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Environmental Review for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility

As required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the NRC develops an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for "major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment." Licensing a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facility (MFFF) is considered a "major Federal action" requiring an EIS. For more information about NEPA and the environmental review process, see NRC's Role Under NEPA Frequently Asked Questions.

NRC's NEPA actions for a MFFF are related to DOE's NEPA actions in that DOE has published an EIS and a Record of Decision for the Surplus Plutonium Disposition. A Record of Decision is a concise statement of an agency's final decision, discussing the chosen alternative from the various ones considered. DOE's EIS covers alternatives related to the entire Surplus Plutonium Disposition program, while NRC's EIS will focus on the MFFF. NRC plans to use as much of the information provided in DOE's EIS as possible. The applicant’s environmental report (ER) will need to update the information provided in DOE's EIS, and provide details specific to the MFFF.

The applicant, Duke Cogema Stone & Webster (DCS), submitted an ER in December 2000. DCS revised its ER on July 12, 2002, (Rev. 1 and 2), June 20, 2003, (Rev. 3), August 14, 2003, (Rev. 4), and June 10, 2004, (Rev. 5). The NRC staff issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on February 28, 2003. The comment period ended May 15, 2003, and staff continued to prepare the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The FEIS was issued on January 31, 2005, documenting the results of the staff's environmental review. Relevant documents related to the environmental review stage of the licensing process are provided below.

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Monday, February 12, 2007