[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 192 (Tuesday, October 6, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51323-51326]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-24049]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 70-143; NRC-2009-0435]


Notice of Receipt of License Renewal Application From Nuclear 
Fuel Services, Erwin, Tennessee, and Opportunity to Request a Hearing, 
and Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-
Safeguards Information (SUNSI) for Contention Preparation

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of license renewal application and opportunity to 
request a hearing.

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DATES: A request for a hearing must be filed by December 7, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin M. Ramsey, Project Manager, Fuel 
Manufacturing Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, 
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop EBB-2-C40M, Washington, DC 20555-0001, 
Telephone: (301) 492-3123; Fax number: (301) 492-3359; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received, by 
letters dated June 30 and August 28, 2009, a request for renewal of 
Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-124 from Nuclear Fuel 
Services, Inc. (NFS), located in Erwin, Tennessee. License No. SNM-124 
authorizes NFS to manufacture reactor fuel at its fuel fabrication 
facility using high-enriched and low-enriched uranium. Specifically, 
the request would authorize NFS to continue licensed activities for 40 
years.
    An administrative review, documented in a letter to NFS dated 
September 3, 2009, found the application acceptable to begin a formal 
technical review. If the NRC approves the request, the approval will be 
documented in NRC License No. SNM-124. However, before approving the 
proposed amendment, the NRC will need to make the findings required by 
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the NRC's 
regulations. These findings will be documented in a Safety Evaluation 
Report and an Environmental Assessment.

II. Opportunity To Request a Hearing

    The NRC hereby provides notice that this is a proceeding on an 
application to renew Material License No. SNM-124 at NFS' fuel 
fabrication facility located in Erwin, Tennessee. Any person whose 
interest may be affected by this proceeding and who desires to 
participate as a party, must file a request for a hearing and a 
specification of the contentions which the person seeks to have 
litigated in the hearing, in accordance with the NRC E-filing rule, 
which the NRC promulgated on August 28, 2007 (72 FR 49139). All 
documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings, including documents 
filed by interested governmental entities participating under 10 CFR 
2.315(c) and any motion or other document filed in the proceeding prior 
to the submission of a request for hearing or petition to intervene, 
must be filed in accordance with the E-filing rule. The E-filing rule 
requires participants to submit and serve documents over the Internet 
or, in some cases, to mail copies on electronic storage media. 
Participants may not submit paper copies of their filings unless they 
seek a waiver in accordance with the procedures described below.
    To comply with the procedural requirements of E-filing, at least 
ten (10) days prior to the filing deadline, the petitioner/requestor 
must contact the Office of the Secretary by e-mail at 
[email protected], or by calling (301) 415-1677, to request: (1) A 
digital ID certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or 
representative) to digitally sign documents and access the E-Submittal 
server for any proceeding in which it is participating; and/or (2) 
creation of an electronic docket for the proceeding (even in instances 
in which the petitioner/requestor (or its counsel or representative) 
already holds an NRC-issued digital ID certificate). Each petitioner/
requestor will need to download the Workplace Forms ViewerTM 
to access the Electronic Information Exchange (EIE), a component of the 
E-filing system. The Workplace Forms ViewerTM is free and is 
available at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/install-viewer.html. Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is 
available on NRC's public website at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/apply-certificates.html.
    Once a petitioner/requestor has obtained a digital ID certificate, 
had a docket created, and downloaded the EIE

[[Page 51324]]

