[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 207 (Monday, October 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55615-55621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28399]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and
Hazardous) Waste Program; Environmental Impact Statement, Richland, WA
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intent to
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Solid Waste
Program at the Hanford Site, and to conduct a public scoping process
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as
amended
[[Page 55616]]
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). The Hanford Site Solid Waste Program manages
several types of solid wastes at the Hanford Site, including low-level,
mixed low-level, transuranic and mixed transuranic, and hazardous
wastes, and contaminated equipment. Mixed wastes contain radioactive
and hazardous components. Other solid waste types (i.e., municipal
solid waste, high-level waste, remediation waste) and spent nuclear
fuel are managed by other Hanford Site programs.
The Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program
EIS will evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with
ongoing activities of the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program, the
implementation of programmatic decisions resulting from the Final Waste
Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (WM PEIS, DOE/
EIS-0200-F), and reasonably foreseeable treatment, storage, and
disposal facilities/activities. The EIS will evaluate alternatives for
management of the Program's radioactive and hazardous wastes, including
waste generated at the Hanford Site or received from offsite
generators, during the same 20-year period evaluated by the WM PEIS.
This EIS will comprehensively analyze impacts of the proposed action
and reasonable alternatives, including potential cumulative impacts of
other relevant past, present, and reasonably foreseeable activities.
The EIS will be prepared in accordance with NEPA, the Council on
Environmental Quality NEPA Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and
the DOE NEPA Regulations (10 CFR Part 1021).
DOE invites individuals, organizations, and agencies to comment on
issues to be considered, alternatives to be analyzed, and environmental
impacts to be addressed in the Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and
Hazardous) Waste Program EIS. Two public scoping meetings are scheduled
during the public scoping period.
DATES: The public scoping period for the Hanford Site Solid
(Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program EIS begins with the
publication of this notice and continues until December 11, 1997. DOE
invites all interested parties to submit written comments or
suggestions during the scoping period. Written comments must be
postmarked by December 11, 1997 to ensure consideration. Comments
postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent
practicable.
Oral and written comments will be received at public scoping
meetings on the dates and at the locations given below:
1. November 12, 1997, 1:00-4:00 p.m. PST and 7:00-10:00 p.m. PST at
Federal Building, 825 Jadwin, Richland, WA 99352
2. November 13, 1997, 7:00-10:00 p.m. PST at Vert Center, 500 S.W.
Dorion, Pendleton, OR 97801
For further information see Public Scoping Meetings under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, below.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the Hanford Site Solid
(Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program EIS, requests to speak at the
public meetings, and requests for copies of the Draft EIS should be
directed to the DOE Document Manager listed below.
Ms. Allison Wright, Document Manager, Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive
and Hazardous) Waste Program EIS, U.S. Department of Energy, Richland
Operations Office, MSIN S7-55, Post Office Box 550, Richland,
Washington 99352, Telephone: (509) 373-7840, FAX: 509-372-1926, E-mail:
[email protected]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding
waste managed by the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program, contact Allison
Wright at the above address. For general information on the DOE NEPA
process, contact: Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and
Assistance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, Telephone: 202-586-4600, or leave a
message at 1-800-472-2756.
Copies of DOE documents referenced in this notice and related
background information are available for inspection during normal
business hours at the following locations:
U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Freedom of
Information Reading Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20585, Telephone: (202) 586-6020.
Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Dr., Richland, WA
99352-3539, Telephone: (509) 943-7457.
Foley Center Library, Gonzaga University, E. 502 Boone
Avenue, Spokane, WA 99258, Telephone: (509) 328-4220, Ext. 3132.
Branford Price Millar Library, Government Documents
Section, Portland State University, 951 Southwest Hall, Portland, OR
97201, Telephone: (503) 725-4617.
Suzzallo Library, Government Publications, University of
Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, Telephone: (206) 543-9158.
U.S. DOE Public Reading Room, Consolidated Information
Center, Washington State University-Tri Cities Campus, 100 Sprout Road,
Richland, WA 99352, Telephone: (509) 372-7443.
