Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 151ab883-1221-4a79-88d6-a2631cce2239
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Reactors (Rev. 1)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2134/ML21347A080.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-05
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.184
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
e licensee should determine what the impacts from planned decommissioning activities would be to those species and habitats, coordinating, as appropriate, with FWS and NMFS. If planned decommissioning activities may affect any federally listed species, designated critical habitat, or Essential Fish Habitat, the licensee should determine whether the impacts to those species or habitats were discussed in any appropriate federally issued environmental review document. If the impacts from decommissioning or similar activities were not described or bounded by appropriate federally issued environmental review documents, the licensee should contact FWS or NMFS, as needed, to determine whether a planned decommissioning activity may result in a “take,” as defined in the ESA, of federally listed species or adversely affect Essential Fish Habitat. If a “take” could occur, then the licensee could rely upon any additional environmental reviews required by the FWS or NMFS under the ESA. Additionally, if a “take” could occur or if Essential Fish Habitat could be adversely affected, then the licensee could submit a license amendment request or an exemption request to the NRC (thus creating an agency action for the NRC to initiate consultation under the ESA or the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as appropriate), or the licensee could take any other appropriate measures to ensure that impacts are bounded by environmental review documents and, therefore, that the licensee remains in compliance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(6)(ii) or 10 CFR 52.110(f)(2). The staff notes that the take of any federally listed species by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States is prohibited by Section 9 of the ESA. The NRC was also unable to reach a generic conclusion for the environmental justice issue in the Decommissioning GEIS. If the licensee is unable to determine or demonstrate that the impacts for a decommissioning activity are bounded by the