The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted for review the Early Site Permit application for the Clinch River site near Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Tennessee Valley Authority submitted the application and associated information in May 2016, and provided follow-up information through the remainder of the year.
The Early Site Permit process determines whether a site is suitable for future construction and operation of a nuclear power plant. The NRC held meetings in Oak Ridge in April 2016 to explain the review process to the surrounding community.
The application, minus proprietary and security-related details, is available on the NRC website. TVA is seeking resolution of safety and environmental issues related to a potential small modular reactor at the site, approximately five miles southwest of Oak Ridge. Accepting the application for review, or “docketing” the application, does not indicate whether the Commission will approve or reject the request. The NRC has established docket number 52-047 for this application. More information about the new reactor licensing process is available on the NRC website.
In the near future the NRC will publish in the Federal Register a notice of opportunity to intervene in an adjudicatory hearing. Petitions to intervene in a hearing must be filed within 60 days of the notice, by anyone whose interest may be affected by the proposed permit and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding. More information on the hearing process is available on the NRC website.