Amended Record of Decision for the Management of Cesium and Strontium Capsules at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington, 23270-23271 [2018-10643]

Download as PDF daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES 23270 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2018 / Notices the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, LBJ, Room 216–34, Washington, DC 20202–4537. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Rebecca Ell, 202–453–6348. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department’s information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records. Title of Collection: Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Performance Report. OMB Control Number: 1840–0748. Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection. Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Private Sector. Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 291. Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 3,274. Abstract: GAANN grantees must submit a performance report annually. In addition, grantees are required to submit a supplement to the final performance report two years after submission of their final report. The VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:38 May 17, 2018 Jkt 244001 reports are used to evaluate grantee performance. Further, the data from the reports will be aggregated to evaluate the accomplishments and impact of the GAANN Program as a whole. Results will be reported to the Secretary in order to respond to GPRA requirements. Minor changes have been made to the collection to clarify the intent of the questions and update the areas of national need. These changes did not alter the anticipated burden hours associated with this collection. There was a small increase in total burden hours based on the recalculation of the burden on public respondents. Dated: May 15, 2018. Kate Mullan, Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Office of the Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Management. [FR Doc. 2018–10648 Filed 5–17–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Amended Record of Decision for the Management of Cesium and Strontium Capsules at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington Department of Energy. Amended record of decision. AGENCY: ACTION: This is an amendment to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Record of Decision for the Final Tank Closure and Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement for the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington (DOE/EIS–0391, December 2012) (TC&WM EIS). From 1974 to 1985, cesium and strontium were recovered from high-level radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at the Hanford Site, packed in corrosion-resistant capsules, and placed in storage under water at Hanford’s Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility (WESF). The TC&WM EIS evaluated storage, treatment, and final disposition of these capsules and their contents. This amended Record of Decision (ROD) announces DOE’s decision to move the capsules from wet storage at WESF to a new dry storage facility. ADDRESSES: For copies of this amended ROD, the first ROD, the TC&WM EIS, or any related NEPA documents, please contact: Ms. Mary Beth Burandt, NEPA Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of River Protection, P.O. Box 1178, Richland, Washington 99352, 1–509–372–8828, mary_e_burandt@ orp.doe.gov. This amended ROD, the first ROD, and the TC&WM EIS are also available SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 on DOE’s NEPA website at www.energy.gov/nepa and on Hanford’s website at https://www.hanford.gov/ index.cfm?page=1117&. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about the TC & WM EIS and the RODs, contact Ms. Burandt, as listed above. For general information on DOE’s NEPA process, contact: Mr. Brian Costner, Acting Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC–54, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585–0103, Telephone: (202) 586– 4600, or leave a message at 1–800–472– 2756, or email askNEPA@hq.doe.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The cesium and strontium capsules were produced at Hanford during the 1970s and 1980s. Cesium and strontium isotopes were separated from other radioactive tank waste, converted to cesium chloride and strontium fluoride, and then encapsulated for long-term storage. There are 1,335 cesium capsules and 601 strontium capsules stored under water in a pool at WESF. Synopsis of the TC&WM EIS and the First Record of Decision The final TC&WM EIS was issued in December 2012. It analyzed a number of alternatives for retrieving waste from Hanford’s single-shell tanks, treating that waste, and closing the tanks. It also analyzed alternatives for managing other types of wastes at Hanford, and for decommissioning the Fast Flux Test Facility.1 Three alternatives for managing the cesium and strontium capsules now stored in WESF were evaluated: (1) The no action alternative, which was continued storage in WESF; (2) shipment of the capsules from WESF to new facilities where the capsules would be opened and their contents made into a slurry for processing in the Waste Treatment Plant; and (3) transfer of the capsules from WESF to a new interim dry storage facility where they would remain until their contents were treated and sent to a geologic repository. The third alternative was included in the final EIS in response to comments from the state of Oregon and the Yakama Nation. The first ROD, published on December 13, 2013 (78 FR 75913), 1 The alternatives analyzed in the TC&WM EIS are described in detail in Chapter 2 of the final EIS. Chapter 2 also identifies DOE’s preferred alternatives for tank closure, decommissioning of the Fast Flux Test Facility, and waste management on pages 2–321 through 2–322. The final EIS also states that DOE would not make any decision regarding the final disposition of the capsules after treatment based on this EIS. (Final TC&WM EIS at page 1–15.) E:\FR\FM\18MYN1.SGM 18MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2018 / Notices contained no decisions regarding the interim storage, treatment, or final disposition of the capsules or their contents.2 Accordingly, the capsules continue to be stored in WESF. Events Since Issuance of the First Record of Decision Since issuance of the ROD, completion of the Waste Treatment Project has been delayed and WESF is experiencing degradation of key structures and safety systems, including the concrete walls of the