Second Amended Notice of Intent To Modify the Scope of the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct Additional Public Scoping, 1920-1923 [2012-445]

Download as PDF 1920 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 8 / Thursday, January 12, 2012 / Notices Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 504–7923. Dated: January 10, 2012. Todd A Stevenson, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2012–625 Filed 1–10–12; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 6355–01–P CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE Information Collection; Submission for OMB Review, Comment Request Corporation for National and Community Service. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Corporation for National and Community Service (the Corporation), has submitted a public information collection request (ICR) entitled Day of Service Project Promotion Tool for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104– 13, (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). Copies of this ICR, with applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by calling the Corporation for National and Community Service, David Premo, at (202) 606–6717 or email to dpremo@ cns.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY–TDD) may call 1–(800) 833–3722 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted, identified by the title of the information collection activity, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: Ms. Sharon Mar, OMB Desk Officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service, by any of the following two methods within 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register: (1) By fax to: (202) 395–6974, Attention: Ms. Sharon Mar, OMB Desk Officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service; and (2) Electronically by email to: smar@ omb.eop.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The OMB is particularly interested in comments which: • Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Corporation, including whether the information will have practical utility; • Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:26 Jan 11, 2012 Jkt 226001 • Propose ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and • Propose ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses. Comments A 60-day public comment Notice was published in the Federal Register on October 25, 2011. This comment period ended December 27, 2011. No public comments were received from this Notice. Description: The Corporation is seeking approval of Day of Service Project Promotion Tool which is used by Any person or group organizing a service project in conjunction with a Corporation initiative to help promote activities and to ascertain impact of our initiatives. Type of Review: Renewal. Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service. Title: Day of Service Project Promotion Tool. OMB Number: 3045–0122. Agency Number: None. Affected Public: Any person or group organizing a service project in conjunction with a Corporation Initiative. Total Respondents: 100,000. Frequency: 6 times annually. Average Time per Response: Averages 10 minutes. Estimated Total Burden Hours: 16,667. Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None. Total Burden Cost (operating/ maintenance): None. Dated: January 5, 2012. Marco Davis, Director of Public Engagement. [FR Doc. 2012–410 Filed 1–11–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6050–$$–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Second Amended Notice of Intent To Modify the Scope of the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct Additional Public Scoping U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration. ACTION: Amended Notice of Intent. AGENCY: PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intent to modify the scope of the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE/EIS–0283–S2) and to conduct additional public scoping. DOE issued its Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the SPD Supplemental EIS on March 28, 2007, and issued an Amended NOI on July 19, 2010. DOE now intends to further revise the scope of the SPD Supplemental EIS primarily to add additional alternatives for the disassembly of pits (a nuclear weapons component) and the conversion of plutonium metal originating from pits to feed material for the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF), which DOE is constructing at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. Under the proposed new alternatives, DOE would expand or install the essential elements required to provide a pit disassembly and/or conversion capability at one or more of the following locations: Technical Area 55 (TA–55) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico, H– Canyon/HB–Line at SRS, K–Area at SRS, and the MFFF at SRS. In addition, DOE has decided not to analyze an alternative, described in the 2010 Amended NOI, to construct a separate Plutonium Preparation (PuP) capability for non-pit plutonium because the necessary preparation activities are adequately encompassed within the other alternatives. The MOX fuel alternative is DOE’s preferred alternative for surplus plutonium disposition. DOE’s preferred alternative for pit disassembly and the conversion of surplus plutonium metal, regardless of its origins, to feed for the MFFF is to use some combination of facilities at TA–55 at LANL, K–Area at SRS, H–Canyon/HB–Line at SRS and MFFF at SRS, rather than to construct a new stand-alone facility. This would likely require the installation of additional equipment and other modifications to some of these facilities. DOE’s preferred alternative for disposition of surplus plutonium that is not suitable for MOX fuel fabrication is disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. DATES: DOE invites Federal agencies, state and local governments, Native American tribes, industry, other organizations, and members of the public to submit comments to assist in identifying environmental issues and in determining the appropriate scope of the SPD Supplemental EIS. The public scoping period will end on March 12, 2012. DOE will consider all comments SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM 12JAN1 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 8 / Thursday, January 12, 2012 / Notices received or postmarked by March 12, 2012. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. Also, DOE asks that Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies that desire to be designated cooperating agencies on the SPD Supplemental EIS contact the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Document Manager at the addresses listed under ADDRESSES by the end of the scoping period. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a cooperating agency for sections of the EIS as described below. DOE will hold a public scoping meeting: • February 2, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) at Cities of Gold Hotel, 10–A Cities of Gold Road, Pojoaque, NM 87501. The scoping period announced in this second Amended NOI will allow for additional public comment and for DOE to consider any new information that may be relevant to the scope of the SPD Supplemental EIS. Because the additional alternatives do not involve new locations except for LANL, and because there have been two previous scoping periods for this SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE does not intend to hold additional scoping meetings except at Pojoaque, NM, or to extend the scoping period beyond that announced herein. ADDRESSES: Please direct written comments on the scope of the SPD Supplemental EIS to Ms. Sachiko McAlhany, SPD Supplemental EIS NEPA Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 2324, Germantown, MD 20874–2324. Comments on the scope of the SPD Supplemental EIS may also be submitted via email to spdsupplementaleis@saic.com or by toll-free fax to (877) 865–0277. DOE will give equal weight to written, email, fax, telephone, and oral comments. Questions regarding the scoping process and requests to be placed on the SPD Supplemental EIS mailing list should be directed to Ms. McAlhany by any of the means given above or by calling toll-free (877) 344–0513. For general information concerning the DOE 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 20585–0103; telephone (202) 586–4600, or leave a message tollfree (800) 472–2756; fax (202) 586–7031; or send an email to askNEPA@hq.doe.gov. This second Amended NOI will be available on the Internet at https://energy.gov/nepa. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:26 Jan 11, 2012 Jkt 226001 Background To reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation, DOE is engaged in a program to disposition its surplus, weapons-usable plutonium in a safe, secure, and environmentally sound manner, by converting such plutonium into proliferation-resistant forms not readily usable in nuclear weapons. The U.S. inventory of surplus plutonium is in several forms. The largest quantity is plutonium metal in the shape of pits (a nuclear weapons component). The remainder is non-pit plutonium, which includes plutonium oxides and metal in a variety of forms and purities. DOE already has decided to fabricate 34 metric tons (MT) of surplus plutonium into MOX fuel in the MFFF (68 FR 20134, April 24, 2003), currently under construction at SRS, and to irradiate the MOX fuel in commercial nuclear reactors used to generate electricity, thereby rendering the plutonium into a spent fuel form not readily usable in nuclear weapons. DOE announced its intent to prepare a SPD Supplemental EIS in 2007 to analyze the potential environmental impacts of alternatives to disposition about 13 MT of surplus plutonium (72 FR 14543; March 28, 2007). DOE issued an Amended NOI in 2010 ‘‘to refine the quantity and types of surplus weaponsusable plutonium material, evaluate additional alternatives, and no longer consider in detail one alternative identified’’ in the 2007 NOI (75 FR 41850; July 19, 2010).1 The 2007 NOI and 2010 Amended NOI are available at https://www.nnsa.energy.gov/nepa/ spdsupplementaleis and details from them are not reproduced in this second Amended NOI. In the 2010 Amended NOI, DOE proposed to revisit its decision to construct and operate a new Pit Disassembly and Conversion Facility (PDCF) in the F–Area at SRS (65 FR 1608; January 11, 2000) and analyze an alternative to install and operate the pit disassembly and conversion capabilities in an existing building in K–Area at SRS. With this second Amended NOI, DOE is proposing to analyze additional 1 The 2010 Amended NOI describes changes in the inventory of surplus plutonium to be analyzed in the SPD Supplemental EIS, though the total quantity remained about 13 MT. On March 30, 2011, DOE made an amended interim action determination to disposition approximately 85 kilograms (0.085 MT) of surplus, non-pit plutonium via the Defense Waste Processing Facility at SRS or disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. On October 17, 2011, DOE made another interim action determination to dispose of 500 kilograms (0.5 MT) of surplus, non-pit plutonium at WIPP. These determinations do not affect the range of reasonable alternatives to be analyzed in the SPD Supplemental EIS. PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 1921 alternatives for pit disassembly and conversion, which could involve the use of TA–55 at LANL, H–Canyon/HB–Line at SRS, K–Area at SRS, and the MFFF at SRS. These alternatives are described below under Potential Range of Alternatives. Purpose and Need for Agency Action DOE’s purpose and need remains to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation worldwide by conducting disposition of surplus plutonium in the United States in an environmentally safe and timely manner. Comprehensive disposition actions are needed to ensure that surplus plutonium is converted into proliferation-resistant forms. Potential Range of Alternatives Since the 2010 Amended NOI, DOE has reconsidered the potential alternatives for pit disassembly and conversion. DOE now is proposing to analyze additional alternatives. The EIS analysis will account for the possibility that DOE could use some combination of facilities at TA–55 at LANL, K–Area at SRS, H–Canyon/HB– Line at SRS, and MFFF at SRS to disassemble pits, and produce feed for the MFFF. DOE has determined that the construction of a separate Plutonium Preparation (PuP) capability would not be required because the alternatives that are being considered for the disposition of non-pit plutonium include any necessary preparation activities. The complete list of alternatives that DOE proposes to analyze in detail in the SPD Supplemental EIS is provided below. Surplus Plutonium Disposition DOE will analyze four alternative pathways to disposition surplus plutonium. There are constraints on the type or quantity of plutonium that may be dispositioned by each pathway. For example, there are safety (criticality) limits on how much plutonium can be sent to the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at SRS, and some plutonium is not suitable for fabrication into MOX fuel. Accordingly, DOE expects to select two or more alternatives following completion of the SPD Supplemental EIS. • H–Canyon/DWPF—DOE would use the H–Canyon at SRS to process surplus non-pit plutonium for disposition. Plutonium materials would be dissolved, and the resulting plutoniumbearing solutions would be sent to a sludge batch feed tank and then to DWPF at SRS for vitrification. Depending on the quantity, adding additional plutonium to the feed may E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM 12JAN1 1922 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 8 / Thursday, January 12, 2012 / Notices tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES increase the amount of plutonium in some DWPF canisters above historical levels. • Glass Can-in-Canister Immobilization—DOE would install a glass can-in-canister immobilization capability in K–Area at SRS. The analysis will assume that both surplus pit and non-pit plutonium would be vitrified within small cans, which would be placed in a rack inside a DWPF canister and surrounded with vitrified high-level waste. This alternative is similar to one evaluated in the 1999 Surplus Plutonium Disposition EIS (SPD EIS; DOE/EIS–0283), except that the capability would be installed in an existing rather than a new facility. Inclusion of cans with vitrified plutonium would substantially increase the amount of plutonium in some DWPF canisters above historical levels. • WIPP—DOE would provide the capability to prepare and package nonpit plutonium using existing facilities at SRS for disposal as transuranic waste at WIPP, provided that the material would meet the WIPP waste acceptance criteria. This alternative may include material that, because of its physical or chemical configuration or characteristics, could not be prepared for MFFF feed material and material that could be disposed at WIPP with minimal preparation. • MOX Fuel—Plutonium feed material, beyond the 34 MT for which a decision already has been made, would be fabricated into MOX fuel at the MFFF, and the resultant MOX fuel would be irradiated in commercial nuclear power reactors. For purposes of analyzing this alternative, the EIS will assume all the surplus pit and some of the surplus non-pit plutonium would be dispositioned in this manner. Pit Disassembly and Conversion Capability Plutonium pits must be disassembled prior to disposition and, for the MOX alternative, plutonium metal from pits or non-pit material must be converted to an oxide form to be used as feed in producing MOX Fuel. DOE will analyze the potential environmental impacts of conducting pit disassembly and/or conversion activities in five different facilities to support its prior decision to disposition 34 MT of surplus plutonium by fabrication into MOX fuel and also any decision subsequent to this SPD Supplemental EIS to disposition additional surplus plutonium as MOX fuel. The Pit Disassembly and Conversion Capability Alternatives that NNSA proposes to analyze are: • PDCF in F–Area at SRS—DOE would construct, operate, and VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:26 Jan 11, 2012 Jkt 226001 eventually decommission a stand-alone PDCF to disassemble pits and convert plutonium pits and other plutonium metal to an oxide form suitable for feed to the MFFF, as described in the SPD EIS and consistent with DOE’s record of decision for that EIS (65 FR 1608; January 11, 2000). • Pit Disassembly and Conversion Capability in K–Area at SRS—DOE would construct, operate, and eventually decommission equipment in K–Area at SRS necessary to perform the same functions as the PDCF. The alternative would include reconfiguration of ongoing K–Area operations necessary to accommodate construction and operation of the pit disassembly and conversion capability. • New alternatives for pit disassembly and conversion: Æ LANL/MFFF—DOE would expand existing capabilities in the plutonium facility (PF–4) in Technical Area-55 at LANL to disassemble pits and provide plutonium metal and/or oxide for use as feed material in MFFF at SRS. DOE also may add a capability to the MFFF to oxidize plutonium metal. Æ LANL/MFFF/K–Area/H–Canyon/ HB–Line at SRS—DOE would expand existing capabilities in the plutonium facility (PF–4) in Technical Area-55 at LANL to disassemble pits and provide plutonium metal and potentially oxide for use as feed material in MFFF at SRS. DOE also may add a capability to the MFFF to oxidize plutonium metal. To augment the capability to provide feed material to the MFFF, DOE also would disassemble pits in K–Area at SRS and process plutonium metal to an oxide form at the H–Canyon/HB–Line at SRS. Reactor Operations MOX fuel will be irradiated in commercial nuclear reactors used to generate electricity, thereby rendering the plutonium into a spent fuel form not readily usable in nuclear weapons. • DOE and TVA will analyze the potential environmental impacts of any reactor facility modifications necessary to accommodate MOX fuel operation at up to five TVA reactors—the three boiling water reactors at Browns Ferry, near Decatur and Athens, AL, and the two pressurized water reactors at Sequoyah, near Soddy-Daisy, TN. DOE and TVA will analyze the potential environmental impacts of operating these reactors using a core loading with the maximum technically and economically viable number of MOX fuel assemblies. • DOE will analyze the potential environmental impacts of irradiating MOX fuel in a generic reactor in the United States to provide analysis for any PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 