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:
- Related Siting Considerations for Advanced Reactors,”c dated May 8, 2020. Section C.1.3 of this RG provides guidance on meeting the requirements in 10 CFR Part 100 for nuclear reactor licensees to establish an exclusion area, a low population zone (LPZ), and a minimum distance to the nearest densely populated center containing more than about 25,000 residents. Section C.1.4 of this RG provides guidance on meeting the requirements in 10 CFR 100.21(h), which states the following: a Siting is also a significant focus of 10 CFR Part 51, “Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions,” but 10 CFR Part 51 requirements, including the need to assess severe accident mitigation alternatives, are outside the scope of this guidance. b ORNL/TM-2019/1197 “Advanced Reactor Siting Policy Considerations,” June 2019. c SECY-20-0045, “Population-Related Siting Considerations for Advanced Reactors,” May 8, 2020 (ML19262H055) DG-4034, Appendix A, Page A-2 Reactor sites should be located away from very densely populated centers. Areas of low population density are, generally, preferred. However, in determining the acceptability of a particular site located away from a very densely populated center but not in an area of low density, consideration will be given to safety, environmental, economic, or other factors, which may result in the site being found acceptable. The guidance in the body of this RG shows one way that an applicant can meet the requirements of 10 CFR 100.21(h) if the population density averaged over any radial distance out to 20 miles from the nuclear plant does not exceed 500 persons per square mile (ppsm). In Staff Requirements Memorandum SECY-20-0045,d issued July 13, 2022, the Commission approved the NRC staff’s recommended option to revise the guidance in this RG to provide technology-inclusive, risk-informed, and performance-based criteria to assess population-related issues in siting advanced