[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 140 (Friday, July 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43905-43906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15432]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 72-1051; NRC-2018-0052]


Holtec International HI-STORE Consolidated Interim Storage 
Facility Project

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental impact statement; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing its 
final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), NUREG-2237, 
``Environmental Impact Statement for the Holtec International's License 
Application for a Consolidated Interim Storage Fancily for Spent 
Nuclear Fuel in Lea County, New Mexico.'' Holtec International (Holtec) 
has requested a license 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 in southeast New Mexico at a 
site located approximately halfway between the cities of Carlsbad and 
Hobbs. The proposed action is the issuance of an NRC license 
authorizing a CISF to store up to 8,680 metric tons of uranium (MTUs) 
[9,568 short tons] of SNF in 500 canisters for a license period of 40 
years.

DATES: The FEIS referenced in this document is available on July 13, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0052 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly available

[[Page 43906]]

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-2018-0052. 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. ML22181B094.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents, by appointment, at the NRC's PDR, Room P1 B35, One White 
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. To make 
an appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to 
[email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 
8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
     Project Web Page: Information related to the Holtec CISF 
project can be accessed on the NRC's project web page at https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/cis/holtec-international.html. 
Scroll down to the Section ``Environmental Impact Statement''
     Public Libraries: A copy of the FEIS will be made 
available at the following public libraries:

Carlsbad Public Library, 101 S Halaqueno Street, Carlsbad, NM 88220
Roswell Public Library, 301 N Pennsylvania, Roswell, NM 88201
Hobbs Public Library, 509 N Shipp Street, Hobbs, NM 88240

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill S. Caverly, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone: 301-415-7674, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    In accordance with section 51.118 of title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) ``Final environmental impact statement--
notice of availability,'' the NRC is making available NUREG-2237, which 
concerns the NRC's FEIS for the license application submitted by Holtec 
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 notice of the draft EIS in the Federal Register on March 20, 
2020 (85 FR 16150), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
noticed the availability of the draft EIS on March 20, 2020 (85 FR 
16093). The public comment period on the draft EIS ended on September 
22, 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 Holtec 
requesting a license to authorize construction and operation of a CISF 
for SNF at a site located approximately halfway between Carlsbad and 
Hobbs, New Mexico. The proposed CISF project would be built and 
operated on approximately 421 hectares (ha) [1,040 acres (ac)] of land 
in Lea County, New Mexico. The storage and operations area, which is a 
smaller land area within the full property boundary, would include 134 
ha [330 ac] of disturbed land. The proposed project area is 
approximately 51 kilometers (km) [32 miles (mi)] east of Carlsbad, New 
Mexico, and 54 km [34 mi] west of Hobbs, New Mexico. The proposed 
action is the issuance of an NRC license authorizing a CISF to store up 
to 8,680 MTUs [9,568 short tons] of SNF in 500 canisters for a period 
of 40 years.
    The FEIS is being issued as part of the NRC's process to decide 
whether to issue a license to Holtec 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 10 CFR part 51, recommends the proposed action, subject 
to the determinations in the staff's safety review of the application. 
This recommendation is based on (i) the Holtec license application, 
which includes an environmental report and supplemental documents, and 
Holtec'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 14, 2022.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John M. Moses,
Deputy Director, Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial 
Support, Office of Nuclear Material Safety, and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2022-15432 Filed 7-21-22; 8:45 am]
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