NEPA review changes coming under NRC proposed rule

[Marlin]

NEPA review changes coming under NRC proposed rule

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-07-08/article-8190/nepa-review-changes-coming-under-nrc-proposed-rule/

[Core Content]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing revisions to 10 CFR Part 51 to streamline environmental reviews by removing the requirement for draft environmental impact statements and expanding categorical exclusions. These changes aim to focus agency assessments on radiological safety while reducing regulatory timelines for licensing actions. The commission is accepting public comments on the proposal through August 21 and plans to host a public hearing during the comment period.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing changes to its environmental review regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that agency officials call the most significant in decades.

The proposed rule—published in the Federal Register on Tuesday—streamlines 10 CFR Part 51 and calls for no longer requiring draft environmental impact statements (EIS), adding new categorical exclusions that exempt licensing actions from NEPA review, and reducing the regulatory burden in its environmental reviews, among other things. The NRC will accept public comments on the proposed rulemaking until August 21, with plans to hold a public hearing during the comment period.

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/2026-07-08/article-8190/nepa-review-changes-coming-under-nrc-proposed-rule/