Notice of Availability of the Draft Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, 44222-44224 [2012-18281]

Download as PDF erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44222 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 145 / Friday, July 27, 2012 / Notices alternatives carried forward for detailed study, is disclosed in Chapter 2 of the Final EIS. 6. Scoping Process: A Notice of Intent to prepare a Draft EIS for the Proposed Point Thomson Project was published in the Federal Register on December 4, 2009. The Corps of Engineers conducted public scoping, Alaska Native Tribal consultations, and resource agency meetings in AK prior to preparing the Draft EIS. Over 300 issue-specific comments were identified. Results from the scoping process were summarized a Public Scoping Document and are addressed in the Draft EIS. 7. Draft EIS Review: The Draft EIS comment period began November 18, 2011 with the publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. It was originally scheduled to end on January 3, 2012 but was extended until January 18, 2012 after requests for an extension were received. Open house and public comment meetings were held between December 5–15, 2011 in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kaktovik, Nuiqsut, and Barrow, AK. The Corps of Engineers received over 240 comment submissions during the comment period. Over 660 individual comments were recorded and responded to. Based on comments received, errors in the Draft EIS were corrected and sections edited for clarity. The Final EIS is the result of these changes and additions. Overall impact findings did not change between the Draft and Final EIS, although some descriptions did change. 8. Availability of the Final EIS: The Final EIS is electronically available for viewing and printing at: www.pointthomsonprojecteis.com. A printed Executive Summary, which includes 2 Compact Disks containing the entire Final EIS, may be obtained by contacting Mr. Baij at the above contact information. Printed copies of the Final EIS are available for review at the following public libraries and schools: Harold Kaveolook School, Kaktovik, Alaska; Nuiqsut Trapper School, Nuiqsut, Alaska; Tuzzy Consortium Library, Barrow, Alaska; Noel Wein Library, Fairbanks, Alaska; Z.J. Loussac Library, Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Resources Library and Information Services, Anchorage, Alaska; and University of Alaska, Anchorage Library, Anchorage, Alaska. Dated: July 19, 2012. Harry A. Baij Jr., Project Manager, US Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District. [FR Doc. 2012–18372 Filed 7–26–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3720–58–P VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:32 Jul 26, 2012 Jkt 226001 Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers Inland Waterways Users Board Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. ACTION: Notice of open meeting. AGENCY: In accordance with 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463), announcement is made of the forthcoming meeting. Name of Committee: Inland Waterways Users Board (Board). Date: August 29, 2012. Location: The Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel and Suites, 400 South 14th Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 at (314) 231–5007. Time: Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the meeting is scheduled to adjourn at approximately 1:00 p.m. Agenda: The agenda will include the status of funding for inland navigation projects and studies and the status of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, the funding status for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 and the FY 2013 budget, status of the Olmsted Locks and Dam Project, and the Board will consider its project investment recommendations for the next year. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark R. Pointon, Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CEIWR–GM, 7701 Telegraph Road, Casey Building, Alexandria, Virginia 22315–3868; Ph: 703–428– 6438. SUMMARY: The meeting is open to the public. Any interested person may attend, appear before, or file statements with the committee at the time and in the manner permitted by the committee. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Brenda S. Bowen, Army Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. 2012–18348 Filed 7–26–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3720–58–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY National Nuclear Security Administration Notice of Availability of the Draft Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Draft Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SPD Supplemental EIS; DOE/EIS–0283–S2) for public comment. DOE also is announcing the dates, times and locations for public hearings to receive comments on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS. The Draft SPD Supplemental EIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of alternatives for disposition of 13.1 metric tons (14.4 tons) of surplus plutonium for which DOE has not made a disposition decision, including 7.1 metric tons (7.8 tons) of plutonium from pits that were declared excess to national defense needs. It also updates previous DOE NEPA analyses on plutonium disposition to consider additional options for pit disassembly and conversion, which entails processing plutonium metal components to produce an oxide form of plutonium suitable for disposition, and