storage pool due to gamma radiation emitted by the capsules. The degradation of WESF has increased the risk that a beyond design basis natural event (e.g. an earthquake) could cause the walls to fail, resulting in loss of the water that provides shielding of the capsules. Due to this concern and the realization that the capsules would likely need to stay in WESF for a period longer than its design life, DOE has concluded that interim dry storage of the capsules in a new facility would significantly reduce the potential risk of onsite radiological exposures and airborne releases from a failure of WESF. daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES Preferred Alternative for Interim Storage of the Capsules Because of the delays in completing the Waste Treatment Plant and the ongoing degradation of WESF, DOE has now concluded that its preferred alternative for interim storage of the capsules is in a new dry storage facility. This is also the environmentally preferred alternative for interim storage of the capsules as it would reduce the risks posed by a failure of WESF. Decision DOE evaluated the transfer of the cesium and strontium capsules from WESF to dry storage in Appendix E of the final TC&WM EIS (Section E 1.2.3.4.5.) in response to comments from the state of Oregon’s Department of Energy and the Yakama Nation (Final TC&WM EIS at 3–29 to 3–30 and 3–437 to 3–440). This evaluation identified the potential impacts from construction and operation of a new dry storage facility in the 200-East Area of Hanford, which would be deactivated upon final disposition of the capsules. These impacts included those from the construction of an approximately 6,500square-meter (70,000-square-feet) dry storage facility and disturbance of 2 The first ROD noted that it ‘‘is the first in a series of RODs that DOE intends to issue pursuant to the Final TC&WM EIS.’’ (78 FR 75918.) It also stated that DOE was ‘‘not deciding on treatment of the cesium and strontium capsules in this ROD.’’ (Id.) VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:38 May 17, 2018 Jkt 244001 13,000-square-meters (140,000-squarefeet) of ground. They also included the operational impacts from retrieval of the capsules from WESF and their placement into containers; transfer of the containers to the new storage facility; and maintaining and monitoring of the facility for up to 145 years (the maximum storage time under all of the Tank Closure Alternatives analyzed in the TC & WM EIS). The potential impacts from deactivation of the dry storage facility included those resulting from putting the facility into a stable configuration after removal of the capsules for treatment, disposition, or both. The capsules would be transported and stored in casks similar to the casks analyzed in the TC&WM EIS; they would be passively ventilated to dissipate heat produced by radioactive decay within the capsules. The current design of the dry storage facility, which would be located approximately 400 meters (440 yards) from the existing WESF, calls for a storage pad of 753 square meters (8,100 square feet) within the facility on which the casks would be placed. The new facility would be a ‘‘dangerous waste management unit’’ under the Hanford Facility Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Permit; it would be added to the permit through a modification issued by the state of Washington pursuant to its delegated RCRA authority. The potential environmental impacts from interim dry storage of the capsules would be less than those identified in the TC&WM EIS for this alternative, primarily due to the decay of radioactivity in the capsules. In June 2017, DOE estimated that the radioactivity in the capsules had decayed to 46 million curies; the final TC&WM EIS assumed the capsules contained about 68 million curies. DOE’s decision is to continue interim storage of the capsules, but in a new dry storage facility rather than in WESF. DOE is not making any decisions at this time on treatment or final disposition of the cesium and strontium capsules. Mitigation Measures Moving the capsules from WESF to a dry storage facility will mitigate potential impacts resulting from a potential failure of WESF. This decision will allow DOE to eliminate the potential for releases to groundwater and the atmosphere from a structural failure of WESF. PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 23271 Issued in Washington, DC, on May 14, 2018. Anne Marie White, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management. [FR Doc. 2018–10643 Filed 5–17–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [OE Docket No. EA–452] Application To Export Electric Energy; Matador Power Marketing, Inc. Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, DOE. ACTION: Notice of application. AGENCY: Matador Power Marketing, Inc. (Matador or Applicant) has applied for authority to transmit electric energy from the United States to Mexico pursuant to the Federal Power Act. DATES: Comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be submitted on or before June 18, 2018. ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, motions to intervene, or requests for more information should be addressed to: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Mail Code: OE–20, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585–0350. Because of delays in handling conventional mail, it is recommended that documents be transmitted by overnight mail, by electronic mail to Electricity.Exports@ hq.doe.gov, or by facsimile to 202–586– 8008. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Exports of electricity from the United States to a foreign country are regulated by the Department of Energy (DOE) pursuant to sections 301(b) and 402(f) of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7151(b), 7172(f)) and require authorization under section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824a(e)). On May 1, 2018, DOE received an application from Matador for authority to transmit electric energy from the United States to Mexico as a power marketer for a five-year term using existing international transmission facilities. In its application, Matador states that it does not own or control any electric generation or transmission facilities, and it does not have a franchised service area. The electric energy that the Applicant proposes to export to Mexico would be surplus energy purchased from third parties such as electric utilities and Federal power marketing agencies pursuant to voluntary SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\18MYN1.SGM 18MYN1

