Press Release-08-191, NRC Announces Opportunity to Request Hearing on Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository Application

Press Release-08-191: NRC Announces Opportunity to Request Hearing on Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository Application

ML082940137
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Site:	06300001
Issue date:	10/17/2008
From:	Office of Public Affairs
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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 Site: http://www.nrc.gov No.08-191 October 17, 2008 NRC ANNOUNCES OPPORTUNITY TO REQUEST HEARING ON YUCCA MOUNTAIN NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY APPLICATION The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced the opportunity to request a hearing on the Department of Energys application seeking authorization to construct a proposed geologic repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nev.

DOE submitted its application June 3. On Sept. 8, the NRC staff determined that the 8,600-page application contained sufficient technical information for the agency to docket it and initiate its comprehensive safety review. At the same time, the NRC staff adopted DOEs Environmental Impact Statements for the repository, requesting additional information on some groundwater analyses.

The Yucca Mountain application, minus some classified portions, is available on the NRC Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/waste/hlw-disposal/yucca-lic-app.html.

A notice of opportunity for a hearing will be published in the Federal Register in the next few days. Petitions to intervene and requests for hearing must be submitted within 60 days of publication of the Federal Register notice to the NRCs Electronic Information Exchange (EIE) system. Petitions to intervene must be filed in accordance with NRC regulations governing electronic filing. Additional guidance and instructions regarding electronic submissions to the NRC EIE system are available on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.

A Pre-License Application Presiding Officer (PAPO) Board has issued rulings to prepare participants for the Yucca Mountain hearing. The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel anticipates that several three-judge Boards will be appointed to hear contentions on various subjects regarding the Yucca Mountain application. It is anticipated that hearings will be held at the NRCs Las Vegas Hearing Facility as well as NRC headquarters in Rockville, Md.

News releases are available through a free listserv 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.