ML18227A020

LTR-18-0294-1DSFM: Letter to N. Cowger Request for Additional Environmental Scoping Meetings for Holtec International'S Proposed Consolidated Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility License in Lea County, New Mexico (Docket Number: 72-1051)

ML18227A020
Person / Time
Site:	HI-STORE
Issue date:	08/15/2018
From:	Michael Layton Division of Spent Fuel Management
To:	Cowger N Public Commenter
Brown D
References
LTR-18-0294-1DSFM
Download: ML18227A020 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 August 15, 2018 Ms. Nancy L. Cowger 1538 Heather Court, Apt. A2 Wheeling, IL 60090

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING MEETINGS FOR HOLTEC INTERNATIONALS PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM SPENT FUEL STORAGE FACILITY LICENSE IN LEA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO (DOCKET NUMBER: 72-1051)

Dear Ms. Cowger:

On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your letter dated July 6, 2018. Your letter requested additional public comment environmental scoping meetings in different regions of the United States that might be impacted by the Holtec Internationals (Holtecs) application for a proposed Consolidated Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility.

In your July 6, 2018, letter, you stated that the NRC should consider scheduling at least as many public comment meetings as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) did at the environmental scoping phase of the Yucca Mountain project. You stated that DOE held fifteen meetings at that time, and NRC held five scoping meetings in New Mexico in April and May 2018, regarding Holtecs proposal. Because DOE held ten more meetings than the NRC, you requested that the NRC conduct at least ten more public comment environmental scoping meetings in different regions of the country that would be impacted by Holtecs proposed facility.

An important difference between Holtecs proposed Consolidated Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility and the Yucca Mountain project is that Holtecs proposal involves interim storage of spent fuel for license terms not to exceed 40 years, whereas the scope of the Yucca Mountain project included permanent disposal of spent fuel and high level waste.

The NRCs environmental scoping period began on March 30, 2018, with the publication of a Federal Register (FR) notice of intent to conduct scoping (83 FR 13802). The scoping comment period was originally noticed for 60 days. Initially, the NRC staff provided the following three methods for submittal of public comments: 1) verbally at one of the transcribed public scoping meetings; 2) hardcopy via regular U.S. mail or hand delivery at one of the scoping meetings; or

3) electronically using the Federal Rulemaking website. Following requests from the public, the NRC extended the comment period by an additional 60 days until July 30, 2018, and provided another method for comment submittal in the form of an email address at Holtec-CISFEIS@nrc.gov (83 FR 22714). During the scoping period, the NRC conducted a total of six scoping meetings and has received hundreds of comments during those meetings and by the methods discussed above.

N. Cowger 2 The six scoping meetings, along with the 120-day scoping period, and the four methods to submit comments, provided meaningful and ample opportunities for members of the public to submit their comments, while allowing the NRC to make timely regulatory decisions. Therefore, the staff is not planning to hold additional scoping meetings.

If you would like to discuss any of these matters, please contact Mr. Jose Cuadrado, Project Manager, by telephone at (301) 415-0606 or via email at Jose.Cuadrado-Caraballo@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Michael C. Layton, Director Division of Spent Fuel Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 72-1051

N. Cowger 3

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING MEETINGS FOR HOLTEC INTERNATIONALS PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM SPENT FUEL STORAGE FACILITY LICENSE IN LEA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO (DOCKET NUMBER: 72-1051), DOCUMENT DATE: August 15, 2018 DISTRIBUTION: FCSE/ERB r/f, DSFM/SFLB r/f J. Cuadrado, NMSS C. Roman, FCSE J. Caverly, FCSE ADAMS Accession Number: ML18222A020 LTR-18-0294-1DSFM *via email OFC *DSFM/SFLB *DSFM/SFLB *OGC *FCSE/ERB NAME JCuadrado SFigueroa CHair CRoman DATE 08/09/18 08/09/18 8/14/18 08/14/18 OFC *DSFM/SFLB DSFM NAME JMcKirgan MLayton DATE 08/14/2018 08/15/18 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY