The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has published its final report detailing the environmental impacts of renewing the operating licenses of the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2. The supplemental environmental impact statement contains the NRC staff’s conclusion that the impacts would not preclude renewing the plant’s licenses for an additional 20 years.
The Sequoyah plant has two pressurized water reactors, in Soddy Daisy, about 16 miles northeast of Chattanooga. The reactors are currently licensed to operate through Sept. 17, 2020, for Unit 1 and Sept. 15, 2021, for Unit 2. The operator, Tennessee Valley Authority, submitted its renewal application Jan. 15, 2013.
The NRC’s review of the application consists of a technical safety review and an environmental review. The final supplemental environmental impact statement is Supplement 53 to NUREG-1437, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants. It is now available on the NRC’s website.
The NRC published a draft version of the report last August and held two public meetings in Soddy-Daisy in September to receive public comment. The final report includes the staff’s responses to the comments.
The Sequoyah Nuclear Plant license renewal application and general information about reactor license renewal are available on the NRC website.