Draft Environmental Assessment for the Commercial Disposal of Defense Waste Processing Facility Recycle Wastewater From the Savannah River Site, 67438-67440 [2019-26555]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Notices
Comments, protests, or motions
to intervene must be submitted on or
before January 9, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Comments, protests,
motions to intervene, or requests for
more information should be addressed
to: Office of Electricity, 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: The
Department of Energy (DOE) regulates
exports of electricity from the United
States to a foreign country, pursuant to
sections 301(b) and 402(f) of the
Department of Energy Organization Act
(42 U.S.C. 7151(b) and 7172(f)). Such
exports require authorization under
section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act
(16 U.S.C. 824a(e)).
On November 20, 2019, ECTP filed an
application with DOE (Application or
App.) to transmit electric energy from
the United States to Canada. ECTP is a
single-member limited liability
company. ECTP has requested an
electricity export authorization with a 5year term using existing international
transmission facilities.
In its application, the Applicant states
that it is a power marketer that does not
own or operate an integrated
transmission or distributed system
. . .’’. App. at 4.The electric energy that
the Applicant proposes to export to
Canada ‘‘would be surplus to the needs
of the relevant transmission or
distribution system...’’ App. at 4. The
existing international transmission
facilities to be utilized by the Applicant
have previously been authorized by
Presidential permits issued pursuant to
Executive Order 10485, as amended,
and are appropriate for open access
transmission by third parties.
Procedural Matters: Any person
desiring to be heard in this proceeding
should file a comment or protest to the
application at the address provided
above. Protests should be filed in
accordance with Rule 211 of the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC)
Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR
385.211). Any person desiring to
become a party to this proceeding
should file a motion to intervene at the
above address in accordance with FERC
Rule 214 (18 CFR 385.214). Five (5)
copies of such comments, protests, or
motions to intervene should be sent to
the address provided above on or before
the date listed above.
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DATES:
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Comments and other filings
concerning ECTP’s application to export
electric energy to Canada should be
clearly marked with OE Docket No. EA–
480. An additional copy is to be
provided directly to Changjae Lee,
Engelhart CTP (US) LLC, 400 Atlantic
St. 11th Floor, Stamford, CT 06901 and
Jennifer Brough, Locke Lord LLP, 701
8th St. NW Suite 700, Washington, DC
20001.
A final decision will be made on this
application after the environmental
impacts have been evaluated pursuant
to DOE’s National Environmental Policy
Act Implementing Procedures (10 CFR
part 1021) and after DOE determines
that the proposed action will not have
an adverse impact on the sufficiency of
supply or reliability of the U.S. electric
power supply system.
Copies of this application will be
made available, upon request, for public
inspection and copying at the address
provided above, by accessing the
program website at https://energy.gov/
node/11845, or by emailing Matthew
Aronoff at matthew.aronoff@hq.doe.gov.
Signed in Washington, DC, on December 2,
2019.
Christopher Lawrence,
Management and Program Analyst,
Transmission Permitting and Technical
Assistance, Office of Electricity.
[FR Doc. 2019–26549 Filed 12–9–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Draft Environmental Assessment for
the Commercial Disposal of Defense
Waste Processing Facility Recycle
Wastewater From the Savannah River
Site
Office of Environmental
Management, U.S. Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) announces the availability
of its Draft Environmental Assessment
for the Commercial Disposal of Defense
Waste Processing Facility Recycle
Wastewater from the Savannah River
Site (DOE/EA–2115) (Draft SRS DWPF
Recycle Wastewater EA). The Draft SRS
DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA evaluates
the potential impacts from a proposed
action to retrieve, stabilize, and dispose
of up to 10,000 gallons of Defense Waste
Processing Facility (DWPF) recycle
wastewater from Savannah River Site
(SRS) at a commercial low-level
radioactive waste (LLW) disposal
facility located outside of South
Carolina, licensed by either the Nuclear
SUMMARY:
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Regulatory Commission (NRC) or an
Agreement State under NRC’s
regulations regarding licensing
requirements for land disposal of
radioactive waste. If implemented, this
proposal would provide alternative
treatment and disposal options for up to
10,000 gallons of DWPF recycle
wastewater through the use of existing,
permitted, off-site commercial facilities.
