the NRC will discuss the DEIS and provide the public an opportunity for feedback.
The company hopes to receive the NRC’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which will address any remarks received during the comment period, by the end of 2010. The FEIS and a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetlands Permit are required before site preparation work can begin for CC3.
The DEIS for CC3 can be found online on the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under the search numbers ML101000012 and ML101000013.