INIS Fluorine Extraction 

and Depleted Uranium 

Deconversion Plant

Facility LicensingFacility Licensing

January 14, 2010
Meeting Objectives

• Summarize

– Proposed INIS facility license appl– NRC licensin

g

process

g p

– Environmental Impact Statement (E

process

• Answer public questions
Tonight’s Agenda

• Welcome• Licensing Process (15 minutes)• Environmental Im

pact Statement 

Development Process (15 minute

• Public Questions and Comments• Wrap up (15 minutes) • Adjourn
Who is the NRC?

• NRC is an independent federal a• NRC is not an advocate of the

NRC is not an advocate of the

proposed deconversion plant or other facility
NRC Mission

Protect • Public health and safety• Common defense and security• The environment

The environment

We accomplish this mission through thpromulgation of regulations, the licensactivities, and the inspection of licenseverify compliance with the regulations.
NRC Participants

• Tom Hiltz – Licensing Manager• Matt Bartlett – Licensing Project • Johari Moore – Environmental P

Manager

• Mike Clark – Attorney
Licensing Process 

Matt Bartlett, NRC 

Licensing Project Manager
Project Background

• Location: Lea County, NM 

(about 14 miles west of Hobbs, NM

• Name: Fluorine Extraction Process & 

Depleted Uranium Deconversion PlanDepleted Uranium Deconversion Plan

• Technology: Chemical Deconversion

• Product: High Purity Fluoride Produc

Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride, and UOxide for disposal
• Mining & Milling: Uranium oxides from nat

• Conversion: Oxides converted to uranium 

hexafluoride (UF6)

E ih t U 235 i d i ti 

Deconversion in Fuel Cycle

U-238 = 99.3% U-235 = 0.7%

UO2 U3O8

• Enrichment: U-235 increased in a portion o

• Deconversion: DUF6 turned to uranium oxi

fluoride products

1000 kg natural U 

= 915 kg DU
INIS Process

• Receipt: DUF6 from enrichment facili

• Processing: Chemical conversion t

products and uranium oxide UO2 

• Product: Fluoride compounds sold

• Waste: Uranium oxides disposed as 

waste

2 
NRC Preliminary Licensing 

Schedule• Receipt of the application (12-30-09)

• Conduct an acceptance review (45 da

• Perform an in-depth safety review (18 

• Prepare an Environmental Impact Sta

(EIS) (24 month)

• If approved by the NRC, issue license

This schedule may change based on the quality of the applicant’s license application, the responsiveness to requ

for additional information, and unplanned higher priority operational safety work.
NRC Licensing Process

• Safety Review 

– Establish a team of technical reviewers

– Examine safety programs and integrated 

analysis

– Request additional information, as neede

Request additional information, as neede

• Licensing:

– Publish Safety Evaluation Report (SER) – Hold public meeting on final SER and EIS– If approved, issue license
Opportunities for Public 

Involvement• Four additional NRC public meetings

– Environmental Scoping– Draft EIS– Final EIS and SER

I i dO i h P

– Inspection an

d

Oversig

ht 

Process

• Opportunity to request a hearing
Additional Information

NRC Website http://www.nrc.govFuel Cycle Factshtt

p://www.nrc.

gov/materials/fuel-c

ycle-f

p g

– Deconversion

E-mail Distribution or Questionsmatthew.bartlett@nrc.gov
Environmental Review Process 

Johari Moore, NRC 

Environmental Project Manager
• The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

amended (NEPA), requires Federal agencies consider the environmental impacts of certain 

NRC implements NEPA with Title 10 Code of 

Laws, Regulations, and Guidance

• NRC implements NEPA with Title 10, Code of 

Regulations Part 51 (10 CFR 51). 

• Staff procedures for implementing 10 CFR 51 

described in environmental review guidance (NUREG-1748). 
What is an EIS?

• An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) describ

potential environmental impacts of a proposed acits alternatives.

• An EIS provides information for the public and ag

decision makers.

• An EIS addresses five main topics:

– The proposed action, including its purpose and 

need it meets

– Alternatives, including no action– The affected environment– Environmental impacts– Mitigative measures
Review Scope

• Reviews address the potential impacts of fac

construction, operation, and decommissionin

• Example review/resource areas include:

– Air, water, soils, plants, and animals– Public and worker health– Historic, archaeological, or architectural property – Economic resources, cultural resources, and soc– Environmental justice 

• Reviews address direct, indirect, and cumula

impacts.
Environmental Review Process

Receive license 

application 

Engage Consulting and 

Cooperating Agencies

Perform acceptance 

review

If applicatio

is accepted, is

Federal Register 

Begin s

and 

scop

Identify and a

environme

impacts

Publish Draft EIS 

for public comment

Revise Draft EIS 

after considering

public comments

Publish Final EIS and

hold public meeting

a

Begin public comment

period and hold public 

meeting on Draft EIS

Staff 

Licensing 

Action