DOE invites public comments on the
Draft SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater
EA.
DATES: The 30-day public comment
period extends from the date of
publication of this notice in the Federal
Register through January 9, 2020. Only
comments received through one of the
methods below will be accepted. DOE
will consider all comments received or
postmarked by January 9, 2020. DOE
will hold an informational meeting to
discuss the Draft SRS DWPF Recycle
Wastewater EA on Tuesday, December
17, 2019 (5:00–6:30 p.m. ET) at the
Augusta Marriott at the Convention
Center, 2 Tenth Street, Augusta,
Georgia, 30901. The meeting will
consist of a poster session from 5:00
p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, followed by a
presentation from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. ET.
DOE will also hold an informational
WebEx on December 19, 2019 at 2 p.m.
ET to provide an overview of the Draft
SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA.
This WebEx can be accessed at: https://
doe.webex.com/doe/j.php?MTID=
mde89cd8501ec09cb5732714dd60174fe.
The Draft SRS DWPF Recycle
Wastewater EA is available at: https://
www.energy.gov/nepa/doeenvironmental-assessments.
ADDRESSES: To request a printed copy of
the Draft SRS DWPF Recycle
Wastewater EA, or to be placed on the
SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA
mailing list, please submit your request
to James Joyce, NEPA Document
Manager, U.S. Department of Energy,
1000 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20585. Telephone:
(301) 903–2151. Email: DWPFEA@
em.doe.gov. DOE invites Federal
agencies, state and local governments,
Native American tribes, industry, nongovernmental organizations, and
members of the general public to submit
comments on DOE’s Draft SRS DWPF
Recycle Wastewater EA. Please direct
written comments on the Draft DWPF
SRS Recycle Wastewater EA to:
(a) Email: DWPFEA@em.doe.gov.
Please submit comments in MicrosoftTM
Word or PDF file format and avoid the
use of encryption.
(b) Mail: James Joyce, U.S. Department
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue
SW, Washington, DC 20585.
E:\FR\FM\10DEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Notices
Because your comments will be made
public, you are solely responsible for
ensuring that your comments do not
include any confidential information
that you or a third party may not wish
to be posted.
For
information related to this EA, please
contact James Joyce, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Environmental
Management, Office of Waste and
Materials Management (EM–4.2), 1000
Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
DC 20585. Email: DWPFEA@em.doe.gov.
Telephone: (301) 903–2151. For
information related to DOE’s high-level
radioactive waste (HLW) interpretation,
please contact Theresa Kliczewski, U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of
Environmental Management, Office of
Waste and Materials Management (EM–
4.2), 1000 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20585. Email:
Theresa.Kliczewski@em.doe.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Background
The Savannah River Site (SRS)
occupies approximately 300 square
miles primarily in Aiken and Barnwell
counties in South Carolina. Over the
years, a primary SRS mission has been
the production of special radioactive
isotopes to support national defense
programs. More recently, the SRS
mission has also emphasized waste
management, environmental restoration,
and the decontamination and
decommissioning of facilities that are no
longer needed for SRS’s traditional
defense activities. SRS generated large
quantities of liquid radioactive waste as
a result of its nuclear materials
production mission. This liquid
radioactive waste has historically been
managed as high-level radioactive waste
(HLW). The waste was placed into
underground storage tanks at SRS and
consists primarily of three physical
forms: Sludge, saltcake, and liquid
supernatant. The sludge portion in the
underground tanks is being transferred
on-site to the Defense Waste Processing
Facility (DWPF) for vitrification in
borosilicate glass to immobilize the
radioactive constituents, as described in
the Final Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement—Defense Waste
Processing Facility (DOE/EIS–0082–S;
DWPF SEIS) and subsequent Record of
Decision (ROD) (April 12, 1995, 60 FR
18589). The resulting vitrified waste
form is poured as molten glass into
production canisters where it cools into
a solid glass-waste and is securely
stored at SRS until DOE establishes a
final disposition path.
