(a) The applicant shall serve a copy of the application, all supporting documents and all subsequent submissions, or a copy from which confidential information has been deleted pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, to the Secretary, which may be made available for public review.

(b) Within fifteen (15) days of the receipt of an application, the Secretary will either accept it for filing or reject it, and the applicant will be so notified in writing. Only such applications which conform to the requirements of this subpart and which contain sufficient information for the purposes of a substantive decision will be accepted for filing. Applications which do not so conform will be rejected and an explanation provided to the applicant in writing.

(c) For the purpose of this subpart, an application is deemed to be filed on the date it is accepted for filing.

(d) Promptly after receipt of an application and its acceptance for filing, notice of such application shall be published in the Federal Register. The notice shall set forth the availability for public review of data and information available, and shall solicit comments, data and information with respect to the determination on the application. Except as may otherwise be specified, the period for public comment shall be 60 days after the notice appears in the Federal Register.

(e) The Secretary on his own initiative may convene a hearing if, in his discretion, he considers such hearing will advance his evaluation of the application.