Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility in Bonneville County, Idaho — Final Report: Chapters 1 through 10 (NUREG-1945, Volume 1)

This NUREG publication has been issued for public comment. Comment period is now closed.

On this page:

• Publication Information
• Abstract

Download complete document

• NUREG-1945, Final Report: Chapters 1 through 10, Volume 1 – (PDF - 36.90 MB)

Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: February 2011
Date Published: February 2011

Office of Federal and State Materials and
Environmental Management Programs

Availability Notice

Abstract

On December 30, 2008, AREVA Enrichment Services LLC (AES) submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a license to construct, operate, and decommission the proposed Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility (EREF). The proposed EREF would be located in Bonneville County, Idaho, approximately 32 kilometers (20 miles) west of Idaho Falls. Revisions to the license application were submitted by AES on April 23, 2009, and April 30, 2010. If licensed, the proposed facility would enrich uranium for use in commercial nuclear fuel for power reactors. AES would employ a gas centrifuge enrichment process to enrich uranium to up to five percent uranium-235 by weight, with a planned maximum target production of 6.6 million separative work units (SWUs) per year. AES initiated preconstruction activities (e.g., site preparation) in late 2010 under an exemption approved by the NRC to conduct such activities prior to licensing. If its license application is approved, AES expects to begin facility construction in 2011and commence initial production in 2014, reaching peak production in 2022. AES's license would be for a term of 30 years. Prior to license expiration in 2041, AES would seek to renew its license to continue operating the proposed facility or plan for the decontamination and decommissioning of the proposed facility per the applicable licensing conditions and NRC regulations. The proposed EREF would be licensed in accordance with the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act. Specifically, an NRC license under Title 10, "Energy," of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Parts 30, 40, and 70 would be required to authorize AES to possess and use special nuclear material, source material, and byproduct material at the proposed EREF site.

This Environmental Impact Statement (NUREG-1945) (EIS) was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the NRC regulations for implementing NEPA (10 CFR Part 51). This EIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of preconstruction activities and of the proposed action, which is to construct, operate, and decommission the proposed EREF near Idaho Falls in Bonneville County, Idaho. Also, this EIS describes the environment potentially affected by AES's proposal, evaluates reasonable alternatives to the proposed action, describes AES's environmental monitoring program and mitigation measures, and evaluates the costs and benefits of the proposed action.