Additional information on DOE and Hanford Site NEPA activities and
documents, and Hanford solid waste volume information, may also be
obtained at the following addresses on the world-wide web:
DOE NEPA Information--http://tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa/
Hanford Information--http://www.hanford.gov/hanford.html
Hanford Environmental Assessments--http://www.hanford.gov/
hanford.html#ea
Hanford Environmental Impact Statements--http://
www.hanford.gov/hanford.html#eis
Hanford Solid Waste Volumes--http://www.hanford.gov/docs/
ep0918/index
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Hanford Site occupies approximately 560 square miles adjacent
to the Columbia River, principally in Benton and Franklin Counties,
Washington, extending approximately 25 miles north of Richland,
Washington. The Hanford Site's missions have included processing
nuclear materials in support of defense, research, and medical programs
of the United States. The Hanford Site defense production facilities
included nuclear fuel fabrication facilities, nuclear production
reactors, separation facilities, product preparation facilities,
research facilities, and waste management facilities. The Site's
activities have generated a variety of radioactively contaminated
equipment and radioactive and hazardous wastes that are managed under
the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program. These wastes include low-level
radioactive waste (LLW), mixed low-level radioactive waste (MLLW)
(which contains both hazardous and radioactive constituents),
transuranic and mixed transuranic (TRU) waste, and hazardous waste
(HW). Other waste types and spent nuclear fuel are managed by other
Hanford Site programs.
The Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste Program
EIS (hereafter referred to as the Solid Waste Program EIS) would
facilitate accomplishment of the Program's mission, which is to:
Manage wastes for which it is responsible in a safe and
efficient
[[Page 55617]]
manner in compliance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws,
codes, standards, and requirements.
Manage LLW, MLLW, TRU, and HW received from on-site and
off-site generators, and legacy wastes associated with prior
operations,
Decontaminate equipment for reuse or disposal.
Waste management operations include receipt, storage, repackaging,
treatment, and disposal or other disposition, such as reuse.
Regulatory and Programmatic Framework
The Atomic Energy Act (42 USC 2011 et seq.) requires DOE to manage
the wastes that it generates. Wastes that have hazardous components are
subject to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (42 USC
6901 et seq.), the Toxic Substances Control Act and other applicable
laws and regulations.
Tri-Party Agreement
The Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (referred
to as the ``Tri-Party Agreement'') is an interagency agreement among
DOE, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the
Washington State Department of Ecology. The parties to this agreement
have established milestones to bring DOE operating facilities into
compliance with RCRA and to coordinate the cleanup of past Hanford
disposal sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act.
Waste Management Programmatic EIS
DOE is currently examining its complex-wide integrated waste
management program and evaluating the suitability of existing and
reasonably foreseeable future facilities in light of recent changes in
the missions of DOE facilities. The Final WM PEIS was issued in May
1997. Alternatives evaluated in the WM PEIS for each type of waste
include no action, decentralization, regionalization, and
centralization of waste management functions at one or more DOE
facilities. WM PEIS Records of Decision could transfer management
responsibilities for some types of waste to or from the Hanford Site.
In general, the alternatives analysis in the Solid Waste Program EIS
will be consistent with the DOE complex-wide policies and practices
that have been analyzed in the WM PEIS. The Solid Waste Program EIS
will be coordinated with Records of Decision for the WM PEIS and other
DOE EISs that affect waste management at the Hanford Site.
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Disposal Phase Final Supplemental EIS
DOE is currently considering whether and, if so, how to begin
disposal of TRU waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site near
Carlsbad, New Mexico. The decisions to be based on the Waste Isolation
Pilot Plant Disposal Phase Final Supplemental EIS (DOE/EIS-0026-S-2,
issued in September 1997) are whether to dispose of TRU waste at the
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the transportation method, the contents of
the disposal inventory, and what level of treatment is required for
disposal or storage (i.e., repackaging to meet planning-basis Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant waste acceptance criteria, thermal treatment, or
treatment by shred and grout). In the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Disposal Phase Final Supplemental EIS, the Hanford Site is considered
for treatment of TRU waste by any of the three methods and for storage
of TRU waste (either without disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot
Plant or pending disposal). The analysis in the Solid Waste Program EIS
of TRU waste management will be consistent with the forthcoming Record
of Decision for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Disposal Phase Final
Supplemental EIS.