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17:08 Dec 09, 2019
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DWPF operations generate recycle
wastewater. The DWPF recycle
wastewater is a combination of several
dilute liquid waste streams consisting
primarily of condensates from the
vitrification processes. Other
components of the DWPF recycle
wastewater include process samples,
sample line flushes, sump flushes, and
cleaning solutions from the
decontamination and filter dissolution
processes. Currently, the DWPF recycle
wastewater is returned to the tank farm
for volume reduction by evaporation or
is beneficially reused in salt dissolution
or sludge washing.
To analyze capabilities of a potential
alternative treatment and disposal
method at the end of the liquid waste
mission life, DOE is proposing to
dispose of up to 10,000 gallons of
stabilized DWPF recycle wastewater
from the SRS H-Area Tank Farm at a
commercial low-level radioactive waste
(LLW) facility outside of South Carolina,
licensed by either the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) or an
Agreement State 1 under 10 CFR part 61.
On October 10, 2018, DOE published
a notice in the Federal Register
requesting public comment on its
interpretation of the definition of the
statutory term, ‘‘high-level radioactive
waste,’’ as set forth in the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42
U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) and the Nuclear
Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C.
10101 et seq.) (83 FR 50909). In that
notice, DOE explained the history and
basis for its interpretation to classify the
waste based on its radiological contents
and not on the origin of the waste.
Subsequently, on June 10, 2019, DOE
published a supplemental notice in the
Federal Register that provided
additional explanation of DOE’s
interpretation as informed by public
review and comment and further
consideration by DOE (84 FR 26835).
DOE revised its interpretation after
consideration of public comments,
which included comments from the
NRC, affected states and Native
American tribes, and stakeholders, in
order to clarify its meaning and import.
This interpretation intends to facilitate
the safe disposal of defense reprocessing
waste if the waste meets either of the
following two criteria:
1 Congress authorized the NRC to enter into
Agreements with states that allow the states to
assume, and the NRC to discontinue, regulatory
authority over source, byproduct, and small
quantities of special nuclear material. The states,
known as Agreement States, can then regulate
byproduct, source, and small quantities of special
nuclear materials that are covered in the
Agreement, using its own legislation, regulations, or
other legally binding provisions. (Section 274b of
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended).
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1. Does not exceed concentration
limits for Class C LLW as set out in 10
CFR 61.55 and meets the performance
objectives of a disposal facility, or
2. Does not require disposal in a deep
geologic repository and meets the
performance objectives of a disposal
facility as demonstrated through a
performance assessment conducted in
accordance with applicable
requirements.
NRC’s performance objectives for
commercial LLW disposal facilities are
specified in 10 CFR part 61, subpart C,
‘‘Performance Objectives.’’ Performance
objectives are the quantitative
radiological standards set by the NRC or
DOE to ensure protection of the health
and safety of individuals and the
environment during operation, and after
permanent closure of the disposal
facility. Performance assessments
quantitatively evaluate a disposal
facility’s ability to protect human health
and the environment by evaluating
potential radiological human exposure
after disposal facility closure.
Performance assessments measure and
evaluate risk by analyzing the long-term
evolution of the waste forms and
engineered features and the effect such
changes could have on the performance
of a waste disposal system and the
surrounding environment.
As stated in the supplemental notice,
DOE will continue its current practice of
managing all its defense reprocessing
wastes as if they were HLW unless and
until a specific waste is determined to
be another category of waste based on
detailed assessments of its
characteristics and an evaluation of
potential disposal pathways.2
On June 10, 2019, DOE published a
notice in the Federal Register (84 FR
26847) announcing its intent to prepare
an EA to analyze the potential impacts
of disposing of up to 10,000 gallons of
stabilized DWPF recycle wastewater
from the SRS H-Tank Farm at a
commercial LLW disposal facility
located outside of South Carolina
licensed by either the NRC or an
Agreement State under 10 CFR part 61.
The Draft SRS DWPF Recycle
Wastewater EA was prepared in
accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations and
DOE National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) implementing procedures at 40
2 DOE’s HLW interpretation would not affect
practices for the management of other reprocessing
waste at SRS, which include stabilization and
disposal of treated liquid radioactive waste at the
Saltstone Disposal Facility and F and H farm tank
closures as non-HLW under Section 3116 of the
Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Pub. L. 108–375).
