[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-3642]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 17, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

 

Implementation Plan for the Environmental Restoration and Waste 
Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy announces the availability of the 
Implementation Plan for the Environmental Restoration and Waste 
Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. The purpose of 
the Implementation Plan is to record the results of the public scoping 
and public participation processes and to serve as a plan for the 
preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. The 
Implementation Plan also states the alternatives and issues to be 
evaluated in the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, contact: Glen L. Sjoblom, 
Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary, Environmental Restoration 
and Waste Management (EM-1), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, 202-586-0396.
    To request copies of the Implementation Plan, call 1-800-379-5441.
    For information on the Department's National Environmental Policy 
Act process, contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA 
Oversight (EH-25), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20585, 202-586-4600 or leave a message at 1-800-
472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On October 22, 1990, the Department of Energy issued a Notice of 
Intent in the Federal Register (55 FR 42693) to prepare the 
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement. In the Notice of Intent, the Department 
identified the proposed action of implementing an integrated 
environmental restoration and waste management program, and requested 
comments on the scope of the Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement. A public comment period was held from October 22, 1990, to 
February 19, 1991. Beginning on December 3, 1990, the Department held 
23 scoping meetings at various locations across the country to provide 
an opportunity for public participation by interested individuals and 
organizations, and other governmental agencies. During the public 
comment period, over 1,200 parties provided approximately 7,000 
comments, either by participating in the meetings or by submitting 
materials and letters to the Department.
    On February 4, 1992, the Department announced in the Federal 
Register (57 FR 4193) the availability of a Draft Implementation Plan 
and an additional opportunity for public review and comment. The public 
comment period on the Draft Implementation Plan was held from February 
4, 1992, to April 10, 1992. Beginning on March 17, 1992, the Department 
conducted six regional workshops on the Draft Implementation Plan. More 
than 1,000 comments were received on the Draft Implementation Plan.
    After the close of the Draft Implementation Plan comment period, 
the Department revised the Plan and provided it to the Environmental 
Restoration and Waste Management Advisory Committee for review and 
comment. The Committee is composed of individuals from universities, 
trade associations, state and local governments, Indian Nations, labor 
unions, environmental groups, and other interested parties. On December 
21, 1992, the Committee submitted its formal recommendations on the 
Draft Implementation Plan. After responding to the Committee's 
recommendations and discussing further revisions with the Committee, 
the Department further revised the Implementation Plan. The 
Implementation Plan now considers all the issues from the public 
scoping process, the public review and comment period on the Draft 
Implementation Plan, and the Environmental Restoration and Waste 
Management Advisory Committee's review and recommendations.

Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives

    The programmatic alternatives for environmental restoration to be 
evaluated in the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement are 
structured in terms of the factors that affect the selection of 
remediation goals. In addition to a No Action baseline alternative, 
four other alternatives will be evaluated: (1) An alternative 
reflecting the current application of ``applicable or relevant and 
appropriate requirements'' under the Comprehensive Environmental 
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; (2) an alternative 
emphasizing foreseeable land use to better define likely exposure 
scenarios and appropriate waste management strategies; (3) an 
alternative equally balancing remedial worker and transportation risks 
with the risk to a site's surrounding population; and (4) an 
alternative emphasizing foreseeable land use to establish initial 
remediation objectives while also emphasizing worker and transport 
risks. Evaluation of these five alternatives is intended to provide 
input into the development of Department of Energy policies relevant to 
undertaking future environmental restoration that would incorporate 
consideration of land use and all major elements of human health risks.
    The programmatic alternatives for waste management to be evaluated 
in the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement are structured in 
terms of configurations for each of six waste types: High-level 
radioactive waste; transuranic radioactive waste; low-level radioactive 
waste; low-level mixed waste (waste consisting of hazardous and 
radioactive components); commercial Greater-than-Class-C radioactive 
waste, and hazardous waste. In addition to a No Action baseline, which 
includes only existing or approved waste management facilities, 
alternative configurations for each waste type will be evaluated that 
reflect decentralized, regionalized, and centralized approaches for 
utilizing existing and new waste management facilities at Department of 
Energy sites. The waste management facilities for which alternative 
configurations will be evaluated are storage facilities for treated 
high-level waste and commercial Greater-than-Class-C waste pending 
repository disposal; storage facilities for transuranic waste and 
treatment facilities in the event that treatment of transuranic waste 
is required prior to disposal; and treatment, storage, and disposal 
facilities for low-level, low-level mixed, and hazardous wastes. The 
evaluation of alternative configurations for waste management 
facilities is intended to provide environmental input for decisions on 
the potential consolidation of existing waste management facilities and 
locating new or expanded waste management facilities at Department of 
Energy installations. The evaluation of alternative configurations for 
the treatment of low-level mixed wastes also will provide environmental 
input for site-specific plans required by the Federal Facility 
Compliance Act.

