ML070940237
| ML070940237 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07003098 |
| Issue date: | 04/04/2007 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Press Release-07-043 | |
| Download: ML070940237 (2) | |
See also: see also:Press Release-07-043
Text
NRC NEWS
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200
Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov
Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov
No.07-043
April 4, 2007
NRC TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING IN AIKEN, S.C., ON LICENSE REVIEW PROCESS
FOR MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting April 12 in Aiken, S.C., to
discuss its review of an application by Shaw Areva MOX Services to operate a mixed-oxide (MOX)
fuel fabrication facility at the Savannah River Site.
The meeting will be held at the Aiken City Municipal Building, 214 Park Avenue SW, in
Aiken, from 7:30 - 9:30 pm. NRC staff members will be available an hour before the meeting for
informal discussions with members of the public.
During the formal meeting, the staff will discuss its review process for the operating license
application, plans for inspecting the facility and enforcing NRC regulations, and the legal process for
members of the public to request a hearing on the application before a panel of Atomic Safety and
Licensing Board judges. Members of the public will have the opportunity to ask questions of the
technical staff.
The MOX facility, which will be owned by the Department of Energys National Nuclear
Security Administration, is part of a bilateral effort between the United States and the Russian
Federation to convert supplies of surplus weapons-grade plutonium into more proliferation-resistant
forms by blending it with uranium. Converting the plutonium into this mixed-oxide fuel will enable it
to be used in commercial reactors to generate electricity. In the United States, only those reactors
authorized by the NRC will be permitted to use MOX fuel.
The NRC issued a construction authorization for the facility March 30, 2005. During that
licensing review, the NRC staff completed an Environmental Impact Statement on the construction and
operation of the proposed facility. That report is available on the NRC Web site at
http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/mox/licensing.html. Information on various public
meetings held regarding the MOX facility is also available there.
A notice of opportunity to request a hearing was published March 15 in the Federal Register.
The deadline for requesting a hearing is May 14. Petitions may be filed by anyone whose interest may
be affected by the facility and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding.
A request for hearing and a petition for leave to intervene must be filed with the Secretary of
the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff. Requests may also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 415-1101
or e-mail to HEARINGDOCKET@nrc.gov. A copy should also be submitted to the NRC Office of
General Counsel, by facsimile to (301) 415-3725 or e-mail to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov.
Information on the NRCs hearings process is available at this Web address:
http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html.
News releases are available through a free list serve subscription at the following Web address:
http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html . The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link.
E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.