[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46197-46200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15210]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-18, 50-70, 50-73, 50-183, 70-754, 70-1113, 70-1220, 72-
1, 11001075, 11001076, 11005081, 11005086,11005186, 11005555, and 
11006278; NRC-2023-0119]


General Electric Company, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, 
LLC, and Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLC; Consideration of Approval 
of Indirect Transfer of Licenses

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Application for indirect transfer of licenses; opportunity to 
comment, request a hearing, and petition for leave to intervene.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) 
received and is considering approval of an application filed by General 
Electric Company (GE), GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC (GEHA), 
and Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLC (GNF-A) (together, the 
Applicants) on May 30, 2023, as supplemented by letters dated June 20 
and June 26, 2023. The application seeks NRC approval of the indirect 
transfer of Facility Operating License No. R-33 for the Nuclear Test 
Reactor at the Vallecitos Nuclear Center (VNC) in Sunol, California; 
Possession Only License No. DPR-1 for the Vallecitos Boiling Water 
Reactor at the VNC; Possession Only License No. DR-10 for the Empire 
State Atomic Development Associates Vallecitos Experimental Superheat 
Reactor at the VNC; Possession Only License No. TR-1 for the GE Test 
Reactor at the VNC; Special Nuclear Material License Nos. SNM-960 and 
SNM-1270 for the VNC; Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-1097 for 
the Wilmington Fuel Manufacturing Facility in Wilmington, North 
Carolina; Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-2500 for the Morris 
Operation Independent Spent Fuel Storage Facility in Grundy County, 
Illinois, near Morris, Illinois; and Export License Nos. XR135, 
XSNM1662, XSNM03135, XSNM3398, XCOM1124, XSNM3785, and XSNM3066 from 
GE, the parent company of the license holders, GEHA and GNF-A, to a 
recently created wholly-owned subsidiary of GE named GE Vernova, LLC 
that will then be spun-off and will no longer be part of GE. The 
application contains sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information 
(SUNSI).

DATES: Submit comments by August 18, 2023. A request for a hearing or 
petition for leave to intervene must be filed by August 8, 2023. Any 
potential party as defined in Sec.  2.4 of title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR), who believes access to SUNSI is necessary 
to respond to this notice must follow the instructions in Section VI of 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods; 
however, the NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website:
     Federal rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2023-0119. 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.
     Email comments to: [email protected]. If you do not 
receive an automatic email reply confirming receipt, then contact us at 
301-415-1677.
     Fax comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission at 301-415-1101.
     Mail comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Rulemakings and 
Adjudications Staff.
     Hand deliver comments to: 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. eastern time (ET) 
Federal workdays; telephone: 301-415-1677.
    For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting 
comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Osiris Siurano-P[eacute]rez, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-7827; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

[[Page 46198]]

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2023-0119 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain 
publicly available information related to this action by any of the 
following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2023-0119.
     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, at 301-415-4737, 
or by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for 
each document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the 
first time that it is mentioned in this document.
     NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies 
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. 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 
a.m. and 4 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

B. Submitting Comments

    The NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website (https://www.regulations.gov). Please 
include Docket ID NRC-2023-0119 in your comment submission.
    The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact 
information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your 
comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at 
https://www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions 
into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove identifying or contact information.
    If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons 
for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to 
include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be 
publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should 
state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove such information before making the comment submissions available 
to the public or entering the comment into ADAMS.

