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

§ 51.20 Criteria for and identification of licensing and regulatory actions requiring environmental impact statements. ( a ) Licensing and regulatory actions requiring an environmental impact statement shall meet at least one of the following criteria: ( 1 ) The proposed action is a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
( 2 ) The proposed action involves a matter which the Commission, in the exercise of its discretion, has determined should be covered by an environmental impact statement.
( b ) The following types of actions require an environmental impact statement or a supplement to an environmental impact statement: ( 1 ) Issuance of a limited work authorization or a permit to construct a nuclear power reactor, testing facility, or fuel reprocessing plant under part 50 of this chapter, or issuance of an early site permit under part 52 of this chapter.
( 2 ) Issuance or renewal of a full power or design capacity license to operate a nuclear power reactor, testing facility, or fuel reprocessing plant under part 50 of this chapter, or a combined license under part 52 of this chapter.
( 3 ) Issuance of a permit to construct or a design capacity license to operate or renewal of a design capacity license to operate an isotopic enrichment plant pursuant to part 50 of this chapter.
( 4 ) Conversion of a provisional operating license for a nuclear power reactor, testing facility or fuel reprocessing plant to a full term or design capacity license pursuant to part 50 of this chapter if a final environmental impact statement covering full term or design capacity operation has not been previously prepared.
( 5 ) - ( 6 ) [Reserved]
( 7 ) Issuance of a license to possess and use special nuclear material for processing and fuel fabrication, scrap recovery, or conversion of uranium hexafluoride pursuant to part 70 of this chapter.
( 8 ) Issuance of a license to possess and use source material for uranium milling or production of uranium hexafluoride pursuant to part 40 of this chapter.
( 9 ) Issuance of a license pursuant to part 72 of this chapter for the storage of spent fuel in an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) at a site not occupied by a nuclear power reactor, or for the storage of spent fuel or high-level radioactive waste in a monitored retrievable storage installation (MRS).
( 10 ) Issuance of a license for a uranium enrichment facility.
( 11 ) Issuance of renewal of a license authorizing receipt and disposal of radioactive waste from other persons pursuant to part 61 of this chapter.
( 12 ) Issuance of a license amendment pursuant to part 61 of this chapter authorizing ( i ) closure of a land disposal site,
( ii ) transfer of the license to the disposal site owner for the purpose of institutional control, or
( iii ) termination of the license at the end of the institutional control period.
( 13 ) Issuance of a construction authorization and license pursuant to part 60 or part 63 of this chapter.
( 14 ) Any other action which the Commission determines is a major Commission action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. As provided in § 51.22(b), the Commission may, in special circumstances, prepare an environmental impact statement on an action covered by a categorical exclusion.
[49 FR 9381, Mar. 12, 1984, as amended at 53 FR 31681, Aug. 19, 1988; 53 FR 24052, June 27, 1988; 54 FR 15398, Apr. 18, 1989; 54 FR 27870, July 3, 1989; 57 FR 18392, Apr. 30, 1992; 66 FR 55790, Nov. 2, 2001; 72 FR 49509, Aug. 28, 2007]