Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: f0baf50b-5bb7-4783-b2f9-9586e09c97e1
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations + HISTORY - HISTORY 02/2017 – DG-4026 , Proposed Revision 3 09/2014 – Periodic Review of Revision 2 – Revise (Rev. 3)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 4
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1611/ML16116A068.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-4.2
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
nd Approvals In many cases, the NRC cannot issue a license or permit until the appropriate State or other Federal agencies have granted licenses or permits to the applicant. Applicants are required to comply with applicable Federal and State environmental statutes. The exact license or permit requirements will be dependent on factors such as water sources, proposed activities, as well as State permitting requirements, which can vary between states. Examples include the following: • Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) (Ref. 22), was enacted to preserve and restore the quality of the Nation’s surface waters. Section 401 of the CWA requires that an applicant for a Federal license or permit that may result in a discharge of regulated pollutants into DG-4026, Page 19 waters of the United States obtain, and provide to the Federal licensing agency (i.e., the NRC), a Section 401 water-quality certification from the State, interstate agency or authorized Tribe with jurisdiction over the discharge. The NRC cannot issue a license or permit until the appropriate jurisdiction has granted or waived the Section 401 certification. Additionally, the NRC cannot issue a license or permit if certification has been denied by the State, interstate agency, or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator. • Section 402 of the CWA establishes the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program to regulate point source discharges of pollutants into waters of the United States. An NPDES permit sets specific discharge limits for point sources discharging pollutants into waters of the United States and establishes monitoring and reporting requirements, as well as special conditions. The EPA is charged with administering the NPDES permit program, but can authorize states to assume many of the permitting, administrative, and enforcement responsibilities of the NPDES permit program. Authorized states are prohibited from adopting standards