NRC Makes Available Staff Recommendations for Proposed Rule on Certain Uranium and Plutonium Facilities

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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

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No. 99-115
June 2, 1999

NRC MAKES AVAILABLE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR PROPOSED RULE ON CERTAIN URANIUM AND PLUTONIUM FACILITIES

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is making available for public information staff recommendations for draft revised regulations for some licensed facilities that possess and process large quantities of certain types of uranium and plutonium.

As envisioned by the staff, the regulations (Part 70) would apply to licensees that are authorized to possess a "critical mass" of "special nuclear material" and that are engaged in one of the following activities:

-- Enriched uranium processing,

-- Fabrication of uranium fuel or fuel assemblies,

-- Uranium enrichment,

-- Enriched uranium hexafluoride conversion,

-- Plutonium processing,

-- Fabrication of mixed-oxide fuel or fuel assemblies,

-- Scrap recovery of special nuclear material, or

-- Any other activity involving a critical mass of special nuclear material that the Commission determines could significantly affect public health and safety.

The Commission is presently reviewing these recommendations. It has not yet approved publication of a proposed rule.

The Commission plans to hold a public meeting June 14 at 2:00 p.m. in the Commissioners' Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, to discuss the subject.

The Commission is making the staff recommendations available now to enable all stakeholders to have preliminary access to the document. Once the Commission approves a proposed rule, it will be published in the Federal Register for formal public comment and announced in a press release.

Interested persons may obtain a copy of the staff recommendations from the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20555; telephone: 202/634-3273.

A copy of the recommendations may also be obtained electronically as document 042-113 at the following Website address: http://techconf.llnl.gov/cgi-bin/library?source=*&library=dom_lic_lib.