Early Site Permitting
Port Gibson, Mississippi

ENERCON was contracted to prepare an Early Site Permit application for Entergy Nuclear Potomac, a subsidiary of Entergy Operations Inc. The Early Site Permit was designed for a potential new nuclear power plant at the site of the existing Grand Gulf Nuclear Station near Port Gibson, Mississippi. ENERCON was responsible for developing the Site Safety Analysis Report, the Environmental Report and Emergency Planning Information to support the Early Site Permit application, in accordance with 10 CFR 52.17.

The preparation of an Early Site Permit application involves extensive studies of the proposed site and its suitability for construction of a new nuclear plant on the site from both safety and environmental impact perspectives. ENERCON conducted extensive engineering and environmental studies of the site's ability to support a new nuclear power plant with regard to its hydrologic, socioeconomic, meteorological, and demographic characteristics. ENERCON provided: project management support (preparation and maintenance of a program plan and master schedule), development of a QA Program Plan and procedures for the work, and interface with the NRC during the project. ENERCON's approach to this Early Site Permit was unique in its use of a bounding "Plant Parameter Envelope (PPE)" which took the place of a conceptual reactor design. This approach was designed to provide maximum flexibility for the client's future construction options. ENERCON incorporated specifications from numerous potential plant designs into the PPE, identified the bounding value to form the basis of a site safety analysis and environmental impact analysis.

In addition, as part of the Early Site Permit, ENERCON also prepared an environmental report (ER) upon which the NRC will base their Environmental Impact Statement for the project. For the ER, ENERCON prepared a comprehensive ecological characterization of the site including assessment of the site with regards to emergency planning for the application. This included the study of potential presence of Jurisdictional Waters/Wetlands, Threatened & Endangered Species, Critical Habitat, and Cultural & Historic Resources and a description of various ecological communities present onsite.

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