[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 183 (Friday, September 20, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59320-59321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23946]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Extension of Public Comment Period Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On April 24, 2002, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC) published a Notice of Delay in Issuance of the Draft and Final 
Environmental Impact Statements for the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel 
Fabrication Facility (see 67 FR 20183, dated April 24, 2002, for more 
details). The public was asked to submit comments on or before August 
30, 2002, on:
    (1) How the immobilization of surplus plutonium as a No Action 
Alternative should be discussed in the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS), since the Department of Energy (DOE) has canceled 
plans to build the Plutonium Immobilization Plant.
    (2) Whether there are additional reasonable alternatives not 
identified during scoping that should be considered in the DEIS, in 
light of the changes described above. As discussed in the Scoping 
Summary Report, NRC is considering the environmental impacts of the 
proposed action (construction and operation of the proposed MOX fuel 
fabrication facility), continued storage of surplus plutonium at 
existing DOE sites, and immobilization of surplus plutonium. If the 
immobilization alternative is not considered, then the DEIS would only 
evaluate the proposed action and one No Action Alternative.
    On August 22, 2002, the NRC announced three mid-September public 
meetings to discuss changes in the applicant's Environmental Report 
that resulted from changes in DOE's plans (see 67 FR 54501, dated 
August 22, 2002, for more details). In that notice, the staff indicated 
that it will also accept comments on the questions included in the 
April 24, 2002 Federal Register Notice. Consistent with this decision, 
the NRC is extending the August 30, 2002, deadline to submit responses 
to the above questions to September 30, 2002.

DATES: The comment period is extended to September 30, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to: Michael T. Lesar, Chief, Rules 
and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of 
Administration, Mail Stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555. Comments will also be accepted by e-mail. 
Interested parties may e-mail their comments to [email protected]. Comments 
will be accepted by fax at (301) 415-5398, Attention: Tim Harris.

Availability of Documents for Review: Information and documents 
associated with the MOX project are available for public review 
through: http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/mox/licensing.html. Documents may also be obtained from NRC's Public 
Document Room at U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Public

[[Page 59321]]

Document Room, Washington, DC 20555.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general or technical information 
associated with the proposed MOX facility, please contact: Tim Johnson 
at (301) 415-7299, or Drew Persinko at (301) 415-6522. For general 
information on the NRC NEPA process, please contact: Tim Harris at 
(301) 415-6613.

    Signed in Rockville, MD, this 12th day of September, 2002.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Cheryl Trottier,
Chief, Environmental and Performance Assessment Branch, Division of 
Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 02-23946 Filed 9-19-02; 8:45 am]
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