NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200

 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov 

 Web Site: www.nrc.gov

No. 03-043 April 3, 2003

 NRC ANNOUNCES OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC TO REQUEST HEARING ON USEC’S

LEAD CASCADE ENRICHMENT FACILITY LICENSE APPLICATION

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is providing members of the public an opportunity to

request a hearing on the U.S. Enrichment Corporation Inc.’s license application for the American

Centrifuge Lead Cascade Facility in Piketon, Ohio, to demonstrate the feasibility of gas centrifuge

technology for uranium enrichment.

 USEC filed its application to operate the Lead Cascade facility on February 11. The gas

centrifuge technology has been used extensively in Europe to enrich uranium for about 30 years. The

Department of Energy used gas centrifuge technology until 1985 to enrich uranium on a limited scale.

The NRC notified USEC on March 13 that after an administrative review of the Lead Cascade

license application, the staff had found the application acceptable for technical review. Under

procedures for licensing test and demonstration facilities, the NRC will document its technical reviews

related to radiological safety and common defense and security in a Safety Evaluation Report and its

environmental review in an Environmental Assessment. The NRC anticipates completing its reviews

and making its decision by next February.

Under NRC regulations, any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding may file a

request for a hearing. Persons requesting a hearing should describe in detail their interest in the

proceeding, how their interest may be affected, and their concerns about the licensing activity under

review. A request must be filed within 30 days of the date of publication of a Federal Register notice

announcing the opportunity to file, which is expected shortly. 

A request for a hearing must be filed with the Office of the Secretary, either by delivery to the

Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff of the Secretary at 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852

between 7:45 a.m and 4:15 p.m on Federal workdays; or by mail or telegram addressed to the Secretary,

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Attention: Rulemakings and

Adjudications Staff. Requests for a hearing should also be transmitted to the Secretary of the

Commission by facsimile, to 301-425-1101, or by e-mail to hearingdocket@nrc.gov .

In addition, copies of the request for a hearing must be delivered personally or by mail to the

applicant, U.S. Enrichment Corporation Inc., 6903 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817, Attention:
Mr. Steven A. Toelle; and to the NRC staff, by delivering to the General Counsel, 11555 Rockville

Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, between 7:45 a.m and 4:15 p.m on Federal work days; or by mail,

addressed to the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. 

Requests for a hearing should also be transmitted to the Office of the General Counsel by facsimile, to

301-415-3725, or by e-mail to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov .

For further details, the unclassified and non-proprietary portions of USEC’s license application

may be examined and/or copied for a fee at the NRC’s Public Document Room, located at 11555

Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The application is also available online through the NRC’s

Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html ; ADAMS accession number

ML030730232. Any questions with respect to the application should be referred to Mr. Yawar Faraz,

Project Manager, Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards, Mail Stop T-8 A33, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555; telephone (301) 415-8113 or e-mail yhf@nrc.gov.

###