[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17344-17346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8361]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Long-Term Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile
Materials
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
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SUMMARY: On June 21, 1994, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a
Notice of Intent to prepare a PEIS for the Long-Term Storage and
Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials (59 FR 31985). By this
notice of an amendment, DOE is amending the scope of the PEIS by
removing the disposition of all surplus HEU from the PEIS. Instead, DOE
will address the disposition of surplus HEU in a separate EIS. This
action is based on the need to move forward on a rapid path for
neutralizing the proliferation threat of surplus HEU and to demonstrate
to other nations the United States' nonproliferation commitment. The
disposition of HEU will involve different time frames, technologies,
facilities and personnel than those required for the disposition of
plutonium. Therefore, the decisions on surplus HEU disposition do not
affect or preclude other decisions to be made on the long-term storage
and disposition of other weapons-usable fissile materials, can proceed
regardless of decisions pursuant to the PEIS, and are independently
justified. The scope of the PEIS will continue to include the long-term
storage of non-surplus weapons-usable fissile materials, including HEU,
and the disposition of plutonium and other fissile materials. The EIS
on the disposition of surplus HEU is scheduled for completion in early
1996. To ensure consideration of comments in the Draft EIS, written
comments must be postmarked by May 1, 1995. Late comments will be
considered to the extent practical.
ADDRESSES: Written requests for the Implementation Plan, the Draft EIS,
and Final EIS on the disposition of surplus HEU should be sent to:
Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (MD-1), Attention: HEUEIS,
Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue
SW, Washington, DC 20585.
Written requests for the Implementation Plan, the Draft PEIS, and
Final PEIS on the long-term storage and disposition of weapons-usable
fissile materials should be sent to: Office of Fissile Materials
Disposition (MD-1), Attention: PEIS, Forrestal Building, U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20585.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the DOE
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, please contact: Ms.
Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-
42), Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585. Ms. Borgstrom can be reached at
(202) 586-4600. Comments and questions about the NEPA process can also
be left on the DOE NEPA hotline, 1-800-472-2756.
[[Page 17345]] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the aftermath of the Cold
War, significant quantities of HEU, a material used in nuclear weapons,
have become surplus to national defense needs in both the United States
and Russia. This surplus material could pose a danger to national and
international security. The dangers exist not only in the potential
proliferation of nuclear weapons but in the potential for environment,
safety, and health consequences if these materials are not properly
managed. For further background information on the storage and
disposition of fissile materials, please refer to the original June 21,
1994, Notice of Intent (59 FR 31985).
In the course of the PEIS public scoping process, comments
suggested that it would be more appropriate to analyze the impact of
HEU disposition in a separate EIS. The Department held a public meeting
on November 10, 1994, to obtain comments on preparing a separate
environmental analysis for the disposition of surplus HEU. While many
views were expressed at this meeting, there was substantial support for
proceeding with a separate EIS. A separate action is the most rapid
path for neutralizing the proliferation threat of surplus HEU, is
consistent with the President's nonproliferation policy, would
demonstrate the U.S. nonproliferation commitment to other nations, and
is consistent with the course of action now underway in Russia to
reduce Russian HEU stockpiles. In addition, the disposition of HEU
could use existing technologies and facilities in the United States, in
contrast to the disposition of plutonium.
The disposition of HEU will involve different time frames,
technologies, facilities and personnel than those required for the
disposition of plutonium. Further, the decisions on surplus HEU will
not impact or preclude other decisions which may be made regarding the
disposition of surplus plutonium and other weapons-usable fissile
materials, can proceed regardless of decisions on these other issues
pursuant to the PEIS, and are independently justified.
Three alternatives have been evaluated as reasonable for the
disposition of surplus HEU: (1) Continued long-term storage (no action
alternative), (2) blending down of HEU into low enriched uranium, and
(3) blending down for disposal as waste. These alternatives are based
upon technical studies, public input, and evaluation by a DOE Screening
Committee.