viewer, it can then submit a request for hearing or petition for leave 
to intervene. Submissions should be in Portable Document Format (PDF) 
in accordance with NRC guidance available on the NRC public website at 
http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html. A filing is considered 
complete at the time the filer submits its documents through EIE. To be 
timely, an electronic filing must be submitted to the EIE system no 
later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on the due date. Upon receipt of a 
transmission, the E-filing system time-stamps the document and sends 
the submitter an e-mail notice confirming receipt of the document. The 
EIE system also distributes an e-mail notice that provides access to 
the document to the NRC Office of the General Counsel and any others 
who have advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish to 
participate in the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the 
documents on those participants separately. Therefore, applicants and 
other participants (or their counsel or representative) must apply for 
and receive a digital ID certificate before a hearing request/petition 
to intervene is filed so that they can obtain access to the document 
via the E-filing system.
    A person filing electronically using the agency's adjudicatory E-
filing system may seek assistance through the ``Contact Us'' link 
located on the NRC website at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html or by calling the NRC Meta-System Help Desk, which is 
available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through 
Friday, excluding government holidays. The Meta-System Help Desk can be 
contacted by telephone at 1-866-672-7640 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].
    Participants who believe that they have a good cause for not 
submitting documents electronically must, in accordance with 10 CFR 
2.302(g), file a motion with their initial paper filing requesting 
authorization to continue to submit documents in paper format. Such 
filings must be submitted by: (1) First class mail addressed to the 
Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking and 
Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, express mail, or expedited 
delivery service to the Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One 
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville, Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, 
Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff. Participants filing a 
document in this manner are responsible for serving the document on all 
other participants. Filing is considered complete by first-class mail 
as of the time of deposit in the mail, or by courier, express mail, or 
expedited delivery service upon depositing the document with the 
provider of the service.
    Non-timely requests and/or petitions and contentions will not be 
entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the presiding 
officer, or the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the petition 
and/or request should be granted and/or the contentions should be 
admitted based on a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 
2.309(c)(1)(i)-(viii).
    Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in 
NRC's electronic hearing docket which is available to the public at 
http://ehd.nrc.gov/EHD_Proceeding/home.asp, unless excluded pursuant 
to an order of the Commission, an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, or 
a Presiding Officer. Participants are requested not to include social 
security numbers in their filings. With respect to copyrighted works, 
except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose of the adjudicatory 
filings and would constitute a Fair Use application, participants are 
requested not to include copyrighted materials in their submission.
    The formal requirements for documents contained in 10 CFR 2.304(c)-
(e) must be met. If the NRC grants an electronic document exemption in 
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g)(3)), then the requirements for paper 
documents, set forth in 10 CFR 2.304(b) must be met.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 2.309(b), a request for a hearing must be 
filed by December 7, 2009.
    In addition to meeting other applicable requirements of 10 CFR 
2.309, a request for a hearing must state:
    1. The name, address, and telephone number of the requester;
    2. The nature of the requester's right under the Act to be made a 
party to the proceeding;
    3. The nature and extent of the requester's property, financial or 
other interest in the proceeding;
    4. The possible effect of any decision or order that may be issued 
in the proceeding on the requester's interest; and
    5. The circumstances establishing that the request for a hearing is 
timely in accordance with 10 CFR 2.309(b).
    In accordance with 10 CFR 2.309(f)(1), a request for hearing or 
petition for leave to intervene must set forth with particularity the 
contentions sought to be raised. For each contention, the request or 
petition must:
    1. Provide a specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be 
raised or controverted;
    2. Provide a brief explanation of the basis for the contention;
    3. Demonstrate that the issue raised in the contention is within 
the scope of the proceeding;
    4. Demonstrate that the issue raised in the contention is material 
to the findings that the NRC must make to support the action that is 
involved in the proceeding;
    5. Provide a concise statement of the alleged facts or expert 
opinions which support the requester's/petitioner's position on the 
issue and on which the requester/petitioner intends to rely to support 
its position on the issue; and
    6. Provide sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute 
exists with the applicant on a material issue of law or fact.
    In addition, in accordance with 10 CFR 2.309(f)(2), contentions 
must be based on documents or other information available at the time 
the petition is to be filed, such as the application, environmental 
report, or other supporting document filed by an applicant or licensee, 
or otherwise available to the petitioner. On issues arising under the 
National Environmental Policy Act, the requester/petitioner shall file 
contentions based on the applicant's environmental report. The 
requester/petitioner may amend those contentions or file new 
contentions if there are data or conclusions in the NRC draft, or final 
environmental assessment, environmental impact statement, or any 
supplements relating thereto that differ significantly from the data or 
conclusions in the applicant's documents. Otherwise, contentions may be 
amended or new contentions filed after the initial filing only with 
leave of the presiding officer.
    Each contention shall be given a separate numeric or alpha 
designation within one of the following groups:
    1. Technical--primarily concerns issues relating to matters 
discussed or referenced in the Safety Evaluation Report for the 
proposed action.
    2. Environmental--primarily concerns issues relating to matters 
discussed or referenced in the Environmental Report for the proposed 
action.
    3. Emergency Planning--primarily concerns issues relating to 
matters discussed or referenced in the Emergency Plan as it relates to 
the proposed action.
    4. Physical Security--primarily concerns issues relating to matters 
discussed or referenced in the Physical

