Press Release-96-168, NRC Denies Petitions on Uranium Enrichment Plants; Will Issue Certificates Soon

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Press Release-96-168, NRC Denies Petitions on Uranium Enrichment Plants; Will Issue Certificates Soon
ML003706525
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Issue date: 11/22/1996
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Press Release-96-168
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UnitedStatesNuclearRegulatoryCommissionOfficeofPublicAffairsWashington,DC20555Phone301-415-8200Fax301-415-2234 Internet:opa@nrc.govNo.96-168FORIMMEDIATERELEASE(Friday,November22,1996)NRCDENIESPETITIONSONURANIUMENRICHMENTPLANTS;WILLISSUECERTIFICATESSOONTheNuclearRegulatoryCommissionhasdeniedpetitionsrequestingreviewofaninitialdecisionbyitsOfficeofNuclear MaterialSafetyandSafeguardstoissuecertificatestotheU.S.

EnrichmentCorporation(USEC)foruraniumenrichmentplants locatednearPaducah,Kentucky,andPortsmouth,Ohio.TheDirector,NRCOfficeofNuclearMaterialSafetyandSafeguards,willsignandissuetheinitialcertificatesshortly.Afteratransitionperiodfollowingissuanceofthecertificates,regulatoryauthorityoverplantoperationswillbe transferredfromtheDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)totheNRCon March3,1997.Thetwoenrichmentplantsareowned,andwereformerlyoperated,byDOE.USECnowoperatesthemunderaleasefromDOE.

Theplantsuseagaseousdiffusionprocesstoenrichuranium hexafluoridegasintheuranium-235isotope,sothatthematerial canbeusedtoproducenuclearfuelforciviliannuclearpower

plants.TheEnergyPolicyActof1992,whichdirectedUSECoperationoftheenrichmentplants,requiredtheNRCtoestablisha certificationprocessandsafetyandsafeguardsstandardsforthe certificationoftheplants.NRCwillcertifythefacilities periodicallyinthefutureforcompliancewiththestandards.

USECmustapplyforcertificaterenewalbyApril15,1998.TheNRCstaffpublishedaFederalRegisternoticeonSeptember19announcingitsinitialdecisiontocertifythe plantsandofferinganopportunityforcertainpersonswhose interestmaybeaffectedtorequestCommissionreview.Thefive petitionsreceivedwerenotapproved,forthereasonsdiscussed inamemorandumandorderissuedtodaybytheCommission.TheNRCannouncedprioropportunitiesforpubliccommentintheFederalRegisteronSeptember21andNovember14,1995,and heldpublicmeetingsonNovember28,1995,inPiketon,Ohio,and onDecember5,1995,inPaducah.Opportunitiesforpublic commentwillbeprovidedinthefutureforanycertification renewal.###

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