Excess Uranium Management: Effects of DOE Transfers of Excess Uranium on Domestic Uranium Mining, Conversion, and Enrichment Industries; Request for Information, 46917-46918 [2016-17024]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 138 / Tuesday, July 19, 2016 / Notices
Transcripts: Transcripts of the
meeting will be available by contacting
Ms. Johnson at the address above, or
info@npc.org.
Issued at Washington, DC, on July 13,
2016.
LaTanya R. Butler,
Deputy Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016–16953 Filed 7–18–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB)
Department of Energy, Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of open teleconference.
AGENCY:
This notice announces a
teleconference call of the State Energy
Advisory Board (STEAB). The Federal
Advisory Committee Act (Public Law
92–463; 86 Stat.770) requires that public
notice of these meetings be announced
in the Federal Register.
DATES: Thursday, August 18, 2016 from
3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EDT). To receive
the call-in number and passcode, please
contact the Board’s Designated Federal
Officer at the address or phone number
listed below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Li, Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy, US Department
of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave SW.,
Washington, DC 20585. Phone number
202–287–5718, and email michael.li@
ee.doe.gov.
SUMMARY:
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose of the Board: To make
recommendations to the Assistant
Secretary for the Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy
regarding goals and objectives,
programmatic and administrative
policies, and to otherwise carry out the
Board’s responsibilities as designated in
the State Energy Efficiency Programs
Improvement Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101–
440).
Tentative Agenda: Receive STEAB
Task Force updates on action items and
revised objectives for FY 2016, discuss
follow-up opportunities and
engagement with EERE and other DOE
staff as needed to keep Task Force work
moving forward, continue engagement
with DOE, EERE and EPSA staff
regarding energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects and
initiatives, and receive updates on
member activities within their states.
Recap June meeting and follow-up on
action items from that meeting.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:39 Jul 18, 2016
Jkt 238001
Public Participation: The meeting is
open to the public. Written statements
may be filed with the Board either
before or after the meeting. Members of
the public who wish to make oral
statements pertaining to agenda items
should contact Michael Li at the address
or telephone number listed above.
Requests to make oral comments must
be received five days prior to the
meeting; reasonable provision will be
made to include requested topic(s) on
the agenda. The Chair of the Board is
empowered to conduct the meeting in a
fashion that will facilitate the orderly
conduct of business.
Minutes: The minutes of the meeting
will be available for public review and
copying within 60 days on the STEAB
Web site at: https://www.energy.gov/eere/
steab/state-energy-advisory-board.
Issued at Washington, DC, on July 13,
2016.
LaTanya R. Butler,
Deputy Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016–16956 Filed 7–18–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Excess Uranium Management: Effects
of DOE Transfers of Excess Uranium
on Domestic Uranium Mining,
Conversion, and Enrichment
Industries; Request for Information
Office of Nuclear Energy,
Department of Energy.
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) is preparing for a
potential new Secretarial Determination
covering transfers of uranium for
cleanup services at the Portsmouth
Gaseous Diffusion Plant and for downblending of highly-enriched uranium to
low-enriched uranium (LEU). This RFI
solicits information from the public
about the uranium markets and
domestic uranium industries, and the
potential effects of DOE transfers in the
uranium markets and possible
consequences for the domestic uranium
mining, conversion and enrichment
industries. DOE will consider this
information as part of its analysis to
determine whether its transfers would
have an adverse material impact on the
domestic uranium mining, conversion,
or enrichment industry.
DATES: DOE will accept comments, data,
and information responding to this RFI
submitted on or before August 18, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons may
submit comments by any of the
following methods.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
46917
1. Email: RFI-UraniumTransfers@
hq.doe.gov. Submit electronic comments
in Microsoft Word, or PDF file format
and avoid the use of special characters
or any form of encryption.