Other Programmatic Decisions
The DOE Office of Environmental Management has proposed a strategic
plan for accelerated cleanup by the year 2006 of most types of
radioactive and hazardous wastes at DOE facilities. This ``2006
Strategic Plan'' (formerly the Ten-Year Plan) would reduce the cost and
risks associated with managing radioactive and hazardous waste that
currently exists at DOE facilities, and make resources available for
other uses in the future. The goals of the 2006 Plan will be
incorporated into the action alternatives evaluated for the Solid Waste
Program EIS.
Waste Types To Be Addressed
The waste types to be addressed in the Solid Waste Program EIS are
LLW, MLLW, TRU, HW. The EIS also will address management alternatives
for contaminated equipment. The radioactive waste can be further
defined as being contact-handled or remote-handled. Contact-handled
waste containers produce radiation levels less than or equal to 200
mrem/hr at contact; remote-handled containers produce greater than 200
mrem/hr.
The management of high-level waste, most liquid wastes, spent
nuclear fuel, naval reactor compartments, non-hazardous solid wastes
and most remediation wastes are outside the scope of the Solid Waste
Program EIS. Each of these materials has special physical or regulatory
management requirements that are quite different from those that
typically apply to wastes managed under the Solid Waste Program.
Further, most of these other materials have been or are being addressed
by separate NEPA reviews or other appropriate environmental review
process, and impacts from managing these wastes will be included in
analyses of cumulative impacts in the Solid Waste Program EIS.
Low-Level Radioactive Waste
Solid LLW includes operating and laboratory wastes (e.g.,
protective clothing, plastic sheeting, gloves, and analytical wastes),
contaminated equipment, reactor and reactor fuel hardware, spent
lithium-aluminum targets from which tritium has been extracted, and
spent deionizer resin from reactor operations. The analytical
laboratories, reactors, separations facilities, plutonium processing
facilities, and waste management activities generated most of the LLW
currently managed at Hanford. Analytical laboratory and research
operations facility deactivation processes, waste management
activities, and other on-site and off-site activities would likely
continue to generate LLW wastes in the foreseeable future. The WM PEIS
estimates that Hanford Site LLW, including waste generated during the
next 20 years, would be about 89,000 m\3\ (or 6% of the LLW in the DOE
complex).
DOE needs to determine the treatment, storage and disposal
activities required to properly manage solid LLW that currently exists
or may exist at Hanford during the next 20 years. Currently, most of
the LLW is certified, packaged to meet waste acceptance criteria, and
placed in the Low Level Burial Grounds (LLBG). DOE needs to evaluate
options for the disposal of such wastes, including expansion or
reconfiguration and ultimate closure of the current LLBG. Small
quantities of DOE-generated waste that cannot meet Hanford Site waste
disposal criteria are currently stored at various facilities until
methods are developed for their disposal. The Hanford Solid Waste
Program classifies such wastes as ``greater-than-Category-3 (GTC3).''
DOE must evaluate alternatives for the management of Hanford's GTC3
wastes.
[[Page 55618]]
Mixed Low-Level Radioactive Waste
Hanford's MLLW was generated from reactor operations, chemical
separation facilities, and laboratory operations, and consists of
materials such as sludges, ashes, resins, paint wastes, soils, and
contaminated equipment. Hazardous components may include lead and other
heavy metals, solvents, paints, oils, other hazardous organic
materials, or components that exhibit the RCRA characteristics of
ignitability, corrosivity, toxicity, or reactivity. The WM PEIS
estimates that the Hanford Site MLLW, including waste generated during
the next 20 years, would be about 36,000 m\3\ (or 16% of the MLLW in
the DOE complex).
DOE needs to determine the storage, treatment and disposal
activities required to properly manage solid MLLW that currently exists
or may exist at the Hanford Site during the next 20 years. Currently,
most MLLW at the Hanford Site is stored in the Central Waste Complex
awaiting treatment before disposal.
A small amount of contact-handled MLLW is treated on-site by
macroencapsulation or other processes. The remaining contact-handled
MLLW requires treatment by other processes, either thermal or non-
thermal, before disposal. To meet this need and ensure that DOE meets
its commitments under the Tri-Party Agreement, the Hanford Solid Waste
Program is pursuing two proposals as interim actions to this EIS. Each
proposal involves a separate procurement of commercial treatment
services for contact-handled MLLW--one for non-thermal treatment
services and the other for thermal treatment services.
