[Federal Register: September 9, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 174)]
[Notices]
[Page 53205]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09se03-145]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NUREG-1748, Final Report]


Environmental Review Guidance for Licensing Actions Associated
With NMSS Programs

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Final Report.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing the
availability of the final report ``Environmental Review Guidance for
Licensing Actions Associated with NMSS Programs'' (NUREG-1748). This
document provides guidance for the planning and implementation of
National Environmental Policy Act requirements for activities performed
in the Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards (NMSS). Public
comments were solicited as noticed in the Federal Register on October
18, 2001 (66 FR 52951) and again on May 29, 2002 (67 FR 37461).

ADDRESSES: NUREG-1748 is available for inspection and copying for a fee
at the Commission's Public Document Room, U.S. NRC's Headquarters
Building, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland, and
electronically from the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web
Site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Electronic Reading Room). For those
without access to the Internet, paper copies of any electronic
documents may be obtained for a fee by contacting the NRC's Public
Document Room at 301-415-4737 or toll free at 1-800-397-4209.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Blevins, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T7-J8, Washington, DC 20555, Phone
Number: (301) 415-7684, e-mail: mxb6@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This guidance document, NUREG-1748, provides
general procedures for the environmental review of licensing actions
regulated by NMSS. Although the main focus of this guidance is the NRC
staff's environmental review process, it also contains related
information which applicants and licensees may find useful. Chapter 1
provides a summary and overview of the guidance. This chapter briefly
discusses the three ways in which an environmental review is performed,
either by meeting the criteria for a categorical exclusion or by
preparing an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact
statement (EIS). This chapter also discusses early planning for an EA
or EIS and methods of using previous environmental analyses related to
the proposed action. Chapter 2 discusses the categorical exclusions and
the basis of their use. Chapter 3 discusses the EA process, including
preparation and content of the EA, and preparation of the Finding of No
Significant Impact. Chapter 4 discusses the process of preparing an
EIS, from developing a project plan through scoping, consultations and
public meetings, to preparing the Record of Decision. Chapter 5
discusses the technical content of the EIS, and Chapter 6 discusses
environmental information that should be considered by applicants and
licensees in preparing their environmental report.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22nd day of August 2003.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Scott Flanders,
Chief, Environmental and Low-Level Waste Section, Environmental and
Performance Assessment Branch, Division of Waste Management, Office of
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 03-22876 Filed 9-8-03; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590-01-P