(a) The Director shall provide the Governor and the Nevada State legislature, affected units of local government, and the governing body of any affected Indian Tribe, with timely and complete information regarding determinations or plans made by the Commission with respect to the Yucca Mountain site. Information must be provided concerning the site characterization, siting, development, design, licensing, construction, operation, regulation, permanent closure, or decontamination and dismantlement of surface facilities of the geologic repository operations area at the site.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, the Director is not required to distribute any document to any entity if, with respect to the document, that entity or its counsel is included on a service list prepared under part 2 of this chapter.

(c) The NRC shall place communications by the Director under this section in the Publicly Available Records System (PARS) Library and furnish copies to DOE.

(a) The Director shall make the NRC staff available to consult with representatives of the State of Nevada, affected units of local government, and affected Indian Tribes regarding the status of site characterization at the Yucca Mountain site.

(b) Requests for consultation must be made in writing to the Director.

(c) Consultation under this section may include:

(1) Keeping the parties informed of the Director's views on the progress of site characterization.

(2) Review of applicable NRC regulations, licensing procedures, schedules, and opportunities for State, affected units of local government, and Tribe participation in the Commission's regulatory activities.

(3) Cooperation in development of proposals for State, affected units of local government, and Tribal participation in license reviews.

(a) The State, affected units of local government, and affected Indian Tribes may participate in license reviews as provided in subpart J of part 2 of this chapter.

(b) In addition, a State, or an affected unit of local government, or an affected Indian Tribe may submit a proposal to the Director to facilitate its participation in the review of the license application. The proposal may be submitted at any time and must contain a description and schedule of how the State, or affected unit of local government, or affected Indian Tribe wishes to participate in the review, or what services or activities the State, or affected unit of local government, or affected Indian Tribe wishes the NRC to carry out, and how the services or activities proposed to be carried out by the NRC would contribute to this participation. The proposal may include educational or information services (seminars, public meetings) or other actions on the part of NRC, such as establishing additional public document rooms or employment or exchange of State personnel under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act.

(c) The Director shall arrange for a meeting between the representatives of the State, or affected unit of local government, or affected Indian Tribe and the NRC staff, to discuss any proposal submitted under paragraph (b) of this section, with a view to identifying any modifications that may contribute to the effective participation by such State, or affected unit of local government, or Tribe.

(d) Subject to the availability of funds, the Director shall approve all or any part of a proposal, as it may be modified through the meeting described in paragraph (c) of this section, if it is determined that:

(1) The proposed activities are suitable in light of the type and magnitude of impacts that the State, or affected unit of local government, or affected Indian Tribe may bear;

(2) The proposed activities—

(i) Will enhance communications between NRC and the State, or affected unit of local government, or affected Indian Tribe;

(ii) Will make a productive and timely contribution to the review; and

(iii) Are authorized by law.

(e) The Director shall advise the State, or affected unit of local government, or affected Indian Tribe whether its proposal has been accepted or denied. If all or any part of a proposal is denied, the Director shall state the reason for the denial.

(f) The NRC shall place all proposals submitted under this section, and responses to them, in the Publicly Available Records System (PARS) Library.

If the Governor and legislature of the State of Nevada have jointly designated, on their behalf, a single person or entity to receive notice and information from the Commission under this part, the Commission will provide the notice and information to the jointly designated person or entity instead of the Governor and legislature separately.

Any person who acts under this subpart as a representative for the State of Nevada (or for the Governor or legislature of Nevada), for an affected unit of local government, or for an affected Indian Tribe shall include in the request or other submission, or at the request of the Commission, a statement of the basis of his or her authority to act in this capacity.