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USEC Inc. Gas CentrifugeOn this page:
For further information on the U.S. Enrichment Corporation (USEC) Gas Centrifuge facilities, contact us. Some links on this page are to documents in our Agencywide
Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), and others are to documents
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Document Room staff. Gas Centrifuge DeploymentThe USEC Inc. objective is to replicate the existing U.S. technology and reduce costs using advances in carbon fiber and other material and manufacturing technologies. The USEC Inc. program would be performed in three phases:
The demonstration phase, which is primarily being conducted by USEC Inc. in Oak Ridge, TN, is intended to provide detailed test data for the gas centrifuge machines. The Lead Cascade phase is intended to provide reliability information on a group of machines and the auxiliary systems as they would be used in commercial operations. The Lead Cascade, consisting of up to 240 centrifuges, will recycle the enriched and depleted uranium it produces. The only uranium withdrawals from the cascade will be in the form of small samples. In February 2003, USEC Inc. submitted its license application for the Lead Cascade to the NRC. After conducting detailed safety, security, and environmental reviews, the NRC granted USEC Inc. a license for the Lead Cascade in February 2004. USEC is expected to begin operating the Lead Cascade during the first half of 2006. In the commercial deployment phase, the commercial plant (ACP) would have a capacity of 3.8 million separative work units (SWU) per year, with an upper U-235 enrichment limit of 10 percent. USEC Inc. submitted a license application for the ACP in August 2004. The Lead Cascade and the ACP will be primarily housed in DOE's existing Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant (GCEP) located at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in Piketon, Ohio. On December 7, 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy and the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) entered into a supplemental lease agreement specifically applicable to facilities, areas, and personal property at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in Piketon, Ohio, that USEC will lease for the construction and operation of USEC Inc.'s ACP and its Lead Cascade. USEC Inc. is the parent corporation.
Application ReviewThe American Centrifuge PlantUSEC Inc. submitted an application to the NRC for the American Centrifuge Plant on August 23, 2004. On October 7, 2004, the Commission issued an Order initiating the USEC Inc. proceeding for the ACP. The Order offered an opportunity for a hearing, provided a licensing schedule, and addressed several policy issues applicable to uranium enrichment facility licensing. Consistent with the Commission’s Order, the ACP License Review Schedule was developed. Safety and Security Licensing ReviewOn February 7, 2005, NRC completed its initial technical safety and security reviews of the license application for the proposed American Centrifuge Plant and issued a request for additional information (RAI) to USEC Inc. On March 9, 2005, USEC Inc. provided responses to the RAIs. The NRC documented its safety and security reviews in a safety evaluation report that was issued on September 11, 2006. The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board held its mandatory hearing in March 2007, and Environmental ReviewNRC develops, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA The NRC staff held a public meeting on the scope of the EIS for the proposed American Centrifuge Plant (ACP) on January 18, 2005, in Piketon, Ohio. The public was encouraged to provide comments on the NRC's scoping process. A Scoping Summary Report was published on April 28, 2005. On February 23, 2005, NRC issued RAIs related to the environmental review, to which USEC has provided several responses. The NRC has completed its preliminary environmental review and solicited public comments beginning on September 9, 2005, and ending on October 24, 2005. In addition, the NRC staff hosted a public meeting in Piketon, Ohio on Thursday, September 29, 2005, from 7:00 - 9:45 P.M. to solicit additional comments from interested members of the public. The staff’s environmental review is documented in "Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio". The public meeting transcript, public statements submitted at the public meeting, the NRC’s slides and Comments on the DEIS were considered as the NRC developed its final environmental impact statement which was issued in May 2006. Additionally, the NRC completed its NEPA review with the National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 consultation requirements as outlined in 36 CFR Part 800.8. Please see the NRC’s Summary of Section 106 Correspondence and Surveys. The NRC has also consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). On November 1, 2005, the NRC provided the FWS with its finding of "no effect" on listed species and critical habitat. The FWS provided its concurrence on November 16, 2005. The Lead CascadeUSEC Inc. submitted an application for the Lead Cascade facility on February 11, 2003. On January 27, 2004, a Notice containing the Finding of No Significant Impact and an announcement of the availability of the Environmental Assessment for USEC Inc.'s license application for its Lead Cascade facility was published in the Federal Register. The Safety Evaluation Report for this facility was issued on January 28, 2004. The NRC issued Material License SNM-7003 to USEC Inc. for this facility on February 24, 2004, after DOE approved the lease on February 17, 2004, allowing USEC Inc. to refurbish and subsequently operate the facility in accordance with its license application. On August 25, 2006, the NRC assumed regulatory oversight of the Lead Cascade facility from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in accordance with the March 24, 2004, Memorandum of Understanding entitled "Cooperation Regarding the Gas Centrifuge Lead Cascade Facilities at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant." Transition of regulatory oversight from DOE to the NRC authorizes USEC Inc. to introduce uranium hexafluoride into the Lead Cascade. NRC/DOE Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Lead Cascade and American Centrifuge PlantOn March 24, 2004, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster cooperation regarding the Gas Centrifuge Lead Cascade facilities at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site. On March 21, 2007, the NRC and DOE signed a similar Memorandum of Understanding regarding the American Centrifuge Plant.
Public InvolvementMeeting ScheduleFor upcoming meetings, see also our Public Meeting Schedule. Information for the meetings on this page are available at this Web site or in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) if an accession number is given. Meeting Archive
Additional Correspondence and Documents
Related Information
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), an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for "major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment." Licensing a uranium enrichment facility is considered a "major Federal action," requiring an EIS. For more information about the NEPA and the environmental review process, see