Press Release-15-065, NRC Licensing Board to Hold Supplemental Hearing Oct. 23 on Crow Butte Uranium Recovery Facility
| ML15289A417 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 04008943 |
| Issue date: | 10/16/2015 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Press Release-15-065 | |
| Download: ML15289A417 (2) | |
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No: 15-065 October 16, 2015 CONTACT: Maureen Conley, 301-415-8200 NRC Licensing Board to Hold Supplemental Hearing Oct. 23 on Crow Butte Uranium Recovery Facility A Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hold a supplemental hearing Oct. 23 in Rockville, Md., on challenges to the license renewal for Crow Butte Energy Resources Inc.s uranium recovery facility near Crawford, Neb. Testimony will focus on specific topics related to groundwater flow and hydrogeological formations at the site.
The board is the independent body within the NRC that conducts adjudicatory hearings and renders decisions on legal challenges to licensing actions. The NRC renewed the facility license in 2014, with an expiration date of Nov. 5, 2024.
During the initial hearing, held Aug. 24 to 28 in Crawford, the board asked the parties for additional exhibits and testimony on groundwater flow and hydrogeological formations. Board members will question the parties on these topics at the supplemental hearing. This proceeding has nine active contentions challenging the adequacy of the protection and evaluation of historical resources, and the NRCs analysis of the facilitys impacts on surface water, groundwater, and the ecosystem.
These contentions were filed by several local residents and the Western Nebraska Resources Council, known as consolidated intervenors, as well as by the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
The supplemental hearing will begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, 8:00 a.m. Mountain time, and continue until all evidence has been heard. The judges will be present in the ASLB hearing room in Maryland, with a video conference link set up to the Scottsbluff Room of the Student Center of Chadron State College, 1000 Main St., Chadron, Neb. The Scottsbluff Room will open at 7:30 a.m.
Mountain time and an information technology specialist from the ASLB will be present to assist with the link. Any parties or witnesses unable to attend the hearing either in Rockville or Chadron will be provided with a call-in number and may participate by telephone.
Members of the public and media are welcome to attend and observe the hearing either in Rockville or Chadron, but participation will be limited to the parties, lawyers and witnesses. Those planning to attend should arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow time for security screening, including possible searches of hand-carried items such as briefcases or backpacks. No signs or weapons will be permitted in either building. The public and media may also dial 888-603-7019 and use passcode 7856326 for a listen-only telephone bridge line.
Documents related to the Crow Butte license renewal application are available on the NRC website. Documents regarding this ASLB proceeding are available on the NRCs Electronic Hearing Docket by clicking on the folder entitled Crow_Butte_Rsrces_40-8943-OLA on
the left side of the page. Anyone needing help accessing these documents can call the NRC Public Document Room staff at 800-397-4209. More information about the role of the ASLB in the licensing process is available on the NRC website.
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