Under the Tri-Party Agreement, DOE is required to: 1) award a
contract for stabilization of contact-handled MLLW by September 30,
1997 (target milestone M-19-01-T02; DOE has completed this milestone);
2) complete all NEPA requirements related to the commercial contract
for stabilization of contact-handled MLLW by September 30, 1998 (target
milestone M-19-01-T03); 3) initiate treatment of contact-handled MLLW
by September 30, 1999 (milestone M-19-01); and 4) initiate thermal
treatment of currently stored and newly generated contact-handled MLLW
(at least 600 cubic meters will be treated by December 2005, milestone
M-91-12).
DOE is preparing an environmental assessment (DOE/EA-1189)
regarding its proposal to procure commercial non-thermal treatment
services. Under the proposed action, DOE would transport up to 1860
cubic meters of contact-handled MLLW to a commercial vendor for
treatment; the treated waste would be returned to the Hanford Site for
disposal. The Hanford Solid Waste Program issued a Request for
Proposals for non-thermal treatment services in April 1997. On
September 5, 1997, after considering a comparative evaluation of the
potential environmental impacts of the offerors' proposals in
accordance with its NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part 1021.216), DOE
selected a commercial vendor for further consideration of its proposal
to provide such services at an existing non-DOE facility in Richland,
Washington.
Regarding its proposal to procure commercial thermal treatment
services for contact-handled MLLW, DOE issued a Request for Proposals
for such services in April 1994. In November 1995, after considering a
comparative evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of the
offerors' proposals in accordance with its NEPA regulations (10 CFR
Part 1021.216), DOE selected a vendor in Richland, Washington (same
vendor as for non-thermal treatment) for further consideration of its
proposal to provide such services. According to a draft EIS issued in
September 1997 by the City of Richland (prepared under the State of
Washington Environmental Policy Act to support the City's action
regarding the siting, construction and operation of the vendor's
proposed thermal treatment facility), the vendor plans to construct a
new thermal treatment (gasification and vitrification technology) unit
at its facility in Richland and market both thermal and non-thermal
treatment services to both the Government and the private sector. DOE
is preparing an environmental assessment (DOE/EA-1135) regarding DOE's
proposed action, which is to transport up to 5,120 cubic meters of
contact-handled MLLW that requires thermal treatment to the vendor's
commercial treatment facility for thermal treatment and return the
treated (vitrified) waste to the Hanford Site for disposal. DOE's MLLW
would comprise about 25% of the capacity of the thermal treatment unit.
If DOE determines that an EIS is required for one or both of the
interim actions described above, DOE would rely on the analyses in the
Solid Waste Program EIS to support a decision on whether to proceed
with one or both of the proposed interim actions. If DOE issues a
finding of no significant impact for one or both of the proposed
interim actions, DOE's NEPA review would be complete and DOE would
evaluate the cumulative environmental impacts of the proposals in the
Solid Waste Program EIS. DOE welcomes comments on this approach for
fulfilling its environmental review responsibilities under NEPA for
these proposals.
Treatment, storage and disposal options for the remainder of
Hanford Site MLLW, which is predominantly remote-handled MLLW that
cannot be treated or disposed of under existing or planned processes,
will be addressed in the Solid Waste Program EIS.
The Hanford Solid Waste Program currently has two RCRA-compliant
MLLW trenches that could be used to dispose of MLLW that meet RCRA land
disposal restrictions. Additional MLLW disposal capacity is necessary
to dispose of MLLW to be managed by the Hanford Site Solid Waste
Program.
Transuranic and Mixed Transuranic Waste
Transuranic waste contains radioactive isotopes with atomic numbers
greater than 92 (i.e., transuranic isotopes) and half-lives longer than
20 years at concentrations exceeding 100 nanocuries of alpha-emitting
radionuclides per gram (mixed transuranic waste also contains hazardous
constituents). TRU waste is generated as a result of similar activities
to those that generated LLW and MLLW, as described above. The major
difference is that TRU waste is contaminated with transuranic isotopes
most often associated with plutonium handling facilities. The WM PEIS
estimates that Hanford Site TRU waste, including waste generated during
the next 20 years, would be about 52,000 m3 (38% of the TRU
waste in the DOE complex).
