Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 01fb3132-b05a-41a0-ab81-466a6fb6f4d3
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Plant License Renewal Applications (Rev. 1)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 4
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0916/ML091620409.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-4.2S1
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
nt’s operating license expiring at the end of the current licensing period. The applicant would still possess an operating license with its existing expiration date and could continue to operate the plant until the expiration of the license. At or before license expiration, the applicant could terminate plant operations and initiate decommissioning activities. Decommissioning is not a consequence of the no-action alternative, because it would occur at some point in time at the end of the plant’s operating life, whenever the applicant decides that the plant is no longer viable and terminates plant operations. Decommissioning may begin at the end of (or before the end of) the current operating license and may continue until well after the license expires. DG-4015, Page 54 As discussed in the 1996 GEIS (Section 8.4), decommissioning will make no difference in impact regardless of when decommissioning commences. The impacts of concern for the no-action alternative include the impacts from terminating plant operations rather than from decommissioning. The analysis should consider direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts. The level of effort expended on impact analyses of this alternative should be commensurate with the significance of the impacts. The ER may summarize and incorporate by reference material from the GEIS to the extent practicable. Since the no-action alternative does not meet the purpose and need for the proposed action, it may require that the applicant or its customers take action to replace or compensate for lost power generation. The no-action alternative should consider the impacts of these actions. The applicant may incorporate by reference the impacts from analyses developed for the energy alternatives discussed in Section 7.1. The range of impacts for the no-action alternative should address the impacts associated with replacement power or other possible measures to address the loss of the plant’s generating capacity. Chapter 8 Comparison of