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Notices
CFR parts 1500–1508 and 10 CFR part
1021, respectively.
Purpose and Need for Action
DOE’s purpose and need for action is
to analyze capabilities for alternative
treatment and disposal options for
DWPF recycle wastewater through the
use of existing, permitted, off-site
commercial facilities. When DOE
prepared the 1994 DWPF SEIS and the
Savannah River Site Salt Processing
Alternatives Final Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/
EIS–082–S2), DOE did not analyze the
potential environmental impacts
associated with potential commercial
treatment and disposal options for
DWPF recycle wastewater. DOE now
proposes to use commercial LLW
disposal facilities for up to 10,000
gallons of DWPF recycle wastewater to
inform planning activities on treatment
and disposal options for completion of
the tank closure program. Any proposal
to dispose of more than 10,000 gallons
of DWPF recycle wastewater would be
evaluated in a separate NEPA review.
Treatment and/or disposal of this waste
at a commercial LLW facility would
inform planning activities for the three
years between the completion of the Salt
Waste Processing Facility (SWPF)
mission (estimated 2031) and DWPF
mission completion (estimated 2034).
During this period, DOE will not have
the option of returning DWPF recycle
wastewater to SWPF for processing
because SWPF will have completed its
mission of treating salt waste from the
tank farms and will undergo closure.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Proposed Action and Alternatives
DOE’s proposed action is to dispose of
up to 10,000 gallons of stabilized (e.g.,
grouted 3) DWPF recycle wastewater
from the SRS H-Area Tank Farm at a
commercial LLW facility outside of
South Carolina, licensed by either the
NRC or an Agreement State under 10
CFR part 61. Prior to a disposal
decision, DOE would characterize the
3 Grout is a proven safe and effective technology
that continues to be used by DOE and other national
and international parties to stabilize radioactive
wastes, including certain tank wastes, for disposal.
Use of stabilization agents for this purpose is
consistent with the NRC’s Concentration Averaging
and Encapsulation Branch Technical Position,
Revision 1, Volume 1, February 2015 (https://
www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1225/ML12254B065.pdf),
which allows mixing of nonradioactive constituents
with radioactive waste (e.g., solidification,
encapsulation, or additives used in thermal
processing) provided the mixing has a purpose
other than reducing the waste classification, such
as waste stabilization or process control.
Furthermore, the addition of stabilization agents to
the waste prior to disposal is often necessary to
meet the NRC requirements in 10 CFR 61.56,
‘‘Waste Characteristics’’ (e.g., to ensure stability of
the waste form).
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17:08 Dec 09, 2019
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DWPF recycle wastewater to determine
whether it meets DOE’s HLW
interpretation for disposal as non-HLW.
As part of this process, DOE would
determine and verify with the licensee
of the commercial LLW disposal facility
that the stabilized waste meets the
facility’s waste acceptance criteria and
all other requirements of the disposal
facility, including any applicable
regulatory requirements (e.g., the
Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act [42 U.S.C. 6901]) for treatment of
the waste prior to disposal and
applicable U.S. Department of
Transportation (USDOT) requirements
for packaging and transportation from
SRS to the commercial facility.
DOE has identified three action
alternatives for the proposed action:
• Alternative 1 would deploy a
treatment capability at SRS to stabilize
up to 10,000 gallons of DWPF recycle
wastewater and then transport the
grouted waste form to a licensed
commercial disposal facility, either the
Waste Control Specialists (WCS) site
near Andrews, Texas (if determined to
be Class A, B or C LLW) 4 and/or the
EnergySolutions site near Clive, Utah (if
determined to be Class A LLW),5
depending upon waste content and
facility waste acceptance criteria.
• Alternative 2 would transport up to
10,000 gallons of DWPF recycle
wastewater to a licensed commercial
disposal facility, either the WCS site
and/or the EnergySolutions site, with
the capability to stabilize and dispose of
the final waste form.
• Alternative 3 would transport up to
10,000 gallons of DWPF recycle
wastewater to a permitted and licensed
commercial treatment facility with the
capability to stabilize the liquid into a
stabilized waste form, and then
transport the final waste form to a
licensed commercial disposal facility,
either the WCS site and/or the
EnergySolutions site, depending upon
waste content and facility waste
acceptance criteria.
