E6-14285. Southern Nuclear Operating Company; Notice of Receipt and Availability of an Application for an Early Site Permit for the Vogtle ESP Site

On August 15, 2006, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) received an application from Southern Nuclear Operating Company filed pursuant to Section 103 of the Atomic Energy Act and 10 CFR part 52, for an early site permit (ESP) for a location in eastern Georgia (near Waynesboro, Georgia) identified as the Vogtle ESP site.

An applicant may seek an ESP in accordance with Subpart A of 10 CFR part 52 separate from the filing of an application for a construction permit (CP) or combined license (COL) for a nuclear power facility. The ESP process allows resolution of issues relating to siting. At any time during the period of an ESP (up to 20 years), the permit holder may reference the permit in an application for a CP or COL.

Subsequent Federal Register notices will address the acceptability of the tendered ESP application for docketing and provisions for participation of the public and other parties in the ESP review process.

A copy of the application is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland and via the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/​reading-rm/​adams.html. The accession number for the application is ML062290246.

Future publicly available documents related to the application will also be posted in ADAMS. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC Public Document Room staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to [e-mail]. The application is also available to local residents at the Burke County Library, in Waynesboro, Georgia, and it will be available on the NRC Web page at http://www.nrc.gov/​reactors/​new-licensing/​esp.html.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of August, 2006.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

David B. Matthews,

Director, Division of New Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.