Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Decommissioning and/or Long-Term Stewardship at the West Valley Demonstration Project and Western New York Nuclear Service Center, 4803-4805 [2010-1725]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 19 / Friday, January 29, 2010 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
Decommissioning and/or Long-Term
Stewardship at the West Valley
Demonstration Project and Western
New York Nuclear Service Center
Department of Energy.
Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) announces the availability
of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for Decommissioning and/or
Long-Term Stewardship at the West
Valley Demonstration Project and
Western New York Nuclear Service
Center (DOE/EIS–0226) (referred to as
the Final Decommissioning and/or
Long-Term Stewardship EIS or ‘‘Final
EIS’’).
The Final EIS was prepared in
accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality’s National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Implementing Regulations (40 CFR Parts
1500–1508) and the DOE NEPA
Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part
1021). DOE and the New York State
Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA) are joint lead
agencies for preparing the EIS, while the
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC), the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), and the New
York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)
are cooperating agencies. NYSDEC and
the New York State Department of
Health (NYSDOH) are involved agencies
under the New York State
Environmental Quality Review Act
(SEQR).
The Proposed Action is the
completion of the West Valley
Demonstration Project (WVDP) and the
decommissioning and/or long-term
management or stewardship of Western
New York Nuclear Service Center
(WNYNSC). The Proposed Action
includes the decontamination and
decommissioning of the waste storage
tanks and facilities used in the
solidification of high-level radioactive
waste, and any material and hardware
used in connection with the WVDP. The
EIS analyzes three action alternatives for
decommissioning and/or long-term
stewardship of the WNYNSC, and a No
Action Alternative as required by NEPA
and SEQR.
DATES: DOE will announce its decision
regarding future actions at WNYNSC in
a Record of Decision to be published in
the Federal Register no sooner than 30
days after the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) publishes a Notice of
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Availability for the Final
Decommissioning and/or Long-Term
Stewardship EIS. NYSERDA will
publish its decisions regarding actions
at the WNYNSC in a Findings Statement
in the New York State Environmental
Notice Bulletin no sooner than 10 days
after the Final EIS is issued.
ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section for addresses at
which copies of the Final EIS are
available for viewing, as well as
addresses for use in requesting copies of
the document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information regarding WVDP or the
Final EIS, contact Catherine Bohan, EIS
Document Manager, West Valley
Demonstration Project, U.S. Department
of Energy, Ashford Office Complex,
9030 Route 219, West Valley, NY 14171.
The following Web sites may also be
accessed for additional information on
the Final EIS or the West Valley Site:
https://www.westvalleyeis.com or https://
www.wv.doe.gov. Requests for
information may also be submitted via
e-mail at https://www.westvalleyeis.com
or by faxing toll-free to 866–306–9094.
For general information on DOE’s
NEPA process contact: Carol Borgstrom,
Director, Office of NEPA Policy and
Compliance (GC–54), U.S. Department
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585; e-mail
AskNEPA@hq.doe.gov; telephone 202–
586–4600; or leave a message at 800–
472–2756. The Final EIS is also
accessible through the DOE’s NEPA
Web site at https://www.gc.energy.gov/
NEPA.
For general questions and information
about NYSERDA’s role in the EIS,
contact Paul Bembia, Program Director,
West Valley Site Management Program,
New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority, Ashford Office
Complex, 9030 Route 219, West Valley,
NY 14171; telephone 716–942–9960,
extension 4900; fax 716–942–9961; or email pjb@nyserda.org.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: WNYNSC
is a 1,351-hectare (3,338-acre) site
located 48 kilometers (30 miles) south of
Buffalo, New York, and owned by
NYSERDA. In 1982, DOE assumed
control but not ownership of the 68hectare (167-acre) Project Premises
portion of the site in order to conduct
the WVDP, as required under the 1980
West Valley Demonstration Project Act.
In 1990, DOE and NYSERDA entered
into an agreement to prepare a joint EIS
to address both the completion of
WVDP and closure or long-term
management of WNYNSC. A Draft EIS
was issued for public comment in
January 1996: the Draft Environmental
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4803
Impact Statement for Completion of the
West Valley Demonstration Project and
Closure or Long-Term Management of
Facilities at the Western New York
Nuclear Service Center, also referred to
as the 1996 Cleanup and Closure Draft
EIS (DOE/EIS–0226D).