The Draft SRS DWPF Recycle
Wastewater EA also analyzed a no
action alternative under which the up to
10,000 gallons of DWPF recycle
4 WCS is licensed by the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality for the disposal of Class A,
B, and C LLW that meets specified waste
acceptance criteria. Disposal of the stabilized waste
at the WCS site would be conducted in accordance
with the facility’s operating license (Radioactive
Material License No. CN600616890/RN101702439).
5 EnergySolutions is licensed by the Utah
Department of Environmental Quality for the
disposal of Class A LLW that meets specified waste
acceptance criteria. Disposal of the stabilized waste
at the EnergySolutions site would be conducted in
accordance with the facility’s operating license
(Radioactive Material License No. UT 2300249).
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Sfmt 4703
wastewater would remain in the SRS
liquid waste system.
NEPA Process
All comments on the Draft SRS DWPF
Recycle Wastewater EA received during
the public comment period will be
considered in preparation of the Final
SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA.
Following the public comment period,
and based on the Final SRS DWPF
Recycle Wastewater EA and
consideration of all comments received,
DOE will either issue a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) or announce
its intent to prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS). If DOE
determines that a FONSI is appropriate,
both the Final EA and FONSI will be
made available to the public. If DOE
determines that an EIS is needed, either
during preparation of the Final SRS
DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA or after
completing the EA, DOE would issue in
the Federal Register a Notice of Intent
to prepare an EIS. Consultations with
other agencies (e.g., State Historic
Preservation Officer, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service) were not required or
undertaken in connection with the Draft
SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA. As
required under DOE’s NEPA
implementing procedures (10 CFR
1021.301(c)), the following agencies
were individually notified of the
preparation of this EA: U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency;
South Carolina Department of Health
and Environmental Control; Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality;
and Utah Department of Environmental
Quality.
Signed at Washington, DC, on December 4,
2019.
Elizabeth A. Connell,
Associate Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Regulatory and Policy Affairs,
Office of Environmental Management, U.S.
Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2019–26555 Filed 12–9–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings #1
Take notice that the Commission
received the following exempt
wholesale generator filings:
Docket Numbers: EG20–56–000.
Applicants: Crooked Run Solar, LLC.
Description: Notice of SelfCertification of Exempt Wholesale
Generator Status of Crooked Run Solar,
LLC.
E:\FR\FM\10DEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67438-67440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26555]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Draft Environmental Assessment for the Commercial Disposal of
Defense Waste Processing Facility Recycle Wastewater From the Savannah
River Site
AGENCY: Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability
of its Draft Environmental Assessment for the Commercial Disposal of
Defense Waste Processing Facility Recycle Wastewater from the Savannah
River Site (DOE/EA-2115) (Draft SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA). The
Draft SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA evaluates the potential impacts
from a proposed action to retrieve, stabilize, and dispose of up to
10,000 gallons of Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) recycle
wastewater from Savannah River Site (SRS) at a commercial low-level
radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facility located outside of South
Carolina, licensed by either the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or
an Agreement State under NRC's regulations regarding licensing
requirements for land disposal of radioactive waste. If implemented,
this proposal would provide alternative treatment and disposal options
for up to 10,000 gallons of DWPF recycle wastewater through the use of
existing, permitted, off-site commercial facilities. DOE invites public
comments on the Draft SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA.
DATES: The 30-day public comment period extends from the date of
publication of this notice in the Federal Register through January 9,
2020. Only comments received through one of the methods below will be
accepted. DOE will consider all comments received or postmarked by
January 9, 2020. DOE will hold an informational meeting to discuss the
Draft SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA on Tuesday, December 17, 2019
(5:00-6:30 p.m. ET) at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center, 2
Tenth Street, Augusta, Georgia, 30901. The meeting will consist of a
poster session from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, followed by a
presentation from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. ET. DOE will also hold an
informational WebEx on December 19, 2019 at 2 p.m. ET to provide an
overview of the Draft SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA. This WebEx can be
accessed at: https://doe.webex.com/doe/j.php?MTID=mde89cd8501ec09cb5732714dd60174fe. The Draft SRS DWPF
Recycle Wastewater EA is available at: https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doe-environmental-assessments.