II. Introduction

    The NRC is considering the issuance of an order under 10 CFR 50.80, 
``Transfer of licenses,'' 10 CFR 70.36, ``Inalienability of licenses,'' 
10 CFR 72.50, ``Transfer of license,'' and 10 CFR 110.50, ``Terms,'' 
approving the indirect transfer of control of the NRC licenses held by 
GEHA and GNF-A.
    According to the application dated May 30, 2023, as supplemented by 
letters dated June 20 and June 26, 2023, the application and request 
for NRC approval are necessitated by a proposed transaction 
implementing the publicly announced separation of GE into three 
separate companies. The application involves the second phase of this 
transaction in which GE will transfer its various energy-related 
businesses, including its ownership interests in GEHA and GNF-A, into a 
recently created wholly-owned subsidiary named GE Vernova, LLC. GE 
Vernova, LLC will later convert to a corporation (GE Vernova Corp.), 
will then be spun-off to GE shareholders as a publicly traded 
corporation, and will no longer be part of GE. With respect to the 
licenses held by GEHA and GNF-A, the proposed transaction will occur in 
two steps. First, GE Vernova, LLC will become an intermediate holding 
company and an indirect corporate parent of both GEHA and GNF-A. 
Second, after GE Vernova, LLC has been converted to a corporation, GE 
will distribute the shares of GE Vernova Corp. to its shareholders, as 
a result of which GE Vernova Corp. will become the new ultimate parent 
company for both GEHA and GNF-A, which, in turn, will continue to 
operate the facilities and hold the NRC licenses.
    No physical changes or operational changes associated with the 
licensed activities are being proposed in the application.
    Section 184, ``Inalienability of Licenses,'' of the Atomic Energy 
Act of 1954, as amended, states that ``[n]o license granted hereunder 
and no right to utilize or produce special nuclear material granted 
hereby shall be transferred, assigned or in any manner disposed of, 
either voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, through 
transfer of control of any license to any person, unless the Commission 
shall, after securing full information, find that the transfer is in 
accordance with the provisions of this Act, and shall give its consent 
in writing.'' The NRC's regulations at 10 CFR 50.80, 70.36, and 72.50 
provide that no license, or any right thereunder, shall be transferred, 
assigned, or in any manner disposed of, either voluntarily or 
involuntarily, directly or indirectly, through transfer of control of 
the license to any person, unless the Commission gives its consent in 
writing. The NRC's regulation at 10 CFR 110.50(d) states that a 
specific export license may be transferred only with the approval of 
the Commission by license amendment. The Commission will approve an 
application for the indirect transfer of a license if the Commission 
determines that the proposed transfer of control will not affect the 
qualifications of the licensee to hold the license, and that the 
transfer is otherwise consistent with applicable provisions of law, 
regulations, and orders issued by the Commission.

III. Opportunity To Comment

    Within 30 days from the date of publication of this notice, persons 
may submit written comments regarding the license transfer application, 
as provided for in 10 CFR 2.1305 and 10 CFR 110.81. The Commission will 
consider and, if appropriate, respond to these comments, but such 
comments will not otherwise constitute part of the decisional record. 
Comments should be submitted as described in the ADDRESSES section of 
this document.

IV. Opportunity To Request a Hearing and Petition for Leave To 
Intervene

    Within 20 days after the date of publication of this notice, any 
person (petitioner) whose interest may be affected by this action may 
file a request for a hearing and petition for leave to intervene 
(petition) with respect to the action. Petitions shall be filed in 
accordance with the Commission's ``Agency Rules of Practice and 
Procedure'' in 10 CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult 10 CFR 
2.309. If a petition is filed, the presiding officer will rule on the 
petition and, if appropriate, a notice of a hearing will be issued.
    Petitions must be filed no later than 20 days from the date of 
publication of this notice in accordance with the filing instructions 
in the ``Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)'' section of this document. 
Petitions and motions for leave to file new or amended contentions that 
are filed after the deadline will not be entertained absent a 
determination by the presiding officer that the filing demonstrates 
good cause by satisfying the three factors in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i) 
through (iii).
    A State, local governmental body, Federally recognized Indian 
Tribe, or designated agency thereof, may submit

[[Page 46199]]

a petition to the Commission to participate as a party under 10 CFR 
2.309(h) no later than 20 days from the date of publication of this 
notice. Alternatively, a State, local governmental body, Federally 
recognized Indian Tribe, or agency thereof may participate as a non-
party under 10 CFR 2.315(c).
    For information about filing a petition and about participation by 
a person not a party under 10 CFR 2.315, see ADAMS Accession No. 
ML20340A053 (https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20340A053) and on the NRC's public website 
at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html#participate.

V. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)

    All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings including 
documents filed by an interested State, local governmental body, 
federally recognized Indian Tribe, or designated agency thereof that 
requests to participate under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in 
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302. The E-Filing process requires 
participants to submit and serve all adjudicatory documents over the 
internet, or in some cases, to mail copies on electronic storage media, 
unless an exemption permitting an alternative filing method, as further 
discussed, is granted. Detailed guidance on electronic submissions is 
in the ``Guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC'' (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML13031A056) and on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.
    To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10 
days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the 
Office of the Secretary by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at 301-415-1677, to (1) request a digital identification (ID) 
certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or 
representative) to digitally sign submissions and access the E-Filing 
system for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise 
the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a petition or 
other adjudicatory document (even in instances in which the 
participant, or its counsel or representative, already holds an NRC-
issued digital ID certificate). Based upon this information, the 
Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the proceeding if the 
Secretary has not already established an electronic docket.
    Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is 
available on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html. After a digital ID certificate is 
obtained and a docket created, the participant must submit adjudicatory 
documents in Portable Document Format. Guidance on submissions is 
available on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html. A filing is considered complete at the 
time the document is submitted through the NRC's E-Filing system. To be 
timely, an electronic filing must be submitted to the E-Filing system 
no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the due date. Upon receipt of a 
transmission, the E-Filing system timestamps the document and sends the 
submitter an email confirming receipt of the document. The E-Filing 
system also distributes an email that provides access to the document 
to the NRC's Office of the General Counsel and any others who have 
advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish to participate in 
the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the document on those 
participants separately. Therefore, applicants and other participants 
(or their counsel or representative) must apply for and receive a 
digital ID certificate before adjudicatory documents are filed to 
obtain access to the documents via the E-Filing system.
    A person filing electronically using the NRC's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC's Electronic 
Filing Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC's 
public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by 
email to [email protected], or by a toll-free call at 1-866-672-
7640. The NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk is available between 9 a.m. 
and 6 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Participants who believe that they have good cause for not 
submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, in 
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing 
stating why there is good cause for not filing electronically and 
requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper 
format. Such filings must be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 
2.302(b) through (d). Participants filing adjudicatory documents in 
this manner are responsible for serving their documents on all other 
participants. Participants granted an exemption under 10 CFR 
2.302(g)(2) must still meet the electronic formatting requirement in 10 
CFR 2.302(g)(1), unless the participant also seeks and is granted an 
exemption from 10 CFR 2.302(g)(1).
    Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in the 
NRC's electronic hearing docket, which is publicly available at https://adams.nrc.gov/ehd, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the 
presiding officer. If you do not have an NRC-issued digital ID 
certificate as previously described, click ``cancel'' when the link 
requests certificates and you will be automatically directed to the 
NRC's electronic hearing dockets where you will be able to access any 
publicly available documents in a particular hearing docket. 
Participants are requested not to include personal privacy information 
such as social security numbers, home addresses, or personal phone 
numbers in their filings unless an NRC regulation or other law requires 
submission of such information. With respect to copyrighted works, 
except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose of the adjudicatory 
filings and would constitute a Fair Use application, participants 
should not include copyrighted materials in their submission.
    The Commission will issue a notice or order granting or denying a 
hearing request or intervention petition, designating the issues for 
any hearing that will be held and designating the Presiding Officer. A 
notice granting a hearing will be published in the Federal Register and 
served on the parties to the hearing.
    For further details with respect to this application, see the 
application dated May 30, 2023, as supplement by letters dated June 20 
and June 26, 2023 (ML23152A116, ML23171A976, and ML23177A089, 
respectively).

VI. Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information for 
Contention Preparation

    Any person who desires access to proprietary, confidential 
commercial information that has been redacted from the application 
should contact the Applicants by emailing Michelle P. Catts, Senior 
Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, GE, at [email protected] for 
the purpose of negotiating a confidentiality agreement or a proposed 
protective order with the Applicants. If no agreement can be reached, 
persons who desire access to this information may file a motion with 
the Secretary and addressed to the Commission that requests the 
issuance of a protective order.

    Dated: July 13, 2023.


[[Page 46200]]


    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Shana R. Helton,
Director, Division of Fuel Management, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2023-15210 Filed 7-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P