additional future potential utility customers. Potential Decisions The SPD Supplemental EIS will not reconsider decisions already made to disposition surplus plutonium, other than the decision to construct and operate the PDCF. DOE already has decided to fabricate 34 MT of surplus plutonium into MOX fuel in the MFFF (68 FR 20134; April 24, 2003), currently under construction at SRS, and to irradiate the MOX fuel in commercial nuclear reactors used to generate electricity. Subsequent to completion of the SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE will decide, based on programmatic, engineering, facility safety, cost, and schedule information, and on the environmental impact analysis in the SPD Supplemental EIS, which pit disassembly and conversion alternative(s) to implement to provide feed to the MFFF, which alternative(s) to implement for preparation of non-pit plutonium for disposition, whether to use the MOX alternative to disposition additional surplus plutonium (beyond 34 MT), and which alternative(s) disposition path(s) to implement for surplus plutonium that will not be dispositioned as MOX fuel. DOE may determine that it can best meet its full range of requirements in each of these areas by implementing two or more of the alternatives analyzed in the SPD Supplemental EIS. It is also possible that DOE may determine that its full range of requirements may be best met by implementing a composite set of actions that would be drawn from within the scope of the set of alternatives proposed and analyzed in the SPD Supplemental EIS. DOE considers those alternatives that would avoid extensive construction and/or facility modification for the pit disassembly and conversion capability and non-pit plutonium preparation capability as having particular merit and, thus, has identified its preferred alternative for this proposed action. For non-pit plutonium preparation and pit disassembly and conversion of plutonium metal to MFFF feed for the manufacture of MOX fuel, DOE’s preferred alternative is to use some combination of existing facilities, with additional equipment or modification, at TA–55 at LANL, K–Area at SRS, H– Canyon/HB–Line at SRS, and MFFF at SRS, rather than to construct a new, standalone facility. The MOX fuel alternative is DOE’s preferred alternative for surplus plutonium disposition. DOE’s preferred alternative for disposition of surplus plutonium E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM 12JAN1 1923 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 8 / Thursday, January 12, 2012 / Notices that is not suitable for MOX fuel fabrication is disposal at WIPP. As stated in the 2010 Amended NOI, DOE and TVA are evaluating use of MOX fuel in up to five TVA reactors at the Sequoyah and Browns Ferry Nuclear Plants. TVA will determine whether to pursue irradiation of MOX fuel in TVA reactors, and will determine which reactors to use initially for this purpose, should TVA and DOE decide to use MOX fuel in TVA reactors. Potential Environmental Issues for Analysis DOE has tentatively identified the following environmental issues for analysis in the SPD Supplemental EIS. The list is presented to facilitate comment on the scope of the SPD Supplemental EIS, and is not intended to be comprehensive or to predetermine the potential impacts to be analyzed. • Impacts to the general population and workers from radiological and nonradiological releases, and other worker health and safety impacts. • Impacts of emissions on air and water quality. • Impacts on ecological systems and threatened and endangered species. • Impacts of waste management activities, including storage of DWPF canisters and transuranic waste pending disposal. • Impacts of the transportation of radioactive materials, reactor fuel assemblies, and waste. • Impacts that could occur as a result of postulated accidents and intentional destructive acts (terrorist actions and sabotage). • Potential disproportionately high and adverse effects on low-income and minority populations (environmental justice). • Short-term and long-term land use impacts. • Cumulative impacts. NEPA Process The first scoping period for the SPD Supplemental EIS began on March 28, 2007, and ended on May 29, 2007, with scoping meetings in Aiken and Columbia, SC. DOE began a second public scoping period with publication of an Amended NOI on July 19, 2010, and continuing through September 17, 2010. Public scoping meetings were held in Tanner, AL; Chattanooga, TN; North Augusta, SC; and Carlsbad and Santa Fe, NM. Following the scoping period announced in this second Amended NOI, and after considering all scoping comments received, DOE will prepare a Draft SPD Supplemental EIS. DOE will announce the availability of the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS in the Federal Register and local media outlets. Comments received on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS will be considered and addressed in the Final SPD Supplemental EIS. DOE currently plans to issue the Final SPD Supplemental EIS in late 2012. DOE will issue a record of decision no sooner than 30 days after publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of a Notice of Availability of the Final SPD Supplemental EIS. Other Agency Involvement The Tennessee Valley Authority is a cooperating agency with DOE for preparation and review of the sections of the SPD Supplemental EIS that address operation of TVA reactors using MOX fuel assemblies. DOE invites Federal and non-Federal agencies with expertise in the subject matter of the SPD Supplemental EIS to contact the NEPA Document Manager (see ADDRESSES) if they wish to be a cooperating agency in the preparation of the SPD Supplemental EIS. Issued at Washington, DC, on January 6, 2012. Thomas P. D’Agostino, Undersecretary for Nuclear Security. [FR Doc. 2012–445 Filed 1–11–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [ Project No. 13771–001, Project No. 13763– 001 et al.] Solia 8 Hydroelectric, LLC, FFP Missouri 13, LLC, et al.; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, and Approving Use of the Traditional Licensing Process Solia 8 Hydroelectric, LLC ................................................................................................................................... FFP Missouri 13, LLC ........................................................................................................................................... Solia 5 Hydroelectric, LLC ................................................................................................................................... Solia 4 Hydroelectric, LLC ................................................................................................................................... a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent To File License Application and Request to Use the Traditional Licensing Process. b. Project Nos.: P–13771–001, P– 13763–001, P–13766–001, P–13767– 001. c. Date Filed: November 16, 2011. d. Submitted By: Free Flow Power Corporation on behalf of its subsidiary Project No. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES P–13771 P–13763 P–13766 P–13767 ..................... ..................... ..................... ..................... limited liability corporations (listed above and collectively referred to below as ‘‘Free Flow Power’’). e. Name of Projects: Point Marion Lock and Dam Project, P–13771–001; Grays Landing Lock and Dam Project, P–13763–001; Maxwell Lock and Dam Project, P–13766–001; and Charleroi Lock and Dam Project, P–13767–001. County Point Marion Lock and Dam Hydroelectric Project ........... Grays Landing Lock and Dam Hydroelectric Project ........ Maxwell Lock and Dam Hydroelectric Project ................... Charleroi Lock and Dam Hydroelectric Project ................. Fayette ................................. Greene ................................. Washington .......................... Washington .......................... 16:26 Jan 11, 2012 Jkt 226001 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 No. No. No. No. 13771–001 13763–001 13766–001 13767–001 f. Location: At existing locks and dams owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania (see table below for specific project locations). The projects would occupy United States lands administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Projects g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 5.3 of the Boston, MA 02114–2130; (978) 283– Commission’s regulations. 2822; or email at rswaminathan@freeh. Potential Applicant Contact: Ramya flow-power.com. Swaminathan, Chief Operating Officer, Free Flow Power, 239 Causeway Street, VerDate Mar<15>2010 Project Project Project Project Township Uniontown. Greensboro. Brownsville. Charleroi, Monessen. i. FERC Contact: Monir Chowdhury at (202) 502–6736; or email at monir. chowdhury@ferc.gov. j. Free Flow Power filed its request to use the Traditional Licensing Process on E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM 12JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1920-1923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-445]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Second Amended Notice of Intent To Modify the Scope of the 
Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement and Conduct Additional Public Scoping