2. Postal Mail: Ms. Cheryl Moss
Herman, U.S. Department of Energy,
Office of Nuclear Energy, Mailstop B–
409, 19901 Germantown Rd.,
Germantown, MD 20874–1290. If
possible, please submit all items on a
compact disk (CD), in which case it is
not necessary to include printed copies.
3. Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Cheryl
Moss Herman, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy,
Mailstop B–409, 19901 Germantown
Rd., Germantown, MD 20874–1290.
Phone: (301) 903–1788. If possible,
please submit all items on a CD, in
which case it is not necessary to include
printed copies.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name for this
request for information. No facsimiles
(faxes) will be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information may
be sent to: Ms. Cheryl Moss Herman,
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of
Nuclear Energy, Mailstop B–409, 19901
Germantown Rd., Germantown, MD
20874–1290. Phone: (301) 903–1788.
Email: Cheryl.Moss_Herman@
Nuclear.Energy.Gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Authority and Background
II. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment and
Information
III. Submission of Comments
IV. Confidential Business Information
I. Authority and Background
Title I, Chapters 6–7, 14, of the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C.
2011 et seq., ‘‘AEA’’) authorizes the
Department of Energy to transfer special
nuclear material and source material.
Enriched uranium and natural uranium
are types of special nuclear material and
source material, respectively. In 1996,
Congress enacted the USEC
Privatization Act (Public Law 104–134,
42 U.S.C. 2297h et seq.), which places
certain limitations on DOE’s authority to
transfer uranium from its excess
uranium inventory. Specifically, under
section 3112(d)(2)(B) of the USEC
Privatization Act (42 U.S.C. 2297h10(d)(2)(B)), DOE may make certain
transfers of natural or low-enriched
uranium if the Secretary determines that
the transfers ‘‘will not have an adverse
material impact on the domestic
uranium mining, conversion or
enrichment industry, taking into
account the sales of uranium under the
E:\FR\FM\19JYN1.SGM
19JYN1
46918
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 138 / Tuesday, July 19, 2016 / Notices
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
Russian Highly Enriched Uranium
Agreement and the Suspension
Agreement.’’ Section 306(a) of Division
D, Title III of the Consolidated and
Further Continuing Appropriations Act,
2015 (Public Law 113–235), limits the
validity of any determination by the
Secretary under section 3112(d)(2)(B) of
the USEC Privatization Act to no more
than two calendar years subsequent to
the determination.
In recent years, DOE has transferred
uranium for cleanup services at the
Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and
for down-blending of highly-enriched
uranium to low-enriched uranium
(LEU). In May 2015, the Secretary
determined that certain transfers,
described in the determination, would
not have an adverse material impact on
the domestic uranium mining,
conversion, or enrichment industry (the
‘‘2015 Secretarial Determination’’).1 The
2015 Determination covers transfers to
contractors for cleanup services at the
Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant of
up to 2,000 metric tons of natural
uranium equivalent (MTU) contained in
natural uranium hexafluoride in
calendar year 2015, as well as transfers
of up to 1,600 MTU per calendar year
contained in natural uranium
hexafluoride in calendar year 2016 and
thereafter. The 2015 Secretarial
Determination also covers an amount of
LEU equivalent to up to 500 MTU of
natural uranium per calendar year in
calendar year 2015 and thereafter,
transferred to contractors for downblending highly-enriched uranium to
LEU.
DOE is preparing for a new Secretarial
Determination that would cover further
transfers of uranium for cleanup
services at the Portsmouth Gaseous
Diffusion Plant and for down-blending
of highly-enriched uranium to LEU
upon expiration of the 2015 Secretarial
Determination. DOE is initiating this
process by publishing this RFI seeking
information on the uranium markets
and domestic uranium industries. DOE
will evaluate comments received in
response to this RFI, along with other
information and analysis, to determine
whether its future transfers would have
an adverse material impact on the
domestic uranium mining, conversion,
or enrichment industry.
