NRC NEWS

 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II

61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303

Web Site: www.nrc.gov/OPA

No. II-01-014 June 15, 2001

 

CONTACT: Ken Clark (404)562-4416/e-mail: kmc2@nrc.gov

Roger D. Hannah (404)562-4417/e-mail: rdh1@nrc.gov

NRC STAFF SEEKS INPUT ON DRAFT TURKEY POINT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

STATEMENT; MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 17

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is seeking public comment on its preliminary

conclusion that there are no environmental impacts that would preclude renewal of the operating

licenses for the two units at the Turkey Point Nuclear Plant near Homestead, Florida. 

The information is contained in a draft environmental impact statement on the proposed license

renewal published June 12. The statement is open for public comment until August 6, and will also be

the subject of public meetings July 17 in Homestead. 

The NRC has been reviewing the application for extension of the Turkey Point licenses since

Florida Power & Light, which operates the plants, filed it in September 2000. Under NRC regulations,

the original operating license for a nuclear power plant is issued for up to 40 years. The license may be

renewed for up to an additional 20 years if NRC requirements are met. The current operating licenses

for Turkey Point will expire on July 19, 2012, for Unit 3 and April 10, 2013, for Unit 4.

The possible environmental effects of an additional 20 years of nuclear plant operation are

described in the NRC's Generic Environmental Impact Statement, or GEIS (NUREG-1437). The NRC

issues a site-specific supplement to the GEIS on each plant requesting license renewal to address the

potential environmental impacts. Issues specific to Turkey Point are addressed in Supplement 5,

published in draft form. The NRC staff's preliminary recommendation is that the Commission

determine that the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for the two units at Turkey Point

are not so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy-planning decision makers

would be unreasonable.

On Tuesday, July 17, the NRC staff will hold two similar meetings to obtain comments on the

draft environmental impact statement. The meetings will be held at the Harris Field Complex -

Homestead YMCA, 1034 Northeast 8th Street in Homestead, from 1:30 - 4:30 in the afternoon, and

from 7 - 10 in the evening, or until all interested people have an opportunity to speak. An open house

is scheduled to begin one hour before the start of each meeting.
The two sessions will begin with identical overviews, including a discussion by NRC staff and

its contractors of the contents of the draft supplement to the GEIS. The meeting will then be opened

for public comment.

For planning purposes, interested parties are encouraged to pre-register to attend or to present

oral comments at the July 17 meeting by contacting James Wilson by telephone at (800) 368-5642,

extension 1108, or by Internet at TurkeyPointeis@nrc.gov by July 12. Interested parties may also

register before each session to make comments. Individual comments may be limited to accommodate

all speakers.

Written comments on the draft supplement to the GEIS will also be considered by NRC staff.

Comments should be submitted either by mail to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of

Administrative Services, Mail stop T-6 D 59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC

20555-0001, or by Internet to TurkeyPointeis@nrc.gov

The draft supplement to the GEIS, along with other related documents, is available

electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room at NRC headquarters, One

White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland; or electronically on the Internet at

www.nrc.gov/NRC/NUREGS/SR1437/S5/index.html In addition, the Homestead Branch Library,

700 North Homestead Boulevard in Homestead, has agreed to make the draft supplement to the GEIS

available for public inspection.

At the conclusion of the public comment period on August 6, 2001, the NRC staff will consider

and address the comments provided and issue a final supplement to the GEIS. That supplement will

contain a recommendation regarding the environmental acceptability for license renewal. 

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