The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said on 27 August that it is seeking the public’s views on the agency’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding Dominion Energy Virginia’s application for an additional 20 years of operation of the North Anna NPP units 1 and 2. The NRC is interested in comments on the statement’s draft conclusion: environmental impacts are not great enough to prevent the agency from considering issuance of the renewed licences. NRC staff will consider written comments on the draft EIS until 12 October and will hold a webinar on the draft in September, including a presentation on the preliminary findings and a transcribed public comment session.
Dominion submitted the subsequent licence renewal application in August 2020, for the North Anna units. The subsequent licence renewal process determines whether an operating reactor can extend its licence for an additional 20 years (initial licence renewals add 20 years to a reactor’s original 40-year licence).