[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 112 (Monday, June 14, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 31539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-12356]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 70-7003; NRC-2021-0058]


American Centrifuge Operating, LLC; American Centrifuge Plant

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; 
issuance.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
the amendment submitted by the American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (ACO) 
of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) License SNM-2011 for the American 
Centrifuge Plant (ACP), a proposed commercial uranium enrichment 
facilty to be located in Piketon, Ohio. The NRC has prepared an 
environmental assessment (EA) for this proposed license amendment in 
accordance with its regulations. Based on the EA, the NRC has concluded 
that a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) is appropriate. The NRC 
is also conducting a safety evaluation of the proposed license 
amendment.

DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on 
June 14, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2021-0058 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 https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2021-0058. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 
telephone: 301-415-0624; 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 https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, 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]. The ADAMS accession number for each 
document referenced in this document (if that document is available in 
ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Trefethen, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-0867; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering a license amendment request (LAR) for 
license SNM-2011 for the ACP located on the U.S. Department of Energy 
(DOE) reservation in Piketon, Ohio (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML20139A097 
and ML20139A098). The licensee, ACO, is requesting authorization to 
enrich uranium-235 up to the level necessary to produce High-Assay Low-
Enriched Uranium (HALEU) pursuant to a contract with DOE. Under the 3-
year term of the DOE contract, ACO would operate a cascade consisting 
of 16 centrifuges for the purpose of demonstrating the commercial 
viability of HALEU production for potential future use in advanced 
reactors.
    The NRC staff has prepared a final EA as part of its review of this 
LAR request in accordance with the requirements of Part 51 of title 10 
of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Environmental Protection 
Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions.'' 
Based on the final EA, the NRC has determined that an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) is not required for this proposed action and a 
FONSI is appropriate. The NRC is also conducting a safety evaluation of 
the proposed license amendment pursuant to 10 CFR part 70, and the 
results will be documented in a separate Safety Evaluation Report 
(SER). If ACO's request is approved, the NRC will issue the license 
amendment following publication of this final EA and FONSI and the SER 
in the Federal Register.

II. Final Environmental Assessment Summary

    ACO is requesting an amendment to license SNM-2011 to authorize the 
enrichment of uranium-235 to the level necessary to produce HALEU in a 
demonstration cascade pursuant to a contract with DOE. The NRC has 
assessed the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action and 
the no-action alternative. The results of the NRC's environmental 
review can be found in the final EA (ADAMS Accession No. ML21085A705). 
The NRC staff performed its environmental review in accordance with the 
requirements in 10 CFR part 51. In conducting the environmental review, 
the NRC considered information in the LAR; communications with the Ohio 
State Historic Preservation Office; as well as information provided by 
the Ohio Ecological Services Field Office of Fish and Wildlife, the 
Ohio Department of Health, and the Environmental Protection Agency 
Region V.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based on its review of the proposed action in the EA, in accordance 
with the requirements in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC has concluded that the 
proposed action, amendment of NRC license SNM-2011 for the American 
Centrifuge Co., LLC, located in Piketon, Ohio, will not significantly 
affect the quality of the human environment. Therefore, the NRC has 
determined, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.31, that preparation of an EIS is not 
required for the proposed action and a FONSI is appropriate.

    Dated: June 8, 2021.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stacey F. Imboden,
Acting Chief, Environmental Review Materials Branch, Division of 
Rulemaking, Environment, and Financial Support, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2021-12356 Filed 6-11-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P