DOE needs to determine the retrieval, treatment, and storage
activities required to properly manage solid TRU waste that currently
exists or may exist during the next 20 years at the Hanford Site. Since
1970, DOE has segregated and retrievably stored TRU waste in trenches
and caissons, and in above ground storage buildings at the Hanford Site
(mainly in the Central Waste Complex and the Transuranic Storage and
Assay Facility). DOE hopes to dispose of the existing inventory of TRU
waste and anticipated future quantities of TRU waste at the proposed
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Capabilities such as those provided by
Hanford's Waste Receiving and Processing Facility would be needed to
meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant planning-basis waste acceptance
criteria. Alternatives for the treatment of remote-handled TRU have not
been determined. Additionally, DOE needs to evaluate alternatives for
the transition or reuse of certain existing facilities (e.g., the 221-T
canyon)
[[Page 55619]]
managed by the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program.
Hazardous Waste
HW is similar to MLLW except that HW is not radioactive. Hazardous
components include materials such as lead and other heavy metals,
solvents, paints, oils, other hazardous organic materials, or materials
that exhibit RCRA characteristics of ignitability, corrosivity,
toxicity, or reactivity. They are generated from activities such as
facility operations, decontamination and decommissioning of facilities,
environmental restoration, waste management, and vehicle maintenance.
The WM PEIS estimates that Hanford Site HW, including waste generated
during the next 20 years, would be about 6,100 m3 (9% of the
HW in the DOE complex).
DOE needs to determine the activities required to properly manage
its existing and anticipated HW. Currently, non-wastewater HW is
stored, packaged, and shipped to off-site commercial facilities for
treatment and disposal. Based on the WM PEIS, DOE will decide the
extent to which it should continue to rely on commercial facilities.
The Solid Waste Program EIS will analyze alternatives for the
management of Hanford's HW.
Contaminated Equipment
DOE activities have resulted in the contamination of equipment,
sometimes to the extent that it is no longer suitable for use. Some of
the equipment would potentially be useable if the radioactive and/or
hazardous constituent contamination were removed or reduced to
acceptable levels. In other cases, decontamination of the equipment may
be desirable prior to disposal to minimize worker exposure or to reduce
the volume of material that must be disposed of as LLW, HW, or MLLW.
DOE needs to determine the future storage and treatment activities
required to properly manage Hanford's contaminated equipment and
materials, including those that may be received by Hanford in the
future from off-site facilities. Currently, decontamination services
are provided at the 2706-T building and 221-T (T-Plant canyon)
facilities at Hanford; however, additional services and methods may be
desirable to recycle or reuse contaminated equipment and materials.
Preliminary Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives
The preliminary proposed action and alternatives to the proposed
action described below for each waste type are consistent with relevant
EISs for other DOE sites, and encompass the range of reasonable waste
management activities that could be undertaken at the Hanford Site to
implement programmatic decisions that would be based on the WM PEIS.
The quantities and characteristics of the wastes to be considered would
be based on reasonable estimates of wastes from ongoing operations,
Hanford's environmental restoration and decontamination and
decommissioning operations, and wastes that Hanford might receive from
off-site as a result of decisions based on the WM PEIS, decisions under
the Federal Facility Compliance Act, or other reasonably foreseeable
future programmatic decisions. The alternatives would be adjusted as
necessary to conform to new decisions as they are made. The following
descriptions indicate the general approach to development of these
alternatives, and include examples of potential actions for each type
of waste.
No Action Alternative
Under the no action alternative, DOE would continue ongoing waste
management activities and implement those actions for which NEPA
reviews have been completed and decisions made (the baseline for
analytical purposes would be the time of issuance of the Draft EIS).
The no action alternative will provide a baseline for comparison of the
environmental impacts of the proposed action and its alternatives. The
following are examples of activities that would be included in the no
action alternative (listed by waste type).
LLW: Continued near term storage/disposal operations at the LLBG;
indefinite storage of GTC3 waste; continued use of other existing waste
management facilities (without expansion or reconfiguration) and off-
site treatment technology; and limitations in the receipt of waste from
off-site generators to current rates with a gradual reduction as
capacity diminishes.
TRU: Indefinite storage of existing and newly generated TRU waste
in the existing central facilities; no retrieval of existing TRU waste;
no receipt of TRU waste from off-site generators; no treatment of TRU
waste on-site; and no shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for
disposal.
