URENCO USA, Uranium Enrichment Facility, 14416-14417 [2015-06334]

Download as PDF 14416 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 53 / Thursday, March 19, 2015 / Notices Thursday, April 16, 2015 • Perspectives from the Office of the Director • Emerging Frontiers of Research and Innovation (EFRI) Overview • EFRI Committee of Visitors (COV) Report • Roundtable on ENG Strategic Activities and Recommendations Dated: March 13, 2015. Suzanne Plimpton, Acting, Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. 2015–06238 Filed 3–18–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 070–3103; NRC–2013–0044] URENCO USA, Uranium Enrichment Facility U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; issuance. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering approval of the URENCO USA (UUSA) license amendment request 12–10 (LAR–12–10) that would authorize capacity expansion of the UUSA enrichment facility near Eunice, New Mexico. In addition the NRC is considering approval of related UUSA license amendment requests that would authorize increases in the mass possession limits for natural, depleted, and enriched uranium; and would authorize use of a modified enrichment process to utilize depleted uranium as the feed material. DATES: The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact referenced in this document is available on March 19, 2015. ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2013–0044 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 Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2013–0044. Address questions about NRC dockets to Ms. Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301–415– 3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. 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 Rmajette on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:18 Mar 18, 2015 Jkt 235001 (ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. To begin the search, select ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then 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 pdr.resource@nrc.gov. 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. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Asimios Malliakos, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–6458; email: Asimios.Malliakos@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The NRC is considering approval of the UUSA LAR–12–10 (a publiclyavailable version is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML12319A591), and UUSA’s supplemental license amendment request (ADAMS Accession No. ML14171A092). The NRC’s approval would authorize capacity expansion of the UUSA enrichment facility that operates near Eunice, New Mexico. LAR–12–10 and the supplemental request were submitted by URENCO USA (formerly Louisiana Energy Services, LLC), requesting amendment of its special nuclear material (SNM) License SNM–2010, under which UUSA operates its gas centrifuge uranium enrichment facility. The NRC’s approval would increase the authorized mass possession limits for natural, depleted, and enriched uranium, and would authorize use of a modified enrichment process to utilize depleted uranium as the feed material. The NRC staff has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) (ADAMS Accession No. ML15072A016) of the proposed actions, in accordance with the requirements in Part 51 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). Both LAR–12–10 and UUSA’s June 2014, supplemental license amendment request were considered in the EA prepared by the NRC staff. The NRC staff’s safety evaluation of the proposed actions will be PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 documented in a separate Safety Evaluation Report (SER). If the proposed actions are approved, the NRC will issue to UUSA an amended SNM–2010 license following the publication of this notice, and the amended license will be made publicly available. II. Environmental Assessment On September 10, 2012, UUSA submitted an Environmental Report (ER) (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML12262A539 and ML12262A540) that forms a basis for the NRC’s EA of the proposed actions. On November 9, 2012, UUSA submitted the associated LAR–12–10 to expand the production capacity of the UUSA facility. Subsequent to LAR–12– 10, UUSA submitted a supplemental license amendment request on June 17, 2014. The June 2014 submittal requested an increase in the authorized mass possession limits for natural, depleted, and enriched uranium. In addition, the June 2014 submittal requested authorization to use a modified enrichment process that would utilize depleted uranium instead of natural uranium as the feed material. The NRC staff has assessed the potential environmental impacts associated with the 2012 and 2014 license amendment requests, as well as the no action alternative, and has documented the results in the EA. The NRC staff performed its environmental review in accordance with the requirements in 10 CFR part 51. In addition to the ER, the NRC staff also considered information received from a request for additional information (RAI); communications with the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO); the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish; information gathered from an NRC site visit; consultation with Native American Tribes, local governments and agencies officials; as well as information from independent analysis. In the EA, the NRC staff evaluated the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action and the no action alternative on the affected environment. The resource areas evaluated include: land use; historical and cultural resources; visual and scenic resources; climatology, meteorology, and air quality; geology, minerals, and soils; water resources; ecological resources; socioeconomics; environmental justice; noise; transportation; public and occupational health and safety; and waste management. Additionally, the NRC staff analyzed the potential cumulative impacts from past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions when combined with the environmental E:\FR\FM\19MRN1.SGM 19MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 53 / Thursday, March 19, 2015 / Notices impacts from the proposed action. The NRC staff concluded that there would not be significant adverse cumulative impacts to any resource area. Based on its review of the proposed action relative to the requirements set forth in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC staff has determined that the amendment to NRC License SNM–2010, authorizing capacity expansion of UUSA’s uranium enrichment facility near Eunice, New Mexico, would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment. III. Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) Based on its review of the proposed action, in accordance with the requirements in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC staff has concluded that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of March, 2015. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Marissa G. Bailey, Director, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards, and Environmental Review, Office of Nuclear Material Safety, and Safeguards. [FR Doc. 2015–06334 Filed 3–18–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Notice of Meeting In accordance with the purposes of Sections 29 and 182b of the Atomic Energy Act (42 U.S.C. 2039, 2232b), the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) will hold a meeting on April 9–11, 2015, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. Rmajette on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Thursday, April 9, 2015, Conference Room T2–B1, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 8:30 a.m.–8:35 a.m.: Opening Remarks by the ACRS Chairman (Open)—The ACRS Chairman will make opening remarks regarding the conduct of the meeting. 8:35 a.m.–10:30 a.m.: Topical Report NEDE–33766P, ‘‘GEH Simplified Stability Solution (GS3)’’ (Open/ Closed)—The Committee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the staff and GEHitachi regarding the review of the GS3 topical report. VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:18 Mar 18, 2015 Jkt 235001 Note: A portion of this meeting may be closed in order to discuss and protect information designated as proprietary, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4). 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.: Draft Proposed Rulemaking for Mitigation of BeyondDesign-Basis Events (Open)—The Committee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the staff regarding the draft proposed rulemaking package in support of mitigation of beyond-designbasis events that would, among other things, make generically applicable Order EA–12–049. 2:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.: Preparation of ACRS Reports (Open/Closed)—The Committee will discuss proposed ACRS reports on matters discussed during this meeting. Note: A portion of this meeting may be closed in order to discuss and protect information designated as proprietary, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4). Friday, April 10, 2015, Conference Room T2–B1, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m.: Future ACRS Activities/Report of the Planning and Procedures Subcommittee (Open/ Closed)—The Committee will discuss the recommendations of the Planning and Procedures Subcommittee regarding items proposed for consideration by the Full Committee during future ACRS Meetings, and matters related to the conduct of ACRS business, including anticipated workload and member assignments. [Note: A portion of this meeting may be closed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(2) and (6) to discuss organizational and personnel matters that relate solely to internal personnel rules and practices of ACRS, and information the release of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.] 10:00 a.m.–10:15 a.m.: Reconciliation of ACRS Comments and Recommendations (Open)—The Committee will discuss the responses from the NRC Executive Director for Operations to comments and recommendations included in recent ACRS reports and letters. 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Development of Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) in Support of Order EA–13–109 (Reliable Hardened Vents) (Open)—The Committee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the staff regarding development of ISG in Support of Order EA–13–109. 2:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.: Preparation of ACRS Reports (Open/Closed)—The Committee will continue its discussion PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 14417 of proposed ACRS reports on matters discussed during this meeting. Note: A portion of this meeting may be closed in order to discuss and protect information designated as proprietary, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4). Saturday, April 11, 2015, Conference Room T2–B1, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 8:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.: Preparation of ACRS Reports (Open/Closed)—The Committee will continue its discussion of proposed ACRS reports. Note: A portion of this meeting may be closed in order to discuss and protect information designated as proprietary, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4). 11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Miscellaneous (Open)—The Committee will continue its discussion related to the conduct of Committee activities and specific issues that were not completed during previous meetings. Procedures for the conduct of and participation in ACRS meetings were published in the Federal Register on October 13, 2014 (79 FR 59307–59308). In accordance with those procedures, oral or written views may be presented by members of the public, including representatives of the nuclear industry. Persons desiring to make oral statements should notify Quynh Nguyen, Cognizant ACRS Staff (Telephone: 301–415–5844, Email: Quynh.Nguyen@nrc.gov), five days before the meeting, if possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made to allow necessary time during the meeting for such statements. In view of the possibility that the schedule for ACRS meetings may be adjusted by the Chairman as necessary to facilitate the conduct of the meeting, persons planning to attend should check with the Cognizant ACRS staff if such rescheduling would result in major inconvenience. Thirty-five hard copies of each presentation or handout should be provided 30 minutes before the meeting. In addition, one electronic copy of each presentation should be emailed to the Cognizant ACRS Staff one day before meeting. If an electronic copy cannot be provided within this timeframe, presenters should provide the Cognizant ACRS Staff with a CD containing each presentation at least 30 minutes before the meeting. In accordance with Subsection 10(d) of Public Law 92–463 and 5 U.S.C. 552b(c), certain portions of the April 9– 11th meeting may be closed, as specifically noted above. Use of still, motion picture, and television cameras during the meeting may be limited to selected portions of the meeting as E:\FR\FM\19MRN1.SGM 19MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 53 (Thursday, March 19, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14416-14417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06334]


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

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 070-3103; NRC-2013-0044]


URENCO USA, Uranium Enrichment Facility

AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
approval of the URENCO USA (UUSA) license amendment request 12-10 (LAR-
12-10) that would authorize capacity expansion of the UUSA enrichment 
facility near Eunice, New Mexico. In addition the NRC is considering 
approval of related UUSA license amendment requests that would 
authorize increases in the mass possession limits for natural, 
depleted, and enriched uranium; and would authorize use of a modified 
enrichment process to utilize depleted uranium as the feed material.

