Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations, 10502-10504 [2017-02885]

Download as PDF 10502 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 28 / Monday, February 13, 2017 / Notices IMLS is particularly interested in comments that help the agency to: • Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; • Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; • Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and • Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques, or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses. ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Christopher J. Reich, Chief Administrator, Office of Museum Services, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 955 L’Enfant Plaza North SW., Suite 4000, Washington, DC 20024–2135. Mr. Reich can be reached by Telephone: 202–653–4685, Fax: 202– 653–4608, or by email at creich@ imls.gov, or by teletype (TTY/TDD) for persons with hearing difficulty at 202– 653–4614. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher J. Reich, Senior Advisor, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 955 L’Enfant Plaza SW., Suite 4000, Washington, DC 20024. Mr. Reich can be reached by Telephone: 202–653– 4685, Fax: 202–653–4608, or by email at creich@imls.gov, or by teletype (TTY/ TDD) for persons with hearing difficulty at 202/653–4614. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES I. Background The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the Nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. The Institute’s mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, learning and civic engagement. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. IMLS is responsible for identifying national needs for and trends in museum, library, and information services; measuring and reporting on the impact VerDate Sep<11>2014 13:41 Feb 10, 2017 Jkt 241001 and effectiveness of museum, library and information services throughout the United States, including programs conducted with funds made available by IMLS; identifying, and disseminating information on, the best practices of such programs; and developing plans to improve museum, library and information services of the United States and strengthen national, State, local, regional, and international communications and cooperative networks (20 U.S.C. Chapter 72, 20 U.S.C. 9108). II. Current Actions The purpose of this collection is to assess the quality of Maker/STEM program implementation at 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21ST CCLC) and the associated outcomes for participating youth, 21st CCLC site staff, and museum/science center staff. The Maker/STEM Education Support for 21st CCLC project is designed to support Maker and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education learning by providing professional development, activities, tools, and training to 21st CCLCs in 30– 40 sites across seven States or regions. The evaluation is intended to provide insight for future changes, programmatic improvements, and learning at all levels of the program. Methods will include qualitative and quantitative data collection via a mixed methods approach. Data will be collected through activities such as online and/or paper and pencil surveys, phone interviews, and in-person interviews. Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services. Title: Maker/STEM Education Support for 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program Evaluation. OMB Number: To be determined. Frequency: One-time collection anticipated. Affected Public: The target population is museum/science center staff, 21st CCLC staff, and youth participants involved in the STEM/Making programs at targeted 21st CCLC sites. Number of Respondents: To be determined. Estimated Average Burden per Response: To be determined. Estimated Total Annual Burden: To be determined. Total Annualized capital/startup costs: n/a. Total Annual costs: To be determined. Public Comments Invited: Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB’s clearance of this information collection. PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Dated: February 8, 2017. Kim Miller, Grants Management Specialist, Office of Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2017–02862 Filed 2–10–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7036–01–P NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Sunshine Act Meeting; National Science Board The National Science Board’s Committee on Oversight (CO), pursuant to NSF regulations (45 CFR part 614), the National Science Foundation Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1862n–5), and the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b), hereby gives notice of the scheduling of a teleconference for the transaction of National Science Board business, as follows: DATE AND TIME: Friday, February 17, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. EST. SUBJECT MATTER: (1) Discussion of NSF’s efforts to identify and respond to risks related to the office move; and (2) discussion of the charge for the Committee. STATUS: Open. LOCATION: This meeting will be held by teleconference at the National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22230. An audio link will be available for the public. Members of the public must contact the Board Office to request the public audio link by sending an email to nationalsciencebrd@nsf.gov at least 24 hours prior to the teleconference. UPDATES AND POINT OF CONTACT: Please refer to the National Science Board Web site www.nsf.gov/nsb for additional information. Meeting information and updates (time, place, subject matter or status of meeting) may be found at https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/notices/. Point of contact for this meeting is: Ann Bushmiller (abushmil@nsf.gov), 4201Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22230. Chris Blair, Executive Assistant to the National Science Board Office. [FR Doc. 2017–02968 Filed 2–9–17; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2017–0041] Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations Nuclear Regulatory Commission. AGENCY: E:\FR\FM\13FEN1.SGM 13FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 28 / Monday, February 13, 2017 / Notices Draft regulatory guide; request for comment. ACTION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG–4026, ‘‘Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations.’’ This proposed guide, revision 3, provides general guidance to applicants for the format and content of environmental reports (ERs) that are submitted as part of an application for a permit, license, or other authorization to site, construct, and/or operate a nuclear power plant. SUMMARY: Submit comments by April 14, 2017. 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. Although a time limit is given, comments and suggestions in connection with items for inclusion in guides currently being developed or improvements in all published guides are encouraged at any time. DATES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods (unless this document describes a different method for submitting comments on a specified subject): • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2017–0041. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3462; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: OWFN 12H08, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001. For additional direction on accessing information and submitting comments, see ‘‘Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments’’ in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. ADDRESSES: jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Davis, Office of New Reactors, telephone: 301–415–3835, email: Jennifer.Davis@nrc.gov, and Edward O’Donnell, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, telephone: 301–415–3317, email: Edward.ODonnell@nrc.gov. Both are staff members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Sep<11>2014 13:41 Feb 10, 2017 Jkt 241001 I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments A. Obtaining Information Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2017– 0041 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly-available information related to this document, by any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2017–0041. • NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. To begin the search, select ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then 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 pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is mentioned in this document. The DG–4026 is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML16116A068. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. B. Submitting Comments Please include Docket ID NRC–2017– 0041 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 posts all comment submissions at https:// www.regulations.gov as well as entering 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 PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 10503 submissions available to the public or entering the comment submissions into ADAMS. II. Additional Information The NRC is issuing for public comment a DG in the NRC’s ‘‘Regulatory Guide’’ series. This series was developed to describe and make available to the public information regarding methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the NRC’s regulations, techniques that the staff uses in evaluating specific problems or postulated events, and data that the staff needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses. The DG, entitled, ‘‘Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations,’’ is a proposed revision, temporarily identified by its task number, DG–4026. Regulatory Guide 4.2, Revision 2 dates to 1976, and an update is needed to align it with NRC’s regulations, interim NRC’s guidance, changes in environmental statutes and regulations, and Executive Orders. Consequently, Revision 3 has been prepared to provide general guidelines for the preparation of ERs supporting an application for a permit, license, or other authorization to site, construct, and/or operate a nuclear power plant. The information requested from applicants in this RG is based on the requirements contained in part 51 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ‘‘Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions,’’ and staff guidance such as NUREG–1555, ‘‘Environmental Standard Review Plan: Standard Review Plans for Environmental Reviews for Nuclear Power Plants’’ (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML003702134 and ML003701937, respectively). III. Specific Request for Comments The NRC seeks comments on DG– 4026, the associated regulatory analysis, and requests feedback from commenters about (1) addressing the impacts of preconstruction and construction as defined in §§ 51.4 and 51.45, (2) reducing the size of environmental documents, and (3) other topics to consider in environmental reviews. 1. Under the revised rule defining construction (72 FR 57415, October 9, 2007), the applicant should separate the impacts of preconstruction and construction activities to address the latter, as they are the activities being authorized by the NRC. The applicant should also describe the impacts of the preconstruction activities, so they can be evaluated as part of the cumulative impacts related to the construction E:\FR\FM\13FEN1.SGM 13FEN1 10504 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 28 / Monday, February 13, 2017 / Notices activities. The revised RG follows the approach to implementing the rule that is discussed in interim staff guidance COL/ESP–ISG–4 (ADAMS Accession No. ML082970729). The NRC is seeking input regarding the best method to address these impacts in environmental reports. 2. Are there changes that should be made to the RG to reduce the amount of information evaluated in ERs and the environmental impact statements, while still meeting applicable environmental laws and regulations? 3. Are there topics that are not addressed in the RG that should be addressed? Conversely, are there topics addressed in the RG that need not be addressed? IV. Backfitting and Issue Finality Issuance of this DG does not constitute backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50.109 (the Backfit Rule), nor would it be regarded as backfitting under the Commission and the Executive Director for Operations guidance, and is not otherwise inconsistent with the issue finality provisions in 10 CFR part 52. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of February, 2017. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Thomas H. Boyce, Chief, Regulatory Guidance and Generic Issues Branch, Division of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. [FR Doc. 2017–02885 Filed 2–10–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2017–0040] Initiatives To Address Gas Accumulation Following Generic Letter 2008–01 Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Draft regulatory issue summary; request for comment. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking public comment on a draft regulatory issue summary (RIS) setting forth a licensee’s responsibility for ensuring systems remain operable with respect to the accumulation of gas, regardless of whether the licensee chooses to voluntarily implement two industry initiatives to address weaknesses in the management of gas accumulation. DATES: Submit comments by March 15, 2017. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 13:41 Feb 10, 2017 Jkt 241001 so, but the Commission 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: • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2017–0040. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: OWFN–12–H08, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001. 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: Diana Woodyatt, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–1245, email: Diana.Woodyatt@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments A. Obtaining Information Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2017– 0040 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain publiclyavailable information related to this action by any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2017–0040. • NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. To begin the search, select ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then 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 pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is mentioned in this document. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. B. Submitting Comments Please include Docket ID NRC–2017– 0040 in your comment submission. 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 posts all comment submissions at https:// www.regulations.gov as well as entering 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 submissions into ADAMS. II. Discussion The NRC issues RISs to communicate with stakeholders on a broad range of matters. This may include communicating previous NRC endorsement of industry guidance on technical or regulatory matters. The NRC is issuing this RIS to inform affected entities that licensees who choose not to implement two voluntary industry efforts to address gas accumulation issues 1 must ensure that systems remain operable with respect to the potential for accumulation of gas, in accordance with their plant-specific technical specifications (TSs) and their plants’ licensing basis. Generic programmatic and licensing concerns with respect to gas accumulation were identified through the NRC’s review of responses to Generic Letter (GL) 2008– 01, ‘‘Managing Gas Accumulation in Emergency Core Cooling, Decay Heat Removal, and Containment Spray Systems,’’ dated January 11, 2008 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072910759). The NRC issued GL 2008–01 to (1) request that licensees submit information to demonstrate that the 1 Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 09–10, ‘‘Guidelines for Effective Prevention and Management of System Gas Accumulation,’’ Revision 1 (ADAMS Accession No. ML110030892); and Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF)-523, ‘‘Generic Letter 2008–01, Managing Gas Accumulation,’’ Revision 2 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13053A075). E:\FR\FM\13FEN1.SGM 13FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 28 (Monday, February 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10502-10504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02885]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2017-0041]


Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

[[Page 10503]]


ACTION: Draft regulatory guide; request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for 
public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-4026, ``Preparation of 
Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations.'' This proposed 
guide, revision 3, provides general guidance to applicants for the 
format and content of environmental reports (ERs) that are submitted as 
part of an application for a permit, license, or other authorization to 
site, construct, and/or operate a nuclear power plant.

DATES: Submit comments by April 14, 2017. 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. Although a time limit is given, comments and suggestions in 
connection with items for inclusion in guides currently being developed 
or improvements in all published guides are encouraged at any time.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
(unless this document describes a different method for submitting 
comments on a specified subject):
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2017-0041. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3462; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact 
the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
of this document.
     Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, 
Mail Stop: OWFN 12H08, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555-0001.
    For additional direction on accessing information and submitting 
comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Davis, Office of New 
Reactors, telephone: 301-415-3835, email: Jennifer.Davis@nrc.gov, and 
Edward O'Donnell, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, telephone: 
301-415-3317, email: Edward.ODonnell@nrc.gov. Both are staff members of 
the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2017-0041 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information regarding this document. You may 
obtain publicly-available information related to this document, by any 
of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2017-0041.
     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 ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and 
then 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 pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The 
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available 
in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is mentioned in this 
document. The DG-4026 is available in ADAMS under Accession No. 
ML16116A068.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

B. Submitting Comments

    Please include Docket ID NRC-2017-0041 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 posts all comment submissions at https://www.regulations.gov as well as entering 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 submissions into ADAMS.

II. Additional Information

    The NRC is issuing for public comment a DG in the NRC's 
``Regulatory Guide'' series. This series was developed to describe and 
make available to the public information regarding methods that are 
acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the 
NRC's regulations, techniques that the staff uses in evaluating 
specific problems or postulated events, and data that the staff needs 
in its review of applications for permits and licenses. The DG, 
entitled, ``Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power 
Stations,'' is a proposed revision, temporarily identified by its task 
number, DG-4026. Regulatory Guide 4.2, Revision 2 dates to 1976, and an 
update is needed to align it with NRC's regulations, interim NRC's 
guidance, changes in environmental statutes and regulations, and 
Executive Orders. Consequently, Revision 3 has been prepared to provide 
general guidelines for the preparation of ERs supporting an application 
for a permit, license, or other authorization to site, construct, and/
or operate a nuclear power plant. The information requested from 
applicants in this RG is based on the requirements contained in part 51 
of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), 
``Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and 
Related Regulatory Functions,'' and staff guidance such as NUREG-1555, 
``Environmental Standard Review Plan: Standard Review Plans for 
Environmental Reviews for Nuclear Power Plants'' (ADAMS Accession Nos. 
ML003702134 and ML003701937, respectively).

III. Specific Request for Comments

    The NRC seeks comments on DG-4026, the associated regulatory 
analysis, and requests feedback from commenters about (1) addressing 
the impacts of preconstruction and construction as defined in 
Sec. Sec.  51.4 and 51.45, (2) reducing the size of environmental 
documents, and (3) other topics to consider in environmental reviews.
    1. Under the revised rule defining construction (72 FR 57415, 
October 9, 2007), the applicant should separate the impacts of 
preconstruction and construction activities to address the latter, as 
they are the activities being authorized by the NRC. The applicant 
should also describe the impacts of the preconstruction activities, so 
they can be evaluated as part of the cumulative impacts related to the 
construction

[[Page 10504]]

activities. The revised RG follows the approach to implementing the 
rule that is discussed in interim staff guidance COL/ESP-ISG-4 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML082970729). The NRC is seeking input regarding the best 
method to address these impacts in environmental reports.
    2. Are there changes that should be made to the RG to reduce the 
amount of information evaluated in ERs and the environmental impact 
statements, while still meeting applicable environmental laws and 
regulations?
    3. Are there topics that are not addressed in the RG that should be 
addressed? Conversely, are there topics addressed in the RG that need 
not be addressed?

IV. Backfitting and Issue Finality

    Issuance of this DG does not constitute backfitting as defined in 
10 CFR 50.109 (the Backfit Rule), nor would it be regarded as 
backfitting under the Commission and the Executive Director for 
Operations guidance, and is not otherwise inconsistent with the issue 
finality provisions in 10 CFR part 52.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of February, 2017.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Thomas H. Boyce,
Chief, Regulatory Guidance and Generic Issues Branch, Division of 
Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2017-02885 Filed 2-10-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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