Agencies

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 97 (Friday, May 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23270-23271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10643]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Amended Record of Decision for the Management of Cesium and 
Strontium Capsules at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Amended record of decision.

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

SUMMARY: This is an amendment to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) 
Record of Decision for the Final Tank Closure and Waste Management 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Hanford Site, Richland, 
Washington (DOE/EIS-0391, December 2012) (TC&WM EIS). From 1974 to 
1985, cesium and strontium were recovered from high-level radioactive 
waste stored in underground tanks at the Hanford Site, packed in 
corrosion-resistant capsules, and placed in storage under water at 
Hanford's Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility (WESF). The TC&WM 
EIS evaluated storage, treatment, and final disposition of these 
capsules and their contents. This amended Record of Decision (ROD) 
announces DOE's decision to move the capsules from wet storage at WESF 
to a new dry storage facility.

ADDRESSES: For copies of this amended ROD, the first ROD, the TC&WM 
EIS, or any related NEPA documents, please contact: Ms. Mary Beth 
Burandt, NEPA Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of 
River Protection, P.O. Box 1178, Richland, Washington 99352, 1-509-372-
8828, [email protected].
    This amended ROD, the first ROD, and the TC&WM EIS are also 
available on DOE's NEPA website at www.energy.gov/nepa and on Hanford's 
website at https://www.hanford.gov/index.cfm?page=1117&.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about the TC & 
WM EIS and the RODs, contact Ms. Burandt, as listed above.
    For general information on DOE's NEPA process, contact: Mr. Brian 
Costner, Acting Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-54, 
U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585-0103, Telephone: (202) 
586-4600, or leave a message at 1-800-472-2756, or email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The cesium and strontium capsules were produced at Hanford during 
the 1970s and 1980s. Cesium and strontium isotopes were separated from 
other radioactive tank waste, converted to cesium chloride and 
strontium fluoride, and then encapsulated for long-term storage. There 
are 1,335 cesium capsules and 601 strontium capsules stored under water 
in a pool at WESF.

Synopsis of the TC&WM EIS and the First Record of Decision

    The final TC&WM EIS was issued in December 2012. It analyzed a 
number of alternatives for retrieving waste from Hanford's single-shell 
tanks, treating that waste, and closing the tanks. It also analyzed 
alternatives for managing other types of wastes at Hanford, and for 
decommissioning the Fast Flux Test Facility.\1\ Three alternatives for 
managing the cesium and strontium capsules now stored in WESF were 
evaluated: (1) The no action alternative, which was continued storage 
in WESF; (2) shipment of the capsules from WESF to new facilities where 
the capsules would be opened and their contents made into a slurry for 
processing in the Waste Treatment Plant; and (3) transfer of the 
capsules from WESF to a new interim dry storage facility where they 
would remain until their contents were treated and sent to a geologic 
repository. The third alternative was included in the final EIS in 
response to comments from the state of Oregon and the Yakama Nation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The alternatives analyzed in the TC&WM EIS are described in 
detail in Chapter 2 of the final EIS. Chapter 2 also identifies 
DOE's preferred alternatives for tank closure, decommissioning of 
the Fast Flux Test Facility, and waste management on pages 2-321 
through 2-322. The final EIS also states that DOE would not make any 
decision regarding the final disposition of the capsules after 
treatment based on this EIS. (Final TC&WM EIS at page 1-15.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The first ROD, published on December 13, 2013 (78 FR 75913),

