[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 34 (Friday, February 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9394-9396]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03537]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-7513; NRC-2021-0193]
Notice of Intent To Conduct Scoping Process and Prepare
Environmental Impact Statement; Kairos Energy, LLC, Kairos Test Reactor
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Intent to conduct scoping process and prepare environmental
impact statement; public scoping meeting and request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will conduct a
scoping process to gather information necessary to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental
impacts for a construction permit (CP) requested by Kairos Power, LLC.
The NRC is seeking public comment on this action and has scheduled a
joint public outreach and public scoping meeting.
DATES: The NRC will hold a joint public outreach and public scoping
meeting on March 23, 2022. Meeting details will be available by March
11, 2022 at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/non-power/kairos-hermes.html
or at the NRC's Public Meeting Schedule website at https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg. Members of the public are invited to submit comments on the
scope of the EIS by April 19, 2022. Comments received after this date
will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC is able to
ensure consideration only for comments received on or before this date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods;
however, the NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the
Federal rulemaking website:
Email: Comments may be submitted to the NRC electronically
using the email address [email protected].
Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://regulations.gov
and search for Docket ID NRC-2021-0193. Address questions about Docket
IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; telephone: 301-415-0624;
email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact the
individual listed in the For Further Information Contact section of
this document.
Mail comments to: Office of Administration, Mail Stop:
TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff.
For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting
comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tamsen Dozier, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-2272, email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments
A. Obtaining Information
Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2021-0193 when contacting the NRC
about the availability of information regarding this document. You may
obtain publicly available information related to this document using
any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://regulations.gov
and search for Docket ID NRC-2021-0193.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public
Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or
by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for each
document referenced in this document (if it is available in ADAMS) is
provided the first time that it is referenced.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents, by appointment, at the NRC's PDR, Room P1 B35, One White
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
[[Page 9395]]
Maryland 20852. To make an appointment to visit the PDR, please send an
email to [email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737,
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays
Public Library: A copy of the CP application, including
the environmental report (ER), is available for public review at the
Oak Ridge Public Library, 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge,
Tennessee.
B. Submitting Comments
The NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the
Federal rulemaking website (https://www.regulations.gov). Please
include Docket ID NRC-2021-0193 in the subject line of your comment
submission in order to ensure that the NRC is able to make your comment
submission available to the public in this docket.
The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact
information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your
comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at
https://www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions
into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to
remove identifying or contact information.
If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons
for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to
include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be
publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should
state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to
remove such information before making the comment submissions available
to the public or entering the comment into ADAMS.
II. Discussion
By letter dated September 29, 2021 (ADAMS Package Accession No.
ML21272A375), Kairos Power, LLC (Kairos) submitted to the NRC pursuant
to Section 104 of the Atomic Energy Act and part 50 of title 10 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Domestic Licensing of
Production and Utilization Facilities,'' an application for a CP for
the Hermes test reactor (aka a ``testing facility'' as defined in 10
CFR 50.2), which would be located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Hermes
test reactor is a high-temperature thermal reactor using solid tri-
structural isotropic fuel in pebble form and a molten fluoride salt
coolant. This submission initiated the NRC's proposed action of
determining whether to grant the CP. A notice of receipt and
availability of the portion of the application submitted on September
29, 2021 was published in the Federal Register on October 29, 2021 (86
FR 60077).
On October 31, 2021, Kairos filed the second part of its
application (ADAMS Package Accession No. ML21306A131) for a CP, which
consisted of the ER required by 10 CFR 50.30(f) and Subpart A of part
51. Submission of the ER completed the application for a CP.
The NRC staff determined that Kairos submitted a two-part
application in accordance with 10 CFR 2.101(a)(5) and 10 CFR part 50,
and that the application is acceptable for docketing under Docket No.
50-7513. The NRC sent a letter of acceptance and docketing to Kairos on
November 29, 2021 (ADAMS Accession No. ML21319A354). A notice of
acceptance for docketing of the application was published in the
Federal Register on December 1, 2021 (86 FR 68290) and a notice of
opportunity for hearing was published on February 9, 2022 (87 FR 7503).
These notices are available on the Federal rulemaking website (https://www.regulations.gov) by searching for Docket ID NRC-2021-0193 and NRC-
2022-0033.
III. Request for Comment
This notice informs the public of the NRC's intent to conduct
environmental scoping and prepare an EIS related to the CP application
for Kairos Hermes test reactor. This notice also to provides the public
an opportunity to participate in the environmental scoping process, in
accordance with 10 CFR 51.29 and 10 CFR 51.116.
