Amended Notice of Intent To Revise the Scope of an Environmental Impact Statement for the Recapitalization of Infrastructure Supporting Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel at the Idaho National Laboratory, 27448-27449 [2012-11292]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
27448
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 91 / Thursday, May 10, 2012 / Notices
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at
10 a.m.
ADDRESSES: 1400 Key Boulevard, Level
A, Room A101, Rosslyn, Virginia 22209.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Additional information concerning the
meetings may be obtained by writing to
the Chairman, Department of Defense
Wage Committee, 4000 Defense
Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–4000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
provisions of section 10(d) of Public
Law 92–463, the Department of Defense
has determined that the meetings meet
the criteria to close meetings to the
public because the matters to be
considered are related to internal rules
and practices of the Department of
Defense and the detailed wage data to be
considered were obtained from officials
of private establishments with a
guarantee that the data will be held in
confidence.
However, members of the public who
may wish to do so are invited to submit
material in writing to the chairman
concerning matters believed to be
deserving of the Committee’s attention.
Due to internal DoD difficulties,
beyond the control of the Department of
Defense Wage Committee or its
Designated Federal Officer, the
Committee was unable to process the
Federal Register notice for its May 15,
2012 meeting as required by 41 CFR
102–3.150(a). Accordingly, the Advisory
Committee Management Officer for the
Department of Defense, pursuant to 41
CFR 102–3.150(b), waives the 15calendar day notification requirement.
DATES:
Dated: May 7, 2012.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2012–11269 Filed 5–9–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Amended Notice of Intent To Revise
the Scope of an Environmental Impact
Statement for the Recapitalization of
Infrastructure Supporting Naval Spent
Nuclear Fuel at the Idaho National
Laboratory
Department of Energy.
Amended Notice of Intent to
Revise the Scope of an Environmental
Impact Statement.
AGENCY:
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
ACTION:
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), the Council on Environmental
Quality regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of NEPA
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:18 May 09, 2012
Jkt 226001
(40 CFR part 1500–1508), and the
Department of Energy (DOE)
implementing procedures (10 CFR part
1021), the DOE Naval Nuclear
Propulsion Program (NNPP) announces
its intent to revise the scope to the
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the Recapitalization of Naval Spent
Nuclear Fuel Handling and Examination
Facilities at the Idaho National
Laboratory (INL). The NNPP issued its
Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the EIS
for the Recapitalization of Naval Spent
Nuclear Fuel Handling and Examination
on July 20, 2010 (75 FR 42082).
DATES: The NNPP invites interested
parties to comment on the revised scope
of the EIS. NNPP will consider all
comments received by June 11, 2012,
and to the extent practical comments
received after that date, in the
preparation of the EIS.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the
revised scope of the EIS may be
submitted by mailing to: Ms. Samantha
O’Hara (08U–Naval Reactors), Naval Sea
Systems Command, 1240 Isaac Hull
Avenue SE., Stop 8036, Washington
Navy Yard, DC 20376–8036.
Comments provided by email should
be submitted to ecfrecapitalization@
unnpp.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information about this project,
contact Ms. Samantha O’Hara, as
described above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NNPP
is responsible for all aspects of U.S.
Navy nuclear power and propulsion.
These responsibilities include design,
maintenance, and safe operation of
nuclear propulsion systems throughout
their operational life cycles. A crucial
component of this mission, naval spent
nuclear fuel handling, occurs at the end
of a nuclear propulsion system’s useful
life. Once a naval nuclear core is
depleted, the NNPP is responsible for
removal of the spent nuclear fuel
through a defueling or refueling
operation. Both operations remove the
spent nuclear fuel from a reactor core,
but a refueling operation also involves
installing new fuel into the reactor core,
allowing the nuclear-powered ship to be
redeployed into the U.S. Navy fleet.
After the naval spent nuclear fuel has
been removed from an aircraft carrier or
submarine, NNPP spent fuel handling
includes the subsequent transfer,
preparation, and packaging required for
dry storage pending transportation of
the fuel to a national geologic repository
or interim storage site.
