Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: f0baf50b-5bb7-4783-b2f9-9586e09c97e1
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations + HISTORY - HISTORY 02/2017 – DG-4026 , Proposed Revision 3 09/2014 – Periodic Review of Revision 2 – Revise (Rev. 3)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 4
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1611/ML16116A068.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-4.2
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
o the applicant and/or by state laws and regulations, the applicant should consider this information in the ER. VI. Implementation of the LWA Rule – Definition of Construction and Preconstruction On October 9, 2007, the NRC issued revisions to its rules related to LWAs (72 Federal Register [FR] 57416) (Ref. 27). The previous regulations had allowed for site preparation, excavation, and certain other onsite activities to proceed before a construction permit was issued, but only after NRC review and approval in the form of an LWA. With the new regulations, NRC authorization would be required only before undertaking activities that have a reasonable nexus to radiological health and safety or common defense and security. The revised rule clarified which activities are defined as “construction” and which activities are not considered construction. In discussing the environmental impacts of the proposed action, activities defined by the LWA rule as not constituting “construction” are referred to in this RG as “preconstruction” activities. Preconstruction activities are not considered direct impacts of the NRC’s Federal action because they may occur in the absence of an NRC license and are not part of the NRC’s licensing action. This change has implications for how impacts are described within the NRC’s EISs, even when the application does not include a request for an LWA. According to 10 CFR 50.10(a), “construction” includes those activities such as driving of piles, subsurface preparation, placement of backfill, concrete, or permanent retaining walls within an excavation, installation of foundations, or in-place assembly, erection, fabrication, or testing, which are for: • safety-related structures, systems, or components (SSCs) of a facility, as defined in 10 CFR 50.2, “Definitions”; • SSCs relied upon to mitigate accidents or transients or used in plant emergency operating procedures; • SSCs whose failure could prevent safety-related