DOE and NYSERDA issued the
Revised Draft Decommissioning and/or
Long-Term Stewardship EIS on
December 5, 2008, revising the 1996
Draft EIS. This revised draft considered
the decommissioning criteria for WVDP
issued by NRC since the publication of
the 1996 Cleanup and Closure Draft EIS
and public comments on that EIS. The
public comment period on the Revised
Draft Decommissioning and/or LongTerm Stewardship EIS, originally
scheduled to end June 8, 2009, was
extended through September 8, 2009, in
response to requests from the public.
Four public hearings on the Revised
Draft EIS were held in locations in New
York State and on the Seneca Nation of
Indians Reservation during this time.
DOE and NYSERDA have considered
comments received and have
incorporated both the comments and the
agencies’ responses in the EIS.
Key changes between the Draft and
Final EIS include: Incorporation of
updated environmental and site-specific
information, changes made in response
to the NYSERDA View on the Revised
Draft EIS, and revision of the
description of alternatives, particularly
that of the Phased Decisionmaking
Alternative (described in the Draft EIS
as encompassing 30 years) to specify
that a Phase 2 decision would be made
no later than 10 years after issuance of
the initial DOE Record of Decision and
NYSERDA Findings Statement, if the
Phased Decisionmaking Alternative is
selected.
The Final Decommissioning and/or
Long-Term Stewardship EIS has been
prepared in accordance with NEPA (40
CFR Parts 1500–1508 and 10 CFR Part
1021) and the SEQR to examine the
potential environmental impacts of the
range of reasonable alternatives to
decommission and/or maintain longterm stewardship at WNYNSC. The
alternatives analyzed in the EIS include
the Sitewide Removal Alternative, the
Sitewide Close-In-Place Alternative, the
Phased Decisionmaking Alternative
(Preferred Alternative), and the No
Action Alternative. The analysis and
information contained in the EIS are
intended to assist DOE and NYSERDA
with consideration of potential
environmental impacts prior to making
decommissioning or long-term
management decisions.
The Final Decommissioning and/or
Long-Term Stewardship EIS will
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 19 / Friday, January 29, 2010 / Notices
support DOE and NYSERDA decisions
regarding the Proposed Action:
Completion of WVDP and
decommissioning and/or long-term
management or stewardship of
WNYNSC. This includes the disposition
of the high-level radioactive waste
storage tanks, the former spent nuclear
fuel reprocessing plant, the North
Plateau Groundwater Plume, the Cesium
Prong, the NRC–Licensed Disposal Area
(NDA), and the State-Licensed Disposal
Area (SDA). The three action
alternatives evaluated for the Proposed
Action are as follows:
Sitewide Removal: Under this
alternative, all site facilities identified
in the Final EIS would be removed;
contaminated soil, sediment, and
groundwater would be removed to meet
criteria that would allow unrestricted
release of WNYNSC; and all radioactive,
hazardous, and mixed waste would be
characterized, packaged as necessary,
and eventually shipped off site for
disposal. This alternative is expected to
generate waste for which there is
currently no offsite disposal location
(e.g., potential non-defense transuranic
waste, commercial Class B and C lowlevel radioactive waste, and GreaterThan-Class C waste). This orphan waste
would be stored on site until an
appropriate offsite facility is available.
Completion of these activities would
allow unrestricted use of the site (i.e.,
the site could be made available for any
public or private use). The Sitewide
Removal Alternative includes temporary
onsite storage of canisters of high-level
radioactive waste previously vitrified
under WVDP and currently in storage at
WVDP until the waste can be shipped
offsite.
Sitewide Close-In-Place: Under this
alternative, most facilities would be
closed in place. Major facilities and
sources of contamination such as the
Waste Tank Farm, NDA, and SDA
would be managed at their current
locations. Residual radioactivity in
facilities with larger inventories of longlived radionuclides would be isolated
by specially designed closure structures
and engineered barriers. These
structures would be designed to meet
regulatory requirements both to retain
hazardous and radioactive constituents
and to ensure they would be resistant to
long-term degradation. This approach
would allow large areas of the site to be
released for unrestricted use. The NRC
license for remaining portions of
WNYNSC could be terminated under
restricted conditions, or could be
converted to a long-term license. Longterm stewardship would be provided for
facilities that are closed in place and
any buffer areas around them.