MLLW: Continued indefinite storage operations at present
centralized facilities, without expansion or closure of disposal
facilities; indefinite storage at generator sites; and no new treatment
processes initiated.
HW: Continued short-term storage of existing and newly-generated HW
at generator sites with shipment off-site for treatment and disposal.
Contaminated Equipment: Continued use of 2706-T and 221-T
facilities for current decontamination activities and minimal
transition activities for future uses of T-Plant.
Proposed Action
This alternative is the Hanford Solid Waste Management Program
long-term planning baseline. In general, it consists of a hybrid of
actions from the other alternatives, with options for managing at the
Hanford Site some radioactive and hazardous wastes from off-site
facilities, including on-site and off-site treatment, storage, and
disposal, depending upon the type of waste. The proposed action would
implement programmatic decisions resulting from DOE's WM PEIS.
The proposed action includes Hanford solid waste management actions
that are needed to comply with regulatory requirements, protect human
health and the environment, and support Hanford Site missions. Before
the implementation of some of the proposed actions, DOE may need to
conduct further project-specific NEPA reviews tiered from this EIS.
LLW: Disposal of LLW in the LLBG, including the expansion,
reconfiguration, and closure of burial grounds; development and use of
new treatment technologies; receipt of waste from off-site generators
or shipment of Hanford waste to other sites; and storage and disposal
of GTC3 waste.
TRU: Retrieval and characterization of TRU waste from active LLBG
trenches and caissons; storage at the Central Waste Complex; receipt of
some TRU waste from off-site generators; treatment of contact-handled
TRU waste in the Waste Receiving and Processing Facility or another
qualified facility; development at Hanford of treatment technologies/
facilities for remote-handled and other special TRU waste or shipment
off-site for treatment; and shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
for disposal.
MLLW: Disposal of MLLW in existing RCRA-compliant trenches at the
Hanford Site; expansion of Hanford's MLLW trenches; use of vendor
treatment services or other treatment; development of new treatment
technologies/facilities; receiving and managing MLLW from off-site
generators; development and implementation of leachate treatment
technologies; disposal of leachate; closure of MLLW trenches; and
disposal at off-site facilities.
HW: Packaging and shipping HW to off-site treatment, storage, and
disposal
[[Page 55620]]
facilities; and closing or transitioning for other use the
Nonradioactive Dangerous Waste Storage Facility (this HW storage
facility is currently in standby mode).
Contaminated Equipment: Continued decontamination activities at
2706-T and 221-T facilities; evaluation of other decontamination
methods and technologies; and receiving equipment from other DOE sites
for decontamination at Hanford.
Minimize Solid Waste Management at Hanford Alternative
This alternative would minimize the use of land and facilities at
Hanford (i.e., maximize management of Hanford's solid radioactive and
hazardous wastes at either commercial facilities or other DOE sites).
LLW: Disposal of existing LLW at LLBG; newly generated waste
shipped off-site for treatment, storage, and disposal; no receipt of
waste from off-site generators; GTC3 waste managed on-site for eventual
off-site disposal; and closure of LLBG.
TRU: All retrievable TRU waste from the LLBG retrieved; and all
newly generated and existing TRU waste packaged and shipped off-site
for treatment and disposal.
MLLW: Storage of MLLW pending treatment; newly generated and
existing MLLW shipped off-site for treatment and disposal; and no
receipt of waste from off-site generators.
HW: Packaging and shipping HW to off-site treatment, storage, and
disposal facilities; and the Nonradioactive Dangerous Waste Storage
Facility transitioned to other uses.
Contaminated Equipment: Contaminated equipment shipped off-site for
treatment and disposal; discontinue use of 221-T and 2706-T facilities
for decontamination; and deactivate T-plant.
Maximize Solid Waste Management at Hanford Alternative
This alternative would maximize the use of Hanford Site land and
facilities for management of solid radioactive and hazardous wastes. It
would include management of wastes from other DOE facilities,
consistent with alternatives in the WM PEIS under which the Hanford
Site would serve as a regional or national management site for specific
types of waste.
Under this alternative, the Hanford Site would manage more waste
than under the proposed action, and DOE would improve or add to waste
treatment, storage, and disposal facilities at the Hanford Site
accordingly. This increase would be described and analyzed in terms of
increases to the waste quantities used to evaluate the proposed action.
