Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation, Idaho Spent Fuel Facility; Notice of Docketing, Notice of Consideration of Issuance, and Notice of Opportunity for a Hearing for a Materials License for the Idaho Spent Fuel Facility

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) is considering an application dated November 19, 2001, for a materials license under the provisions of 10 CFR part 72, from Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation (the applicant or FWENC) for the receipt, possession, storage and transfer of spent fuel and other radioactive materials associated with spent fuel at its proposed Idaho Spent Fuel Facility, an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI), to be located on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory site in Butte County, Idaho. If granted, the license will authorize the applicant to store spent fuel in a dry storage system at the applicant's Idaho Spent Fuel Facility site. Pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR part 72, the term of the license for the ISFSI would be twenty (20) years.

This application was docketed under 10 CFR part 72; the ISFSI Docket No. is 72-25.

Prior to issuance of the requested license, the Commission will have made the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations. The issuance of the materials license will not be approved until the NRC has reviewed the application and has concluded that approval of the license will not be inimical to the common defense and security and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of the public. The NRC will complete an environmental impact statement in accordance with 10 CFR part 51. This action will be the subject of a subsequent notice in the Federal Register.

By thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register, the applicant may file a request for a hearing; and any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written request for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene with respect to the subject materials license. Requests for a hearing and petitions for leave to intervene shall be filed in accordance with the Commission's “Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings” in 10 CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.714 , which is available at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland, or electronically on the Internet at the NRC Web site http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr. If there are problems in accessing the document, contact the PDR Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. If a request for hearing or petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above date, the Commission or an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board designated by the Commission or by the Chairman of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel will rule on the request and/or petition, and the Secretary or the designated Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of hearing or an appropriate order. In the event that no request for hearing or petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above date, the NRC may, upon satisfactory completion of all required evaluations, issue the materials license without further prior notice.

As required by 10 CFR 2.714, a petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in the proceeding and how that interest may be affected by the results of the proceeding. The petition should specifically explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the following factors: (1) The nature of the petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to the proceeding; (2) the nature and extent of the petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and (3) the possible effect of any order that may be entered in the proceeding on the petitioner's interest. The petition should also identify the specific aspect(s) of the subject matter of the proceeding as to which the petitioner wishes to intervene. Any person who has filed a petition for leave to intervene or who has been admitted as a party may amend a petition, without requesting leave of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board up to 15 days prior to the holding of the first pre-hearing conference scheduled in the proceeding, but such an amended petition must satisfy the specificity requirements described above.

Not later than fifteen (15) days prior to the first pre-hearing conference scheduled in the proceeding, a petitioner shall file a supplement to the petition to intervene which must include a list of contentions which are sought to be litigated in the matter. Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the petitioner shall provide a brief explanation of the bases of the contention and a concise statement of the alleged facts or expert opinion which support the contention and on which the petitioner intends to rely in proving the contention at the hearing. The petitioner must also provide references to those specific sources and documents of which the petitioner is aware and on which the petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts or expert opinion. Petitioner must provide sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on a material issue of law or fact. Contentions shall be limited to matters within the scope of the action under consideration. The contention must be one which, if proven, would entitle the petitioner to relief. A petitioner who fails to file such a supplement which satisfies these requirements with respect to at least one contention will not be permitted to participate as a party.

Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding, subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene, and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the hearing.

A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene must be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Document Control Desk or may be delivered to the Commission's Public Document Room, One White Flint North Building, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD, by the above date. Because of continuing disruptions in delivery of mail to United States Government offices, it is requested that petitions for leave to intervene and requests for hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-1101 or by e-mail to hearingdocket@nrc.gov. A copy of the request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and because of continuing disruptions in delivery of mail to United States Government offices, it is requested that copies be transmitted either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725 or by e-mail to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov. A copy of the request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to Mr. Donald I. Rogers, Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation, 1000 The American Road, Morris Plains, NJ 07950. Where petitions are filed during the last ten (10) days of the notice period, it is requested that the petitioner promptly so inform the NRC by a toll-free telephone call (800-368-5642 Extension 415-8500) to E. William Brach, Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, with the following message: petitioner's name and telephone number; date petition was mailed; facility name; and publication date and page number of this Federal Register notice.

Non-timely filings of petitions for leave to intervene, amended petitions, supplemental petitions, and/or requests for hearing will not be entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the presiding Officer, or the presiding Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the petition and/or request should be granted based upon a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 2.714(a)(1)(i)-(v) and 2.714(d).

For further details with respect to this application, see the application dated November 19, 2001, which is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, One White Flint North Building, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD or from the publicly available records component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room). Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.