Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 239cc7c1-f2cb-46cc-945d-8009db28aa6c
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: General Site Suitability Criteria for Nuclear Power Stations + HISTORY - HISTORY 12/2023 – DG-4034 , Proposed Revision 4 12/2011 – DG-4021 , Proposed Revision 3 02/1995 – DG-4004, Second Proposed Revision 2 11/1992 – DG-4003, Proposed Revision 2 (Rev. 4)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 4
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2312/ML23123A090.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-10
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-4.7
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
supporting ecological systems needs to be assessed to fulfill NEPA requirements. Considerations may include preservation of habitats and migratory routes, as well as direct impacts (e.g., entrainment, impingement, or entrapment of aquatic organisms). A species, whether animal or plant, is important (for the purposes of this guide) if a specific causal link can be identified between the commercial nuclear power station and the species and if at least one of the following applies: (1) The species is commercially or recreationally valuable. (2) The species is endangered or threatened. (3) The species affects the well-being of some important species under either criterion (1) or (2), is critical to the structure and function of a valuable ecological system or is a biological indicator of radionuclides in the environment. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), as amended (Ref. 21), provides the following definitions: The term “endangered species” means any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range other than a species of the Class Insecta determined by the Secretary to constitute a pest whose protection under the provisions of this Act would present an overwhelming and overriding risk to man. The term “threatened species” means any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. DG-4034, Page 9 The Secretary of the Interior periodically publishes lists of endangered and threatened species in the Federal Register. When the ecological sensitivity of a site under consideration cannot be established from existing information, more detailed studies, as discussed in RG 4.2, may be necessary. Design and operational practices may mitigate the impacts of station construction and operation on biota and ecological systems. Land Use and Aesthetics Site suitability may be limited by the existence of nearby