[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 53 (Monday, March 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12034-12036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05438]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 72-1051; NRC-2018-0055]


Holtec International's HI-STORE Consolidated Interim Storage 
Facility for Interim Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: License application; docketing.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received a 
license application from Holtec International (Holtec), by letter dated 
March 30, 2017, as supplemented on April 13, October 6, December 21, 
and 22, 2017; and February 22, 2018. By this application, Holtec is 
requesting authorization to construct and operate the HI-STORE 
Consolidated Interim Storage (CIS) Facility, in Lea County, New Mexico. 
If the NRC approves the application and issues a license to Holtec, 
Holtec intends to store up to 8,680 metric tons uranium (MTU) of 
commercial spent

[[Page 12035]]

nuclear fuel in the HI-STORM UMAX Canister Storage System for a 40-year 
license term.

DATES: March 19, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0055 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0055. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-
9127; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and 
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, 
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. For 
the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS accession numbers are provided 
in a table in the ``Availability of Documents'' section of this 
document.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jose R. Cuadrado, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-0606; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The NRC received an application from Holtec for a specific license 
pursuant to part 72 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 
CFR), ``Licensing Requirements for the Independent Storage of Spent 
Nuclear Fuel, High-Level Radioactive Waste, and Reactor-Related Greater 
Than Class C Waste.'' Holtec is proposing to construct and operate the 
HI-STORE Consolidated Interim Storage (CIS) Facility on a large parcel 
of presently unused land owned by the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance (ELEA), 
LLC. ELEA was formed in 2006 in accordance with enabling legislation 
passed in New Mexico and consists of an alliance of the city of 
Carlsbad, Eddy County, the city of Hobbs, and Lea County. The proposed 
site for the CIS facility is located in southeastern New Mexico in Lea 
County, 32 miles east of Carlsbad, New Mexico, and 34 miles west of 
Hobbs, New Mexico.
    Holtec is proposing to construct and operate Phase 1 of the CIS 
facility within an approximately 1,040 acre parcel. Holtec is currently 
requesting authorization to possess and store 500 canisters of spent 
nuclear fuel (SNF) containing up to 8,680 metric tons of uranium 
(MTUs), which includes spent uranium-based fuel from commercial nuclear 
reactors, as well as a small quantity of spent mixed-oxide fuel. If the 
NRC issues the requested license, Holtec expects to subsequently 
request additional amendments to the initial license to expand the 
storage capacity of the facility. In its plans, Holtec proposes 
expanding the facility in 19 subsequent expansion phases, each for an 
additional 500 canisters, to be completed over the course of 20 years. 
Ultimately, Holtec anticipates that approximately 10,000 canisters of 
SNF would be stored at the CIS facility upon completion of 20 phases. 
Each phase would require NRC review and approval.
    According to its application, Holtec intends to only use the HI-
STORM UMAX Canister Storage System for storage of spent nuclear fuel 
canisters at the facility. The HI-STORM UMAX Canister Storage System 
stores the canister containing SNF entirely below-ground, providing a 
clear, unobstructed view of the entire CIS facility from any location.
    An NRC administrative completeness review found the application 
complete and acceptable for docketing. The docket number established is 
72-1051. The NRC will perform a detailed technical review of the 
application. Docketing of the application does not preclude the NRC 
from requesting additional information from the applicant as the review 
proceeds, nor does it predict whether the NRC will grant or deny the 
application. Prior to issuing the license, the NRC will need to make 
the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended 
(AEA), and the NRC's regulations. The NRC's findings will be documented 
in a safety evaluation report. In accordance with 10 CFR part 51, the 
NRC will also prepare an environmental impact statement for the 
proposed action. Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.26, and as part of the 
environmental scoping process, the NRC intends to hold a public scoping 
meeting. Detailed information regarding this meeting will be included 
in a future Federal Register notice. Additionally, the NRC will 
announce in a future Federal Register a notice of opportunity for 
hearing.

II. Availability of Documents

    The documents identified in this Federal Register notice are 
accessible to interested persons in ADAMS under the accession numbers 
identified in the table below.

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                     Title                        ADAMS  accession No.
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Holtec International HI-STORE CIS License       ML17115A431
 Application.
NRC request for supplemental information......  ML17191A356
                                                ML17191A478
Holtec letter with schedule for response to     ML17206A203
 NRC request for supplemental information.
Holtec's October 6, 2017, information           ML17310A21
 submittal in response to NRC request for
 supplemental information.
Holtec's December 21, 2017, information         ML17362A097
 submittal in response to NRC request for
 supplemental information.
Holtec's December 22, 2017, information         ML18011A158
 submittal in response to NRC request for
 supplemental information.
Holtec's February 22, 2018, information         ML18058A617
 submittal in response to proprietary
 information determination.
NRC letter accepting application for review...  ML18059A251
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[[Page 12036]]

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of March 2018.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John McKirgan,
Chief, Spent Fuel Licensing Branch, Division of Spent Fuel Management, 
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2018-05438 Filed 3-16-18; 8:45 am]
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