the use of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabricated from surplus plutonium in domestic commercial nuclear power reactors to generate electricity, including five reactors at two specific Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) reactor plants. DOE is not revisiting the decision to fabricate 34 metric tons (MT) (37.5 tons) of surplus plutonium into MOX fuel in the MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) (65 FR 1608, January 11, 2000 and 68 FR 20134, April 24, 2003), now under construction at DOE’s Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, and to irradiate the MOX fuel in commercial nuclear reactors used to generate electricity. TVA is a cooperating agency on this SPD Supplemental EIS. TVA is considering the use of MOX fuel, produced as part of DOE’s Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program, in its nuclear power reactors. DATES: DOE invites Federal agencies, state and local governments, Native American tribes, industry, other interested organizations, and members of the public to comment on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS during a 60-day public comment period which starts with the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Notice of Availability in the Federal Register and ends on September 25, 2012. Comments received after this date will be considered to the extent practicable. DOE will hold public hearings on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS; the dates, times and locations are listed under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. SUMMARY: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE E:\FR\FM\27JYN1.SGM 27JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 145 / Friday, July 27, 2012 / Notices Please direct written comments on the Draft 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 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 Supplemental EIS 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 about the DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC–54), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, telephone (202) 586–4600, or leave a message at 1–800– 472–2756. Additional information regarding DOE NEPA activities and access to many of DOE’s NEPA documents are available on the Internet through the DOE NEPA Web site at https://www.energy.gov/nepa. ADDRESSES: DOE has prepared the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations that implement the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), and DOE regulations implementing NEPA (10 CFR part 1021). Background: To reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation, DOE is engaged in a program to disposition its surplus, weapons-usable plutonium in an environmentally sound manner, by converting such plutonium into proliferation-resistant forms that can never again be readily used in nuclear weapons. The U.S. inventory of surplus plutonium is in several forms. The largest quantity is plutonium metal in 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 has already decided to fabricate 34 metric tons (MT) (37.5 tons) of surplus plutonium into MOX fuel in the MFFF (65 FR 1608, January 11, 2000 and 68 FR 20134, April 24, 2003), now 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 erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:32 Jul 26, 2012 Jkt 226001 is not revisiting this decision in the SPD Supplemental EIS. DOE announced its intent to prepare the SPD Supplemental EIS in a notice of intent (NOI) in 2007 to analyze the potential environmental impacts of alternatives to disposition about 13 MT of surplus plutonium for which it had not previously made disposition decisions (72 FR 14543; March 28, 2007). DOE amended the NOI in 2010 to refine its information on the quantity and types of surplus weapons-usable plutonium material, evaluate additional alternatives, and no longer consider one of the alternatives identified in the 2007 NOI (75 FR 41850; July 19, 2010). DOE also proposed to revisit its January 2000 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 installation and operation of pit disassembly and conversion capabilities in an existing building in K–Area at SRS. DOE amended the NOI for a second time in 2012 (77 FR 1920, January 12, 2012) to add additional options for pit disassembly and conversion, which could involve the use of Technical Area 55 (TA–55) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico, H–Canyon/HB–Line at SRS, as well as the K–Area and the MFFF, both at SRS. The 2007 NOI, the 2010 Amended NOI, and the 2012 second Amended NOI are available at https://www.energy.gov/nepa and at https://www.nnsa.energy.gov/nepa/ spdsupplementaleis. Alternatives In addition to a No Action Alternative, in this SPD Supplemental EIS DOE evaluates four action alternatives to disposition 13.1 metric tons (14.4 tons) of surplus plutonium for which DOE has not made a disposition decision, including 7.1 metric tons (7.8 tons) of plutonium from pits that were declared excess to national defense needs. Within each action alternative, DOE also evaluates options for pit disassembly and conversion. The action alternatives are: (1) Immobilization to Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Alternative—glass can-incanister immobilization for both surplus non-pit and disassembled and converted pit plutonium; (2) MOX Fuel Alternative—fabrication of the disassembled and converted pit plutonium and 4 of the 6 metric tons of the non-pit plutonium