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security 
Administration.

ACTION: Amended Notice of Intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intent to 
modify the scope of the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE/EIS-0283-S2) 
and to conduct additional public scoping. DOE issued its Notice of 
Intent (NOI) to prepare the SPD Supplemental EIS on March 28, 2007, and 
issued an Amended NOI on July 19, 2010. DOE now intends to further 
revise the scope of the SPD Supplemental EIS primarily to add 
additional alternatives for the disassembly of pits (a nuclear weapons 
component) and the conversion of plutonium metal originating from pits 
to feed material for the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility 
(MFFF), which DOE is constructing at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in 
South Carolina. Under the proposed new alternatives, DOE would expand 
or install the essential elements required to provide a pit disassembly 
and/or conversion capability at one or more of the following locations: 
Technical Area 55 (TA-55) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) 
in New Mexico, H-Canyon/HB-Line at SRS, K-Area at SRS, and the MFFF at 
SRS. In addition, DOE has decided not to analyze an alternative, 
described in the 2010 Amended NOI, to construct a separate Plutonium 
Preparation (PuP) capability for non-pit plutonium because the 
necessary preparation activities are adequately encompassed within the 
other alternatives.
    The MOX fuel alternative is DOE's preferred alternative for surplus 
plutonium disposition. DOE's preferred alternative for pit disassembly 
and the conversion of surplus plutonium metal, regardless of its 
origins, to feed for the MFFF is to use some combination of facilities 
at TA-55 at LANL, K-Area at SRS, H-Canyon/HB-Line at SRS and MFFF at 
SRS, rather than to construct a new stand-alone facility. This would 
likely require the installation of additional equipment and other 
modifications to some of these facilities. DOE's preferred alternative 
for disposition of surplus plutonium that is not suitable for MOX fuel 
fabrication is disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in 
New Mexico.

