WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a notification in the Federal Register today that it is extending the comment period on the Draft Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) by 90 days. The public comment period will now end on March 16, 2009.

Due to the extensive interest expressed in the Draft GNEP PEIS, DOE is extending the time period for submission of comments in order to provide adequate time for all interested parties to complete their review and develop input on this important national matter.  Comments must now be submitted on or before March 16, 2009. 

The Draft GNEP PEIS provides an analysis of the potential environmental impacts of expanding nuclear power in the U.S. using either the existing fuel cycle or various alternative closed and open fuel cycles.  DOE’s preference is to close the nuclear fuel cycle, although a specific preferred alternative has not yet been selected.

The Draft GNEP PEIS is available in eleven public reading rooms across the U. S. (specified in the Federal Register notice), at Regulations.gov, at National Environmental Policy Act website, or by calling 1-866-645-7803.

For more information on the GNEP Program or DOE’s draft GNEP PEIS, visit the Internet at Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.