[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 170 (Friday, August 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 46210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22243]



[[Page 46209]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Part VIII





Department of Energy





-----------------------------------------------------------------------



Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management; Site Recommendation 
Consideration Hearings; Yucca Mountain; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 170 / Friday, August 31, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 46210]]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management; Site 
Recommendation Consideration Hearings; Yucca Mountain--Announcement of 
Changes in Public Hearing for September 5, 2001

AGENCY: Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of expanded public hearing and site changes.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (the Department) announces an 
expansion of the public hearing on September 5, 2001, on the possible 
recommendation of the Yucca Mountain Site in Nevada for development as 
a spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste geologic 
repository. The Department previously announced that a hearing would 
take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 5, 2001. The Department 
now is announcing the expansion of this hearing to include sites in 
Carson City, Elko and Reno, Nevada. All four of these sites will be 
linked by videoconferencing. In addition, the Department is announcing 
a change in the location of the Las Vegas site.

DATES: The hearing will take place on September 5, 2001, starting at 6 
pm through 9 pm, as announced previously in the Federal Register (66 FR 
43850-43851).

ADDRESSES:
    Las Vegas: Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, Great 
Basin Room, 2332 Energy Way, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-8518, (On 
the west side of Losee Road between Cheyenne and Lake Mead); 5 pm-9 pm 
Poster Session; 6 pm-9 pm--Hearing. This is a new location for the Las 
Vegas hearing.
    Carson City: Nevada State Legislative Building, Room #1214, 401 
South Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada; 6 pm-9 pm--Hearing.
    Elko: Elko Convention and Visitors Authority, 700 Moren Way, Elko, 
Nevada; 6 pm-9 pm--Hearing.
    Reno: Desert Research Institute, Conference Rooms A/B, 2215 Raggio 
Parkway, Reno, Nevada; 6 pm-9 pm--Hearing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of 
Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Yucca Mountain Site 
Characterization Office, (M/S #025), P.O. Box 30307, North Las Vegas, 
Nevada 89036-0307, 1-800-967-3477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 7, 2001, the Department announced in 
the Federal Register (66 FR 23013-23016) the initiation of a public 
comment period on the Secretary's consideration of the Yucca Mountain 
site for recommendation as a spent nuclear fuel and high-level 
radioactive waste repository. In conjunction with the initiation of the 
comment period, the Department issued a report, the Yucca Mountain 
Science and Engineering Report (YMS&ER), summarizing the scientific and 
technical information compiled by the Department to date outlining the 
preliminary design and performance attributes of a potential geologic 
repository at the Yucca Mountain site. This report was provided to 
inform the public and facilitate public comment and review on the 
technical and scientific information and analyses forming the basis for 
the Department's consideration of a possible site recommendation.
    On August 21, 2001, the Department announced in the Federal 
Register (66 FR 43850-43851) the issuance of another report, the 
Preliminary Site Suitability Evaluation (PSSE), that also is intended 
to inform the public and facilitate public review and comment on a 
possible site recommendation. The PSSE contains a preliminary 
evaluation of the suitability of the Yucca Mountain site for 
development as a geologic repository based on the Department's proposed 
site suitability regulations, to be codified as 10 CFR part 963. The 
preliminary evaluation described in the PSSE is based on information 
contained in the YMS&ER, supplemented by the most recent available 
technical information. Also, in the August 21 Federal Register Notice, 
the Department announced the scheduling of public hearings, in Las 
Vegas, Nevada on September 5, 2001, in Armagosa Valley on September 12, 
2001, and in Pahrump, Nevada on September 13, 2001.
    To provide greater accessability to the public hearings process 
within the State of Nevada, the Department has decided to expand the 
previously announced September 5th public hearing in Las Vegas to 
include three other cities in Nevada: Carson City, Elko and Reno. The 
public is invited to participate in the September 5th hearing at any of 
these sites by presenting oral views. All four of these sites will be 
linked by video conferencing. In the event that a video link fails 
during the hearing, there will be a Federal official and a court 
reporter present at each site to accept public comments for the record. 
This hearing will be informal, and the Department will use a 
facilitator in an effort to ensure it is fair and productive.
    The Department was notified on August 28, that the previously 
announced Las Vegas site for the September 5th hearing would not be 
available to the Department. Since that site is no longer available to 
the Department, the Las Vegas site of the September 5th hearing has 
been changed to the Great Basin Room at the Department of Energy, 
Nevada Operations Office, 2332 Energy Way, North Las Vegas, Nevada 
89193-8518. This facility is found on the west side of Losee Road 
between Cheyenne and Lake Mead.
    The Department does not currently anticipate further changes in 
time or location. However, those planning to attend the September 5th 
hearing at any of the four sites may want to check the Yucca Mountain 
web site at www.ymp.gov or call 1-800-967-3477 to confirm times and 
locations.

    Issued in Washington, DC on August 30, 2001.
Ronald A. Milner,
Chief Operating Officer, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste 
Management.
[FR Doc. 01-22243 Filed 8-30-01; 1:18 pm]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P