Department of Energy January 9, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Energy (DOE) issued the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Accomplishing Expanded Civilian Nuclear Energy Research and Development and Isotope Production Missions in the United States, Including the Role of the Fast Flux Test Facility (Nuclear Infrastructure or NI PEIS) in December 2000 to evaluate alternatives for enhancement of DOE's nuclear infrastructure. After considering the analysis in the NI PEIS and other relevant factors, DOE decided to reestablish domestic production of plutonium-238 (Pu-238) for radioisotope power systems (RPSs) to support the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and national security missions. Although a Record of Decision (ROD) for the NI PEIS was published in January 2001, DOE has not implemented the decision to date. That decision included using the Advanced Test Reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the High Flux Isotope Reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee to irradiate neptunium-237 (Np-237) targets; using the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center at ORNL to fabricate Np-237 targets and isolate Pu- 238; utilizing TA-55 at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico to purify and encapsulate Pu-238; and, using existing facilities at INL to assemble and test the RPSs. Subsequent to the decision, DOE issued the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Consolidation of Nuclear Operations Related to Production of Radioisotope Power Systems (Draft Consolidation EIS) in 2005 to consolidate the nuclear operations related to RPSs at a single site. DOE is now proposing to implement that earlier decision based on the NI PEIS and cancel the Consolidation EIS. Prior to proceeding with implementation of that earlier decision, DOE will prepare a Supplement Analysis (SA) in accordance with DOE's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Procedures to determine whether a supplement to the NI PEIS or a new EIS should be prepared, or that no additional NEPA review is warranted.