into MOX fuel at MFFF for use in domestic, commercial nuclear power reactors to generate electricity and disposition of the surplus plutonium that is not suitable for MFFF as transuranic (TRU) waste at the Waste PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 44223 Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a deep geologic repository in southeastern New Mexico; (3) H–Canyon/HB–Line to DWPF Alternative—processing the surplus non-pit plutonium in the existing H Canyon/HB Line at SRS and subsequent disposal as high level nuclear waste (HLW) (i.e., vitrification in the existing DWPF) and fabrication of the pit plutonium into MOX fuel at MFFF; and (4) WIPP Alternative— disposal of the surplus non-pit plutonium as TRU waste at WIPP and fabrication of the pit plutonium into MOX fuel at MFFF. Pit Disassembly and Conversion Options: DOE evaluated the range of reasonable pit disassembly and conversion options and combinations of options for analysis in the SPD Supplemental EIS: (1) A standalone PDCF at F–Area at SRS, (2) a pit disassembly and conversion project (PDC) at K–Area at SRS, (3) a pit disassembly and conversion capability in the Plutonium Facility (PF–4) in TA– 55 at LANL and metal oxidation in MFFF, and (4) a pit disassembly and conversion capability in PF–4 at LANL with the potential for pit disassembly in K–Area, conversion to oxide in H– Canyon/HB–Line, and conversion to oxide in MFFF at SRS. Use of MOX Fuel: This SPD Supplemental EIS also analyzes the potential environmental impacts of using MOX fuel fabricated from surplus plutonium in domestic commercial nuclear power reactors to generate electricity, including five reactors at two specific TVA reactor plants. Preferred Alternative: The MOX Fuel Alternative is DOE’s Preferred Alternative for surplus plutonium disposition. DOE’s preferred option for pit disassembly and the conversion of surplus plutonium metal, regardless of its origins, to feed for MFFF is to use some combination of facilities at TA–55 at LANL and K Area, H Canyon/HB Line, and MFFF at SRS, rather than to construct a new standalone 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 WIPP. The TVA does not have a preferred alternative at this time regarding whether to pursue irradiation of MOX fuel in TVA reactors and which reactors might be used for this purpose. Invitation for Public Comment on the Draft SPD EIS: DOE will hold six public hearings on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS at the following dates, times, and locations: E:\FR\FM\27JYN1.SGM 27JYN1 44224 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 145 / Friday, July 27, 2012 / Notices • August 21, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Holiday Inn Express, 60 Entrada Drive, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544. • August 23, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Courtyard by Marriott Santa Fe, 3347 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507. • August 28, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Pecos River Village Conference Center, 711 Muscatel Drive, Carlsbad, NM 88220. • September 4, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) North Augusta Municipal Center, 100 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta, South Carolina 29841. • September 11, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402. • September 13, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Calhoun Community College, Decatur Campus, Aerospace Building, 6250 Highway 31 North, Tanner, AL 35671. Individuals who would like to present comments orally at these hearings should register upon arrival at the hearing. Speaking time will be allotted by the hearing moderator to each individual wishing to speak to ensure that all who wish to speak have the opportunity to do so. DOE representatives will be available during an open house portion of these hearings to discuss the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS. Following a presentation by DOE, the public will have an opportunity to provide oral and written comments during the formal portion of the hearing. In preparing the final SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE will consider all comments presented at the hearing, comments received by fax or email and comments postmarked by the end of the comment period. DOE will consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable. Issued in Washington, DC, on July 17, 2012. Thomas P. D’Agostino, Under Secretary for Nuclear Security. [FR Doc. 2012–18281 Filed 7–26–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450–01–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES [FRL–9706–2] Access to Confidential Business Information by Eastern Research Group, Incorporated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of access to data and request for comments. AGENCY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:32 Jul 26, 2012 Jkt 226001 EPA will authorize its contractor Eastern Research Group, Incorporated (ERG) to access Confidential Business Information (CBI) which has been submitted to EPA under the authority of all sections of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976, as amended. EPA has issued regulations that outline business confidentiality provisions for the Agency and require all EPA Offices that receive information designated by the submitter, as CBI to abide by these provisions. DATES: Access to confidential data submitted to EPA will occur no sooner than August 6, 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LaShan Haynes, Document Control Officer, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, (5305P), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460, 703–605–0516. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: 1. Access to Confidential Business Information Under EPA Contract No. EP–W–10– 055, ERG, Incorporated will assist the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR), Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division (RCSD) in developing the Municipal Solid Waste Characterization Report to analyze the composition and amounts of the United State’s Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), and how these materials are recycled, combusted, and landfilled. The methodology used in this report is a ‘‘top-down’’ materials flow approach to estimate the size of the waste stream data. This report may typically involve one or more of the following statutes: CAA, CWA, RCRA, TSCA, FIFRA, EPCRA and the SDWA. Some of the data collected voluntarily from industry, may be claimed by industry to contain trade secrets or CBI. In accordance with the provisions of 40 CFR part 2, subpart B, ORCR has established policies and procedures for handling information collected from industry, under the authority of RCRA, including RCRA Confidential Business Information Security Manuals. ERG, Incorporated shall protect from unauthorized disclosure all information designated as confidential and shall abide by all RCRA CBI requirements, including procedures outlined in the RCRA CBI Security Manual. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued regulations (40 CFR part 2, subpart B) that outline business confidentiality provisions for the Agency and require all EPA Offices that receive information designated by the PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 submitter as CBI to abide by these provisions. ERG, Incorporated will be authorized to have access to RCRA CBI under the EPA ‘‘Contractor Requirements for the Control and Security of RCRA Confidential Business Information Security Manual.’’ EPA is issuing this notice to inform all submitters of information under all sections of RCRA that ERG, Incorporated under the contract may have access to RCRA CBI. Access to RCRA CBI under this contract will take place at ERG’s Chantilly, Virginia and Prairie View, Kansas offices, and when necessary, EPA Headquarters only. Contractor personnel at each location will be required to sign non-disclosure agreements and will be briefed on appropriate security procedures before they are permitted access to confidential information. Dated: June 28, 2012. Sandra L. Connors, Acting Director, Office of Resource Conservation & Recovery. [FR Doc. 2012–18402 Filed 7–26–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OECA–2011–0266; FRL–9521–1] Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; NESHAP for Publicly Owned Treatment Works (Renewal) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR which is abstracted below describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before August 27, 2012. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number EPA–HQ– OECA–2011–0266, to: (1) EPA online using www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or by email to: docket.oeca@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Environmental Protection Agency, Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center, mail code 28221T, 1200 SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\27JYN1.SGM 27JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 145 (Friday, July 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44222-44224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18281]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Notice of Availability of the Draft Surplus Plutonium Disposition 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the 
availability of the Draft Surplus Plutonium Disposition Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SPD Supplemental EIS; DOE/EIS-0283-S2) 
for public comment. DOE also is announcing the dates, times and 
locations for public hearings to receive comments on the Draft SPD 
Supplemental EIS. The Draft SPD Supplemental EIS analyzes the potential 
environmental impacts of alternatives for disposition of 13.1 metric 
tons (14.4 tons) of surplus plutonium for which DOE has not made a 
disposition decision, including 7.1 metric tons (7.8 tons) of plutonium 
from pits that were declared excess to national defense needs. It also 
updates previous DOE NEPA analyses on plutonium disposition to consider 
additional options for pit disassembly and conversion, which entails 
processing plutonium metal components to produce an oxide form of 
plutonium suitable for disposition, and the use of mixed oxide (MOX) 
fuel fabricated from surplus plutonium in domestic commercial nuclear 
power reactors to generate electricity, including five reactors at two 
specific Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) reactor plants. DOE is not 
revisiting the decision to fabricate 34 metric tons (MT) (37.5 tons) of 
surplus plutonium into MOX fuel in the MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility 
(MFFF) (65 FR 1608, January 11, 2000 and 68 FR 20134, April 24, 2003), 
now under construction at DOE's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South 
Carolina, and to irradiate the MOX fuel in commercial nuclear reactors 
used to generate electricity.