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Phased Decisionmaking (the Preferred
Alternative): Under this alternative,
decommissioning would be completed
in two phases. This alternative involves
substantial removal actions in the first
phase. In addition, during the first
phase, this alternative provides for site
characterization and scientific studies to
facilitate decisionmaking for the
remaining facilities or areas.
Phase 1 would include removal of the
Main Plant Process Building and the
source area of the North Plateau
Groundwater Plume. In addition, the
lagoons and all facilities in Waste
Management Area (WMA) 2 (except the
permeable treatment wall) would be
removed. The Vitrification Facility, the
Remote Handled Waste Facility, and a
number of facilities in WMAs 5, 6, 9,
and 10 would also be removed.
Foundations, slabs or pads from these
facilities, as well as those from
previously demolished facilities, would
also be removed. During Phase 1,
several facilities would continue under
active management. These facilities
include the Waste Tank Farm and its
support facilities, the Construction and
Demolition Debris Landfill, the nonsource area of the North Plateau
Groundwater Plume, the NDA, and the
SDA. Activities undertaken in Phase 1
would make use of proven technologies
and available waste disposal sites to
reduce the potential short-term health
and safety risks from residual
radioactivity and hazardous
contaminants at the site. Phase 1
activities are expected to take 8 to 10
years to complete. During this 8 to 10
year period, DOE and NYSERDA would
conduct a number of activities to
facilitate determination of the best
technical approach to complete
decommissioning of the remaining
facilities. These activities would include
further characterization of site
contamination and additional scientific
studies. These additional studies would
be conducted to possibly reduce
technical uncertainties related to the
decision on final decommissioning and
long-term management of the balance of
WNYNSC. In particular, these studies
may address uncertainties associated
with the long-term performance models,
the viability and cost of exhuming
buried waste and tanks, the availability
of waste disposal sites, and technologies
for in-place containment.
While Phase 1 activities are being
conducted, DOE and NYSERDA would
assess the results of site-specific studies
as they become available, along with
other emerging information such as
applicable technology development. In
consultation with NYSERDA and
cooperating and involved agencies on
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the EIS, DOE would determine whether
new information would warrant
preparation of a Supplemental EIS.
NYSERDA also would assess the results
of site-specific studies and other
information during Phase 1. NYSERDA
expects to prepare and issue for public
comment an EIS, or a supplement to the
existing EIS, to evaluate Phase 2
decisions for the SDA and the balance
of WNYNSC for which NYSERDA has
responsibility.
Phase 2 decisions would be made
within 10 years of the initial DOE
Record of Decision and NYSERDA
Findings Statement, if the Phased
Decisionmaking Alternative is selected.
NYSERDA and DOE would strive to
make a comprehensive Phase 2 decision
for the entire site that is protective of
public health and safety and the
environment. For WVDP, Phase 2
actions would complete
decommissioning or long-term
management decisionmaking according
to the approach determined most
appropriate during the additional Phase
1 evaluations for each remaining
facility. For the SDA, alternatives that
would be considered for Phase 2 actions
would include at least: complete
exhumation, close-in-place, and
continued active management
consistent with SDA permit and license
requirements.
No Action Alternative: Under this
alternative, no decommissioning actions
would be taken. The No Action
Alternative would involve the
continued management and oversight of
all facilities located on WNYNSC
property as of the starting point for this
EIS. The No Action Alternative does not
meet the purpose and need for agency
action, but analysis of the No Action
Alternative is required under NEPA and
SEQR.
Preferred Alternative: DOE and
NYSERDA have identified the Phased
Decisionmaking Alternative as the
Preferred Alternative. DOE will
announce its decision regarding future
actions at WNYNSC in a Record of
Decision to be published in the Federal
Register no sooner than 30 days after
publication of the EPA Notice of
Availability for the Final EIS. NYSERDA
will publish its decisions regarding
actions at the WNYNSC in a Findings
Statement in the New York State
Environmental Notice Bulletin no
sooner than 10 days after the Final EIS
is issued.
Paper copies of the Final EIS are
available at the Concord Public Library,
18 Chapel Street, Springville, NY 14141,
(716) 592–7742; the WVDP Public
Reading Room, U.S. Department of
Energy, Ashford Office Complex, 9030
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 19 / Friday, January 29, 2010 / Notices
Route 219, West Valley, NY 14171, (716)
942–4555; and the U.S. Department of
Energy, FOIA Reading Room, 1G–033,
Forrestal Bldg., 1000 Independence
Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202)
586–5955. Written requests for copies of
the document should be directed to:
Catherine Bohan, EIS Document
Manager, West Valley Demonstration
Project, U.S. Department of Energy,
Ashford Office Complex, 9030 Route
219, West Valley, NY 14171. This Final
EIS is also available electronically at
https://www.westvalleyeis.com and the
DOE’s NEPA Web site at https://
www.gc.energy.gov/NEPA.