[[Page 51325]]

Security Plan as it relates to the proposed action.
    5. Miscellaneous--does not fall into one of the categories outlined 
above.
    If the requester/petitioner believes a contention raises issues 
that cannot be classified as primarily falling into one of these 
categories, the requester/petitioner must set forth the contention and 
supporting bases, in full, separately for each category into which the 
requester/petitioner asserts the contention belongs with a separate 
designation for that category.
    Requesters/petitioners should, when possible, consult with each 
other in preparing contentions and combine similar subject matter 
concerns into a joint contention, for which one of the co-sponsoring 
requesters/petitioners is designated the lead representative. Further, 
in accordance with 10 CFR 2.309(f)(3), any requester/petitioner that 
wishes to adopt a contention proposed by another requester/petitioner 
must do so, in accordance with the E-filing rule, within ten days of 
the date the contention is filed, and designate a representative who 
shall have the authority to act for the requester/petitioner.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 2.309(g), a request for hearing and/or 
petition for leave to intervene may also address the selection of the 
hearing procedures, taking into account the provisions of 10 CFR 2.310.

III. Further Information

    Documents related to this action, including the application for 
amendment and other supporting documentation, are available 
electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, you can access the 
NRC's agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which 
provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS 
accession numbers for the documents related to this notice are:
    1. ML091900061: License Renewal Application dated June 30, 2009.
    2. ML092450469: Additional Information for License Renewal dated 
August 28, 2009.
    3. ML091450265: Acceptance of Application for Technical Review 
dated September 3, 2009.
    If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in 
accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public 
Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or 
by e-mail to [email protected].
    These documents may also be viewed electronically on the public 
computers located at the NRC's Public Document Room, O1F21, One White 
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR 
reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee.

Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-
Safeguards Information for Contention Preparation