The regulations in 36 CFR 800.8, ``Coordination with the National
Environmental Policy Act,'' allow agencies to use their National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) (NEPA)
process to fulfill the requirements of Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (54 U.S.C. 300101, et seq.) (NHPA).
Therefore, pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8(c), the NRC intends to use its
process and documentation required for the preparation of the EIS on
the proposed action to comply with Section 106 of the NHPA in lieu of
the procedures set forth at 36 CFR 800.3 through 800.6.
In accordance with 10 CFR 51.50(a), Kairos submitted an ER as part
of the CP application. The ER was prepared pursuant to 10 CFR part 51
and is publicly available at ADAMS Package Accession No. ML21306A131.
The ER will also be available for viewing at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/non-power/kairos-hermes.html. In addition, the ER is available
for public review at the Oak Ridge Public Library, 1401 Oak Ridge
Turnpike, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
The NRC intends to gather the information necessary to prepare an
EIS related to the CP application for the Kairos Hermes test reactor.
The NRC is required by 10 CFR 51.20(b) to prepare an EIS in connection
with the issuance of a CP for a test reactor. This notice is being
published in accordance with NEPA and the NRC's regulations at 10 CFR
part 51.
The EIS will evaluate the environmental impacts of construction,
operation and decommissioning of the Kairos Hermes test reactor, and
reasonable alternatives thereto. Possible alternatives to the proposed
action include the no action alternative and alternative sites.
As part of its environmental review, the NRC will first conduct a
scoping process and, as soon as practicable thereafter, will prepare a
draft EIS for public comment. Participation in this scoping process by
members of the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal government
agencies is encouraged. The scoping process for the draft EIS will be
used to accomplish the following:
a. Define the proposed action that is to be the subject of the EIS;
b. Determine the scope of the EIS and identify the significant
issues to be analyzed in depth;
c. Identify and eliminate from detailed study those issues that are
peripheral or are not significant or that have been covered by prior
environmental review;
d. Identify any environmental assessments and other ElSs that are
being or will be prepared that are related to, but are not part of, the
scope of the EIS under consideration;
e. Identify other environmental review and consultation
requirements related to the proposed action;
f. Indicate the relationship between the timing of the preparation
of the environmental analyses and the NRC's tentative planning and
decision-making schedule;
g. Identify any cooperating agencies and, as appropriate, allocate
assignments for preparation and schedules for completing the EIS to the
NRC and any cooperating agencies; and
h. Describe how the EIS will be prepared, including any contractor
assistance to be used.
The NRC invites the following entities to participate in scoping:
a. The applicant, Kairos Power, LLC.;
b. Any Federal agency that has jurisdiction by law or special
expertise
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with respect to any environmental impact involved or that is authorized
to develop and enforce relevant environmental standards;
c. Affected State and local government agencies, including those
authorized to develop and enforce relevant environmental standards;
d. Any affected Indian Tribe;
e. Any person who requests or has requested an opportunity to
participate in the scoping process; and
f. Any person who has petitioned or intends to petition for leave
to intervene under 10 CFR 2.309.
IV. Public Scoping Meeting
In accordance with 10 CFR 51.26(b), the scoping process for an EIS
may include a public scoping meeting, which may help identify
significant issues related to the proposed action and to determine the
scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS.
The NRC is planning to conduct a public outreach and scoping
meeting for the Kairos Hermes EIS. The meeting is currently expected to
be held on March 23, 2022. Meeting details will be available by March
11, 2022 at https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/non-power/kairos-hermes.html
or at the NRC's Public Meeting Schedule website at https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg. A court reporter will transcribe all comments received during
the public meeting. To be considered, comments must be provided either
at the transcribed public meeting or in writing, as discussed in the
Addresses section of this document. Please contact Ms. Tamsen Dozier no
later than March 14, 2022, if accommodations or special equipment is
needed to participate or to provide comments, so that the NRC staff can
determine whether the request can be accommodated.
The public outreach and scoping meeting will include: (1) An
overview by the NRC staff of the safety and environmental review
processes, the proposed scope of the EIS, and the proposed review
schedule; and (2) the opportunity for interested government agencies,
organizations, and individuals to submit comments or suggestions on
environmental issues or the proposed scope of the Kairos Hermes EIS.
Participation in the scoping process for the Kairos Hermes EIS does
not entitle participants to become parties to the proceeding to which
the EIS relates. Matters related to participation in any hearing are
outside the scope of matters to be discussed at this public meeting.
Dated: February 15, 2022.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kenneth T. Erwin,
Chief, Environmental Review New Reactor Branch, Division of Rulemaking,
Environment, and Financial Support, Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2022-03537 Filed 2-17-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P