DATES: DOE invites Federal agencies, state and local governments, 
Native American tribes, industry, other organizations, and members of 
the public to submit comments to assist in identifying environmental 
issues and in determining the appropriate scope of the SPD Supplemental 
EIS. The public scoping period will end on March 12, 2012. DOE will 
consider all comments

[[Page 1921]]

received or postmarked by March 12, 2012. Comments received after that 
date will be considered to the extent practicable. Also, DOE asks that 
Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies that desire to be designated 
cooperating agencies on the SPD Supplemental EIS contact the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Document Manager at the addresses 
listed under ADDRESSES by the end of the scoping period. The Tennessee 
Valley Authority (TVA) is a cooperating agency for sections of the EIS 
as described below. DOE will hold a public scoping meeting:
     February 2, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) at Cities of Gold 
Hotel, 10-A Cities of Gold Road, Pojoaque, NM 87501.
    The scoping period announced in this second Amended NOI will allow 
for additional public comment and for DOE to consider any new 
information that may be relevant to the scope of the SPD Supplemental 
EIS. Because the additional alternatives do not involve new locations 
except for LANL, and because there have been two previous scoping 
periods for this SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE does not intend to hold 
additional scoping meetings except at Pojoaque, NM, or to extend the 
scoping period beyond that announced herein.

