Press Release-II-05-001, NRC Staff Seeks Input on Environmental Review for Usec'S Proposed Ohio Centrifuge Plant

Press Release-II-05-001: NRC Staff Seeks Input on Environmental Review for Usec'S Proposed Ohio Centrifuge Plant

ML050100320
Person / Time
Issue date:	01/10/2005
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-II-05-001
Download: ML050100320 (1)

Text

NRC NEWS UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303 Web Site: www.nrc.gov No. II-05-001 January 10, 2005 CONTACT: Ken Clark (404)562-4416 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov Roger Hannah (404)562-4417 NRC STAFF SEEKS INPUT ON ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR USECS PROPOSED OHIO CENTRIFUGE PLANT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a meeting in Piketon, Ohio, for Tuesday, Jan. 18, to provide members of the public an opportunity to comment on the scope of the NRCs environmental review for the proposed American Centrifuge Plant.

The location for the meeting is Zahns Corner Middle School, 2379 Schuster Road, Piketon, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. The NRC staff will also be available for more informal one-on-one discussions at 6:00 p.m.

The NRC has been reviewing the application for the gas centrifuge uranium enrichment plant since USEC, Inc., which would operate the plant, filed it in August. If approved, the plant would enrich uranium to be used in producing fuel for nuclear power plants. In October 2004, the NRC issued an order establishing a 30-month time frame for completing its review and issuing a decision on the USEC application. In February 2004, the agency approved a USEC application for its lead cascade facility, which provides information on the machines planned for use during the plants commercial operation.

The NRCs detailed reviews of the facilitys safety, security and environmental issues will be documented in two key documents: a Safety Evaluation Report and an Environmental Impact Statement. The Piketon meeting has been scheduled to obtain public input on what environmental issues should be included in the EIS. Those issues tentatively include land use, transportation, geology and soils, water resources, ecology, air quality, noise, historical and cultural resources, visual and scenic resources, socioeconomics, environmental justice, public and occupational health, and waste management, but the final list may differ based on public input.

Anyone wanting to present oral comments is encouraged to pre-register by contacting Ron Linton of the NRC by telephone at 1-800-368-5642, extension 7777, or by e-mail at rcl1@nrc.gov .

People may also register to speak just before the start of the meeting.