Press Release-91-082, NRC to Hold Public Meeting July 30 in Homer, Louisiana to Discuss Environmental Impact Statement on Proposed Enrichment Center

Press Release-91-082 NRC to Hold Public Meeting July 30 in Homer, Louisiana to Discuss Environmental Impact Statement on Proposed Enrichment Center

ML003702023
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Issue date:	07/17/1991
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Press Release-91-082
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No. 91-82 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel. 301-415-8200 (Wednesday, July 17, 1991)

NRC TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING JULY 30 IN HOMER, LOUISIANA TO DISCUSS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ON PROPOSED ENRICHMENT CENTER The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. July 30 at the Homer High School cafeteria in Homer, Louisiana, to discuss the environmental impact statement NRC is preparing on the proposed Claiborne Enrichment Center.

Louisiana Energy Services (LES) has applied for a license to build and operate the plant, which would enrich natural uranium hexafluoride by the gas centrifuge process. The plant site is near Homer in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, about 50 miles northeast of Shreveport.

LES also has submitted an environmental report which NRC will use in part in preparing the environmental impact statement required by Federal law. (The LES environmental report is available for public inspection at the main NRC public document room at 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, and at a local public document room NRC has established at the Claiborne Parish Library, 901 Edgewood Drive, Homer.)

The July 30 public meetings are part of the process NRC uses in planning the scope of an environmental impact statement. In this instance, it is intended to help identify significant issues related to the proposed licensing of the Claiborne facilitY, and to aid in determining environmental matters to be addressed and the ones to be analyzed in depth.

Meetings of this sort are not part of the licensing hearing process. Participation in that adjudicatory proceeding is governed by separate NRC regulations. By law, the environmental impact statement must be prepared before the hearing is completed.

At the meeting on July 30, time will be provided for interested agencies, organizations and individuals to present comments or suggestions on the environmental issues involved in the proposed enrichment plant or on the environmental impact statement 8 scope.

Before public comments begin, briefings will be given by LES on the proposed facility, and by NRC staff on the environmental review process and on plans for the environmental impact statement.

2 Those wishing to make oral comments at the meeting may register by writing to Charles J.

Haughney, Chief, Fuel Cycle Safety Branch, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. They may also register at the meeting.

A time limit may be necessary for oral comments, depending on the number of persons who register.

Moderator for the meeting will be A. Bill Beach, Director of the Division of Radiation Safety and Safeguards at the NRC regional office in Arlington, Texas.

Persons who cannot attend the July 30 meeting will have until August 14 to submit comments in writing.