Technology Development and Other Issues

    The Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement will discuss 
emerging technologies and their effect on the analysis of alternatives. 
Several other issues that are important to achieving cleanup and waste 
management goals and to the implementation of the Department's 
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management program also will be 
discussed. Issues to be addressed include budgeting and prioritization, 
job retraining programs, stakeholder roles, waste minimization, and 
public involvement. Discussion of these issues is included to assist 
public understanding of the decisions to be reached, and to provide the 
opportunity for public input on improving the conduct of the 
Department's Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program. 
The Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement will not evaluate site-
specific actions at Department sites that would be covered by 
appropriate project-level National Environmental Policy Act 
documentation.

Spent Nuclear Fuel

    The Department had proposed to consider the storage of Department-
owned spent nuclear fuel in the scope of the Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement. On September 3, 1993, however, the Department 
announced that it would incorporate the planned programmatic analysis 
of spent nuclear fuel into the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory 
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Environmental Impact 
Statement to comply with a recent order issued by the U.S. District 
Court for the District of Idaho. The Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement will contain a summary of the spent fuel analysis and will 
incorporate the results of that analysis into the Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement's evaluation of cumulative environmental 
consequences.

Availability of Implementation Plan

    Copies of the Implementation Plan have been sent to individuals and 
interested agencies and organizations who indicated an interest in 
receiving a copy, and a copy of the Implementation Plan's Executive 
Summary has been provided to individuals, agencies, and organizations 
that participated in the public scoping and workshop processes. The 
full Implementation Plan will be provided to any additional interested 
parties upon request. Copies of the Implementation Plan also have been 
placed in the Department of Energy reading rooms and public libraries 
identified below. Please contact the individual reading rooms and 
libraries for information on the availability of the Implementation 
Plan and the hours of operation.