    TVA is a cooperating agency on this SPD Supplemental EIS. TVA is 
considering the use of MOX fuel, produced as part of DOE's Surplus 
Plutonium Disposition Program, in its nuclear power reactors.

DATES: DOE invites Federal agencies, state and local governments, 
Native American tribes, industry, other interested organizations, and 
members of the public to comment on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS 
during a 60-day public comment period which starts with the publication 
of the Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability in the 
Federal Register and ends on September 25, 2012. Comments received 
after this date will be considered to the extent practicable. DOE will 
hold public hearings on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS; the dates, 
times and locations are listed under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

[[Page 44223]]


ADDRESSES: Please direct written comments on the Draft 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 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 Supplemental EIS 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 about the DOE NEPA process, please contact: 
Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance 
(GC-54), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20585, telephone (202) 586-4600, or leave a message at 
1-800-472-2756. Additional information regarding DOE NEPA activities 
and access to many of DOE's NEPA documents are available on the 
Internet through the DOE NEPA Web site at https://www.energy.gov/nepa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE has prepared the Draft SPD Supplemental 
EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations that implement 
the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and DOE 
regulations implementing NEPA (10 CFR part 1021).
    Background: To reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation, 
DOE is engaged in a program to disposition its surplus, weapons-usable 
plutonium in an environmentally sound manner, by converting such 
plutonium into proliferation-resistant forms that can never again be 
readily used in nuclear weapons. The U.S. inventory of surplus 
plutonium is in several forms. The largest quantity is plutonium metal 
in 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 has already decided to fabricate 34 metric tons (MT) (37.5 
tons) of surplus plutonium into MOX fuel in the MFFF (65 FR 1608, 
January 11, 2000 and 68 FR 20134, April 24, 2003), now 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 is not revisiting this decision in the SPD Supplemental EIS.
    DOE announced its intent to prepare the SPD Supplemental EIS in a 
notice of intent (NOI) in 2007 to analyze the potential environmental 
impacts of alternatives to disposition about 13 MT of surplus plutonium 
for which it had not previously made disposition decisions (72 FR 
14543; March 28, 2007). DOE amended the NOI in 2010 to refine its 
information on the quantity and types of surplus weapons-usable 
plutonium material, evaluate additional alternatives, and no longer 
consider one of the alternatives identified in the 2007 NOI (75 FR 
41850; July 19, 2010). DOE also proposed to revisit its January 2000 
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 installation and operation of pit disassembly and conversion 
capabilities in an existing building in K-Area at SRS. DOE amended the 
NOI for a second time in 2012 (77 FR 1920, January 12, 2012) to add 
additional options for pit disassembly and conversion, which could 
involve the use of Technical Area 55 (TA-55) at the Los Alamos National 
Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico, H-Canyon/HB-Line at SRS, as well as 
the K-Area and the MFFF, both at SRS. The 2007 NOI, the 2010 Amended 
NOI, and the 2012 second Amended NOI are available at https://www.energy.gov/nepa and at https://www.nnsa.energy.gov/nepa/spdsupplementaleis.

