[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61932-61933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25081]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 70-3103


Louisiana Energy Services Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Facility

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Opportunity to provide public comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is requesting 
comments from members of the public concerning a series of ``white 
papers'' presented to the NRC by the Louisiana Energy Services 
addressing licensing issues for a gas centrifuge uranium enrichment 
facility to be located in the area of Hartsville, Tennessee. The 
Commission will consider comments received in response to this notice 
in developing its position on the issues raised in these ``white 
papers.''

DATES: Comments are due by (30 days). Comments received after this date 
will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC is able to 
ensure consideration only for comments received on or before this date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Timothy C. Johnson, Project 
Manager, Special Projects and Inspection Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle 
Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T-8A33, 
Washington, DC 20555. Telephone (301) 415-7299, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 17, 2001, Louisiana Energy 
Services (LES) notified the NRC of its intention to apply for a license 
to construct and operate a gas centrifuge enrichment facility in the 
United States. Subsequently, LES and the NRC staff have met in several 
public meetings to discuss pre-application issues. LES currently 
intends to submit its application in December 2002. By letter dated 
April 24, 2002, LES presented six pre-application policy issues ``white 
papers'' to the NRC. LES submitted these white papers to the Commission 
as LES believes that Commission direction on these issues will be 
essential to the conduct of an efficient regulatory review process. The 
white papers addressed the following subjects:

1. Analysis of need for the facility and the no-action alternative 
under the National Environmental Policy Act
2. Environmental justice
3. Financial qualifications
4. Antitrust review
5. Foreign ownership

[[Page 61933]]

6. Disposition of depleted uranium tails

    A public meeting was held on April 30, 2002, to discuss these 
papers. Comments on the papers were submitted by two attendees at the 
meeting: the Department of Energy and the United States Enrichment 
Corporation. The NRC prepared a meeting summary, dated May 28, 2002, 
which is publicly available. At the time of the April meeting, LES had 
not chosen a site for the facility.
    On September 9, 2002, LES notified the NRC that it had selected a 
site in Hartsville, Tennessee, where the Tennessee Valley Authority had 
planned at one time to build a nuclear power plant. By letter dated, 
September 11, 2002, the Nuclear Information and Resource Service 
requested an opportunity to submit comments. Now, that a site has been 
chosen, the NRC is providing a 30 day public comment period on the 
issues proposed by LES.
    The April 24, 2002, LES ``white papers;'' the May 28, 2002, NRC 
Meeting Summary; DOE's July 25, 2002, comments; and USEC's June 19, 
2002, comments are accessible electronically from the NRC Agency wide 
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 ADAMS Accession Numbers for these documents 
are: ML022350051, ML021480298, ML022350130, and ML021770197 
respectively. These documents may also be examined and/or copied for a 
fee at NRC's Public Document Room located at One White Flint North, 
11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland.
    Members of the public may provide comments on the subject 
application within 30 days of the publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register. The comments may be provided to Micheal Lesar, Chief, 
Rules Review and Directives Branch, Division of Administration 
Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington DC 20555.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day September, 2002.

    For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Melvyn N. Leach,
Chief, Special Projects and Inspection Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle 
Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 02-25081 Filed 10-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P