NRC SEEKS COMMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION FOR PROPOSED 

NORTH ANNA NUCLEAR REACTOR, PUBLIC MEETING FEB. 3 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on its evaluation of the 

environmental impacts of issuing a Combined License (COL) for a third nuclear reactor at the 

North Anna site in Louisa County, Va., about 40 miles northwest of Richmond. 

The preliminary evaluation is contained in NUREG-1917, “Supplemental Environmental 

Impact Statement for the Combined License for North Anna Nuclear Power Station Unit 3.” The 

draft report supplements the EIS developed for an Early Site Permit (ESP) at North Anna. The 

staff issued the North Anna ESP in November 2007, resolving many environmental issues 

related to the impacts of a potential additional reactor at the site. 

The latest evaluation focuses on additional environmental impact information contained 

in Dominion’s COL application. The NRC staff also considered public input gathered during an 

earlier comment period, including at a public meeting on April 16, 2008. The NRC will discuss 

the latest evaluation in a public meeting Tuesday, Feb. 3 in Mineral, Va., and will accept written 

comments until March 20. 

If approved, the COL would give Dominion permission to build the reactor and (with 

specific conditions) operate it in accordance with established laws and regulations. The NRC 

staff’s preliminary conclusions in the draft evaluation include a finding that no environmentally 

preferable or obviously superior sites have been identified, and that any adverse environmental 

impacts from possible site preparation and preliminary construction activities at North Anna 

could be redressed. 

On Feb. 3, the NRC staff will hold a meeting from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. to obtain comments 

on the draft EIS at the Louisa County High School, 757 Davis Highway in Mineral. The formal 

meeting will be transcribed and the staff will host an informal discussion starting at 5 p.m. NRC 

staff members will answer questions and explain the new reactor licensing process during this 

informal session, but no official comments on the EIS will be accepted. 

For planning purposes, anyone interested in attending the Feb. 3 meeting is encouraged to 

pre-register no later than Jan. 28, by contacting Alicia Williamson of the NRC by telephone at 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 

E-mail: opa@nrc.gov 

Site: http://www.nrc.gov

No. 09-009 January 14, 2009
(800) 368-5642, extension 1878, or by e-mail to NORTHANNA.COLEIS@nrc.gov. Requests 

for special equipment or accommodations at the meeting must be submitted by Jan. 23, using 

either of the methods above. Interested persons may also register to speak within 15 minutes of 

the start of the meeting. Time for individual comments at the meetings may be limited to 

accommodate all speakers. 

Written comments on the draft EIS should be submitted either by mail, postmarked no 

later than March 20, to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative 

Services, Office of Administration, Mailstop TWB-05-B01M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by e-mail (sent no later than March 20) to 

NORTHANNA.COLEIS@nrc.gov. 

The draft EIS and related documents are available electronically for public inspection in 

the NRC Public Document Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md. The draft EIS may also 

be viewed on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/col/northanna.html. In addition, people can view printed versions of the draft EIS at the JeffersonMadison Regional Library in Mineral; the Hanover Branch Library in Hanover, Va.; the Orange 

County Library in Orange, Va.; the Salem Church Library in Fredericksburg, Va.; and the C. 

Melvin Snow Memorial Branch Library in Spotsylvania, Va. 

 

At the conclusion of the public comment period, the NRC staff will consider and address 

the comments provided. The staff expects to issue a final EIS on the environmental acceptability 

of a COL at the North Anna site by the end of 2009. 

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