ADDRESSES: Please direct written comments on the scope of the SPD 
Supplemental EIS to Ms. Sachiko McAlhany, SPD Supplemental EIS NEPA 
Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 2324, Germantown, 
MD 20874-2324. Comments on the scope of the SPD Supplemental EIS may 
also be submitted via email to spdsupplementaleis@saic.com or by toll-
free fax to (877) 865-0277. DOE will give equal weight to written, 
email, fax, telephone, and oral comments. Questions regarding the 
scoping process and requests to be placed on the SPD Supplemental EIS 
mailing list should be directed to Ms. McAlhany by any of the means 
given above or by calling toll-free (877) 344-0513.
    For general information concerning the DOE 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 20585-0103; telephone (202) 586-4600, or leave a message 
toll-free (800) 472-2756; fax (202) 586-7031; or send an email to 
askNEPA@hq.doe.gov. This second Amended NOI will be available on the 
Internet at https://energy.gov/nepa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    To reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation, DOE is 
engaged in a program to disposition its surplus, weapons-usable 
plutonium in a safe, secure, and environmentally sound manner, by 
converting such plutonium into proliferation-resistant forms not 
readily usable in nuclear weapons. The U.S. inventory of surplus 
plutonium is in several forms. The largest quantity is plutonium metal 
in the shape of pits (a nuclear weapons component). The remainder is 
non-pit plutonium, which includes plutonium oxides and metal in a 
variety of forms and purities.
    DOE already has decided to fabricate 34 metric tons (MT) of surplus 
plutonium into MOX fuel in the MFFF (68 FR 20134, April 24, 2003), 
currently under construction at SRS, and to irradiate the MOX fuel in 
commercial nuclear reactors used to generate electricity, thereby 
rendering the plutonium into a spent fuel form not readily usable in 
nuclear weapons.
    DOE announced its intent to prepare a SPD Supplemental EIS in 2007 
to analyze the potential environmental impacts of alternatives to 
disposition about 13 MT of surplus plutonium (72 FR 14543; March 28, 
2007). DOE issued an Amended NOI in 2010 ``to refine the quantity and 
types of surplus weapons-usable plutonium material, evaluate additional 
alternatives, and no longer consider in detail one alternative 
identified'' in the 2007 NOI (75 FR 41850; July 19, 2010).\1\ The 2007 
NOI and 2010 Amended NOI are available at https://www.nnsa.energy.gov/nepa/spdsupplementaleis and details from them are not reproduced in 
this second Amended NOI.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The 2010 Amended NOI describes changes in the inventory of 
surplus plutonium to be analyzed in the SPD Supplemental EIS, though 
the total quantity remained about 13 MT. On March 30, 2011, DOE made 
an amended interim action determination to disposition approximately 
85 kilograms (0.085 MT) of surplus, non-pit plutonium via the 
Defense Waste Processing Facility at SRS or disposal at the Waste 
Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. On October 17, 2011, DOE 
made another interim action determination to dispose of 500 
kilograms (0.5 MT) of surplus, non-pit plutonium at WIPP. These 
determinations do not affect the range of reasonable alternatives to 
be analyzed in the SPD Supplemental EIS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the 2010 Amended NOI, DOE proposed to revisit its decision to 
construct and operate a new Pit Disassembly and Conversion Facility 
(PDCF) in the F-Area at SRS (65 FR 1608; January 11, 2000) and analyze 
an alternative to install and operate the pit disassembly and 
conversion capabilities in an existing building in K-Area at SRS. With 
this second Amended NOI, DOE is proposing to analyze additional 
alternatives for pit disassembly and conversion, which could involve 
the use of TA-55 at LANL, H-Canyon/HB-Line at SRS, K-Area at SRS, and 
the MFFF at SRS. These alternatives are described below under Potential 
Range of Alternatives.

Purpose and Need for Agency Action

    DOE's purpose and need remains to reduce the threat of nuclear 
weapons proliferation worldwide by conducting disposition of surplus 
plutonium in the United States in an environmentally safe and timely 
manner. Comprehensive disposition actions are needed to ensure that 
surplus plutonium is converted into proliferation-resistant forms.

Potential Range of Alternatives

    Since the 2010 Amended NOI, DOE has reconsidered the potential 
alternatives for pit disassembly and conversion. DOE now is proposing 
to analyze additional alternatives.
    The EIS analysis will account for the possibility that DOE could 
use some combination of facilities at TA-55 at LANL, K-Area at SRS, H-
Canyon/HB-Line at SRS, and MFFF at SRS to disassemble pits, and produce 
feed for the MFFF.
    DOE has determined that the construction of a separate Plutonium 
Preparation (PuP) capability would not be required because the 
alternatives that are being considered for the disposition of non-pit 
plutonium include any necessary preparation activities.
    The complete list of alternatives that DOE proposes to analyze in 
detail in the SPD Supplemental EIS is provided below.