The NNPP ensures that naval spent
nuclear fuel handling is performed in a
safe and environmentally responsible
manner in accordance with 50 U.S.C.
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
2406, 2511 (codifying Executive Order
12344). Nuclear fuel handling is an
intricate and intensive process requiring
a complex infrastructure. Naval spent
nuclear fuel handling includes the
transfer of spent nuclear fuel removed
from a reactor to the Expended Core
Facility (ECF) at the Naval Reactors
Facility (NRF) at the INL, where it is
received, unloaded, prepared, and
packaged for disposal.
The NNPP is proposing to recapitalize
the existing ECF infrastructure at the
INL. The purpose of the proposed action
is to ensure the continued availability of
the infrastructure needed to support the
transfer, handling, examination, and
packaging of naval spent nuclear fuel
removed from nuclear-powered aircraft
carriers and submarines, as well as from
land-based prototype reactors for at least
the next 40 years. This action is needed
because, although the ECF at the NRF,
where this work is currently supported,
continues to be maintained and
operated in a safe and environmentally
responsible manner, a significant
portion of the ECF infrastructure has
been in service for over 50 years.
Deterioration of the ECF infrastructure
could immediately and profoundly
impact the NNPP mission, including the
NNPP’s ability to support refueling and
defueling of nuclear powered
submarines and aircraft carriers. The
ECF capabilities to transfer, prepare,
examine, and package naval spent
nuclear fuel, and other irradiated
materials are vital to the NNPP’s
mission of maintaining the reliable
operation of the naval nuclear-powered
fleet and developing militarily effective
nuclear propulsion plants.
Consistent with the Record of
Decision for the April 1995 DOE
Programmatic EIS for Spent Nuclear
Fuel Management (DOE/EIS–0203–F),
naval spent nuclear fuel is shipped by
rail from shipyards and prototype
facilities to NRF for examination and
processing. After processing, naval
spent nuclear fuel is transferred into dry
storage containers and placed into
temporary storage at NRF, prior to offsite transfer consistent with the Record
of Decision for the November 1996 Navy
EIS for a Container System for
Management of Naval Spent Nuclear
Fuel (DOE/EIS–0251). Ongoing efforts to
sustain the infrastructure needed to
transfer, prepare, examine, and package
naval spent nuclear fuel will preserve
these essential capabilities and ensure
that the NNPP high standards for
protecting the public and the
environment continue to be met.
Facility age, however, is expected to
cause a growing maintenance burden
and increase the likelihood of
E:\FR\FM\10MYN1.SGM
10MYN1
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 91 / Thursday, May 10, 2012 / Notices
unacceptable workflow interruptions
that could adversely impact the fleet.
The NNPP proposes to recapitalize
the infrastructure for transferring,
preparing, examining, and packaging
naval spent nuclear fuel and other
irradiated materials, to ensure these
capabilities are maintained for the vital
NNPP mission of supporting the naval
nuclear-powered fleet. The
recapitalization will be carried out as
two projects. The first project will be the
Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization
Project; the second project will be the
Examination Recapitalization Project.
The NNPP was initially pursuing two
recapitalization projects in the same
time frame; however, since the initiation
of the NEPA process, the project
schedules have changed such that the
Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization
Project has progressed further than the
Examination Recapitalization Project.
Preparing one EIS that includes both
projects would require decisions about
the Examination Recapitalization
Project too early in the design process
prior to having sufficient information to
fully analyze the environmental impacts
of the project. Additionally, funding
uncertainties have made the timing of
the Examination Recapitalization
Project speculative in nature. To ensure
an EIS is completed in support of the
Navy’s need for the Spent Fuel
Handling Recapitalization Project, it is
necessary to reduce the scope of the EIS
to cover only the Spent Fuel Handling
Recapitalization Project. The proposed
Examination Recapitalization Project
will be considered in the cumulative
impacts section of the EIS along with
other reasonably foreseeable projects on
the INL. A separate document will be
prepared in accordance with NEPA for
the Examination Recapitalization
Project once this project has been more
clearly defined.
