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NRC NEWS
U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION |
| Office of Public Affairs |
Telephone: 301/415-8200 |
| Washington, DC 20555-001 |
E-mail: opa@nrc.gov |
No. 96-123 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Tuesday, September 17, 1996)
NRC CONSIDERS APPLICATION FOR OFF-SITE
SPENT FUEL STORAGE LICENSE FOR MINNESOTA NUCLEAR PLANT
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing an application from Northern States
Power Company (NSP) for a license to store nuclear power plant spent fuel in a facility
that NSP proposes to construct and operate in Goodhue County, Minnesota. The agency
is offering an opportunity for a public hearing on the license application.
The proposed facility would store uranium fuel that has been irradiated in the process
of producing electricity at the Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant in nearby Welch,
Minnesota.
The NRC previously licensed NSP to store up to 48 dry casks containing spent fuel
on-site at the Prairie Island plant. However, a Minnesota law requires NSP to develop an
off-site facility for fuel storage.
The NRC will review NSP's application to determine whether storage of the spent fuel
in the proposed off-site independent spent fuel storage installation in Florence Township
of Goodhue County will provide reasonable protection of public health and safety and the
common defense and security. In the course of this review, the agency will prepare an
environmental impact statement.
Any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who wishes to
participate as a party in the proceeding may file a written request for a hearing and a
petition to intervene. The petition should explain in detail how the petitioner's interest
would be affected and identify the specific aspects on which the petitioner wishes to
intervene. NSP may also file a request for a hearing.
Specific requirements for petitioning are described in a Federal Register notice
published on September 17. The request must be filed by October 17 (30 days after the
Federal Register notice) with the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Docketing and Services Branch. Further
details on filing requirements and options are contained in the Federal Register notice.
If timely requests are received, an NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will be
designated to rule on them and to conduct a hearing, if one is held.
Copies of the application for a license and related materials are available for review in a
temporary local public document room that has been recently established in the Red Wing
Public Library, 225 East Avenue, Red Wing, Minnesota. In addition, the same documents
are available for review and copying at the existing local public document room for the
Prairie Island nuclear power plant located at the Minneapolis Public Library, Technology
and Science Department, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, and at the NRC Public
Document Room, 2120 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
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