ML19248D737
| ML19248D737 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/18/1979 |
| From: | Chilk S NRC OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SECY) |
| To: | Cotten R National Resources Defense Council |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19248D738 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908170305 | |
| Download: ML19248D737 (2) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES
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E" NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION s,
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July 18, 1979 Mr. Richard Cotten Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.
2345 Yale Street Palo Alto, California 94306
Dear Mr. Cotten:
I would like to infonn 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, the petition requested that the Conmission inmediately adopt interim regulations setting standards 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 corments on the petition, staff analysis and rationale for MRC's action are discussed in the enclosed Federal Register 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 petition are being considered in the ongoing NRC low-level waste management program.
As part of tnis program, NRC is now developing regulations and supporting environmental impact statements regarding (1) maximum concentrations of radionuclides, 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 disposdl methods.
These regulations are scheduled to be published for public comment in 1980.
The Cor: mission also believes that a separate GEIS as called for in the petition is neither required by NEPA nor necessary for development of the NRC lo.
al waste program.
It is intended that the environmental impact state. ents and other technical documentation being developed to support the forthccming regulations will be of sufficient scope to make a separate programmatic GEIS unnecessary.
The NRC has, therefore, denied the portion of the petition regarding implementation of immediate regulations.
ihe NRC has and is, however, still considering certain issues raised by the petition through its ongoing low-level waste management program.
We are also considering
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Richard Cotten your GEIS outline as input to our preparation of environmental impact statements that will guide and support our regulations development effort.
The request for proposal (RS-NHS-79-026) for the EIS to support the proposed regulation on low-level waste disposal,10 CFR Part 61, does include many of the issues raised by your proposed GEIS.
We welcome your further interest and comments on our program and regulations development effort.
incerely
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, Samuel J. C :i I k Secretary o the Commission
Enclosure:
Federal Register Notice of action on petition for rulemaking 1.1,
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