The EIS will consider the
environmental effects related to the
Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization
Project. The alternatives being evaluated
have been revised to remove aspects
related to an Examination
Recapitalization Project and to address
public comments received during initial
EIS scoping. The NNPP will evaluate
building a new facility at two potential
sites on the NRF, an ECF Overhaul
Alternative, and a No Action
Alternative:
• Alternative 1—Construct and
operate a new facility for spent fuel
handling capabilities at one of two
potential locations at the NRF on the
INL.
• Alternative 2—Overhaul the spent
fuel handling capabilities of the ECF at
NRF by implementing major
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:18 May 09, 2012
Jkt 226001
infrastructure and water pool
refurbishment projects while performing
corrective maintenance and repair
actions as necessary.
• Alternative 3 (No Action)—
Maintain the spent fuel handling
capabilities of the ECF by continuing to
use the current ECF infrastructure while
performing corrective maintenance and
repairs necessary to keep the
infrastructure in good working order
(i.e., actions sufficient to sustain the
proper functioning of structures,
systems, and components).
The NNPP proposes to address the
issues listed below when considering
the potential impacts of the proposed
alternatives in the EIS. This list is
presented to facilitate public comment
during the scoping period and is not
intended to be comprehensive, or to
imply any predetermination of impacts.
Issues include:
• Potential impacts of emissions on
air and water quality.
• Potential impacts on plants,
animals, and their habitats, including
species that are listed by either State or
Federal government as threatened,
endangered, or of special concern.
• Potential impacts from postulated
accidents, as well as potential impacts
from acts of terrorism or sabotage.
• Potential effects on the public
health from exposure to hazardous
materials or radiological releases under
routine operations.
• Potential safety and health impacts
to workers.
• Impacts on cultural resources, such
as historic, archeological, and Native
American culturally important sites.
• Socioeconomic impacts to the
potentially affected communities.
• Compliance with applicable Federal
and state regulations.
• Potential disproportionately high
and adverse effects on low-income and
minority populations (environmental
justice).
• Cumulative impacts.
NEPA implementing regulations
require an early and open process for
determining the scope of an EIS and for
identifying the significant issues related
to the proposed action. Accordingly,
NNPP invites Federal agencies; Tribal,
State, and local governments; and the
general public to comment on the
revised scope of the EIS including
identification of reasonable alternatives
and specific issues that should be
addressed. All public comments
received as described above will be
considered during the development of
the EIS.
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
27449
Issued in Washington, DC, on May 4, 2012.
John M. McKenzie,
Director, Regulatory Affairs, Naval Nuclear
Propulsion Program.
[FR Doc. 2012–11292 Filed 5–9–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings
Take notice that the Commission has
received the following Natural Gas
Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings:
Filings in Existing Proceedings
Docket Numbers: RP12–465–000.
Applicants: Equitrans, L.P.
Description: Equitrans, L.P. Response
to FERC’s March 30 Order under RP12–
465.
Filed Date: 4/19/12.
Accession Number: 20120419–5249.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 5/9/12.
Docket Numbers: RP12–719–000.
Applicants: Columbia Gas
Transmission, LLC.
Description: Negotiated Rate Service
Agreement—NNE to be effective 5/4/
2012.
Filed Date: 5/3/12.
Accession Number: 20120503–5052.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 5/15/12.
Docket Numbers: RP12–720–000.
Applicants: CenterPoint Energy Gas
Transmission Company, LLC.
Description: CEGT LLC—May 3, 2012
Negotiated Rate Filing to be effective
5/3/2012.
Filed Date: 5/3/12.
Accession Number: 20120503–5094.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 5/15/12.
Docket Numbers: RP12–721–000.
Applicants: Midwestern Gas
Transmission Company.
Description: Non-Conforming
Agreement Clean Up to be effective
6/4/2012.
Filed Date: 5/4/12.
Accession Number: 20120504–5079.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 5/16/12.
Any person desiring to intervene or
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s
Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214) on or before 5 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date.
Protests may be considered, but
intervention is necessary to become a
party to the proceeding.
The filings are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the links or querying the
docket number.
