Department of Energy 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability has submitted an information collection request to the OMB for extension under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection requests a three-year extension of its Department of Energy Form OE-417, ``Emergency Electric Incident and Disturbance Report'', OMB Control Number 1901-0288. The proposed collection will be used by DOE to meet its overall national security and Department of Homeland Security's National Response Framework responsibilities. DOE will use the data from this form to obtain current information regarding emergency situations on U.S. electric energy supply systems. The data also may be used to develop legislative recommendations, reports to the Congress and as a basis for DOE investigations following severe, prolonged, or repeated electric power reliability problems.

The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Secretary's Section 3116 Determination for Closure of H-Tank Farm at the Savannah River Site and the Basis for Section 3116 Determination for Closure of H-Tank Farm at the Savannah River Site (HTF 3116 Basis Document) concerning closure of the H-Tank Farm (HTF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Under Section 3116(a) of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA), the Secretary of Energy may, in consultation with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), determine that certain waste from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is not high-level waste if the provisions set forth in Section 3116(a) are satisfied, specifically that the waste: (1) Does not require permanent isolation in a deep geologic repository for spent fuel or high-level radioactive waste; (2) has had highly radioactive radionuclides removed to the maximum extent practical; and (3)(A) does not exceed concentration limits for Class C low-level waste and will be disposed of in compliance with the performance objectives in 10 CFR part 61, subpart C and pursuant to a State approved closure plan or State-issued permit; or (3)(B) exceeds concentration limits for Class C low-level waste but will be disposed of in compliance with the performance objectives of 10 CFR part 61, subpart C; pursuant to a State-approved closure plan or State-issued permit; and pursuant to plans developed by DOE in consultation with the NRC. For the reasons set forth in the HTF 3116 Basis Document, and based on consultation with the NRC, Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz determined (in the Section 3116 Determination for Closure of H-Tank Farm at the Savannah River Site) that the stabilized residuals, tanks, and ancillary structures at closure in the HTF will meet the criteria in Section 3116(a) of the NDAA, are not high-level radioactive waste, and may be disposed of in place. DOE has also issued the High-Level Waste Tank Closure Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Savannah River Site, Supplement Analysis (Supplement Analysis) which analyzes the potential environmental impacts associated with new information and changes in operations for the tank closure process as applied to the F-Area and H- Area Tank Farms at SRS. Based on this Supplement Analysis, DOE has determined that the proposed actions in the FTF and HTF and the tank closure program do not constitute substantial changes from those evaluated in the original High-Level Waste Tank Closure Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Savannah River Site that are relevant to environmental concerns, or significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns and bearing on the proposed action, and therefore, no further documentation is necessary under the National Environmental Policy Act.

The Commission is proposing to revise its regulations to eliminate the requirement to submit FERC-566 (Annual Report of a Utility's 20 Largest Customers) for regional transmission organizations (RTOs), independent system operators (ISOs), and exempt wholesale generators (EWGs). The Commission is also proposing to revise its regulations to eliminate the requirement to submit FERC-566 for public utilities that have not made any reportable sales under FERC-566 in any of the three preceding years. The Commission further proposes to eliminate the requirement for public utilities submitting FERC-566 to identify individual residential customers by name and address.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. 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), Nevada. 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 Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including single package vertical air conditioners and single package vertical heat pumps. EPCA also requires that each time the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1 is amended with respect to the standard levels or design requirements applicable to that equipment, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) must adopt amended uniform national standards for this equipment equivalent to those in ASHRAE Standard 90.1, unless DOE determines that there is clear and convincing evidence showing that more-stringent, amended standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant additional amount of energy. DOE has tentatively concluded that there is sufficient record evidence to support more-stringent standards for two classes of this equipment. However, for four equipment classes, DOE is proposing to adopt the revised ASHRAE levels, due to the absence of any models on the market in two classes, and absence of any models above the revised ASHRAE level in the remaining two classes. Accordingly, DOE is proposing amended energy conservation standards for all classes of single package vertical air conditioners and single package vertical heat pumps. DOE also announces a public meeting to receive comment on these proposed standards and associated analyses and results.

On December 8, 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a request for information (RFI) seeking comment on certain issues related to DOE's plan to issue a new Secretarial Determination covering continued transfers of uranium for cleanup services at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and for down-blending of highly- enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium. The RFI established a January 7, 2015, deadline for the submission of written comments. DOE is extending the comment period to January 22, 2015.

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.