LLW: Treatment, consolidation and disposal of existing LLW and GTC3
on-site; acceptance of LLW from off-site generators for treatment,
storage, and disposal at Hanford; expansion of treatment, storage and
disposal facilities on-site as necessary with minimum use of off-site
options; and closure of LLBG.
MLLW: Receipt of MLLW from off-site generators for treatment,
storage, and disposal; development of new treatment technologies/
facilities; minimized use of off-site options, maximized on-site
treatment; disposal of leachate on-site; disposal of newly generated
and existing MLLW on-site; expansion of existing MLLW disposal
facilities and possible construction of new facilities as needed; and
closure of MLLW trenches.
TRU: Retrieval and characterization of TRU waste from active LLBG
trenches and caissons; storage at the Central Waste Complex; receipt of
TRU waste from off-site generators (i.e., serve as primary regional/
national treatment facility to prepare TRU waste for disposal at the
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant); treatment of contact-handled TRU waste in
the Waste Receiving and Processing Facility or another qualified
facility; development at Hanford of technologies/facilities for the
treatment of remote-handled and other special TRU waste; and shipment
to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for disposal.
HW: Development and use of on-site treatment, storage, and disposal
facilities; and receipt of HW from off-site generators for disposition.
Contaminated Equipment: Continued decontamination activities at
2706-T and 221-T facilities or at new facilities that would be
constructed as needed; development of mobile or other decontamination
methods and technologies; and receipt of equipment from off-site
generators for decontamination at Hanford.
Relationship to Other Actions
Interim Actions
The following environmental assessments are currently being
prepared for potential interim actions that DOE is considering during
the preparation of this EIS:
Off-Site Thermal Treatment of Low-level Mixed Waste, DOE/
EA-1135.
Solid Low-level Mixed Waste Non-Thermal Treatment, DOE/EA-
1189.
Other Potentially-Related NEPA Documents in Preparation
The following DOE or other-agency NEPA documents in preparation may
be related to the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program EIS:
DOE/EIS-0222, Hanford Remedial Action EIS and
Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
DOE/EIS-0274, Disposal of S3G and D1G Prototype Reactor
Plants EIS.
DOE/EIS-0283, Surplus Plutonium Disposition EIS
Commercial Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site (U.S.
Ecology) on the Hanford Site (an EIS being prepared by the State of
Washington Department of Ecology and Department of Health under the
State of Washington Environmental Policy Act).
Off-Site Thermal Treatment of Low-Level Mixed Waste,
Richland Washington (an EIS being prepared by the City of Richland
under the State of Washington Environmental Policy Act).
Existing Related NEPA Documentation
The following lists completed DOE or other-agency NEPA documents
that are related to the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program EIS:
ERDA-1538, EIS for Waste Management Operations, Hanford
Reservation, Richland, Washington, U.S. Energy and Research Development
Administration, Washington, D.C., 1975.
DOE/EIS-0113, EIS for Disposal of Hanford High-Level,
Transuranic, and Tank Wastes, December 1987. Record of Decision, 53 FR
12449, April 14, 1988.
DOE/EIS-0119, Decommissioning of Eight Surplus Production
Reactors at the Hanford Site EIS, Richland, Washington, December 1992.
Record of Decision, 58 FR 48509, September 16, 1993.
DOE/EIS-0189, Tank Waste Remediation System, Hanford Site
EIS, August 1996. Record of Decision, 62 FR 8693, February 26, 1997.
DOE/EIS-0200-F, Waste Management Programmatic EIS, May
1997.
DOE/EIS-0026-S2, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Supplemental
EIS-II, September 1997.
DOE/EIS-0245, Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel from the K
Basins at the Hanford Site EIS, Richland, Washington, January 1996.
Record of Decision, 61 FR 10736, March 15, 1996.
DOE/EIS-0244, Plutonium Finishing Plant Stabilization EIS,
Hanford Site, Richland, Washington, May 1996. Record of Decision, 61 FR
36352, July 10, 1996.
Disposal of Decommissioned Defueled Naval Submarine
Reactor Plants EIS (prepared by the Department of the Navy), May 1984.
Record of Decision, 49 FR 47649, December 6, 1984.