The purpose of this amendment notice is to inform the public of
DOE's intention to prepare a separate EIS for disposition of surplus
HEU. Because the issues related to the disposition of surplus HEU were
included in the Long-Term Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable
Fissile Materials Notice of Intent and the public scoping process for
the PEIS, no additional scoping activities are anticipated. The
Department will prepare an Implementation Plan, a Draft EIS, and a
Final EIS. The Implementation Plan will briefly describe the scope of
the EIS, public input and comments received on the scope and
alternatives, the alternatives that will be analyzed, the schedule for
completing the EIS, and the EIS work plan. The results of the
environmental analysis in the Final EIS, along with information from
technical and economic evaluations and national policy objectives, will
form the basis for the Record of Decision on the disposition of surplus
HEU.
The Department is planning to issue the EIS Implementation Plan in
June 1995, to issue the Draft EIS in late Summer 1995 with public
meetings in that same time period, and to issue the Final EIS in late
1995 or early 1996.
Note: Some of the technical terms used in this document are
defined in a section at the end of the notice.
Classified Material
DOE plans to prepare the HEU EIS in an unclassified form; however,
DOE may review classified material while preparing the document. In the
event that any classified material is included in the EIS, such
material will be placed in a classified appendix which will not be
available for general public review. This material will be considered
by DOE in reaching a decision on the disposition of surplus HEU. DOE
will provide as much information as possible in unclassified form to
assist public understanding of the proposed action and environmental
impacts.
Other DOE NEPA Documents
There are several other NEPA documents in preparation by the DOE
that will analyze proposals that are related to the proposed action
described above. These are:
The Oak Ridge Interim Storage of Enriched Uranium Environmental
Assessment (EA)
This document addresses the expansion of interim storage capacity
for enriched uranium at Oak Ridge. This interim storage will involve
materials, quantities, and forms for which long-term storage and
disposition will be implemented.
The Environmental Management PEIS
This document addresses the programmatic level decisions for
treatment, storage, and disposal of waste within the DOE complex. If
any action to dispose of HEU results in a waste form, these waste forms
will be treated, stored, and disposed of in accordance with the
decisions resulting from the Environmental Management PEIS.
Other EISs and EAs
Other environmental documents involving weapons-usable fissile
materials are being, or will be, prepared as required, for the purpose
of establishing the interim storage conditions for HEU. These other
environmental documents include site-wide EISs and an EA on the
disposition of HEU from the Republic of Kazahkstan.
Definitions
As used in this Notice of an Amendment, the following definitions
apply:
Disposition is a process of use or disposal of material that
results in the remaining material being converted to a form that is
substantially and inherently more proliferation-resistant than the
original form.
Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) is uranium which has an isotopic
content of uranium-235 of 20 percent or more.
Low Enriched Uranium is uranium which has an isotopic content of
uranium-235 of less than 20 percent. Most commercial reactor fuel is
enriched to about 4 to 5 percent uranium-235.
Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials refers to a specific set of
nuclear materials that may be utilized in making a nuclear explosive or
weapon. Weapons-usable fissile materials include uranium with uranium-
235 isotopic content of 20 percent or more, plutonium of any isotopic
composition, and other isotopes such as uranium-233, and americium-241,
which have been separated from spent nuclear fuel or irradiated
targets. The term weapons-usable fissile materials does not include the
fissile materials present in spent nuclear fuel or irradiated targets
from reactors.
Invitation to Comment
The DOE invites comments on the intention to prepare an EIS for the
disposition of surplus HEU, including suggestions on significant
environmental issues, from all interested parties, including affected
Federal, State, and local agencies and Indian tribes. To ensure
consideration of comments in the Draft EIS, written
[[Page 17346]] comments must be postmarked by May 1, 1995. Late
comments will be considered to the extent practical. Written comments
should be sent to the Office of Fissile Materials Disposition at the
address given above. Comments can also be provided via the Office of
Fissile Materials Disposition's Electronic Bulletin Board. The bulletin
board can be accessed via modem by dialing (800)-783-3349. Access to
the bulletin board is also available via the Internet. The telnet
address is telnet fedix.fie.com; the gopher space address is gopher to
gopher.fie.com; the world wide web address is url=http://web.fie.com/.
Signed in Washington, DC, this 29th day of March 1995, for the
United States Department of Energy.
Tara O'Toole,
Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 95-8361 Filed 4-4-95; 8:45 am]
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