II. Issues on Which DOE Seeks
Comment and Information
This RFI seeks information from
interested parties on the uranium
1 Excess Uranium Management: Secretarial
Determination of No Adverse Impact on the
Domestic Uranium Mining, Conversion, and
Enrichment Industries, 80 FR 26366 (May 7, 2015).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:39 Jul 18, 2016
Jkt 238001
markets and domestic uranium
industries, and the potential effects of
DOE’s transfers on the uranium markets
and possible consequences for domestic
uranium industries. DOE will use that
information to help analyze and
determine whether its transfers would
have an adverse material impact on the
domestic uranium mining, conversion,
or enrichment industry. For all
comments, DOE requests that interested
parties fully explain any assumptions
that underlie their reasoning. DOE also
requests that commenters provide
underlying data or other information
sufficient to allow DOE to review and
verify any of the assumptions,
calculations or views expressed by the
commenters.
DOE specifically invites public
comment on the following questions:
(1) What are current and projected
conditions in the uranium markets, and
the domestic uranium mining,
conversion and enrichment industries?
(2) What market effects and industry
consequences could DOE expect from
continued transfers at annual rates
comparable to the transfers described in
the 2015 Secretarial Determination?
(3) Would transfers at a lower annual
rate or a higher annual rate significantly
change these effects, and if so, how?
(4) Are there any anticipated changes
in these markets that may significantly
change how DOE transfers affect the
domestic uranium industries?
Although comment is particularly
welcome on the issues discussed above,
DOE also requests comments on other
topics that commenters consider
significant in preparing for a potential
new Secretarial Determination.
III. Submission of Comments
DOE invites all interested parties to
submit, in writing by August 18, 2016,
comments and information on matters
addressed in this RFI. Any information
that may be confidential and exempt by
law from public disclosure should be
submitted as described in section IV.
Confidential Business Information. After
the close of the comment period, DOE
will continue collecting data,
conducting analyses, and reviewing the
public comments, as needed.
IV. Confidential Business Information
Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any
person submitting information he or she
believes to be confidential and exempt
by law from public disclosure should
submit via email, postal mail, or hand
delivery/courier two well-marked
copies: One copy of the document
marked ‘‘confidential’’ including all the
information believed to be confidential,
and one copy of the document marked
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
‘‘non-confidential’’ with the information
believed to be confidential deleted.
Submit these documents via email. DOE
will make its own determination about
the confidential status of the
information and treat it according to its
determination. Factors of interest to
DOE when evaluating requests to treat
submitted information as confidential
include: (1) A description of the items;
(2) whether and why such items are
customarily treated as confidential
within the industry; (3) whether the
information is generally known by or
available from other sources; (4)
whether the information has previously
been made available to others without
obligation concerning its
confidentiality; (5) an explanation of the
competitive injury to the submitting
person which would result from public
disclosure; (6) when such information
might lose its confidential character due
to the passage of time; and (7) why
disclosure of the information would be
contrary to the public interest.
Issued in Washington, DC, on July 12,
2016.
Raymond Furstenau,
Associate Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary, Office of Nuclear Energy.
[FR Doc. 2016–17024 Filed 7–18–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[FE Docket No. 15–190–LNG]
Rio Grande LNG, LLC; Application for
Long-Term, Multi-Contract
Authorization To Export Liquefied
Natural Gas to Non-Free Trade
Agreement Nations
Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.
Notice of application.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Office of Fossil Energy
(FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE)
gives notice of receipt of an application,
filed on December 23, 2015, amended
on June 7, 2016 (Application), by Rio
Grande LNG, LLC (Rio Grande LNG).