    A. This Order contains instructions regarding how potential parties 
to this proceeding may request access to documents containing Sensitive 
Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI).
    B. Within 10 days after publication of this notice of hearing and 
opportunity to petition for leave to intervene, any potential party who 
believes access to SUNSI is necessary to respond to this notice may 
request such access. A ``potential party'' is any person who intends to 
participate as a party by demonstrating standing and filing an 
admissible contention under 10 CFR 2.309. Requests for access to SUNSI 
submitted later than 10 days after publication will not be considered 
absent a showing of good cause for the late filing, addressing why the 
request could not have been filed earlier.
    C. The requester shall submit a letter requesting permission to 
access SUNSI to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and 
Adjudications Staff, and provide a copy to the Associate General 
Counsel for Hearings, Enforcement and Administration, Office of the 
General Counsel, Washington, DC 20555-0001. The expedited delivery or 
courier mail address for both offices is: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The e-mail 
address for the Office of the Secretary and the Office of the General 
Counsel are [email protected] and [email protected], 
respectively.\1\ The request must include the following information:
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    \1\ While a request for hearing or petition to intervene in this 
proceeding must comply with the filing requirements of the NRC's 
``E-Filing Rule,'' the initial request to access SUNSI under these 
procedures should be submitted as described in this paragraph.
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    (1) A description of the licensing action with a citation to this 
Federal Register notice;
    (2) The name and address of the potential party and a description 
of the potential party's particularized interest that could be harmed 
by the action identified in C.(1);
    (3) The identity of the individual or entity requesting access to 
SUNSI and the requester's basis for the need for the information in 
order to meaningfully participate in this adjudicatory proceeding. In 
particular, the request must explain why publicly available versions of 
the information requested would not be sufficient to provide the basis 
and specificity for a proffered contention;
    D. Based on an evaluation of the information submitted under 
paragraph C.(3) the NRC staff will determine within 10 days of receipt 
of the request whether:
    (1) There is a reasonable basis to believe the petitioner is likely 
to establish standing to participate in this NRC proceeding; and
    (2) The requester has established a legitimate need for access to 
SUNSI.
    E. If the NRC staff determines that the requester satisfies both 
D.(1) and D.(2) above, the NRC staff will notify the requester in 
writing that access to SUNSI has been granted. The written notification 
will contain instructions on how the requester may obtain copies of the 
requested documents, and any other conditions that may apply to access 
to those documents. These conditions may include, but are not limited 
to, the signing of a Non-Disclosure Agreement or Affidavit, or 
Protective Order \2\ setting forth terms and conditions to prevent the 
unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure of SUNSI by each individual who 
will be granted access to SUNSI.
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    \2\ Any motion for Protective Order or draft Non-Disclosure 
Affidavit or Agreement for SUNSI must be filed with the presiding 
officer or the Chief Administrative Judge if the presiding officer 
has not yet been designated, within 30 days of the deadline for the 
receipt of the written access request.
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    F. Filing of Contentions. Any contentions in these proceedings that 
are based upon the information received as a result of the request made 
for SUNSI must be filed by the requester no later than 25 days after 
the requester is granted access to that information. However, if more 
than 25 days remain between the date the petitioner is granted access 
to the information and the deadline for filing all other contentions 
(as established in the notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing), 
the petitioner may file its SUNSI contentions by that later deadline.
    G. Review of Denials of Access.
    (1) If the request for access to SUNSI is denied by the NRC staff 
either after a determination on standing and need for access, or after 
a determination on trustworthiness and reliability, the NRC staff shall 
immediately notify the requester in writing, briefly stating the reason 
or reasons for the denial.

[[Page 51326]]

    (2) The requester may challenge the NRC staff's adverse 
determination by filing a challenge within 5 days of receipt of that 
determination with: (a) The presiding officer designated in this 
proceeding; (b) if no presiding officer has been appointed, the Chief 
Administrative Judge, or if he or she is unavailable, another 
administrative judge, or an administrative law judge with jurisdiction 
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.318(a); or (c) if another officer has been 
designated to rule on information access issues, with that officer.
    H. Review of Grants of Access. A party other than the requester may 
challenge an NRC staff determination granting access to SUNSI whose 
release would harm that party's interest independent of the proceeding. 
Such a challenge must be filed with the Chief Administrative Judge 
within 5 days of the notification by the NRC staff of its grant of 
access.
    If challenges to the NRC staff determinations are filed, these 
procedures give way to the normal process for litigating disputes 
concerning access to information. The availability of interlocutory 
review by the Commission of orders ruling on such NRC staff 
determinations (whether granting or denying access) is governed by 10 
CFR 2.311.\3\
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    \3\ Requesters should note that the filing requirements of the 
NRC's E-Filing Rule (August 28, 2007; 72 FR 49139) apply to appeals 
of NRC staff determinations (because they must be served on a 
presiding officer or the Commission, as applicable), but not to the 
initial SUNSI request submitted to the NRC staff under these 
procedures.
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    I. The Commission expects that the NRC staff and presiding officers 
(and any other reviewing officers) will consider and resolve requests 
for access to SUNSI, and motions for protective orders, in a timely 
fashion in order to minimize any unnecessary delays in identifying 
those petitioners who have standing and who have propounded contentions 
meeting the specificity and basis requirements in 10 CFR Part 2. 
Attachment 1 to this Order summarizes the general target schedule for 
processing and resolving requests under these procedures.
    It is so ordered.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of September 2009.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Annette L. Vietti-Cook,
Secretary of the Commission.