ADDRESSES: To request a printed copy of the Draft SRS DWPF Recycle
Wastewater EA, or to be placed on the SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA
mailing list, please submit your request to James Joyce, NEPA Document
Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20585. Telephone: (301) 903-2151. Email:
[email protected]. DOE invites Federal agencies, state and local
governments, Native American tribes, industry, non-governmental
organizations, and members of the general public to submit comments on
DOE's Draft SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA. Please direct written
comments on the Draft DWPF SRS Recycle Wastewater EA to:
(a) Email: [email protected]. Please submit comments in
Microsoft\TM\ Word or PDF file format and avoid the use of encryption.
(b) Mail: James Joyce, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585.
[[Page 67439]]
Because your comments will be made public, you are solely
responsible for ensuring that your comments do not include any
confidential information that you or a third party may not wish to be
posted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information related to this EA,
please contact James Joyce, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of
Environmental Management, Office of Waste and Materials Management (EM-
4.2), 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585. Email:
[email protected]. Telephone: (301) 903-2151. For information related
to DOE's high-level radioactive waste (HLW) interpretation, please
contact Theresa Kliczewski, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of
Environmental Management, Office of Waste and Materials Management (EM-
4.2), 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585. Email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Savannah River Site (SRS) occupies approximately 300 square
miles primarily in Aiken and Barnwell counties in South Carolina. Over
the years, a primary SRS mission has been the production of special
radioactive isotopes to support national defense programs. More
recently, the SRS mission has also emphasized waste management,
environmental restoration, and the decontamination and decommissioning
of facilities that are no longer needed for SRS's traditional defense
activities. SRS generated large quantities of liquid radioactive waste
as a result of its nuclear materials production mission. This liquid
radioactive waste has historically been managed as high-level
radioactive waste (HLW). The waste was placed into underground storage
tanks at SRS and consists primarily of three physical forms: Sludge,
saltcake, and liquid supernatant. The sludge portion in the underground
tanks is being transferred on-site to the Defense Waste Processing
Facility (DWPF) for vitrification in borosilicate glass to immobilize
the radioactive constituents, as described in the Final Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement--Defense Waste Processing Facility (DOE/
EIS-0082-S; DWPF SEIS) and subsequent Record of Decision (ROD) (April
12, 1995, 60 FR 18589). The resulting vitrified waste form is poured as
molten glass into production canisters where it cools into a solid
glass-waste and is securely stored at SRS until DOE establishes a final
disposition path.
DWPF operations generate recycle wastewater. The DWPF recycle
wastewater is a combination of several dilute liquid waste streams
consisting primarily of condensates from the vitrification processes.
Other components of the DWPF recycle wastewater include process
samples, sample line flushes, sump flushes, and cleaning solutions from
the decontamination and filter dissolution processes. Currently, the
DWPF recycle wastewater is returned to the tank farm for volume
reduction by evaporation or is beneficially reused in salt dissolution
or sludge washing.
To analyze capabilities of a potential alternative treatment and
disposal method at the end of the liquid waste mission life, DOE is
proposing to dispose of up to 10,000 gallons of stabilized DWPF recycle
wastewater from the SRS H-Area Tank Farm at a commercial low-level
radioactive waste (LLW) facility outside of South Carolina, licensed by
either the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or an Agreement
State \1\ under 10 CFR part 61.
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\1\ Congress authorized the NRC to enter into Agreements with
states that allow the states to assume, and the NRC to discontinue,
regulatory authority over source, byproduct, and small quantities of
special nuclear material. The states, known as Agreement States, can
then regulate byproduct, source, and small quantities of special
nuclear materials that are covered in the Agreement, using its own
legislation, regulations, or other legally binding provisions.
(Section 274b of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended).
