Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed National Enrichment Facility in Lea County, New Mexico

Louisiana Energy Services (LES) has submitted a license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to construct, operate, and decommission a gas centrifuge uranium enrichment facilitynear Eunice, New Mexico, in Lea County. The proposed facility, referred to as the National Enrichment Facility (NEF), would produce enriched uranium-235 (235U) up to 5 weight percent by the gas centrifuge process with a nominal production of 3 million separative work units per year. The enriched uranium would be used in commercial nuclear power plants. The proposed NEF 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 LES to possess and use special nuclear material, source material, and by product material at the proposed NEF site.