Surplus Plutonium Disposition

    DOE will analyze four alternative pathways to disposition surplus 
plutonium. There are constraints on the type or quantity of plutonium 
that may be dispositioned by each pathway. For example, there are 
safety (criticality) limits on how much plutonium can be sent to the 
Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at SRS, and some plutonium is 
not suitable for fabrication into MOX fuel. Accordingly, DOE expects to 
select two or more alternatives following completion of the SPD 
Supplemental EIS.
     H-Canyon/DWPF--DOE would use the H-Canyon at SRS to 
process surplus non-pit plutonium for disposition. Plutonium materials 
would be dissolved, and the resulting plutonium-bearing solutions would 
be sent to a sludge batch feed tank and then to DWPF at SRS for 
vitrification. Depending on the quantity, adding additional plutonium 
to the feed may

[[Page 1922]]

increase the amount of plutonium in some DWPF canisters above 
historical levels.
     Glass Can-in-Canister Immobilization--DOE would install a 
glass can-in-canister immobilization capability in K-Area at SRS. The 
analysis will assume that both surplus pit and non-pit plutonium would 
be vitrified within small cans, which would be placed in a rack inside 
a DWPF canister and surrounded with vitrified high-level waste. This 
alternative is similar to one evaluated in the 1999 Surplus Plutonium 
Disposition EIS (SPD EIS; DOE/EIS-0283), except that the capability 
would be installed in an existing rather than a new facility. Inclusion 
of cans with vitrified plutonium would substantially increase the 
amount of plutonium in some DWPF canisters above historical levels.
     WIPP--DOE would provide the capability to prepare and 
package non-pit plutonium using existing facilities at SRS for disposal 
as transuranic waste at WIPP, provided that the material would meet the 
WIPP waste acceptance criteria. This alternative may include material 
that, because of its physical or chemical configuration or 
characteristics, could not be prepared for MFFF feed material and 
material that could be disposed at WIPP with minimal preparation.
     MOX Fuel--Plutonium feed material, beyond the 34 MT for 
which a decision already has been made, would be fabricated into MOX 
fuel at the MFFF, and the resultant MOX fuel would be irradiated in 
commercial nuclear power reactors. For purposes of analyzing this 
alternative, the EIS will assume all the surplus pit and some of the 
surplus non-pit plutonium would be dispositioned in this manner.

Pit Disassembly and Conversion Capability

    Plutonium pits must be disassembled prior to disposition and, for 
the MOX alternative, plutonium metal from pits or non-pit material must 
be converted to an oxide form to be used as feed in producing MOX Fuel. 
DOE will analyze the potential environmental impacts of conducting pit 
disassembly and/or conversion activities in five different facilities 
to support its prior decision to disposition 34 MT of surplus plutonium 
by fabrication into MOX fuel and also any decision subsequent to this 
SPD Supplemental EIS to disposition additional surplus plutonium as MOX 
fuel. The Pit Disassembly and Conversion Capability Alternatives that 
NNSA proposes to analyze are:
     PDCF in F-Area at SRS--DOE would construct, operate, and 
eventually decommission a stand-alone PDCF to disassemble pits and 
convert plutonium pits and other plutonium metal to an oxide form 
suitable for feed to the MFFF, as described in the SPD EIS and 
consistent with DOE's record of decision for that EIS (65 FR 1608; 
January 11, 2000).
     Pit Disassembly and Conversion Capability in K-Area at 
SRS--DOE would construct, operate, and eventually decommission 
equipment in K-Area at SRS necessary to perform the same functions as 
the PDCF. The alternative would include reconfiguration of ongoing K-
Area operations necessary to accommodate construction and operation of 
the pit disassembly and conversion capability.
     New alternatives for pit disassembly and conversion:
    [cir] LANL/MFFF--DOE would expand existing capabilities in the 
plutonium facility (PF-4) in Technical Area-55 at LANL to disassemble 
pits and provide plutonium metal and/or oxide for use as feed material 
in MFFF at SRS. DOE also may add a capability to the MFFF to oxidize 
plutonium metal.
    [cir] LANL/MFFF/K-Area/H-Canyon/HB-Line at SRS--DOE would expand 
existing capabilities in the plutonium facility (PF-4) in Technical 
Area-55 at LANL to disassemble pits and provide plutonium metal and 
potentially oxide for use as feed material in MFFF at SRS. DOE also may 
add a capability to the MFFF to oxidize plutonium metal. To augment the 
capability to provide feed material to the MFFF, DOE also would 
disassemble pits in K-Area at SRS and process plutonium metal to an 
oxide form at the H-Canyon/HB-Line at SRS.

Reactor Operations

    MOX fuel will be irradiated in commercial nuclear reactors used to 
generate electricity, thereby rendering the plutonium into a spent fuel 
form not readily usable in nuclear weapons.
     DOE and TVA will analyze the potential environmental 
impacts of any reactor facility modifications necessary to accommodate 
MOX fuel operation at up to five TVA reactors--the three boiling water 
reactors at Browns Ferry, near Decatur and Athens, AL, and the two 
pressurized water reactors at Sequoyah, near Soddy-Daisy, TN. DOE and 
TVA will analyze the potential environmental impacts of operating these 
reactors using a core loading with the maximum technically and 
economically viable number of MOX fuel assemblies.
     DOE will analyze the potential environmental impacts of 
irradiating MOX fuel in a generic reactor in the United States to 
provide analysis for any additional future potential utility customers.

