Consistent with the purposes of NEPA, the Administrative Procedure Act, the Commission's rules of practice in part 2 of this chapter, §§51.100 and 51.101, and with other essential considerations of national policy:

(a) The appropriate NRC staff director may, and upon the request of an applicant for a proposed action or a petitioner for rulemaking shall, establish a time schedule for all or any constituent part of the NRC staff NEPA process. To the maximum extent practicable, the NRC staff will conduct its NEPA review in accordance with any time schedule established under this section.

(b) As specified in 10 CFR part 2, the presiding officer, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board or the Commissioners acting as a collegial body may establish a time schedule for all or any part of an adjudicatory or rulemaking proceeding to the extent that each has jurisdiction.

[49 FR 9381, Mar. 12, 1984, as amended at 69 FR 2276, Jan. 14, 2004]