E:\FR\FM\10MYN1.SGM
10MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 91 (Thursday, May 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27448-27449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11292]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Amended Notice of Intent To Revise the Scope of an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Recapitalization of Infrastructure Supporting
Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel at the Idaho National Laboratory
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Amended Notice of Intent to Revise the Scope of an
Environmental Impact Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations for implementing the procedural
provisions of NEPA (40 CFR part 1500-1508), and the Department of
Energy (DOE) implementing procedures (10 CFR part 1021), the DOE Naval
Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) announces its intent to revise the
scope to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
Recapitalization of Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel Handling and Examination
Facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The NNPP issued its
Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the EIS for the Recapitalization of
Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel Handling and Examination on July 20, 2010 (75
FR 42082).
DATES: The NNPP invites interested parties to comment on the revised
scope of the EIS. NNPP will consider all comments received by June 11,
2012, and to the extent practical comments received after that date, in
the preparation of the EIS.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the revised scope of the EIS may be
submitted by mailing to: Ms. Samantha O'Hara (08U-Naval Reactors),
Naval Sea Systems Command, 1240 Isaac Hull Avenue SE., Stop 8036,
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20376-8036.
Comments provided by email should be submitted to
ecfrecapitalization@unnpp.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about this
project, contact Ms. Samantha O'Hara, as described above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NNPP is responsible for all aspects of
U.S. Navy nuclear power and propulsion. These responsibilities include
design, maintenance, and safe operation of nuclear propulsion systems
throughout their operational life cycles. A crucial component of this
mission, naval spent nuclear fuel handling, occurs at the end of a
nuclear propulsion system's useful life. Once a naval nuclear core is
depleted, the NNPP is responsible for removal of the spent nuclear fuel
through a defueling or refueling operation. Both operations remove the
spent nuclear fuel from a reactor core, but a refueling operation also
involves installing new fuel into the reactor core, allowing the
nuclear-powered ship to be redeployed into the U.S. Navy fleet. After
the naval spent nuclear fuel has been removed from an aircraft carrier
or submarine, NNPP spent fuel handling includes the subsequent
transfer, preparation, and packaging required for dry storage pending
transportation of the fuel to a national geologic repository or interim
storage site.
The NNPP ensures that naval spent nuclear fuel handling is
performed in a safe and environmentally responsible manner in
accordance with 50 U.S.C. 2406, 2511 (codifying Executive Order 12344).
Nuclear fuel handling is an intricate and intensive process requiring a
complex infrastructure. Naval spent nuclear fuel handling includes the
transfer of spent nuclear fuel removed from a reactor to the Expended
Core Facility (ECF) at the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF) at the INL,
where it is received, unloaded, prepared, and packaged for disposal.
The NNPP is proposing to recapitalize the existing ECF
infrastructure at the INL. The purpose of the proposed action is to
ensure the continued availability of the infrastructure needed to
support the transfer, handling, examination, and packaging of naval
spent nuclear fuel removed from nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and
submarines, as well as from land-based prototype reactors for at least
the next 40 years. This action is needed because, although the ECF at
the NRF, where this work is currently supported, continues to be
maintained and operated in a safe and environmentally responsible
manner, a significant portion of the ECF infrastructure has been in
service for over 50 years. Deterioration of the ECF infrastructure
could immediately and profoundly impact the NNPP mission, including the
NNPP's ability to support refueling and defueling of nuclear powered
submarines and aircraft carriers. The ECF capabilities to transfer,
prepare, examine, and package naval spent nuclear fuel, and other
irradiated materials are vital to the NNPP's mission of maintaining the
reliable operation of the naval nuclear-powered fleet and developing
militarily effective nuclear propulsion plants.
Consistent with the Record of Decision for the April 1995 DOE
Programmatic EIS for Spent Nuclear Fuel Management (DOE/EIS-0203-F),
naval spent nuclear fuel is shipped by rail from shipyards and
prototype facilities to NRF for examination and processing. After
processing, naval spent nuclear fuel is transferred into dry storage
containers and placed into temporary storage at NRF, prior to off-site
transfer consistent with the Record of Decision for the November 1996
Navy EIS for a Container System for Management of Naval Spent Nuclear
Fuel (DOE/EIS-0251). Ongoing efforts to sustain the infrastructure
needed to transfer, prepare, examine, and package naval spent nuclear
fuel will preserve these essential capabilities and ensure that the
NNPP high standards for protecting the public and the environment
continue to be met. Facility age, however, is expected to cause a
growing maintenance burden and increase the likelihood of
[[Page 27449]]
unacceptable workflow interruptions that could adversely impact the
fleet.
