(1) Before proceeding to sink shafts at the Yucca Mountain site, the Secretary shall submit for such candidate site to the Commission and to the Governor or legislature of the State of Nevada, for their review and comment
(A) a general plan for site characterization activities to be conducted at such candidate site, which plan shall include
(i) a description of such candidate site;
(ii) a description of such site characterization activities, including the following: the extent of planned excavations, plans for any onsite testing with radioactive or nonradioactive material, plans for any investigation activities that may affect the capability of such candidate site to isolate high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, and plans to control any adverse, safety-related impacts from such site characterization activities;
(iii) plans for the decontamination and decommissioning of such candidate site, and for the mitigation of any significant adverse environmental impacts caused by site characterization activities if it is determined unsuitable for application for a construction authorization for a repository;
(iv) criteria to be used to determine the suitability of such candidate site for the location of a repository, developed pursuant to section
10132 (a) of this title; and
(v) any other information required by the Commission;
(B) a description of the possible form or packaging for the high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel to be emplaced in such repository, a description, to the extent practicable, of the relationship between such waste form or packaging and the geologic medium of such site, and a description of the activities being conducted by the Secretary with respect to such possible waste form or packaging or such relationship; and
(C) a conceptual repository design that takes into account likely site-specific requirements.
(2) Before proceeding to sink shafts at the Yucca Mountain site, the Secretary shall
(A) make available to the public the site characterization plan described in paragraph (1); and
(B) hold public hearings in the vicinity of such candidate site to inform the residents of the area in which such candidate site is located of such plan, and to receive their comments.