Alternatives

    In addition to a No Action Alternative, in this SPD Supplemental 
EIS DOE evaluates four action alternatives to disposition 13.1 metric 
tons (14.4 tons) of surplus plutonium for which DOE has not made a 
disposition decision, including 7.1 metric tons (7.8 tons) of plutonium 
from pits that were declared excess to national defense needs. Within 
each action alternative, DOE also evaluates options for pit disassembly 
and conversion. The action alternatives are: (1) Immobilization to 
Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Alternative--glass can-in-
canister immobilization for both surplus non-pit and disassembled and 
converted pit plutonium; (2) MOX Fuel Alternative--fabrication of the 
disassembled and converted pit plutonium and 4 of the 6 metric tons of 
the non-pit plutonium into MOX fuel at MFFF for use in domestic, 
commercial nuclear power reactors to generate electricity and 
disposition of the surplus plutonium that is not suitable for MFFF as 
transuranic (TRU) waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a 
deep geologic repository in southeastern New Mexico; (3) H-Canyon/HB-
Line to DWPF Alternative--processing the surplus non-pit plutonium in 
the existing H Canyon/HB Line at SRS and subsequent disposal as high 
level nuclear waste (HLW) (i.e., vitrification in the existing DWPF) 
and fabrication of the pit plutonium into MOX fuel at MFFF; and (4) 
WIPP Alternative--disposal of the surplus non-pit plutonium as TRU 
waste at WIPP and fabrication of the pit plutonium into MOX fuel at 
MFFF.
    Pit Disassembly and Conversion Options: DOE evaluated the range of 
reasonable pit disassembly and conversion options and combinations of 
options for analysis in the SPD Supplemental EIS: (1) A standalone PDCF 
at F-Area at SRS, (2) a pit disassembly and conversion project (PDC) at 
K-Area at SRS, (3) a pit disassembly and conversion capability in the 
Plutonium Facility (PF-4) in TA-55 at LANL and metal oxidation in MFFF, 
and (4) a pit disassembly and conversion capability in PF-4 at LANL 
with the potential for pit disassembly in K-Area, conversion to oxide 
in H-Canyon/HB-Line, and conversion to oxide in MFFF at SRS.
    Use of MOX Fuel: This SPD Supplemental EIS also analyzes the 
potential environmental impacts of using MOX fuel fabricated from 
surplus plutonium in domestic commercial nuclear power reactors to 
generate electricity, including five reactors at two specific TVA 
reactor plants.
    Preferred Alternative: The MOX Fuel Alternative is DOE's Preferred 
Alternative for surplus plutonium disposition. DOE's preferred option 
for pit disassembly and the conversion of surplus plutonium metal, 
regardless of its origins, to feed for MFFF is to use some combination 
of facilities at TA-55 at LANL and K Area, H Canyon/HB Line, and MFFF 
at SRS, rather than to construct a new standalone 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 WIPP. The TVA does not have a preferred 
alternative at this time regarding whether to pursue irradiation of MOX 
fuel in TVA reactors and which reactors might be used for this purpose.
    Invitation for Public Comment on the Draft SPD EIS: DOE will hold 
six public hearings on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS at the following 
dates, times, and locations:

[[Page 44224]]

     August 21, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Holiday Inn Express, 
60 Entrada Drive, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544.
     August 23, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Courtyard by 
Marriott Santa Fe, 3347 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507.
     August 28, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Pecos River Village 
Conference Center, 711 Muscatel Drive, Carlsbad, NM 88220.
     September 4, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) North Augusta 
Municipal Center, 100 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta, South Carolina 
29841.
     September 11, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Chattanooga 
Convention Center, 1150 Carter Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402.
     September 13, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Calhoun Community 
College, Decatur Campus, Aerospace Building, 6250 Highway 31 North, 
Tanner, AL 35671.
    Individuals who would like to present comments orally at these 
hearings should register upon arrival at the hearing. Speaking time 
will be allotted by the hearing moderator to each individual wishing to 
speak to ensure that all who wish to speak have the opportunity to do 
so. DOE representatives will be available during an open house portion 
of these hearings to discuss the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS. Following 
a presentation by DOE, the public will have an opportunity to provide 
oral and written comments during the formal portion of the hearing. In 
preparing the final SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE will consider all 
comments presented at the hearing, comments received by fax or email 
and comments postmarked by the end of the comment period. DOE will 
consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on July 17, 2012.
Thomas P. D'Agostino,
Under Secretary for Nuclear Security.
[FR Doc. 2012-18281 Filed 7-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

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