Sec. 506. Modernization of nuclear reactor environmental reviews

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Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the efforts of the Commission to facilitate efficient, timely, and predictable environmental reviews of nuclear reactor applications for a license under section 103 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 ( 42 U.S.C. 2133 ), including through expanded use of categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and generic environmental impact statements.

In completing the report under subsection (a), the Commission shall— describe the actions the Commission will take to implement the amendments to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) made by section 321 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 ( Public Law 118–5 ; 137 Stat. 38); consider— using, through adoption, incorporation by reference, or other appropriate means, categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and environmental impact statements prepared by other Federal agencies to streamline environmental reviews of applications described in subsection

(a)by the Commission; using categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and environmental impact statements prepared by the Commission to streamline environmental reviews of applications described in subsection

(a)by the Commission; using mitigated findings of no significant impact in environmental reviews of applications described in subsection

(a)by the Commission to reduce the impact of a proposed action to a level that is not significant; the extent to which the Commission may rely on prior studies or analyses prepared by Federal, State, and local governmental permitting agencies to streamline environmental reviews of applications described in subsection

(a)by the Commission; opportunities to coordinate the development of environmental assessments and environmental impact statements with other Federal agencies to avoid duplicative environmental reviews and to streamline environmental reviews of applications described in subsection

(a)by the Commission; opportunities to streamline formal and informal consultations and coordination with other Federal, State, and local governmental permitting agencies during environmental reviews of applications described in subsection

(a)by the Commission; opportunities to streamline the Commission’s analyses of alternatives, including the Commission’s analysis of alternative sites, in environmental reviews of applications described in subsection

(a)by the Commission; establishing new categorical exclusions that could be applied to actions relating to new applications described in subsection (a); amending section 51.20(b) of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, to allow the Commission to determine, on a case-specific basis, whether an environmental assessment (rather than an environmental impact statement or supplemental environmental impact statement) is appropriate for a particular application described in subsection (a), including in proceedings in which the Commission relies on a generic environmental impact statement for advanced nuclear reactors; authorizing the use of an applicant’s environmental impact statement as the Commission’s draft environmental impact statement, consistent with section 107(f) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4336a(f) ); opportunities to adopt online and digital technologies, including technologies that would allow applicants and cooperating agencies to upload documents and coordinate with the Commission to edit documents in real time, that would streamline communications between— the Commission and applicants; and the Commission and other relevant cooperating agencies; and in addition to implementing measures under paragraph (3), potential revisions to part 51 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, and relevant Commission guidance documents— to facilitate efficient, timely, and predictable environmental reviews of applications described in subsection (a); to assist decision making about relevant environmental issues; to maintain openness with the public; to meet obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ); and to reduce burdens on licensees, applicants, and the Commission; and include a schedule for promulgating a rule for any measures considered by the Commission under subparagraphs

(A)through

(K)of paragraph

(2)that require a rulemaking.

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