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On October 10, 2018, DOE published a notice in the Federal Register
requesting public comment on its interpretation of the definition of
the statutory term, ``high-level radioactive waste,'' as set forth in
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) and
the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) (83 FR
50909). In that notice, DOE explained the history and basis for its
interpretation to classify the waste based on its radiological contents
and not on the origin of the waste. Subsequently, on June 10, 2019, DOE
published a supplemental notice in the Federal Register that provided
additional explanation of DOE's interpretation as informed by public
review and comment and further consideration by DOE (84 FR 26835). DOE
revised its interpretation after consideration of public comments,
which included comments from the NRC, affected states and Native
American tribes, and stakeholders, in order to clarify its meaning and
import. This interpretation intends to facilitate the safe disposal of
defense reprocessing waste if the waste meets either of the following
two criteria:
1. Does not exceed concentration limits for Class C LLW as set out
in 10 CFR 61.55 and meets the performance objectives of a disposal
facility, or
2. Does not require disposal in a deep geologic repository and
meets the performance objectives of a disposal facility as demonstrated
through a performance assessment conducted in accordance with
applicable requirements.
NRC's performance objectives for commercial LLW disposal facilities
are specified in 10 CFR part 61, subpart C, ``Performance Objectives.''
Performance objectives are the quantitative radiological standards set
by the NRC or DOE to ensure protection of the health and safety of
individuals and the environment during operation, and after permanent
closure of the disposal facility. Performance assessments
quantitatively evaluate a disposal facility's ability to protect human
health and the environment by evaluating potential radiological human
exposure after disposal facility closure. Performance assessments
measure and evaluate risk by analyzing the long-term evolution of the
waste forms and engineered features and the effect such changes could
have on the performance of a waste disposal system and the surrounding
environment.
As stated in the supplemental notice, DOE will continue its current
practice of managing all its defense reprocessing wastes as if they
were HLW unless and until a specific waste is determined to be another
category of waste based on detailed assessments of its characteristics
and an evaluation of potential disposal pathways.\2\
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\2\ DOE's HLW interpretation would not affect practices for the
management of other reprocessing waste at SRS, which include
stabilization and disposal of treated liquid radioactive waste at
the Saltstone Disposal Facility and F and H farm tank closures as
non-HLW under Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Pub. L. 108-375).
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On June 10, 2019, DOE published a notice in the Federal Register
(84 FR 26847) announcing its intent to prepare an EA to analyze the
potential impacts of disposing of up to 10,000 gallons of stabilized
DWPF recycle wastewater from the SRS H-Tank Farm at a commercial LLW
disposal facility located outside of South Carolina licensed by either
the NRC or an Agreement State under 10 CFR part 61. The Draft SRS DWPF
Recycle Wastewater EA was prepared in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations and DOE National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) implementing procedures at 40
[[Page 67440]]
CFR parts 1500-1508 and 10 CFR part 1021, respectively.
Purpose and Need for Action
DOE's purpose and need for action is to analyze capabilities for
alternative treatment and disposal options for DWPF recycle wastewater
through the use of existing, permitted, off-site commercial facilities.
When DOE prepared the 1994 DWPF SEIS and the Savannah River Site Salt
Processing Alternatives Final Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement (DOE/EIS-082-S2), DOE did not analyze the potential
environmental impacts associated with potential commercial treatment
and disposal options for DWPF recycle wastewater. DOE now proposes to
use commercial LLW disposal facilities for up to 10,000 gallons of DWPF
recycle wastewater to inform planning activities on treatment and
disposal options for completion of the tank closure program. Any
proposal to dispose of more than 10,000 gallons of DWPF recycle
wastewater would be evaluated in a separate NEPA review. Treatment and/
or disposal of this waste at a commercial LLW facility would inform
planning activities for the three years between the completion of the
Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) mission (estimated 2031) and DWPF
mission completion (estimated 2034). During this period, DOE will not
have the option of returning DWPF recycle wastewater to SWPF for
processing because SWPF will have completed its mission of treating
salt waste from the tank farms and will undergo closure.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
DOE's proposed action is to dispose of up to 10,000 gallons of
stabilized (e.g., grouted \3\) DWPF recycle wastewater from the SRS H-
Area Tank Farm at a commercial LLW facility outside of South Carolina,
licensed by either the NRC or an Agreement State under 10 CFR part 61.
