Title: Modernize Nuclear Reactor Environmental Reviews Act
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Modernize Nuclear Reactor Environmental Reviews Act
This bill directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to submit to Congress a report on facilitating efficient, timely environmental reviews of nuclear reactors through expanded use of categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and generic environmental impact statements.
The commission must promulgate a final rule to (1) establish an optical generic environmental impact statement for actions relating to nuclear reactors that may be used in the process for issuing a construction permit, early site permit, or combined license; and (2) amend criteria for and identification of licensing and regulatory actions to eliminate the list of actions that require environmental impact statements to allow for the use of environmental assessments and categorical exclusions for such actions.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7817 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7817

   To direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to submit a report on 
    facilitating efficient, timely environmental reviews of nuclear 
reactors through expanded use of categorical exclusions, environmental 
assessments, and generic environmental impact statements, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 29, 2020

Mr. Duncan (for himself and Mr. Flores) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to submit a report on 
    facilitating efficient, timely environmental reviews of nuclear 
reactors through expanded use of categorical exclusions, environmental 
assessments, and generic environmental impact statements, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Modernize Nuclear Reactor 
Environmental Reviews Act''.

SEC. 2. FACILITATION OF EFFICIENT ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall submit 
to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a 
report on facilitating efficient, timely environmental reviews of 
nuclear reactors through expanded use of categorical exclusions, 
environmental assessments, and generic environmental impact statements.
    (b) Report.--In completing the report under subsection (a), the 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall--
            (1) consider--
                    (A) the use of categorical exclusions, 
                environmental assessments, and generic environmental 
                impact statements by other Federal agencies and the 
                applicability of such categorical exclusions, 
                environmental assessments, and generic environmental 
                impact statements for actions relating to nuclear 
                reactors;
                    (B) existing categorical exclusions, environmental 
                assessments, and generic environmental impact 
                statements of the Commission that could be applied in 
                whole or in part to construction permits, early site 
                permits, or combined license applications for nuclear 
                reactors;
                    (C) the potential to use other Federal or State 
                environmental permitting, or permitting from units of 
                local government, in lieu of some portion of the 
                environmental impact statement, or environmental 
                assessment, for an action relating to a nuclear 
                reactor;
                    (D) opportunities to coordinate the development of 
                environmental assessments or environmental impact 
                statements with other Federal agencies for greater 
                efficiency; and
                    (E) new categorical exclusions that could be 
                applied to actions relating to advanced nuclear 
                reactors (as defined in section 3 of the Nuclear Energy 
                Innovation and Modernization Act (42 U.S.C. 2215 
                note)); and
            (2) include a schedule for promulgating the rule required 
        under subsection (c).
    (c) Rulemaking.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall 
        promulgate a final rule--
                    (A) establishing an optional generic environmental 
                impact statement for actions relating to nuclear 
                reactors that may be used in the process for issuing a 
                construction permit, early site permit, or combined 
                license; and
                    (B) amending section 51.20 of title 10, Code of 
                Federal Regulations, to eliminate the list in such 
                section of types of actions that require an 
                environmental impact statement or a supplement to an 
                environmental impact statement to allow for the use of 
                environmental assessments and categorical exclusions 
                for such actions, as appropriate.
            (2) Requirements.--To the maximum extent practicable, in 
        promulgating the final rule under paragraph (1), the Nuclear 
        Regulatory Commission shall take into account the 
        considerations described in subsection (b)(1).
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