Rio Grande LNG requests long-term,
multi-contract authorization to export
domestically produced liquefied natural
gas (LNG) in a volume equivalent to
approximately 1,318 billion cubic feet
(Bcf) per year of natural gas (3.61 Bcf
per day). Rio Grande LNG seeks to
export the LNG by vessel from its
proposed natural gas liquefaction and
LNG export terminal to be located in
Cameron County, Texas, along the north
embankment of the Brownsville Ship
Channel (Rio Grande LNG Project). Rio
Grande LNG requests authorization to
export this LNG to any country with
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\19JYN1.SGM
19JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46917-46918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17024]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Excess Uranium Management: Effects of DOE Transfers of Excess
Uranium on Domestic Uranium Mining, Conversion, and Enrichment
Industries; Request for Information
AGENCY: Office of Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is preparing for a
potential new Secretarial Determination covering transfers of uranium
for cleanup services at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and for
down-blending of highly-enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium (LEU).
This RFI solicits information from the public about the uranium markets
and domestic uranium industries, and the potential effects of DOE
transfers in the uranium markets and possible consequences for the
domestic uranium mining, conversion and enrichment industries. DOE will
consider this information as part of its analysis to determine whether
its transfers would have an adverse material impact on the domestic
uranium mining, conversion, or enrichment industry.
DATES: DOE will accept comments, data, and information responding to
this RFI submitted on or before August 18, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons may submit comments by any of the
following methods.
1. Email: RFI-UraniumTransfers@hq.doe.gov. Submit electronic
comments in Microsoft Word, or PDF file format and avoid the use of
special characters or any form of encryption.
2. Postal Mail: Ms. Cheryl Moss Herman, U.S. Department of Energy,
Office of Nuclear Energy, Mailstop B-409, 19901 Germantown Rd.,
Germantown, MD 20874-1290. If possible, please submit all items on a
compact disk (CD), in which case it is not necessary to include printed
copies.
3. Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Cheryl Moss Herman, U.S. Department
of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Mailstop B-409, 19901 Germantown
Rd., Germantown, MD 20874-1290. Phone: (301) 903-1788. If possible,
please submit all items on a CD, in which case it is not necessary to
include printed copies.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
for this request for information. No facsimiles (faxes) will be
accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
may be sent to: Ms. Cheryl Moss Herman, U.S. Department of Energy,
Office of Nuclear Energy, Mailstop B-409, 19901 Germantown Rd.,
Germantown, MD 20874-1290. Phone: (301) 903-1788. Email:
Cheryl.Moss_Herman@Nuclear.Energy.Gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Authority and Background
II. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment and Information
III. Submission of Comments
IV. Confidential Business Information
I. Authority and Background
Title I, Chapters 6-7, 14, of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42
U.S.C. 2011 et seq., ``AEA'') authorizes the Department of Energy to
transfer special nuclear material and source material. Enriched uranium
and natural uranium are types of special nuclear material and source
material, respectively. In 1996, Congress enacted the USEC
Privatization Act (Public Law 104-134, 42 U.S.C. 2297h et seq.), which
places certain limitations on DOE's authority to transfer uranium from
its excess uranium inventory. Specifically, under section 3112(d)(2)(B)
of the USEC Privatization Act (42 U.S.C. 2297h-10(d)(2)(B)), DOE may
make certain transfers of natural or low-enriched uranium if the
Secretary determines that the transfers ``will not have an adverse
material impact on the domestic uranium mining, conversion or
enrichment industry, taking into account the sales of uranium under the
[[Page 46918]]
Russian Highly Enriched Uranium Agreement and the Suspension
Agreement.'' Section 306(a) of Division D, Title III of the
Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Public
Law 113-235), limits the validity of any determination by the Secretary
under section 3112(d)(2)(B) of the USEC Privatization Act to no more
than two calendar years subsequent to the determination.
