Editorial Note on Part 51
Editorial Note: Nomenclature changes to part 51 appear at 80 FR 74980, Dec. 1, 2015.

§ 51.50 Environmental report—construction permit, early site permit, or combined license stage. ( a ) *Construction permit stage.* Each applicant for a permit to construct a production or utilization facility covered by § 51.20 shall submit with its application a separate document, entitled “Applicant's Environmental Report—Construction Permit Stage,” which shall contain the information specified in §§ 51.45, 51.51, and 51.52. Each environmental report shall identify procedures for reporting and keeping records of environmental data, and any conditions and monitoring requirements for protecting the non-aquatic environment, proposed for possible inclusion in the license as environmental conditions in accordance with § 50.36b of this chapter. As stated in § 51.23, no discussion of the environmental impacts of the continued storage of spent fuel is required in this report.
( b ) *Early site permit stage.* Each applicant for an early site permit shall submit with its application a separate document, entitled “Applicant's Environmental Report—Early Site Permit Stage,” which shall contain the information specified in §§ 51.45, 51.51, and 51.52, as modified in this paragraph. ( 1 ) The environmental report must include an evaluation of alternative sites to determine whether there is any obviously superior alternative to the site proposed.
( 2 ) The environmental report may address one or more of the environmental effects of construction and operation of a reactor, or reactors, which have design characteristics that fall within the site characteristics and design parameters for the early site permit application, provided however, that the environmental report must address all environmental effects of construction and operation necessary to determine whether there is any obviously superior alternative to the site proposed. The environmental report need not include an assessment of the economic, technical, or other benefits (for example, need for power) and costs of the proposed action or an evaluation of alternative energy sources. As stated in § 51.23, no discussion of the environmental impacts of the continued storage of spent fuel is required in this report.
( 3 ) For other than light-water-cooled nuclear power reactors, the environmental report must contain the basis for evaluating the contribution of the environmental effects of fuel cycle activities for the nuclear power reactor.
( 4 ) Each environmental report must identify the procedures for reporting and keeping records of environmental data, and any conditions and monitoring requirements for protecting the non-aquatic environment, proposed for possible inclusion in the license as environmental conditions in accordance with § 50.36b of this chapter.
( c ) *Combined license stage.* Each applicant for a combined license shall submit with its application a separate document, entitled “Applicant's Environmental Report—Combined License Stage.” Each environmental report shall contain the information specified in §§ 51.45, 51.51, and 51.52, as modified in this paragraph. For other than light-water-cooled nuclear power reactors, the environmental report shall contain the basis for evaluating the contribution of the environmental effects of fuel cycle activities for the nuclear power reactor. Each environmental report shall identify procedures for reporting and keeping records of environmental data, and any conditions and monitoring requirements for protecting the non-aquatic environment, proposed for possible inclusion in the license as environmental conditions in accordance with § 50.36b of this chapter. The combined license environmental report may reference information contained in a final environmental document previously prepared by the NRC staff. As stated in § 51.23, no discussion of the environmental impacts of the continued storage of spent fuel is required in this report. ( 1 ) *Application referencing an early site permit.* If the combined license application references an early site permit, then the “Applicant's Environmental Report—Combined License Stage” need not contain information or analyses submitted to the Commission in “Applicant's Environmental Report—Early Site Permit Stage,” or resolved in the Commission's early site permit environmental impact statement, but must contain, in addition to the environmental information and analyses otherwise required: ( i ) Information to demonstrate that the design of the facility falls within the site characteristics and design parameters specified in the early site permit;
( ii ) Information to resolve any significant environmental issue that was not resolved in the early site permit proceeding;
( iii ) Any new and significant information for issues related to the impacts of construction and operation of the facility that were resolved in the early site permit proceeding;
( iv ) A description of the process used to identify new and significant information regarding the NRC's conclusions in the early site permit environmental impact statement. The process must use a reasonable methodology for identifying such new and significant information; and
( v ) A demonstration that all environmental terms and conditions that have been included in the early site permit will be satisfied by the date of issuance of the combined license. Any terms or conditions of the early site permit that could not be met by the time of issuance of the combined license, must be set forth as terms or conditions of the combined license.
( 2 ) *Application referencing standard design certification.* If the combined license references a standard design certification, then the combined license environmental report may incorporate by reference the environmental assessment previously prepared by the NRC for the referenced design certification. If the design certification environmental assessment is referenced, then the combined license environmental report must contain information to demonstrate that the site characteristics for the combined license site fall within the site parameters in the design certification environmental assessment.
( 3 ) *Application referencing a manufactured reactor.* If the combined license application proposes to use a manufactured reactor, then the combined license environmental report may incorporate by reference the environmental assessment previously prepared by the NRC for the underlying manufacturing license. If the manufacturing license environmental assessment is referenced, then the combined license environmental report must contain information to demonstrate that the site characteristics for the combined license site fall within the site parameters in the manufacturing license environmental assessment. The environmental report need not address the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing the reactor under the manufacturing license.
[72 FR 49511, Aug. 28, 2007, as amended at 79 FR 56260, Sept. 19, 2014]