[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 149 (Friday, August 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43277-43278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16553]


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

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 72-1050; NRC-2016-0231]


Interim Storage Partners Consolidated Interim Storage Facility 
Project

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

[[Page 43278]]


ACTION: Environmental impact statement; issuance.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing its 
final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Interim Storage 
Partners' (ISP's) license application to construct and operate a 
consolidated interim storage facility (CISF) for spent nuclear fuel 
(SNF) and Greater-Than-Class C (GTCC) waste, along with a small 
quantity of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. The proposed CISF would be located 
on an approximately 130-hectare (320-acre) site, within the 
approximately 5,666-hectare (14,000-acre) Waste Control Specialists 
(WCS) site in Andrews County, Texas. The proposed action is the 
issuance of an NRC license authorizing a CISF to store up to 5,000 
metric tons of uranium (MTUs) [5,500 short tons] of SNF for a license 
period of 40 years.

DATES: The FEIS referenced in this document is available on August 6, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2016-0231 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-2016-0231. 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 FEIS is available in ADAMS under 
Accession No. ML21209A955.
     Project Webpage: Information related to the ISP CISF 
project can be accessed on the NRC's project web page at https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/cis/waste-control-specialist.html.
     Public Libraries: A copy of the FEIS will be made 
available at the following public libraries:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrews County Library, 109 NM 1st   Gaines County Library, 704 Hobbs
 Street, Andrews, TX 79714.           Hwy, Seminole, TX 79360.
Hobbs Public Library, 509 N Shipp    Winkler County Library, 307 S
 Street, Hobbs, NM 88240.             Poplar Street, Kermit, TX 79745.
Eunice Public Library, 1003 Ave. N,  Yoakum County Library, 205 W 4th
 Eunice, NM 88231.                    Street, Denver City, TX 7932.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Attention: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies 
of public documents, is currently closed. You may submit your request 
to the PDR via email at [email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 
301-415-4737, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James R. Park, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone: 301-415-6954, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In accordance with section 51.118 of title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR), the NRC is making available the FEIS for 
the license application submitted by ISP to construct and operate a 
CISF for SNF and GTCC waste, along with a small quantity of MOX fuel, 
which are collectively referred to in the EIS as SNF, and composed 
primarily of spent uranium-based fuel. The NRC published the draft EIS 
in the Federal Register on May 8, 2020 (85 FR 27447), and the 
Environmental Protection Agency noticed the availability of the draft 
EIS on May 8, 2020 (85 FR 27412). The public comment period on the 
draft EIS ended on November 3, 2020, and the comments received are 
addressed in the FEIS. The FEIS is available as indicated in the 
ADDRESSES section of this document.

II. Discussion

    The NRC is issuing the FEIS for an application from ISP requesting 
a license to authorize construction and operation of a CISF for SNF at 
the WCS site in Andrews County, Texas. ISP's proposed location for its 
CISF is on an approximately 130-hectare (320-acre) site, within the 
approximately 5,666-hectare (14,000-acre) WCS site in Andrews County, 
Texas. The proposed action is the issuance of an NRC license 
authorizing a CISF to store up to 5,000 MTUs [5,500 short tons] of SNF 
for a license period of 40 years.
    The FEIS is being issued as part of the NRC's process to decide 
whether to issue a license to ISP pursuant to 10 CFR part 72. In this 
FEIS, the NRC staff has assessed the potential environmental impacts to 
construct and operate the proposed CISF. The NRC staff assessed the 
impacts of the proposed action and the No-Action alternative on land 
use; transportation; geology and soils; water resources; ecological 
resources; air quality; noise; historical and cultural resources; 
visual and scenic resources; socioeconomics; environmental justice, 
public and occupational health, and waste management. Additionally, the 
FEIS analyzes and compares the benefits and costs of the proposed 
action and the No-Action alternative. In preparing this FEIS, the NRC 
staff also considered, evaluated, and addressed the public comments 
received on the draft EIS. Appendix D of the FEIS summarizes the public 
comments received and the NRC's responses.
    After comparing the impacts of the proposed action to those of the 
No-Action alternative, the NRC staff, in accordance with the 
requirements in part 51 of 10 CFR, recommends the proposed action, 
subject to the determinations in the staff's safety review of the 
application. This recommendation is based on (i) the ISP license 
application, which includes an environmental report and supplemental 
documents, and ISP's responses to the NRC staff's requests for 
additional information; (ii) the NRC staff's consultation with Federal, 
State, tribal, local agencies, and input from other stakeholders, 
including members of the public; (iii) the NRC staff's independent 
review; and (iv) the NRC staff's assessments provided in the FEIS.

    Dated: July 29, 2021.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John R. Tappert,
Director, Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support, 
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2021-16553 Filed 8-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P