97-719. U.S. Department of Energy; Notice of Consideration of Issuance of a Materials License for the Storage of Spent Fuel and Notice of Opportunity for a Hearing  

  • [Federal Register Volume 62, Number 8 (Monday, January 13, 1997)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 1782-1783]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 97-719]
    
    
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    NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
    
    [Docket No. 72-20]
    
    
    U.S. Department of Energy; Notice of Consideration of Issuance of 
    a Materials License for the Storage of Spent Fuel and Notice of 
    Opportunity for a Hearing
    
        The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering an application 
    dated October 31, 1996, for a materials license, under the provisions 
    of 10 CFR Part 72, from the U.S. Department of Energy (the applicant or 
    DOE) to possess spent fuel and other radioactive materials associated 
    with spent fuel storage in an independent spent fuel storage 
    installation (ISFSI) located in Butte County, Idaho, within the Idaho 
    National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) complex. If granted, the license 
    will authorize the applicant to store spent fuel from the Three Mile 
    Island Unit 2 reactor in a dry storage cask system at the ISFSI which 
    the applicant proposes to construct and operate at the Idaho Chemical 
    Processing Plant site within INEL. Pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 
    Part 72, the term of the license for the ISFSI would be twenty (20) 
    years.
        Prior to issuance of the requested license, the NRC will have made 
    the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the 
    Act), and the NRC's rules and regulations. The issuance of the 
    materials license will not be approved until the NRC has reviewed the 
    application and has concluded that approval of the license will not be 
    inimical to the common defense and security and will not constitute an 
    unreasonable risk to public health and safety. The NRC, in accordance 
    with 10 CFR 51.20(b)(9), will complete an environmental impact 
    statement. This action will be the subject of a subsequent notice in 
    the Federal Register. Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.105, by February 12, 1997, 
    the applicant may file a request for a hearing; and any person whose 
    interest may be affected by this proceeding and who wishes to 
    participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written request 
    for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene with respect to the 
    subject materials license in accordance with the provisions of 10 CFR 
    2.714. If a request for hearing or petition for leave to intervene is 
    filed by the above date, an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board 
    designated by the Commission or by the Chairman of the Atomic Safety 
    and Licensing Board Panel will rule on the request and/or petition, and 
    the Secretary or the designated Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will 
    issue a notice of hearing or an appropriate order. In the event that no 
    request for hearing or petition for leave to intervene is filed by the 
    above date, the NRC may, upon satisfactory completion of all required 
    evaluations, issue the materials license without further prior notice.
        A petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with 
    particularity the interest of the petitioner in the proceeding and how 
    that interest may be affected by the results of the proceeding. The 
    petition should specifically explain the reasons why intervention 
    should be permitted with particular reference to the following factors: 
    (1) The nature of the petitioner's right under the Act to be made a 
    party to the proceeding; (2) the nature and extent of the petitioner's 
    property, financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and (3) the 
    possible effect of any order that may be entered in the proceeding on 
    the petitioner's interest. The petition should also identify the 
    specific aspect(s) of the subject matter of the proceeding as to which 
    petitioner wishes to intervene. Any person who has filed a petition for 
    leave to intervene or who has been admitted as a party may amend a 
    petition, without requesting leave of the Board, up to 15 days prior to 
    the holding of the first pre-hearing conference scheduled in the 
    proceeding, but such an amended petition must satisfy the specificity 
    requirements described above.
        Not later than fifteen (15) days prior to the first pre-hearing 
    conference scheduled in the proceeding, a petitioner shall file a 
    supplement to the petition to intervene which must include a list of 
    contentions which are sought to be litigated in the matter. Each 
    contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue of law or 
    fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the petitioner shall 
    provide a brief explanation of the bases of the contention and a 
    concise statement of the alleged facts or expert opinion which support 
    the contention and on which the petitioner intends to rely in proving 
    the contention at the hearing. The petitioner must also provide 
    references to those specific sources and documents of which the 
    petitioner is aware and on which the petitioner intends to rely to 
    establish those facts or expert opinion. Petitioner must provide 
    sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the 
    applicant on a material issue of law or fact. Contentions shall be 
    limited to matters within the scope of the action under consideration. 
    The contention must be one which, if proven, would entitle the 
    petitioner to relief. A petitioner who fails to file such a supplement 
    which satisfied these requirements with respect to at least one 
    contention will not be permitted to participate as a party.
        Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding, 
    subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene, 
    and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the 
    hearing.
        A request for a hearing or a petition for leave to intervene must 
    be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
    Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Docketing and Services 
    Branch, or may be delivered to the Commission's Public Document Room, 
    Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, by the above date. 
    Where petitions are filed during the last ten (10) days of the notice 
    period, it is requested that the petitioner promptly so inform the NRC 
    by a toll-free telephone call to Western Union at 1-(800) 248-5100 (in 
    Missouri 1-(800) 342-6700). The Western Union operator should be given 
    Datagram Identification Number N1023 and the following message 
    addressed to Mr. Charles J. Haughney, Acting Director, Spent Fuel 
    Project Office, Office of
    
    [[Page 1783]]
    
    Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards; petitioner's name and telephone 
    number; date petition was mailed; and publication date and page number 
    of this Federal Register notice. A copy of the petition should also be 
    sent to the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
    Commission, Washington, DC 20555, as well as the applicant's legal 
    counsel, Robin A. Henderson, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
    Independence Avenue, SW., GC-52, Washington, DC 20585; and Simon S. 
    Martin, U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, 850 Energy 
    Drive, MS-1209, Idaho Falls, ID 83401.
        Non-timely filings of petitions for leave to intervene, amended 
    petitions, supplemental petitions, and/or requests for hearing will not 
    be entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the presiding 
    officer, or the presiding Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the 
    petition and/or request should be granted based upon a balancing of the 
    factors specified in 10 CFR 2.714(a)(1) (i)-(v) and 2.714(d).
        For further details with respect to this action, see the 
    application dated October 31, 1996, which is available for public 
    inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, 
    NW., Washington, DC 20555. The Commission's license and safety 
    evaluation report, when issued, may be inspected at this location. If 
    the Commission decides to establish a local public document room in a 
    community near the proposed facility, an option currently under 
    consideration, the license and safety evaluation report will also be 
    available at this location.
    
        Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of January 1997.
    
        For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
    Charles J. Haughney,
    Acting Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material 
    Safety and Safeguards.
    [FR Doc. 97-719 Filed 1-10-97; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
01/13/1997
Department:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
97-719
Pages:
1782-1783 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. 72-20
PDF File:
97-719.pdf