Commission approves publication of the Final Rule and Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel

Commission approves publication of the Final Rule and Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel

Greetings,

In a session this morning the Commission approved—subject to certain changes that the NRC staff must make—publication of the Final Rule: Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, and it’s supporting document, NUREG 2157: Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel – Final Report.  The Commission’s instructions to staff, in the form of a Staff Requirements Memorandum, are available at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/commission/srm/meet/2014/m20140826.pdf(ADAMS No. ML14237A092).  Note that changes for the Continued Storage Rule and GEIS are in Attachment 5, which begins on page 82 of the PDF document.

The NRC staff will now make the changes directed by the Commission and will publish the Continued Storage final Rule and final Generic Environmental Impact Statement in September.  We will notify members of this e-mail list when publication of the final documents occurs. 
In a separate adjudicatory Order, CLI-14-8, the Commission lifted the suspension on final licensing decisions that was imposed in a 2012 decision, CLI-12-16, and authorized the NRC staff to issue final licensing decisions as appropriate once the Continued Storage final Rule becomes effective.  The Order also provided direction on the resolution of related contentions pending in several adjudications before the Commission and the Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards.  The Commission Order is available athttp://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/commission/orders/2014/2014-08cli.pdf.

Staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Waste Confidence Directorate