[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 8, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20810-20811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11193]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Cruiser, Ohio
Class, and Los Angeles Class Naval Reactor Plants
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq] and in accordance with the Council on Environmental
Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the
Department of the Navy, with the Department of Energy as a cooperating
agency, has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency the
[[Page 20811]]
Final Environmental Impact Statement for disposal of reactor plants
from U.S. Navy nuclear-powered cruisers, OHIO Class submarines and LOS
ANGELES Class submarines. The Department of Energy has participated as
a cooperating agency and has adopted the Environmental Impact Statement
to fulfill its environmental review obligations under NEPA.
Requests for copies of the document and requests for further
information should be directed to Mr. John Gordon (Code 1160), Puget
Sound Naval Shipyard, 1400 Farragut Avenue, Bremerton, Washington
98314-5001, telephone (360)476-7111.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final Environmental Impact Statement
analyzes the alternative ways for disposing of decommissioned,
defueled, reactor compartments from U.S. Navy nuclear-powered cruisers
(BAINBRIDGE, TRUXTUN, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA Class and VIRGINIA Class)
and submarines (LOS ANGELES Class and OHIO Class). A disposal method
for the defueled reactor compartments is needed when the cost of
continued operation is not justified by the ship's military capability
or when the ships are no longer needed. After a determination is made
that a nuclear-powered ship is no longer needed, the ship can be: (1)
placed in protective storage for an extended period followed by
permanent disposal or recycling; or (2) prepared for permanent disposal
or recycling.
The alternatives examined in detail in the Final Environmental
Impact Statement are the preferred alternative--land burial of the
entire reactor compartment at the Department of Energy Low-Level Waste
Burial Grounds at Hanford, Washington; the no action alternative--
protective waterborne storage for an indefinite period; disposal and
reuse of subdivided portions of the reactor compartments; and
indefinite storage above ground at Hanford.
Several other alternatives are also examined in limited detail.
These alternatives include sea disposal; land disposal of entire
reactor compartments at other sites and permanent above ground disposal
of entire reactor compartments at Hanford.
Navy reactor plants constructed prior to the USS LOS ANGELES (SSN
688)(referred to as pre-LOS ANGELES Class submarines) share many common
design characteristics with reactor plants from cruisers, OHIO Class
submarines and LOS ANGELES Class submarines. Pre-LOS ANGELES Class
submarines are currently being disposed of at the Department of Energy
Hanford Site in Eastern Washington by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in
Bremerton Washington, consistent with the Secretary of the Navy's 1984
Record of Decision on disposal of decommissioned, defueled Naval
submarine reactor plants. Because of the negligible environmental
impact, land burial of the reactor compartment at the Hanford Site is
the preferred alternative for disposal of reactor compartments from
cruisers, OHIO Class submarines and LOS ANGELES Class submarines.
No new legislation would be required to implement any of these
alternatives. In all of the alternatives considered in the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement there would be no spent nuclear fuel
left in the reactor compartments. All the radioactive nuclear fuel
would be removed before disposal. Management of the spent nuclear fuel
is addressed in a separate Department of Energy Environmental Impact
Statement, though there would be some other radioactive materials left
within the reactor compartments. Therefore, the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement evaluates disposal of the reactor compartments after
all the spent nuclear fuel has been removed. Types of U.S. Navy
nuclear-powered ships that are expected to be decommissioned more than
20 years in the future (e.g., aircraft carriers and SEAWOLF Class
submarines) are not included in this Final Environmental Impact
Statement.
The Navy held public hearings on the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement in Bremerton, Richland, and Seattle, Washington; and
Portland, Oregon. Comments from 20 individuals and agencies were
received either in oral or written statements at the hearings or in
comment letters. These comments and the Navy responses are included in
an appendix to the Final Environmental Impact Statement.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement has been distributed to
various federal, state, and local government agencies, tribes, elected
officials, and special interest groups. Requests for copies of the
Final Environmental Impact Statement should be directed to the address
listed above. In addition, copies of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement are also available for public inspection in the following
libraries: Kitsap County Public Library, Main Branch, 1301 Sylvan Way,
Bremerton, Washington, phone (360)377-7601; Public Reading Room for
U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Washington State
University, Tri-Cities, 100 Sprout Road, Room 130 West, Richland,
Washington, phone (509)376-8583; Suzallo Library, University of
Washington, Seattle, Washington, phone (206)543-9158; Multnomah County
Library, 801 Southwest 10th Avenue (Due to renovation work, temporarily
relocated to 1407 SW 4th Avenue), Portland, Oregon, phone (503)248-
5234.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Gordon as noted above.
Dated April 24, 1996.
M.A. Waters,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-11193 Filed 5-7-96; 8:45 am]
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