Signed in Washington, DC, this 20th day of
January 2010.
Frank Marcinowski,
Acting Chief Technical Officer for
Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 2010–1725 Filed 1–28–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Portsmouth
Department of Energy.
Notice of open meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: This notice announces a
meeting of the Environmental
Management Site-Specific Advisory
Board (EM SSAB), Portsmouth (known
locally as the Portsmouth Site-Specific
Advisory Board [PORTS SSAB]),
Decontamination and Decommissioning
(D&D) and Future Land Use
Subcommittees. The Federal Advisory
Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, 86 Stat.
770) requires that public notice of this
meeting be announced in the Federal
Register.
DATES:
Tuesday, February 9, 2010—4:30
p.m.
Ohio State University,
Endeavor Center, 1862 Shyville Road,
Piketon, Ohio 45661.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joel
Bradburne, Deputy Designated Federal
Officer, Department of Energy
Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office, Post
Office Box 700, Piketon, Ohio 45661,
(740) 897–3822,
Joel.Bradburne@lex.doe.gov.
ADDRESSES:
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose of the Board: The purpose of
the Board is to make recommendations
to DOE–EM and site management in the
areas of environmental restoration,
waste management, and related
activities.
Purpose of the D&D Subcommittee:
The purpose of the subcommittee is to
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focus on waste disposition and
recycling issues at the Portsmouth site.
Purpose of the Future Land Use
Subcommittee: The purpose of the
subcommittee is to focus on reuse
incentives, reindustrialization, and
technology development at the
Portsmouth site.
Tentative Agenda
4:30 p.m.—D&D Subcommittee Session
• Review of January Summary
• Waste Disposition Option Updates
Æ Shipping, Transporting, and
Contamination Levels
• Public Comment Period
• Review of Action Items
6:30 p.m.—Future Land Use
Subcommittee Session
• Review of January Summary
• Discussion of Priorities
• Public Comment Period
• Review of Action Items
Adjourn
Public Participation: The EM SSAB,
Portsmouth, welcomes the attendance of
the public at its meetings and will make
every effort to accommodate persons
with physical disabilities or special
needs. If you require special
accommodations due to a disability,
please contact Joel Bradburne at least
five days in advance of the meetings at
the phone number listed above. Written
statements may be filed with the Board
either before or after the meeting.
Individuals who wish to make oral
statements pertaining to agenda items
should contact Joel Bradburne at the
address or telephone number listed
above. The Deputy Designated Federal
Officer is empowered to conduct the
meeting in a fashion that will facilitate
the orderly conduct of business.
Individuals wishing to make public
comments will be provided a maximum
of five minutes to present their
comments. This notice is being
published less than 15 days prior to the
meeting date due to programmatic
issues that had to be resolved prior to
the meeting date.
Minutes: Minutes will be available by
writing or calling Joel Bradburne at the
address and phone number listed above.
Minutes will also be available at the
following Web site: https://www.portsssab.org/publicmeetings.html.
Issued at Washington, DC, on January 22,
2010.
Rachel Samuel,
Deputy Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010–1684 Filed 1–28–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
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4805
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. RM10–12–000; 130 FERC
¶ 61,039]
Electricity Market Transparency
Provisions of Section 220 of the
Federal Power Act
January 21, 2010.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of inquiry.
SUMMARY: The Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission)
seeks comments on whether the
Commission’s Electric Quarterly Report
(EQR) filing requirements should be
applied to market participants that are
excluded from the Commission’s
jurisdiction under section 205 of the
Federal Power Act (FPA). This Notice of
Inquiry will assist the Commission in
determining what changes, if any,
should be made to its regulations under
the electric market transparency
provisions of section 220 of the FPA, as
adopted in the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (EPAct 2005).
DATES: Comments are due March 30,
2010.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by docket number by any of
the following methods:
• Agency Web Site: https://ferc.gov.
Documents created electronically using
word processing software should be
filed in native applications or print-toPDF format and not in a scanned format.
