§ 51.96 — Final supplemental environmental impact statement relying on a generic environmental impact statement for licensing new nuclear reactors.

§ 51.96 Final supplemental environmental impact statement relying on a generic environmental impact statement for licensing new nuclear reactors.

(a) In connection with a construction permit, an early site permit, or a combined license that does not reference an early site permit for a nuclear reactor, as defined in 10 CFR 50.2, and for which the NRC staff relied on any of the findings in appendix C to subpart A of this part in preparing a draft supplemental environmental impact statement in accordance with § 51.75(d), the NRC shall prepare a final supplemental environmental impact statement, which is a supplement to the Commission's NUREG-2249, “Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors.”

(b) The final supplemental environmental impact statement required by paragraph (a) of this section must contain the NRC staff's recommendation regarding the environmental acceptability of approving the construction permit, the early site permit, or the combined license. In order to make recommendations and reach a final decision on the proposed action, the NRC staff, adjudicatory officers, and Commission shall integrate:

(1) The conclusions in NUREG-2249 for issues designated as Category 1 for which the applicant has demonstrated that the applicable values and assumptions have been met and for which neither the applicant nor the NRC staff identified any new and significant information.

(2) Information developed for those Category 1 issues for which the applicant could not demonstrate that the applicable values and assumptions were met and those Category 2 issues applicable to the plant under § 51.50(d) and any new and significant information.

(c) The final supplemental environmental impact statement required by paragraph (a) of this section shall address those issues as required by § 51.91 and shall be distributed in accordance with § 51.93.

(d) In connection with a combined license that references an early site permit for which the NRC staff relied on any of the findings in appendix C to subpart A of this part in preparing the supplemental environmental impact statement for that early site permit, the NRC shall prepare a supplement to that final supplemental environmental impact statement. The supplement must meet the requirements of § 51.92(e) and shall be considered a supplement to NUREG-2249.

(e) In connection with a combined license that references an early site permit for which the NRC staff relied on any of the findings in appendix C to subpart A of this part in preparing the draft supplemental environmental impact statement, the NRC staff shall prepare a supplement to the early site permit environmental impact statement. The supplement must be prepared in accordance with § 51.92(e) and shall be considered a supplement to NUREG-2249.

(f) In connection with the issuance of an operating license for which the NRC staff relied on any of the findings in appendix C to subpart A of this part in preparing the supplemental environmental impact statement for the construction permit for that nuclear reactor, the NRC shall prepare a supplement to the final supplemental environmental impact statement. The supplement must meet the requirements of § 51.95(b) and shall be considered a supplement to NUREG-2249.

[91 FR 22412, Apr. 24, 2026]