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:
compare the effects of the energy alternatives with the effects of continued plant operations. Impact analyses should consider land use and visual resources, air quality and noise, geology and soils, hydrology (surface water and groundwater), ecological resources, historic and cultural resources, socioeconomics, human health, environmental justice, and waste management and pollution prevention. The impacts analyses should include direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts. For each alternative, the analysis should identify and, to the extent possible, quantify, unavoidable adverse impacts, irreversible and irretrievable resource commitments, and tradeoffs between short-term use and long-term productivity of the environment. Each DG-4015, Page 53 alternative should be analyzed on a site-specific basis (whenever possible to locate an alternative at the existing plant site), or at least on a State- or region-specific basis, depending on the applicant’s service area (when applicable) or the power market into which the applicant sells electricity. The applicant should analyze each impact in proportion to its significance. Chapter 4 of the GEIS includes the results of an analysis of the generic environmental impacts of several electricity generating technologies. The applicant may use these results to the extent that they are applicable. Any findings on impact levels for alternatives included in the GEIS are intended to be illustrative of likely impacts and must be revisited on a site- and plant-specific basis in the ER. 7.2 Alternatives for Reducing Adverse Impacts Alternatives Considered As noted in 10 CFR 51.53(c)(3)(iii), “The report must contain a consideration of alternatives for reducing adverse impacts, as required by § 51.45(c), for all Category 2 license renewal issues in Appendix B to Subpart A of this part.” Applicants should describe the process it used to identify and select alternatives for reducing adverse impacts. Applicants should describe all of