***** UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 | March 24, 1995 I Carol Browner, Chair Environmental JusticeInteragency Working Group ^•Environmental Protection Agency 401 M Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20451 Dear Ms. Browner: The enclosed Environmental Justice Strategy is provided by the Nuclear Mission (HRC) in accordance with the Presid nt'I Execute Order •ederal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority -Income P°Pulations." Also enclosed Is a description of ojects wnere NRC is addressing environmental justice. If you have any questions, I can be reached at (301) 415-1713. " Sincerely, Hugh L. Thompso Environmental J Working Group Enclosures: As stated C Member teragency ------- ------- U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STRATEGY MARCH 1995 Introduction: lil^Sliri^SlJ^JS-!!8^",.^) "a* created by the ° * and s: =« for NRC Is not a "land management" agency, I.e 2 In this regard, the NRC is committed to giving careful consideration to the Background: . .3 of « stlna of environmental laws, 1 ATTACHMENT 1 ------- ------- Principles of Environmental Justice Implementation: i The goal of the NRC's Environmental Justice Implementation Strategy is to integrate environmental justice into the conduct of all pertinent activities at the agency primarily in the NRC's fulfillment of its NEPA responsibilities The Strategy contains five principles of implementation. The first three principles are institutional in nature and serve as the foundation for the II24S P"nc Ples wh^ch are operational in nature, i.e., they address specific activities. The principles emulate the "Principles of Good Regulation" which have been part of NRC policy for several years. Integration of Environmental Justice Into NRC's MEPA Activities NRC is committed to integrating environmental justice Into NRC's NEPA activities. Greater emphasis will be placed 1n discussing Impacts on minority and low-income populations when preparing agency NEPA documents such as Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), supplemental EISs, and where appropriate, Environmental Assessments. Continue senior management involvement ! The NRC Environmental Justice Group, whose members are senior agency officials, will continue to provide guidance in this area An Environmental Justice Coordinator has been appointed to ensure appropriate policy information flow among the different entities within the NRC, as well as with outside interested members of the public. i Openness and Clarity i Nuclear regulation is the public's business, and must be transacted publicly and candidly. Agency positions should be readily understood and easily applied/ This is of particular import when dealing with environmental justice issues. Seeking and Welcoming Public Participation i The NRC maintains regular communication with a broad spectrum of entities, such as the States, Indian Tribes, members of the public and other Federal agencies. Outreach programs such as the Enhanced Participatory Rulemaking, open meeting policy, and scheduled meetings with Agreement States are being Implemented. ine NRC management is committed to Improving our outreach efforts with stakeholders, Including minority and low-income communities, and welcoming their input. 2 From the agency's "Principles of Good Regulations' January 17, 1991, announcement #6. issued in ------- ------- Continue Review and Monitoring of Title VI Activities The NRC's financial assistance programs under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are limited to funding training and travel under Section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as amended, In connection with States assuming certain regulatory authority over specified nuclear materials, and the award of grants for the support of basic and applied scientific research and for the exchange of scientific Information. 10 CFR Part 4 calls for nondiscrimination with respect to race, color, national origin and sex in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance from the NRC. NRC Is coimltted to monitoring this activity. i s Implementation: The NRC's statutory offices—the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation which regulates nuclear power plants and research r&actors; the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards which regulates materials uses, fuel cycle facilities and waste disposal facilities; and the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research responsible for rulemakings and confirmatory research—will assess their existing environmental activities and integrate environmental justice into these activities as appropriate. ------- ------- SPECIFIC PROJECTS WHERE NRC IS ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The staff of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) recently performed an evaluation of environmental justice in preparing its draft supplement to the Final Environmental Statement Related to the Operation of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2. The environmental justice review was performed In two phases. In the first phase, the staff Zr Snr?o^C?2L?C2?0m*c* T*c1il« «* ethn1c Infonntlon -for the Watts Bar Nuclear (WBN) Plant region and concluded that th« HBN Plant is located in a predominately non-minority, low-income area. Input to the staff's evaluation was solicited from the public during the public comment period. No comments were received on environmental justice. The staff then considered in the second phase whether the low-income community near the WBN Plant is expected to experience disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects and concluded the community would not experience such impacts. The Environmental Protection Agency did not comment on environmental justice during its review of the draft supplement. The WBN site review f pr°viri«9 the NRC.wlth a means to begin assessing the effectiveness ot its NEPA process in addressing environmental justice issues in its Pi=rj1n9*JCtJV^1es' *W1«wwHy. the "Environmental Standard Review Plan for the Environmental Review of Construction Permit Applications for Nuclear Power Plants," ESRP (NUREG-0550), will include staff review guidance on evaluation of environmental justice. NRR intends to utilize workshops and media announcements to solicit input from affected NR? a"tic1Pates gaining considerable information ?S2nC2Id+?tS an !xtf ?1v? Public scoping process (i.e., workshops, local town meetings, etc.) in the preparation of environmental impact ?hf nnM?S r *Jaj?r Ilcens1"9 act1ons 1n order to solicit input from the public on the issues to be reviewed. This scoping process will, to the maximum extent possible, include specific solicitations from minority and low-income communities on environmental justice issues JSli1?!!*11?' ?nviro"mental 1mPact statements are published in draft in ?Sfn DSM -Clt Pub1ic cT"ents PHor to the proposed actions being taken. Public comment and opportunity for hearing aro solicited via Federal Register notice. Louisiana Energy Services (LES) applied to the NRC in January 1991, for fo,, JSJIn ubUlld * S""1?1?" enr]chment plant in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Northern Louisiana, Including Claiborne Parish, Is an economically depressed area, and the proposed site is near two small communities popuated almost entirely by African Americans. The Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) issued the Draft Environmental Impact Statement in November 1993. Since the Executive ATTACHMENT 2 ------- ------- Order had not been issued as of that date, there was no discussion of environmental justice in the Draft EIS, although thore was a discussion of the socio-economic impacts of the proposed action. The Final Environmental Impact Statement was issued in August 1994. It contains a discussion of environmental justice, including a description of the surrounding neighborhoods, the site selection process and a consideration of whether there was possible discrimination in the process, and possible disproportionate Impact. The statement concludes that there Is no evidence of discrimination, and that there will be no significant disproportionate impacts on minorities or economically disadvantaged persons. ] The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) is using an enhanced participatory process for developing radiological criteria for decommissioning. As part of this process, the NRC conducted a series of seven workshops from January through May 1993. Workshop participants represented a broad spectrum of interests Including interests related to environmental justice. ------- ------- |