Department of Energy February 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is amending its decision regarding the transportation method that DOE will use to relocate uranium mill tailings and other contaminated materials (residual radioactive material) at the Moab milling site and vicinity properties in Utah. In its Record of Decision for the Remediation of the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings, Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah (70 FR 55358; September 21, 2005), DOE had decided to relocate the residual radioactive material using predominately rail, with truck transport for some oversized materials. Under this amended Record of Decision (ROD), DOE will use either truck and/or rail for all materials. This ROD amendment is essential to give DOE flexibility needed to expedite completion of the Moab, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. Expediting completion is in accordance with Congressional direction (Section 3402 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2008 (Pub. L. 110-181)). This ROD amendment meets the strong stakeholder desire to relocate the residual radioactive material as soon as practicable by accelerating the date of the first shipment because truck shipments could start sooner since the logistics of initiating the rail alternative would require time to safely implement (i.e. building the hillside loadout infrastructure). In addition long-term risks would be reduced through earlier completion, and reducing total project costs would be reduced through greater flexibility and competition between rail and truck transporters. DOE analyzed several transportation methods in its Remediation of the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings, Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah, Final Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0355)(Final EIS), issued in August 2005. An all truck option was among the reasonable alternative methods analyzed in the Final EIS for transporting the residual radioactive material. This ROD amendment allows an increase in the quantity to be shipped by truck. All other aspects of DOE's original decision remain unchanged, including that DOE will relocate the residual radioactive material at the Moab site and vicinity properties to a new disposal site 30 miles north at Crescent Junction, Utah, and will conduct active remediation of contaminated groundwater at the Moab site. This ROD amendment has been prepared in accordance with the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] parts 1500-1508) for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and DOE's NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021). Based on information previously provided in the Final EIS, DOE has determined that no further review under NEPA is required.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Northern New Mexico. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is amending its regulations pursuant to section 203 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) to provide for additional blanket authorizations under FPA section 203(a)(1). These blanket authorizations will facilitate investment in the electric utility industry and, at the same time, ensure that public utility customers are adequately protected from any adverse effects of such transactions.

The Department of Energy (DOE) today is issuing a direct final rule to update the DOE regulations which implement DOE's delegated authority under section 101(c) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA). Section 101(c) provides authority to the President of the United States (President) to require the allocation of, or priority performance under contracts or orders relating to, materials and equipment, services, or facilities, in order to maximize domestic energy supplies, if the President makes certain findings. The President's authority under section 101(c) was delegated to the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Energy. This final rule makes a number of changes to conform to a 1991 amendment to the DPA which broadens the scope of authority in section 101(c). This final rule also makes conforming changes to Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation (DEAR).

DOE gives notice of the Decision and Order (Case No. RF-007) that grants to the General Electric Company (GE) a Waiver from the DOE electric refrigerator and refrigerator-freezer test procedure, for its product line containing relative humidity sensors and adaptive control anti-sweat heaters. Under today's Decision and Order, GE shall be required to test and rate its refrigerator-freezers with adaptive control anti-sweat heaters according to an alternate test procedure that takes this technology into account when measuring energy consumption.

In compliance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described below.