ML21201A120
| ML21201A120 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Consolidated Interim Storage Facility |
| Issue date: | 07/29/2021 |
| From: | John Tappert NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ERMB |
| To: | |
| Park J,NMSS/REFS/ERMB | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML21201A219 | List: |
| References | |
| NRC-2016-0231 | |
| Download: ML21201A120 (4) | |
Text
[7590-01-P]
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 72-1050; NRC-2016-0231]
Interim Storage Partners Consolidated Interim Storage Facility Project AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental impact statement; issuance.
SUMMARY
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing its final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Interim Storage Partners (ISPs) license application to construct and operate a consolidated interim storage facility (CISF) for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and Greater-Than-Class C (GTCC) waste, along with a small quantity of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. The proposed CISF would be located on an approximately 130-hectare (320-acre) site, within the approximately 5,666-hectare (14,000-acre) Waste Control Specialists (WCS) site in Andrews County, Texas. The proposed action is the issuance of an NRC license authorizing a CISF to store up to 5,000 metric tons of uranium (MTUs) [5,500 short tons] of SNF for a license period of 40 years.
DATES: The FEIS referenced in this document is available on August 6, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2016-0231 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly available information related to this document using any of the following methods:
- Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2016-0231. Address questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; telephone: 301-415-0624; e-mail:
Stacy.Schumann@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document.
- NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select Begin Web-based ADAMS Search. For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The FEIS is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML21209A955.
- Project Webpage: Information related to the ISP CISF project can be accessed on the NRCs project Webpage at https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/cis/waste-control-specialist.html.
- Public Libraries: A copy of the FEIS will be made available at the following public libraries:
Andrews County Library Gaines County Library 109 NM 1st Street 704 Hobbs Hwy Andrews, TX 79714 Seminole, TX 79360 Hobbs Public Library Winkler County Library 509 N. Shipp Street 307 S Poplar Street Hobbs, NM 88240 Kermit, TX 79745 Eunice Public Library Yoakum County Library 1003 Ave. N 205 W. 4th Street Eunice, NM 88231 Denver City, TX 7932
- Attention: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies of public documents, is currently closed. You may submit your request to the PDR via e-mail at pdr.resource@nrc.gov or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James R. Park, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone: 301-415-6954, e-mail: James.Park@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background In accordance with section 51.118 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), the NRC is making available the FEIS for the license application submitted by ISP to construct and operate a CISF for SNF and GTCC waste, along with a small quantity of MOX fuel, which are collectively referred to in the EIS as SNF, and composed primarily of spent uranium-based fuel. The NRC published the draft EIS in the Federal Register on May 8, 2020 (85 FR 27447), and the Environmental Protection Agency noticed the availability of the draft EIS on May 8, 2020 (85 FR 27412). The public comment period on the draft EIS ended on November 3, 2020, and the comments received are addressed in the FEIS. The FEIS is available as indicated in the ADDRESSES section of this document.
II. Discussion The NRC is issuing the FEIS for an application from ISP requesting a license to authorize construction and operation of a CISF for SNF at the WCS site in Andrews County, Texas. ISPs proposed location for its CISF is on an approximately 130-hectare (320-acre) site, within the approximately 5,666-hectare (14,000-acre) WCS site in Andrews County, Texas. The proposed action is the issuance of an NRC license authorizing a CISF to store up to 5,000 MTUs [5,500 short tons] of SNF for a license period of 40 years.
The FEIS is being issued as part of the NRCs process to decide whether to issue a license to ISP pursuant to 10 CFR part 72. In this FEIS, the NRC staff has assessed the potential environmental impacts to construct and operate the proposed CISF. The NRC staff assessed the impacts of the proposed action and the No-Action alternative on land use; transportation; geology and soils; water resources; ecological resources; air quality; noise; historical and cultural resources; visual and scenic
resources; socioeconomics; environmental justice, public and occupational health, and waste management. Additionally, the FEIS analyzes and compares the benefits and costs of the proposed action and the No-Action alternative. In preparing this FEIS, the NRC staff also considered, evaluated, and addressed the public comments received on the draft EIS. Appendix D of the FEIS summarizes the public comments received and the NRCs responses.
After comparing the impacts of the proposed action to those of the No-Action alternative, the NRC staff, in accordance with the requirements in part 51 of 10 CFR, recommends the proposed action, subject to the determinations in the staffs safety review of the application. This recommendation is based on (i) the ISP license application, which includes an environmental report and supplemental documents, and ISPs responses to the NRC staffs requests for additional information; (ii) the NRC staffs consultation with Federal, State, tribal, local agencies, and input from other stakeholders, including members of the public; (iii) the NRC staffs independent review; and (iv) the NRC staffs assessments provided in the FEIS.
Dated: July 29, 2021.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
/RA/
John R. Tappert, Director, Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.