(a) The Commission or the presiding officer in a proceeding on either an application for construction authorization for a high-level radioactive waste repository at a geologic repository operations area under parts 60 or 63 of this chapter, or an application for a license to receive and possess high-level radioactive waste at a geologic repository operations area under parts 60 or 63 of this chapter, shall direct the parties, interested governmental participants, or their counsel to appear at a specified time and place not later than thirty days after the Safety Evaluation Report is issued by the NRC staff for a conference to consider:

(1) Any amended contentions submitted, which must be reviewed under the criteria in § 2.309(c) of this part;

(2) Simplification, clarification, and specification of the issues;

(3) The obtaining of stipulations and admissions of fact and of the contents and authenticity of documents to avoid unnecessary proof;

(4) Identification of witnesses and the limitation of the number of expert witnesses, and other steps to expedite the presentation of evidence;

(5) The setting of a hearing schedule;

(6) Establishing a discovery schedule for the proceeding taking into account the objective of meeting the three year time schedule specified in section 114(d) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 10134(d); and

(7) Such other matters as may aid in the orderly disposition of the proceeding.

(b) A prehearing conference held pursuant to this section shall be stenographically reported.

(c) The Presiding Officer shall enter an order which recites the action taken at the conference and the agreements by the parties, limits the issues or defines the matters in controversy to be determined in the proceeding, sets a discovery schedule, and sets the hearing schedule.