Last month, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) informed Westinghouse that it would be preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as part of its review of the license renewal request for the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF).
The EIS will examine the environmental impacts of continued plant operations, including possible mitigation alternatives, under a renewed 40-year license.
The NRC is expected to publish a notice of intent (NOI) on July 31st regarding the preparation of the EIS, opening a 30-day public comment period on the scope of the EIS.
The NRC staff will review the environmental data supplied as part of the licensing process and gather additional information as needed to support the development of a draft EIS. Then the NRC will publish the draft EIS for public comment. The NRC reviews every public comment it receives. The NRC will then respond to the comments and makes appropriate changes before publishing the final EIS.
Westinghouse views the EIS as an essential part of the public license renewal process and an opportunity to share CFFF's cultural transformation and deepen transparency and trust among our stakeholders. Throughout the process, we will provide status updates and meeting schedules to ensure you are fully apprised of any developments.