DOE/EIS-0259, Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled
Cruiser,
[[Page 55621]]
Ohio and Los Angeles Class Naval Reactor Plants EIS, adopted by the
U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., May 1996. Record of
Decision, 61 FR 41596, August 9, 1996.
DOE/EA-0981, Solid Waste Retrieval Complex, Enhanced
Radioactive and Mixed Waste Storage Facility, Infrastructure Upgrades,
and Central Waste Support Complex, Hanford Site, Richland Washington,
Environmental Assessment, September 1995.
DOE/EA-1203, Trench 33 Widening in Low Level Waste Burial
Ground 218-W-5, Environmental Assessment, July 1997.
DOE/EA-1211, Relocation and Storage of Isotopic Heat
Sources (formerly DOE/EA-0982, Special Case Waste), Environmental
Assessment, June 1997.
Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues
The following issues have been tentatively identified for analysis
in the EIS. The list is presented to facilitate comment on the scope of
the EIS. It is not intended to be all-inclusive or to predetermine the
potential impacts of any of the alternatives.
Effects on the public and on-site workers from releases of
radiological and nonradiological materials during normal operations and
reasonably foreseeable accidents.
Long-term risks to human populations resulting from waste
disposal.
Effects on air and water quality from normal operations
and reasonably foreseeable accidents.
Cumulative effects, including impacts from other past,
present, and reasonably foreseeable actions at the Hanford Site.
Effects on endangered species, archaeological/cultural/
historical sites, floodplains and wetlands, and priority habitat.
Effects from transportation and from reasonably
foreseeable transportation accidents.
Socioeconomic impacts on surrounding communities.
Disproportionately high and adverse effects on low-income
and minority populations (Environmental Justice).
Unavoidable adverse environmental effects.
Short-term uses of the environment versus long-term
productivity.
Potential irretrievable and irreversible commitment of
resources.
The consumption of natural resources and energy, including
water, natural gas, and electricity.
Pollution prevention, waste minimization, and potential
mitigative measures.
Development of the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program EIS
DOE will consider comments and suggestions received during the
scoping period in its preparation of the draft EIS. On completing the
draft EIS, DOE will announce its availability in the Federal Register
and local media, and will again solicit public comments. DOE will
consider comments on the draft EIS in its preparation of the final EIS.
The preliminary schedule for issuance of the Hanford Site Solid Waste
Program EIS is:
Availability of Draft EIS: Spring 1998.
Draft EIS Public Comment Period: Summer 1998.
Availability of Final EIS: Late 1998.
Record of Decision: Early 1999.
Public Scoping Meetings
DOE invites the public to attend scoping meetings at which comments
may be presented on the scope of the EIS. Oral and written comments
will be considered equally in preparation of the EIS. Oral and written
comments will be received at public scoping meetings to be held on the
dates and at the locations given below:
November 12, 1997--Meeting Times: 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. PST and 7:00
p.m.-10:00 p.m. PST, Federal Building, 825 Jadwin, Richland, WA 99352
November 13, 1997--Meeting Time: 7:00 p.m.--10:00 p.m. PST, Vert
Center, 500 S.W. Dorion, Pendleton, OR 97801
DOE staff will begin each scoping meeting with a short presentation
on the EIS process, the Hanford Site Solid Waste Program, and the
proposed action and alternatives. A brief informal question and answer
session will follow. Individuals and organization and agency
spokespersons will then be invited to present comments.
Requests to speak at the public meetings may be made in person at
the meeting, by calling the DOE NEPA Document Manager by 3:00 p.m. PST
the day before the meeting, or by writing to the DOE Document Manager
(see ADDRESSES, above). Speakers will be heard on a first-come, first-
served basis as time permits. Written comments also will be accepted at
the meetings. Speakers are encouraged to provide written versions of
their oral comments for the record.
The meetings will be conducted by a moderator. DOE staff and the
moderator may ask speakers clarifying questions. Individuals requesting
to speak on behalf of an organization must identify the organization.
Each speaker will be allowed five minutes to present comments unless
more time is available. Comments will be recorded by a court reporter
and will become part of the scoping meeting record. DOE also will
provide opportunities for separate informal discussions about the scope
and content of the EIS, and will make subject matter experts available
to answer questions.
Issued in Washington, DC this 21st day of October, 1997.
Peter N. Brush,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 97-28399 Filed 10-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P.