NRC NEWS

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II

61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303

Web Site: www.nrc.gov

No. II-04-040 June 1, 2004

CONTACT: Ken Clark (404)562-4416 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov

Roger Hannah (404)562-4417

ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD TO HEAR 

PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON USE OF MIXED OXIDE FUEL AT CATAWBA

An Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hear brief oral public statements, called limited

appearance statements, in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday, June 15, in connection with a

proceeding involving Duke Energy’s request to the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to amend

the operating license of the Catawba Nuclear Station to allow the use of four mixed oxide, or MOX,

test assemblies.

Most commercial nuclear fuel used in this country contains uranium as the primary material to

be used during the fission process. MOX fuel, however, contains a mixture of plutonium and uranium

oxides, with plutonium providing the primary fissile material. Duke has submitted its request as part

of the ongoing U.S.-Russian Federation plutonium disposition program, a nuclear nonproliferation

program to dispose of surplus plutonium from nuclear weapons by converting the material into MOX

fuel and using that fuel in commercial nuclear power reactors.

The ASLB will hear the statements on June 15 in two sessions, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and

from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., in the Grand Ballroom (lobby level) of the Omni Charlotte Hotel, located at

132 Trade Street.

Any person who is not a party to the proceeding will be permitted to make an oral statement

setting forth his or her position on matters of concern related to the proceeding. These statements do

not constitute testimony or evidence, but may help the Board and/or the parties in their deliberations in

connection with the issues.

An evidentiary hearing previously scheduled to commence on June 15 in Charlotte has been

rescheduled for July 14 at the NRC Offices in Rockville, Maryland. At that hearing, the Board will

receive testimony and exhibits and allow the cross-examination of witnesses on certain matters at issue

in this proceeding. 

Those people who have submitted a timely written request to make an oral limited appearance

statement in Charlotte will be given priority over those who have not. To be considered timely, written

requests to make an oral statement must be mailed, faxed or sent by e-mail and received by the close of

business (4:30 p.m. EDT) on Monday, June 7. Written requests to make an oral statement should be

sent to:
Mail - Office of Secretary

Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001

Fax - (301) 415-1101 (verification (301) 415-1966)

E-Mail - hearingdocket@nrc.gov

A copy of the written request to make a limited appearance statement should also, using the

same method of service, be sent to the Chairman of the licensing board as follows:

Mail - Administrative Judge Ann Marshall Young

Atomic Safety & Licensing Board Panel

Mail Stop T-3F23

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, D.C. 20555 - 0001

Fax - (301) 415-5599 (verification (301) 415-7550)

E-Mail: - AMY@nrc.gov

The time allotted for each statement normally will be no more than five minutes, but may be

further limited, depending on the number of written requests to speak and/or the number of persons

present at the designated times. If all speakers present have made their oral statements prior to 9:00

p.m., the ASLB may terminate the session before 9:00.

Interested persons may also submit written limited appearance statements at any time by

addressing them to those indicated for receipt of requests for time to make oral statements.

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