DATES: The environmental assessment and finding of no significant 
impact referenced in this document is available on March 19, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2013-0044 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 Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2013-0044. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Ms. Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. 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 ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and 
then 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 pdr.resource@nrc.gov. 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.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Asimios Malliakos, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-6458; email: 
Asimios.Malliakos@nrc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering approval of the UUSA LAR-12-10 (a publicly-
available version is available in ADAMS under Accession No. 
ML12319A591), and UUSA's supplemental license amendment request (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML14171A092). The NRC's approval would authorize capacity 
expansion of the UUSA enrichment facility that operates near Eunice, 
New Mexico. LAR-12-10 and the supplemental request were submitted by 
URENCO USA (formerly Louisiana Energy Services, LLC), requesting 
amendment of its special nuclear material (SNM) License SNM-2010, under 
which UUSA operates its gas centrifuge uranium enrichment facility. The 
NRC's approval would increase the authorized mass possession limits for 
natural, depleted, and enriched uranium, and would authorize use of a 
modified enrichment process to utilize depleted uranium as the feed 
material. The NRC staff has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML15072A016) of the proposed actions, in 
accordance with the requirements in Part 51 of Title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR). Both LAR-12-10 and UUSA's June 2014, 
supplemental license amendment request were considered in the EA 
prepared by the NRC staff.
    The NRC staff's safety evaluation of the proposed actions will be 
documented in a separate Safety Evaluation Report (SER). If the 
proposed actions are approved, the NRC will issue to UUSA an amended 
SNM-2010 license following the publication of this notice, and the 
amended license will be made publicly available.

II. Environmental Assessment

    On September 10, 2012, UUSA submitted an Environmental Report (ER) 
(ADAMS Accession Nos. ML12262A539 and ML12262A540) that forms a basis 
for the NRC's EA of the proposed actions. On November 9, 2012, UUSA 
submitted the associated LAR-12-10 to expand the production capacity of 
the UUSA facility. Subsequent to LAR-12-10, UUSA submitted a 
supplemental license amendment request on June 17, 2014. The June 2014 
submittal requested an increase in the authorized mass possession 
limits for natural, depleted, and enriched uranium. In addition, the 
June 2014 submittal requested authorization to use a modified 
enrichment process that would utilize depleted uranium instead of 
natural uranium as the feed material.
    The NRC staff has assessed the potential environmental impacts 
associated with the 2012 and 2014 license amendment requests, as well 
as the no action alternative, and has documented the results in the EA. 
The NRC staff performed its environmental review in accordance with the 
requirements in 10 CFR part 51. In addition to the ER, the NRC staff 
also considered information received from a request for additional 
information (RAI); communications with the New Mexico State Historic 
Preservation Office (SHPO); the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish; 
information gathered from an NRC site visit; consultation with Native 
American Tribes, local governments and agencies officials; as well as 
information from independent analysis.
    In the EA, the NRC staff evaluated the potential environmental 
impacts of the proposed action and the no action alternative on the 
affected environment. The resource areas evaluated include: land use; 
historical and cultural resources; visual and scenic resources; 
climatology, meteorology, and air quality; geology, minerals, and 
soils; water resources; ecological resources; socioeconomics; 
environmental justice; noise; transportation; public and occupational 
health and safety; and waste management.
    Additionally, the NRC staff analyzed the potential cumulative 
impacts from past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions 
when combined with the environmental

[[Page 14417]]

impacts from the proposed action. The NRC staff concluded that there 
would not be significant adverse cumulative impacts to any resource 
area.
    Based on its review of the proposed action relative to the 
requirements set forth in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC staff has determined 
that the amendment to NRC License SNM-2010, authorizing capacity 
expansion of UUSA's uranium enrichment facility near Eunice, New 
Mexico, would not significantly affect the quality of the human 
environment.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

    Based on its review of the proposed action, in accordance with the 
requirements in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC staff has concluded that the 
proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of 
the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined not to 
prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of March, 2015.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Marissa G. Bailey,
Director, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards, and Environmental 
Review, Office of Nuclear Material Safety, and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2015-06334 Filed 3-18-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.