The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to hire a consultant to provide guidance on streamlining its environmental reviews of license applications.
“The main objective of this contract is to obtain technical assistance in assessing the NRC’s environmental review process and providing recommendations for improving the environmental review process at the NRC,” the agency said in an April 23 notice in the FedBizOpps procurement website. “The goal of this effort is to assist with reducing the size and length of environmental reviews,” along with environmental impact statements and other documents under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The program is in line with efforts under the Obama and Trump administrations to have agencies complete their NEPA process, on average, within two years.
The NRC prepares environmental impact statements and environmental assessments for nuclear power licenses and license renewals, spent fuel management and transportation, decommissioning projects, and other licensee activities. Current projects include preparing environmental impact statements as part of the license review of two proposed interim spent fuel storage sites in New Mexico and Texas.
The agency is specifically looking for an expert with significant knowledge of environmental reviews for applications for combined licenses under federal regulations for nuclear power plant licenses, certifications, and approvals.
Proposals are due by 2 p.m. May 9 to Geoffrey Coleman, of the NRC’s Acquisition Management Division, at [email protected]. Questions on the solicitation can be submitted through 5 p.m. May 1.