• Mail/Hand Delivery: Commenters
unable to file comments electronically
must mail or hand deliver an original
and 14 copies of their comments to:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Instructions: For detailed instructions
on submitting comments and additional
information on the rulemaking process,
see the Comment Procedures Section of
this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Raymond Montini, Office of
Enforcement, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426,
(202) 502–8714.
Raymond.Montini@ferc.gov.
Christina Switzer (Legal Information),
Office of the General Counsel, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Washington, DC
20426, (202) 502–6379.
Christina.Switzer@ferc.gov.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 19 (Friday, January 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4803-4805]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-1725]
[[Page 4803]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for Decommissioning and/or Long-Term Stewardship at the West
Valley Demonstration Project and Western New York Nuclear Service
Center
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability
of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Decommissioning and/or
Long-Term Stewardship at the West Valley Demonstration Project and
Western New York Nuclear Service Center (DOE/EIS-0226) (referred to as
the Final Decommissioning and/or Long-Term Stewardship EIS or ``Final
EIS'').
The Final EIS was prepared in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Implementing Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and the DOE NEPA
Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part 1021). DOE and the New York State
Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) are joint lead
agencies for preparing the EIS, while the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and
the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)
are cooperating agencies. NYSDEC and the New York State Department of
Health (NYSDOH) are involved agencies under the New York State
Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR).
The Proposed Action is the completion of the West Valley
Demonstration Project (WVDP) and the decommissioning and/or long-term
management or stewardship of Western New York Nuclear Service Center
(WNYNSC). The Proposed Action includes the decontamination and
decommissioning of the waste storage tanks and facilities used in the
solidification of high-level radioactive waste, and any material and
hardware used in connection with the WVDP. The EIS analyzes three
action alternatives for decommissioning and/or long-term stewardship of
the WNYNSC, and a No Action Alternative as required by NEPA and SEQR.
DATES: DOE will announce its decision regarding future actions at
WNYNSC in a Record of Decision to be published in the Federal Register
no sooner than 30 days after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
publishes a Notice of Availability for the Final Decommissioning and/or
Long-Term Stewardship EIS. NYSERDA will publish its decisions regarding
actions at the WNYNSC in a Findings Statement in the New York State
Environmental Notice Bulletin no sooner than 10 days after the Final
EIS is issued.
ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for addresses at which
copies of the Final EIS are available for viewing, as well as addresses
for use in requesting copies of the document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding WVDP or the
Final EIS, contact Catherine Bohan, EIS Document Manager, West Valley
Demonstration Project, U.S. Department of Energy, Ashford Office
Complex, 9030 Route 219, West Valley, NY 14171. The following Web sites
may also be accessed for additional information on the Final EIS or the
West Valley Site: https://www.westvalleyeis.com or https://www.wv.doe.gov. Requests for information may also be submitted via e-
mail at https://www.westvalleyeis.com or by faxing toll-free to 866-306-
9094.
For general information on DOE's NEPA process contact: Carol
Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-54), U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20585; e-mail AskNEPA@hq.doe.gov; telephone 202-586-4600; or leave a
message at 800-472-2756. The Final EIS is also accessible through the
DOE's NEPA Web site at https://www.gc.energy.gov/NEPA.
For general questions and information about NYSERDA's role in the
EIS, contact Paul Bembia, Program Director, West Valley Site Management
Program, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority,
Ashford Office Complex, 9030 Route 219, West Valley, NY 14171;
telephone 716-942-9960, extension 4900; fax 716-942-9961; or e-mail
pjb@nyserda.org.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: WNYNSC is a 1,351-hectare (3,338-acre) site
located 48 kilometers (30 miles) south of Buffalo, New York, and owned
by NYSERDA. In 1982, DOE assumed control but not ownership of the 68-
hectare (167-acre) Project Premises portion of the site in order to
conduct the WVDP, as required under the 1980 West Valley Demonstration
Project Act. In 1990, DOE and NYSERDA entered into an agreement to
prepare a joint EIS to address both the completion of WVDP and closure
or long-term management of WNYNSC. A Draft EIS was issued for public
comment in January 1996: the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for
Completion of the West Valley Demonstration Project and Closure or
Long-Term Management of Facilities at the Western New York Nuclear
Service Center, also referred to as the 1996 Cleanup and Closure Draft
EIS (DOE/EIS-0226D).
DOE and NYSERDA issued the Revised Draft Decommissioning and/or
Long-Term Stewardship EIS on December 5, 2008, revising the 1996 Draft
EIS. This revised draft considered the decommissioning criteria for
WVDP issued by NRC since the publication of the 1996 Cleanup and
Closure Draft EIS and public comments on that EIS. The public comment
period on the Revised Draft Decommissioning and/or Long-Term
Stewardship EIS, originally scheduled to end June 8, 2009, was extended
through September 8, 2009, in response to requests from the public.
Four public hearings on the Revised Draft EIS were held in locations in
New York State and on the Seneca Nation of Indians Reservation during
this time. DOE and NYSERDA have considered comments received and have
incorporated both the comments and the agencies' responses in the EIS.
Key changes between the Draft and Final EIS include: Incorporation
of updated environmental and site-specific information, changes made in
response to the NYSERDA View on the Revised Draft EIS, and revision of
the description of alternatives, particularly that of the Phased
Decisionmaking Alternative (described in the Draft EIS as encompassing
30 years) to specify that a Phase 2 decision would be made no later
than 10 years after issuance of the initial DOE Record of Decision and
NYSERDA Findings Statement, if the Phased Decisionmaking Alternative is
selected.
The Final Decommissioning and/or Long-Term Stewardship EIS has been
prepared in accordance with NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508 and 10 CFR
Part 1021) and the SEQR to examine the potential environmental impacts
of the range of reasonable alternatives to decommission and/or maintain
long-term stewardship at WNYNSC. The alternatives analyzed in the EIS
include the Sitewide Removal Alternative, the Sitewide Close-In-Place
Alternative, the Phased Decisionmaking Alternative (Preferred
Alternative), and the No Action Alternative. The analysis and
information contained in the EIS are intended to assist DOE and NYSERDA
with consideration of potential environmental impacts prior to making
decommissioning or long-term management decisions.
The Final Decommissioning and/or Long-Term Stewardship EIS will
[[Page 4804]]
support DOE and NYSERDA decisions regarding the Proposed Action:
Completion of WVDP and decommissioning and/or long-term management or
stewardship of WNYNSC. This includes the disposition of the high-level
radioactive waste storage tanks, the former spent nuclear fuel
reprocessing plant, the North Plateau Groundwater Plume, the Cesium
Prong, the NRC-Licensed Disposal Area (NDA), and the State-Licensed
Disposal Area (SDA). The three action alternatives evaluated for the
Proposed Action are as follows:
Sitewide Removal: Under this alternative, all site facilities
identified in the Final EIS would be removed; contaminated soil,
sediment, and groundwater would be removed to meet criteria that would
allow unrestricted release of WNYNSC; and all radioactive, hazardous,
and mixed waste would be characterized, packaged as necessary, and
eventually shipped off site for disposal. This alternative is expected
to generate waste for which there is currently no offsite disposal
location (e.g., potential non-defense transuranic waste, commercial
Class B and C low-level radioactive waste, and Greater-Than-Class C
waste). This orphan waste would be stored on site until an appropriate
offsite facility is available. Completion of these activities would
allow unrestricted use of the site (i.e., the site could be made
available for any public or private use). The Sitewide Removal
Alternative includes temporary onsite storage of canisters of high-
level radioactive waste previously vitrified under WVDP and currently
in storage at WVDP until the waste can be shipped offsite.
Sitewide Close-In-Place: Under this alternative, most facilities
would be closed in place. Major facilities and sources of contamination
such as the Waste Tank Farm, NDA, and SDA would be managed at their
current locations. Residual radioactivity in facilities with larger
inventories of long-lived radionuclides would be isolated by specially
designed closure structures and engineered barriers. These structures
would be designed to meet regulatory requirements both to retain
hazardous and radioactive constituents and to ensure they would be
resistant to long-term degradation. This approach would allow large
areas of the site to be released for unrestricted use. The NRC license
for remaining portions of WNYNSC could be terminated under restricted
conditions, or could be converted to a long-term license. Long-term
stewardship would be provided for facilities that are closed in place
and any buffer areas around them.
Phased Decisionmaking (the Preferred Alternative): Under this
alternative, decommissioning would be completed in two phases. This
alternative involves substantial removal actions in the first phase. In
addition, during the first phase, this alternative provides for site
characterization and scientific studies to facilitate decisionmaking
for the remaining facilities or areas.
