ML19246A843
| ML19246A843 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 11/24/1978 |
| From: | Chilk S NRC OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SECY) |
| To: | Cotton R National Resources Defense Council |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19246A820 | List: |
| References | |
| RULE-PRM-20-7 SECY-78-613, NUDOCS 7907090063 | |
| Download: ML19246A843 (2) | |
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Mr. Richard Cotten Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.
2345 Yale Street Palo Alto, California 94306
Dear Mr. Cotten:
I would like to inform you that the Nuclear Regulatory Comission (NRC) has completed its action on your petition for rulemaking that was submitted by a letter dated August 6, 1976. As you know, tha petition requested that the Comission imediately adopt interim regulations setting stancards for shallow land disposal of transuranic and other low-level radioactive waste as well as prepare a programmatic generic environ-mental impact statement (GEIS) on low-level waste disposal. The public coments on the petition, staff analysis and rationale for NRC's action are discuss.
in the e.iclosed Federal Reaister Notice.
Although the NRC staff found insufficient Justification for imediate implementation of regulations as requested in the petition, many of the issues and points raised in the pc' on arr. being concidered in the ongoing NRC low-level waste management program. As part of this program, NRC is now developing regulations and supporting environmental impacts statements regarding (1) maximum concentrations of radic _dides, including transuranic nuclides, which may be safely disposed of as low-level waste, and (2) administrative, institutional and technical requirements for disposal of low-level waste by shallow land burial and alternative disposal methods.
These regulations are scheduled to be published for public cement in, respectively,1979 and 1980.
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Richard Cotten Thc Commission also believes that a separate GEIS as called for in the petition is neithcr required by NEPA nor necessary for development of the NRC low-letel waste program.
It is intended that the environmental impact statements and other technical documentation being developed to support the forthcoming regulations will be of sufficient scope to make a separate programmatic GEIS unnecessary.
The NRC has, therefore, denied the petition egarding implementation of innediate regulations and the GEIS requested. The NRC has and is,
h: vever, still considering certain issues raised by the petition through its ongoing low-level waste management program.' We welcome your further i 4.erest and input into our program and regulations development effort.
Samuel J. Chilk Secretary of the Comnission
Enclosure:
Federal Register Notice of denial of petition for rulemaking 314 352
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