(a) The NRC staff will prepare a supplement to a draft environmental impact statement for which a notice of availability has been published in the Federal Register as provided in §51.117, if:

(1) There are substantial changes in the proposed action that are relevant to environmental concerns; or

(2) There are significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns and bearing on the proposed action or its impacts.

(b) The NRC staff may prepare a supplement to a draft environmental impact statement when, in its opinion, preparation of a supplement will further the purposes of NEPA.

(c) The supplement to a draft environmental impact statement will be prepared and noticed in the same manner as the draft environmental impact statement except that a scoping process need not be used.