The NNPP proposes to recapitalize the infrastructure for
transferring, preparing, examining, and packaging naval spent nuclear
fuel and other irradiated materials, to ensure these capabilities are
maintained for the vital NNPP mission of supporting the naval nuclear-
powered fleet. The recapitalization will be carried out as two
projects. The first project will be the Spent Fuel Handling
Recapitalization Project; the second project will be the Examination
Recapitalization Project. The NNPP was initially pursuing two
recapitalization projects in the same time frame; however, since the
initiation of the NEPA process, the project schedules have changed such
that the Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization Project has progressed
further than the Examination Recapitalization Project. Preparing one
EIS that includes both projects would require decisions about the
Examination Recapitalization Project too early in the design process
prior to having sufficient information to fully analyze the
environmental impacts of the project. Additionally, funding
uncertainties have made the timing of the Examination Recapitalization
Project speculative in nature. To ensure an EIS is completed in support
of the Navy's need for the Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization
Project, it is necessary to reduce the scope of the EIS to cover only
the Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization Project. The proposed
Examination Recapitalization Project will be considered in the
cumulative impacts section of the EIS along with other reasonably
foreseeable projects on the INL. A separate document will be prepared
in accordance with NEPA for the Examination Recapitalization Project
once this project has been more clearly defined.
The EIS will consider the environmental effects related to the
Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization Project. The alternatives being
evaluated have been revised to remove aspects related to an Examination
Recapitalization Project and to address public comments received during
initial EIS scoping. The NNPP will evaluate building a new facility at
two potential sites on the NRF, an ECF Overhaul Alternative, and a No
Action Alternative:
Alternative 1--Construct and operate a new facility for
spent fuel handling capabilities at one of two potential locations at
the NRF on the INL.
Alternative 2--Overhaul the spent fuel handling
capabilities of the ECF at NRF by implementing major infrastructure and
water pool refurbishment projects while performing corrective
maintenance and repair actions as necessary.
Alternative 3 (No Action)--Maintain the spent fuel
handling capabilities of the ECF by continuing to use the current ECF
infrastructure while performing corrective maintenance and repairs
necessary to keep the infrastructure in good working order (i.e.,
actions sufficient to sustain the proper functioning of structures,
systems, and components).
The NNPP proposes to address the issues listed below when
considering the potential impacts of the proposed alternatives in the
EIS. This list is presented to facilitate public comment during the
scoping period and is not intended to be comprehensive, or to imply any
predetermination of impacts. Issues include:
Potential impacts of emissions on air and water quality.
Potential impacts on plants, animals, and their habitats,
including species that are listed by either State or Federal government
as threatened, endangered, or of special concern.
Potential impacts from postulated accidents, as well as
potential impacts from acts of terrorism or sabotage.
Potential effects on the public health from exposure to
hazardous materials or radiological releases under routine operations.
Potential safety and health impacts to workers.
Impacts on cultural resources, such as historic,
archeological, and Native American culturally important sites.
Socioeconomic impacts to the potentially affected
communities.
Compliance with applicable Federal and state regulations.
Potential disproportionately high and adverse effects on
low-income and minority populations (environmental justice).
Cumulative impacts.
NEPA implementing regulations require an early and open process for
determining the scope of an EIS and for identifying the significant
issues related to the proposed action. Accordingly, NNPP invites
Federal agencies; Tribal, State, and local governments; and the general
public to comment on the revised scope of the EIS including
identification of reasonable alternatives and specific issues that
should be addressed. All public comments received as described above
will be considered during the development of the EIS.
Issued in Washington, DC, on May 4, 2012.
John M. McKenzie,
Director, Regulatory Affairs, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
[FR Doc. 2012-11292 Filed 5-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
