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AREVA NC (AREVA) Gas Centrifuge Facility

ARERA currently intends to apply for a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to construct and operate a gas centrifuge facility in the United States. AREVA plans to select a site for the new facility by the end of 2007.

On this page:

• Regulation and Legislation
• License Application
• Safety Evaluation Report
• Environmental Review
• Correspondence and Other Information
• Public Involvement
• Related Information

For further information on the AREVA Gas Centrifuge Facility, contact us.

Regulation and Legislation

In 1990, Congress passed the Solar, Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production Incentives Act. Among other things, this legislation amended the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to require licensing of uranium enrichment facilities under U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations in 10 CFR Parts 40 and 70. The act also stated that the construction and operation of a uranium enrichment facility is considered a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment for the purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) needs to be prepared for this type of facility. Under the legislation, an adjudicatory hearing on the licensing of the construction and operation is required. This hearing must be completed before issuance of a license. The act also requires the applicant to obtain public liability insurance for the facility and requires the NRC to inspect the facility before operations begin to ensure that the plant is constructed to meet the license requirements.

License Application

AREVA intends to submit a license application for a gas centrifuge enrichment facility in mid-2008.

Safety Evaluation Report

Once AREVA applies for a license, the NRC staff will review the application against applicable regulations and guidance and then prepare a Safety Evaluation Report to document the review findings.

Environmental Review

NRC develops, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), an Environmental Impact Statement 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 NEPA and the environmental review process, see Frequently Asked Questions About NRC's Role under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Correspondence and Other Information

Some links on this page are to documents in our our Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). For additional information, see our Plugins, Viewers, and Other Tools.

Public Involvement

Meeting Schedule

For upcoming meetings, see our Public Meeting Schedule. Information for the meetings on this page are available at this Web site or in ADAMS if an accession number is given.

Meeting Archive

Related Information

• Frequently Asked Questions About Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plants
• Standard Review Plan for the Review of a License Application for a Fuel Cycle Facility - Final Report (NUREG-1520)

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Tuesday, December 04, 2007