Potential Decisions

    The SPD Supplemental EIS will not reconsider decisions already made 
to disposition surplus plutonium, other than the decision to construct 
and operate the PDCF. DOE already has decided to fabricate 34 MT of 
surplus plutonium into MOX fuel in the MFFF (68 FR 20134; April 24, 
2003), currently under construction at SRS, and to irradiate the MOX 
fuel in commercial nuclear reactors used to generate electricity. 
Subsequent to completion of the SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE will decide, 
based on programmatic, engineering, facility safety, cost, and schedule 
information, and on the environmental impact analysis in the SPD 
Supplemental EIS, which pit disassembly and conversion alternative(s) 
to implement to provide feed to the MFFF, which alternative(s) to 
implement for preparation of non-pit plutonium for disposition, whether 
to use the MOX alternative to disposition additional surplus plutonium 
(beyond 34 MT), and which alternative(s) disposition path(s) to 
implement for surplus plutonium that will not be dispositioned as MOX 
fuel. DOE may determine that it can best meet its full range of 
requirements in each of these areas by implementing two or more of the 
alternatives analyzed in the SPD Supplemental EIS. It is also possible 
that DOE may determine that its full range of requirements may be best 
met by implementing a composite set of actions that would be drawn from 
within the scope of the set of alternatives proposed and analyzed in 
the SPD Supplemental EIS.
    DOE considers those alternatives that would avoid extensive 
construction and/or facility modification for the pit disassembly and 
conversion capability and non-pit plutonium preparation capability as 
having particular merit and, thus, has identified its preferred 
alternative for this proposed action. For non-pit plutonium preparation 
and pit disassembly and conversion of plutonium metal to MFFF feed for 
the manufacture of MOX fuel, DOE's preferred alternative is to use some 
combination of existing facilities, with additional equipment or 
modification, at TA-55 at LANL, K-Area at SRS, H-Canyon/HB-Line at SRS, 
and MFFF at SRS, rather than to construct a new, standalone facility. 
The MOX fuel alternative is DOE's preferred alternative for surplus 
plutonium disposition. DOE's preferred alternative for disposition of 
surplus plutonium

[[Page 1923]]

that is not suitable for MOX fuel fabrication is disposal at WIPP.
    As stated in the 2010 Amended NOI, DOE and TVA are evaluating use 
of MOX fuel in up to five TVA reactors at the Sequoyah and Browns Ferry 
Nuclear Plants. TVA will determine whether to pursue irradiation of MOX 
fuel in TVA reactors, and will determine which reactors to use 
initially for this purpose, should TVA and DOE decide to use MOX fuel 
in TVA reactors.

Potential Environmental Issues for Analysis

    DOE has tentatively identified the following environmental issues 
for analysis in the SPD Supplemental EIS. The list is presented to 
facilitate comment on the scope of the SPD Supplemental EIS, and is not 
intended to be comprehensive or to predetermine the potential impacts 
to be analyzed.
     Impacts to the general population and workers from 
radiological and nonradiological releases, and other worker health and 
safety impacts.
     Impacts of emissions on air and water quality.
     Impacts on ecological systems and threatened and 
endangered species.
     Impacts of waste management activities, including storage 
of DWPF canisters and transuranic waste pending disposal.
     Impacts of the transportation of radioactive materials, 
reactor fuel assemblies, and waste.
     Impacts that could occur as a result of postulated 
accidents and intentional destructive acts (terrorist actions and 
sabotage).
     Potential disproportionately high and adverse effects on 
low-income and minority populations (environmental justice).
     Short-term and long-term land use impacts.
     Cumulative impacts.

NEPA Process

    The first scoping period for the SPD Supplemental EIS began on 
March 28, 2007, and ended on May 29, 2007, with scoping meetings in 
Aiken and Columbia, SC. DOE began a second public scoping period with 
publication of an Amended NOI on July 19, 2010, and continuing through 
September 17, 2010. Public scoping meetings were held in Tanner, AL; 
Chattanooga, TN; North Augusta, SC; and Carlsbad and Santa Fe, NM.
    Following the scoping period announced in this second Amended NOI, 
and after considering all scoping comments received, DOE will prepare a 
Draft SPD Supplemental EIS. DOE will announce the availability of the 
Draft SPD Supplemental EIS in the Federal Register and local media 
outlets. Comments received on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS will be 
considered and addressed in the Final SPD Supplemental EIS. DOE 
currently plans to issue the Final SPD Supplemental EIS in late 2012. 
DOE will issue a record of decision no sooner than 30 days after 
publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of a Notice of 
Availability of the Final SPD Supplemental EIS.

Other Agency Involvement

    The Tennessee Valley Authority is a cooperating agency with DOE for 
preparation and review of the sections of the SPD Supplemental EIS that 
address operation of TVA reactors using MOX fuel assemblies. DOE 
invites Federal and non-Federal agencies with expertise in the subject 
matter of the SPD Supplemental EIS to contact the NEPA Document Manager 
(see ADDRESSES) if they wish to be a cooperating agency in the 
preparation of the SPD Supplemental EIS.

    Issued at Washington, DC, on January 6, 2012.
Thomas P. D'Agostino,
Undersecretary for Nuclear Security.
[FR Doc. 2012-445 Filed 1-11-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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