[[Page 23271]]

contained no decisions regarding the interim storage, treatment, or 
final disposition of the capsules or their contents.\2\ Accordingly, 
the capsules continue to be stored in WESF.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The first ROD noted that it ``is the first in a series of 
RODs that DOE intends to issue pursuant to the Final TC&WM EIS.'' 
(78 FR 75918.) It also stated that DOE was ``not deciding on 
treatment of the cesium and strontium capsules in this ROD.'' (Id.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Events Since Issuance of the First Record of Decision

    Since issuance of the ROD, completion of the Waste Treatment 
Project has been delayed and WESF is experiencing degradation of key 
structures and safety systems, including the concrete walls of the 
storage pool due to gamma radiation emitted by the capsules. The 
degradation of WESF has increased the risk that a beyond design basis 
natural event (e.g. an earthquake) could cause the walls to fail, 
resulting in loss of the water that provides shielding of the capsules. 
Due to this concern and the realization that the capsules would likely 
need to stay in WESF for a period longer than its design life, DOE has 
concluded that interim dry storage of the capsules in a new facility 
would significantly reduce the potential risk of onsite radiological 
exposures and airborne releases from a failure of WESF.

Preferred Alternative for Interim Storage of the Capsules

    Because of the delays in completing the Waste Treatment Plant and 
the ongoing degradation of WESF, DOE has now concluded that its 
preferred alternative for interim storage of the capsules is in a new 
dry storage facility. This is also the environmentally preferred 
alternative for interim storage of the capsules as it would reduce the 
risks posed by a failure of WESF.

Decision

    DOE evaluated the transfer of the cesium and strontium capsules 
from WESF to dry storage in Appendix E of the final TC&WM EIS (Section 
E 1.2.3.4.5.) in response to comments from the state of Oregon's 
Department of Energy and the Yakama Nation (Final TC&WM EIS at 3-29 to 
3-30 and 3-437 to 3-440). This evaluation identified the potential 
impacts from construction and operation of a new dry storage facility 
in the 200-East Area of Hanford, which would be deactivated upon final 
disposition of the capsules. These impacts included those from the 
construction of an approximately 6,500-square-meter (70,000-square-
feet) dry storage facility and disturbance of 13,000-square-meters 
(140,000-square-feet) of ground. They also included the operational 
impacts from retrieval of the capsules from WESF and their placement 
into containers; transfer of the containers to the new storage 
facility; and maintaining and monitoring of the facility for up to 145 
years (the maximum storage time under all of the Tank Closure 
Alternatives analyzed in the TC & WM EIS). The potential impacts from 
deactivation of the dry storage facility included those resulting from 
putting the facility into a stable configuration after removal of the 
capsules for treatment, disposition, or both.
    The capsules would be transported and stored in casks similar to 
the casks analyzed in the TC&WM EIS; they would be passively ventilated 
to dissipate heat produced by radioactive decay within the capsules. 
The current design of the dry storage facility, which would be located 
approximately 400 meters (440 yards) from the existing WESF, calls for 
a storage pad of 753 square meters (8,100 square feet) within the 
facility on which the casks would be placed. The new facility would be 
a ``dangerous waste management unit'' under the Hanford Facility 
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Permit; it would be added 
to the permit through a modification issued by the state of Washington 
pursuant to its delegated RCRA authority.
    The potential environmental impacts from interim dry storage of the 
capsules would be less than those identified in the TC&WM EIS for this 
alternative, primarily due to the decay of radioactivity in the 
capsules. In June 2017, DOE estimated that the radioactivity in the 
capsules had decayed to 46 million curies; the final TC&WM EIS assumed 
the capsules contained about 68 million curies.
    DOE's decision is to continue interim storage of the capsules, but 
in a new dry storage facility rather than in WESF. DOE is not making 
any decisions at this time on treatment or final disposition of the 
cesium and strontium capsules.

Mitigation Measures

    Moving the capsules from WESF to a dry storage facility will 
mitigate potential impacts resulting from a potential failure of WESF. 
This decision will allow DOE to eliminate the potential for releases to 
groundwater and the atmosphere from a structural failure of WESF.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 14, 2018.
Anne Marie White,
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 2018-10643 Filed 5-17-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

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