To that end, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) also has begun work on an environmental impact statement for the license renewal and announced public meetings to be held near the plant on Jan. 10.
Comanche Peak Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1 and 2, are pressurized-water reactors located approximately 40 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Texas. Unit 1 is currently licensed to operate through Feb. 8, 2030, for Unit 2 through Feb. 2, 2033.
The operator, Vistra Operations Company, submitted the application Oct. 3 to extend the licenses for an additional 20 years.
NRC staff has determined the application contains sufficient information for the agency to formally docket the application and begin its safety and environmental reviews. Docketing the application does not preclude requesting additional information as the reviews proceed, and it does not indicate whether the NRC will renew the license.
The hearing opportunity released Thursday in the Federal Register, and includes instructions for filing petitions to intervene. The deadline for filing hearing petitions is Jan. 30.
NRC staff members will conduct public meetings Jan. 10 from 1-3 p.m., and 7-9 p.m., Central time, to describe the environmental review process and accept comments from the public about the potential scope of that review. The meetings will be held at the Somervell County Expo Center, 202 Bo Gibbs Blvd., W Hwy 67 in Glen Rose.
The scoping period will be announced in a separate Federal Register notice.
The public meeting is one method for filing comments on the environmental review before the deadline, 60 days after the notice is published. Comments may also be submitted via regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2022-0078, via email, or via U.S. Mail to Office of Administration, Mail Stop TWFN-7- A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
The Comanche Peak license renewal application is available on the NRC website, and at the Somervell County Library, 108 Allen Drive in Glen Rose; and Hood County Library, 222 N. Travis St. in Granbury, Texas.