Phase 1 would include removal of the Main Plant Process Building
and the source area of the North Plateau Groundwater Plume. In
addition, the lagoons and all facilities in Waste Management Area (WMA)
2 (except the permeable treatment wall) would be removed. The
Vitrification Facility, the Remote Handled Waste Facility, and a number
of facilities in WMAs 5, 6, 9, and 10 would also be removed.
Foundations, slabs or pads from these facilities, as well as those from
previously demolished facilities, would also be removed. During Phase
1, several facilities would continue under active management. These
facilities include the Waste Tank Farm and its support facilities, the
Construction and Demolition Debris Landfill, the non-source area of the
North Plateau Groundwater Plume, the NDA, and the SDA. Activities
undertaken in Phase 1 would make use of proven technologies and
available waste disposal sites to reduce the potential short-term
health and safety risks from residual radioactivity and hazardous
contaminants at the site. Phase 1 activities are expected to take 8 to
10 years to complete. During this 8 to 10 year period, DOE and NYSERDA
would conduct a number of activities to facilitate determination of the
best technical approach to complete decommissioning of the remaining
facilities. These activities would include further characterization of
site contamination and additional scientific studies. These additional
studies would be conducted to possibly reduce technical uncertainties
related to the decision on final decommissioning and long-term
management of the balance of WNYNSC. In particular, these studies may
address uncertainties associated with the long-term performance models,
the viability and cost of exhuming buried waste and tanks, the
availability of waste disposal sites, and technologies for in-place
containment.
While Phase 1 activities are being conducted, DOE and NYSERDA would
assess the results of site-specific studies as they become available,
along with other emerging information such as applicable technology
development. In consultation with NYSERDA and cooperating and involved
agencies on the EIS, DOE would determine whether new information would
warrant preparation of a Supplemental EIS. NYSERDA also would assess
the results of site-specific studies and other information during Phase
1. NYSERDA expects to prepare and issue for public comment an EIS, or a
supplement to the existing EIS, to evaluate Phase 2 decisions for the
SDA and the balance of WNYNSC for which NYSERDA has responsibility.
Phase 2 decisions would be made within 10 years of the initial DOE
Record of Decision and NYSERDA Findings Statement, if the Phased
Decisionmaking Alternative is selected. NYSERDA and DOE would strive to
make a comprehensive Phase 2 decision for the entire site that is
protective of public health and safety and the environment. For WVDP,
Phase 2 actions would complete decommissioning or long-term management
decisionmaking according to the approach determined most appropriate
during the additional Phase 1 evaluations for each remaining facility.
For the SDA, alternatives that would be considered for Phase 2 actions
would include at least: complete exhumation, close-in-place, and
continued active management consistent with SDA permit and license
requirements.
No Action Alternative: Under this alternative, no decommissioning
actions would be taken. The No Action Alternative would involve the
continued management and oversight of all facilities located on WNYNSC
property as of the starting point for this EIS. The No Action
Alternative does not meet the purpose and need for agency action, but
analysis of the No Action Alternative is required under NEPA and SEQR.
Preferred Alternative: DOE and NYSERDA have identified the Phased
Decisionmaking Alternative as the Preferred Alternative. DOE will
announce its decision regarding future actions at WNYNSC in a Record of
Decision to be published in the Federal Register no sooner than 30 days
after publication of the EPA Notice of Availability for the Final EIS.
NYSERDA will publish its decisions regarding actions at the WNYNSC in a
Findings Statement in the New York State Environmental Notice Bulletin
no sooner than 10 days after the Final EIS is issued.
Paper copies of the Final EIS are available at the Concord Public
Library, 18 Chapel Street, Springville, NY 14141, (716) 592-7742; the
WVDP Public Reading Room, U.S. Department of Energy, Ashford Office
Complex, 9030
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Route 219, West Valley, NY 14171, (716) 942-4555; and the U.S.
Department of Energy, FOIA Reading Room, 1G-033, Forrestal Bldg., 1000
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-5955. Written
requests for copies of the document should be directed to: Catherine
Bohan, EIS Document Manager, West Valley Demonstration Project, U.S.
Department of Energy, Ashford Office Complex, 9030 Route 219, West
Valley, NY 14171. This Final EIS is also available electronically at
https://www.westvalleyeis.com and the DOE's NEPA Web site at https://www.gc.energy.gov/NEPA.
Signed in Washington, DC, this 20th day of January 2010.
Frank Marcinowski,
Acting Chief Technical Officer for Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 2010-1725 Filed 1-28-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