In recent years, DOE has transferred uranium for cleanup services
at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and for down-blending of
highly-enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium (LEU). In May 2015, the
Secretary determined that certain transfers, described in the
determination, would not have an adverse material impact on the
domestic uranium mining, conversion, or enrichment industry (the ``2015
Secretarial Determination'').\1\ The 2015 Determination covers
transfers to contractors for cleanup services at the Portsmouth Gaseous
Diffusion Plant of up to 2,000 metric tons of natural uranium
equivalent (MTU) contained in natural uranium hexafluoride in calendar
year 2015, as well as transfers of up to 1,600 MTU per calendar year
contained in natural uranium hexafluoride in calendar year 2016 and
thereafter. The 2015 Secretarial Determination also covers an amount of
LEU equivalent to up to 500 MTU of natural uranium per calendar year in
calendar year 2015 and thereafter, transferred to contractors for down-
blending highly-enriched uranium to LEU.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Excess Uranium Management: Secretarial Determination of No
Adverse Impact on the Domestic Uranium Mining, Conversion, and
Enrichment Industries, 80 FR 26366 (May 7, 2015).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOE is preparing for a new Secretarial Determination that would
cover further transfers of uranium for cleanup services at the
Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and for down-blending of highly-
enriched uranium to LEU upon expiration of the 2015 Secretarial
Determination. DOE is initiating this process by publishing this RFI
seeking information on the uranium markets and domestic uranium
industries. DOE will evaluate comments received in response to this
RFI, along with other information and analysis, to determine whether
its future transfers would have an adverse material impact on the
domestic uranium mining, conversion, or enrichment industry.
II. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment and Information
This RFI seeks information from interested parties on the uranium
markets and domestic uranium industries, and the potential effects of
DOE's transfers on the uranium markets and possible consequences for
domestic uranium industries. DOE will use that information to help
analyze and determine whether its transfers would have an adverse
material impact on the domestic uranium mining, conversion, or
enrichment industry. For all comments, DOE requests that interested
parties fully explain any assumptions that underlie their reasoning.
DOE also requests that commenters provide underlying data or other
information sufficient to allow DOE to review and verify any of the
assumptions, calculations or views expressed by the commenters.
DOE specifically invites public comment on the following questions:
(1) What are current and projected conditions in the uranium
markets, and the domestic uranium mining, conversion and enrichment
industries?
(2) What market effects and industry consequences could DOE expect
from continued transfers at annual rates comparable to the transfers
described in the 2015 Secretarial Determination?
(3) Would transfers at a lower annual rate or a higher annual rate
significantly change these effects, and if so, how?
(4) Are there any anticipated changes in these markets that may
significantly change how DOE transfers affect the domestic uranium
industries?
Although comment is particularly welcome on the issues discussed
above, DOE also requests comments on other topics that commenters
consider significant in preparing for a potential new Secretarial
Determination.
III. Submission of Comments
DOE invites all interested parties to submit, in writing by August
18, 2016, comments and information on matters addressed in this RFI.
Any information that may be confidential and exempt by law from public
disclosure should be submitted as described in section IV. Confidential
Business Information. After the close of the comment period, DOE will
continue collecting data, conducting analyses, and reviewing the public
comments, as needed.
IV. Confidential Business Information
Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information he or
she believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public
disclosure should submit via email, postal mail, or hand delivery/
courier two well-marked copies: One copy of the document marked
``confidential'' including all the information believed to be
confidential, and one copy of the document marked ``non-confidential''
with the information believed to be confidential deleted. Submit these
documents via email. DOE will make its own determination about the
confidential status of the information and treat it according to its
determination. Factors of interest to DOE when evaluating requests to
treat submitted information as confidential include: (1) A description
of the items; (2) whether and why such items are customarily treated as
confidential within the industry; (3) whether the information is
generally known by or available from other sources; (4) whether the
information has previously been made available to others without
obligation concerning its confidentiality; (5) an explanation of the
competitive injury to the submitting person which would result from
public disclosure; (6) when such information might lose its
confidential character due to the passage of time; and (7) why
disclosure of the information would be contrary to the public interest.
Issued in Washington, DC, on July 12, 2016.
Raymond Furstenau,
Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Nuclear
Energy.
[FR Doc. 2016-17024 Filed 7-18-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P