[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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