ATTACHMENT 1--General Target Schedule for Processing and Resolving 
Requests for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards 
Information in This Proceeding

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                 Day                             Event/activity
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0....................................  Publication of Federal Register
                                        notice of hearing and
                                        opportunity to petition for
                                        leave to intervene, including
                                        order with instructions for
                                        access requests.
10...................................  Deadline for submitting requests
                                        for access to Sensitive
                                        Unclassified Non-Safeguards
                                        Information (SUNSI) with
                                        information: Supporting the
                                        standing of a potential party
                                        identified by name and address;
                                        describing the need for the
                                        information in order for the
                                        potential party to participate
                                        meaningfully in an adjudicatory
                                        proceeding.
60...................................  Deadline for submitting petition
                                        for intervention containing: (i)
                                        Demonstration of standing; (ii)
                                        all contentions whose
                                        formulation does not require
                                        access to SUNSI (+25 Answers to
                                        petition for intervention; +7
                                        petitioner/requestor reply).
20...................................  Nuclear Regulatory Commission
                                        (NRC) staff informs the
                                        requester of the staff's
                                        determination whether the
                                        request for access provides a
                                        reasonable basis to believe
                                        standing can be established and
                                        shows need for SUNSI. (NRC staff
                                        also informs any party to the
                                        proceeding whose interest
                                        independent of the proceeding
                                        would be harmed by the release
                                        of the information.) If NRC
                                        staff makes the finding of need
                                        for SUNSI and likelihood of
                                        standing, NRC staff begins
                                        document processing (preparation
                                        of redactions or review of
                                        redacted documents).
25...................................  If NRC staff finds no ``need'' or
                                        no likelihood of standing, the
                                        deadline for petitioner/
                                        requester to file a motion
                                        seeking a ruling to reverse the
                                        NRC staff's denial of access;
                                        NRC staff files copy of access
                                        determination with the presiding
                                        officer (or Chief Administrative
                                        Judge or other designated
                                        officer, as appropriate). If NRC
                                        staff finds ``need'' for SUNSI,
                                        the deadline for any party to
                                        the proceeding whose interest
                                        independent of the proceeding
                                        would be harmed by the release
                                        of the information to file a
                                        motion seeking a ruling to
                                        reverse the NRC staff's grant of
                                        access.
30...................................  Deadline for NRC staff reply to
                                        motions to reverse NRC staff
                                        determination(s).
40...................................  (Receipt +30) If NRC staff finds
                                        standing and need for SUNSI,
                                        deadline for NRC staff to
                                        complete information processing
                                        and file motion for Protective
                                        Order and draft Non-Disclosure
                                        Affidavit. Deadline for
                                        applicant/licensee to file Non-
                                        Disclosure Agreement for SUNSI.
A....................................  If access granted: Issuance of
                                        presiding officer or other
                                        designated officer decision on
                                        motion for protective order for
                                        access to sensitive information
                                        (including schedule for
                                        providing access and submission
                                        of contentions) or decision
                                        reversing a final adverse
                                        determination by the NRC staff.
A + 3................................  Deadline for filing executed Non-
                                        Disclosure Affidavits. Access
                                        provided to SUNSI consistent
                                        with decision issuing the
                                        protective order.
A + 28...............................  Deadline for submission of
                                        contentions whose development
                                        depends upon access to SUNSI.
                                        However, if more than 25 days
                                        remain between the petitioner's
                                        receipt of (or access to) the
                                        information and the deadline for
                                        filing all other contentions (as
                                        established in the notice of
                                        hearing or opportunity for
                                        hearing), the petitioner may
                                        file its SUNSI contentions by
                                        that later deadline.
A + 53...............................  (Contention receipt +25) Answers
                                        to contentions whose development
                                        depends upon access to SUNSI.
A + 60...............................  (Answer receipt +7) Petitioner/
                                        Intervener reply to answers.
>A + 60..............................  Decision on contention admission.
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[FR Doc. E9-24049 Filed 10-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P