Prior to a disposal decision, DOE would characterize the DWPF recycle
wastewater to determine whether it meets DOE's HLW interpretation for
disposal as non-HLW. As part of this process, DOE would determine and
verify with the licensee of the commercial LLW disposal facility that
the stabilized waste meets the facility's waste acceptance criteria and
all other requirements of the disposal facility, including any
applicable regulatory requirements (e.g., the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act [42 U.S.C. 6901]) for treatment of the waste prior to
disposal and applicable U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)
requirements for packaging and transportation from SRS to the
commercial facility.
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\3\ Grout is a proven safe and effective technology that
continues to be used by DOE and other national and international
parties to stabilize radioactive wastes, including certain tank
wastes, for disposal. Use of stabilization agents for this purpose
is consistent with the NRC's Concentration Averaging and
Encapsulation Branch Technical Position, Revision 1, Volume 1,
February 2015 (https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1225/ML12254B065.pdf),
which allows mixing of nonradioactive constituents with radioactive
waste (e.g., solidification, encapsulation, or additives used in
thermal processing) provided the mixing has a purpose other than
reducing the waste classification, such as waste stabilization or
process control. Furthermore, the addition of stabilization agents
to the waste prior to disposal is often necessary to meet the NRC
requirements in 10 CFR 61.56, ``Waste Characteristics'' (e.g., to
ensure stability of the waste form).
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DOE has identified three action alternatives for the proposed
action:
Alternative 1 would deploy a treatment capability at SRS
to stabilize up to 10,000 gallons of DWPF recycle wastewater and then
transport the grouted waste form to a licensed commercial disposal
facility, either the Waste Control Specialists (WCS) site near Andrews,
Texas (if determined to be Class A, B or C LLW) \4\ and/or the
EnergySolutions site near Clive, Utah (if determined to be Class A
LLW),\5\ depending upon waste content and facility waste acceptance
criteria.
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\4\ WCS is licensed by the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality for the disposal of Class A, B, and C LLW that meets
specified waste acceptance criteria. Disposal of the stabilized
waste at the WCS site would be conducted in accordance with the
facility's operating license (Radioactive Material License No.
CN600616890/RN101702439).
\5\ EnergySolutions is licensed by the Utah Department of
Environmental Quality for the disposal of Class A LLW that meets
specified waste acceptance criteria. Disposal of the stabilized
waste at the EnergySolutions site would be conducted in accordance
with the facility's operating license (Radioactive Material License
No. UT 2300249).
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Alternative 2 would transport up to 10,000 gallons of DWPF
recycle wastewater to a licensed commercial disposal facility, either
the WCS site and/or the EnergySolutions site, with the capability to
stabilize and dispose of the final waste form.
Alternative 3 would transport up to 10,000 gallons of DWPF
recycle wastewater to a permitted and licensed commercial treatment
facility with the capability to stabilize the liquid into a stabilized
waste form, and then transport the final waste form to a licensed
commercial disposal facility, either the WCS site and/or the
EnergySolutions site, depending upon waste content and facility waste
acceptance criteria.
The Draft SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA also analyzed a no action
alternative under which the up to 10,000 gallons of DWPF recycle
wastewater would remain in the SRS liquid waste system.
NEPA Process
All comments on the Draft SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA received
during the public comment period will be considered in preparation of
the Final SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA. Following the public comment
period, and based on the Final SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA and
consideration of all comments received, DOE will either issue a Finding
of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or announce its intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS). If DOE determines that a FONSI is
appropriate, both the Final EA and FONSI will be made available to the
public. If DOE determines that an EIS is needed, either during
preparation of the Final SRS DWPF Recycle Wastewater EA or after
completing the EA, DOE would issue in the Federal Register a Notice of
Intent to prepare an EIS. Consultations with other agencies (e.g.,
State Historic Preservation Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
were not required or undertaken in connection with the Draft SRS DWPF
Recycle Wastewater EA. As required under DOE's NEPA implementing
procedures (10 CFR 1021.301(c)), the following agencies were
individually notified of the preparation of this EA: U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency; South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; and
Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
Signed at Washington, DC, on December 4, 2019.
Elizabeth A. Connell,
Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory and
Policy Affairs, Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of
Energy.
[FR Doc. 2019-26555 Filed 12-9-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