Federal Documents Collection, Alaska State Library, P.O. Box 110571, 
8th Floor State Office Building, Juneau, Alaska 99811
Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge Street, Berkeley, California 
94704
Davis Branch, Yolo County Library, 315 East 14th Street, Davis, 
California 95616
Oakland Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy, 1333 Broadway, 
Oakland, California 94612
Livermore Public Library, 1000 South Livermore Avenue, Livermore, 
California 94550
Serial Division, Los Angeles Public Library, 361 South Anderson 
Street, Los Angeles, California 90033
Palo Alto Public Library, 1213 Newell Road, Palo Alto, California 
94303
Government Publications Section, California State Library, 914 
Capitol Mall, P.O. Box 942837 Sacramento, California 94237
San Diego County Library, 5555 Overland Avenue, Building 15, San 
Diego, California 92123
Semi Valley Public Library, 2969 Tapo Canyon Road, Semi Valley, 
California 93063
Government Publications Department, Denver Public Library, BS/GPD, 
1357 Broadway, Denver, Colorado 80203
Rocky Flats Environmental Monitoring Council, 1536 Cole Boulevard, 
suite 150, Golden, Colorado 80401
Mesa County Public Library, P.O. Box 20,000-5019, 530 College Place, 
Grand Junction, Colorado 81502
Lakewood Branch, Jefferson County Public Library, 10200 West 20th 
Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215
U.S. Department of Energy Rocky Flats Public Reading Room, Front 
Range Community College Library, 3645 West 112th Avenue, 
Westminster, Colorado 80030
Connecticut State Library, 231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 
06106
Government Publications, Seely G. Mudd Library, Yale University, 38 
Mansfield Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
Widener University School of Law Library, P.O. Box 7475, 4601 
Concord Pike, Wilmington, Delaware 19803
District of Columbia Library, 6th Level, 500 Indiana Avenue, NW., 
Washington, D.C. 20001
Freedom of Information Reading Room, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., room 1E-190, Washington, D.C. 20585
Public Reading Room, Largo Public Library, 351 East Bay Drive, 
Largo, Florida 34640
Document Section, State Library of Florida, R.A. Gray Building, 500 
South Poronough, Tallahassee, Florida 82399
Reese Library, Augusta College, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, Georgia 
30910
Federal Documents Section, Hawaii State Library, 478 South King 
Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Boise Public Library, 715 South Capitol Boulevard, Boise, Idaho 
83702
Idaho State Library, 325 West State Street, Boise, Idaho 83702
Public Reading Room, Idaho Operations Office, U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402
Idaho Falls Public Library, 457 Broadway, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402
Moscow-Latah County Library, 110 South Jefferson, Moscow, Idaho 
83843
Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Pocatello Office, 215 North 
9th, Pocatello, Idaho 83201
Pocatello Library, 612 East Clark, Pocatello, Idaho 83201
Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Twin Falls Office, 1062 Blue 
Lakes Boulevard North, suite 106, Twin Falls, Idaho 83001
Twin Falls Public Library, 434 2nd Street East, Twin Falls, Idaho 
83001
Chicago Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy, 9800 South 
Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439
Government Publications Department, Chicago Public Library, 400 
North Franklin, Chicago, Illinois 60610
Reference Department, Illinois State Library, 300 South Second, 
Springfield, Illinois 62701
Documents Section, State Library of Iowa, Historical Building, East 
12th & Grand, Des Moines, Iowa 50310
Ashland Community College Library, University of Kentucky, 1400 
College Drive, Ashland, Kentucky 41101
Federal Documents Section, Kentucky Department for Libraries and 
Archives, P.O. Box 537, 300 Coffee Tree Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 
40602
Paducah Public Library, 555 Washington Avenue, Paducah, Kentucky 
42001
Documents Division, Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral Street, 
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Harford Community College Library, 401 Thomas Run Road, Bel Air, 
Maryland 21014
Document Department, State Library of Massachusetts, 442 State 
House, Boston, Massachusetts 02133
Government Documents Unit, Library of Michigan, P.O. Box 30007, 717 
West Allegan Street, Lansing, Michigan 48909
Joseph A. Cook Memorial Library, University of Southern Mississippi, 
2609 West 4th Street, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406
Documents Section, Mississippi Library Commission, 1221 Ellis 
Avenue, Jackson, Mississippi 39209
Missouri State Library, P.O. Box 387, 600 West Main Street, 
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
U.S. Department of Energy Public Reading Room, Red Bridge Branch, 
Mid-Continent Public Library, 11140 Locust Street, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64137
Documents Division, Kansas City Missouri Public Library, 311 East 
12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106
Kisker Road Branch, St. Charles City-County Library District, 1000 
Kisker Road, St. Charles, Missouri 63303
St. Louis County Library, 1640 South Lindberg Boulevard, St. Louis, 
Missouri 63131
Documents Division, Montana College of Mineral Science and 
Technology Library, Park Street, Butte, Montana 59701
Montana State Library, 1515 East 6th Avenue, Helena, Montana 59620
Federal Documents Department, Nebraska Library Commission, 1420 P 
Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
Beatty Community Library, P.O. Box 129, 4th and Ward Street, Beatty, 
Nevada 89003
Nevada State Library and Archives, Capitol Complex, 451 North Carson 
Street, Carson City, Nevada 89710
Nevada Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy, 2753 South 
Highland Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89193
Government Documents Department, James R. Dickinson Library, 
University of Nevada, 4805 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, Nevada 
89154
Las Vegas Clark County Library, 833 Las Vegas Boulevard North, Las 
Vegas, Nevada 89101
Lawrenceville Branch, Mercer County Library, 2751 Brunswick Pike, 
Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648
Government Publications Department, Alexander Library, Rutgers 
University, 169 College Avenue, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903
U.S. Documents, New Jersey State Library, CN-52D, 185 West State 
Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08625
Albuquerque Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Pennsylvania and H Streets, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico 
87115
Government Publications Department, General Library, University of 
New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131
Carlsbad Public Library, 101 South Halagueno Street, Carlsbad, New 
Mexico 88220
Mesa Public Library, 1742 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, New Mexico 
87545
New Mexico State Library, 325 Don Gasper Avenue, Santa Fe, New 
Mexico 87503
Cultural Education Department, New York State Library, Madison 
Avenue, Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12230
U.S. Department of Energy, 26 Federal Plaza, Room 3437, New York 
City, New York 10278
Concord Public Library, 23 N. Buffalo Street, Springville, New York 
14141
Lane Library, 800 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Documents Department, State Library of Ohio, 65 South Front Street, 
Columbus, Ohio 43266
Documents Department, Dayton and Montgomery Community Public 
Library, 215 East Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402
Miamisburg Library, 35 South Fifth Street, Miamisburg, Ohio 45342
Portsmouth Public Library, 1220 Galia Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45667
Shawnee State University Library, 940 Second Street, Portsmouth, 
Ohio 45662
Social Science Department, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, 325 
Michigan Street, Toledo, Ohio 43624
Portland State University Library, 934 S.W. Harrison, Portland, 
Oregon 97207
Oregon State Library, State Library Building, West Summer & Court 
Streets, Salem, Oregon 97310
Government Publications Section, State Library of Pennsylvania, P.O. 
Box 1601, Walnut Street & Commonwealth Avenue, Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania 17105
U.S. Department of Energy Reading Room, Writing Center, University 
of South Carolina, Aiken Campus, 171 University Parkway, Aiken, 
South Carolina 29801
Documents Department, South Carolina State Library, P.O. Box 11469, 
1500 Senate Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29204
Lawson McGhee Library, Knox County Public Library System, 500 West 
Church Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
Tennessee State Library and Archives, 403 7th Avenue North, 
Nashville, Tennessee 37219
Freedom of Information Officer, Oak Ridge Operations Office, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 200 Administration Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 
37831
U.S. Department of Energy Reading Room, Lynn Library--Learning 
Center, Amarillo College, 2201 South Washington Street, Amarillo, 
Texas 79109
U.S. Documents, Texas State Library, P.O. Box 12927, 1201 Brazos, 
Austin, Texas 78711
Documents Section, Virginia State Library & Archives, 11th Street at 
Capitol Square, Richmond, Virginia 23219
Richland Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy, 825 Jadwin 
Avenue, Richland, Washington 99352
FM-25 Government Publications, Suzzalo Library, University of 
Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
Crosby Library, Gonzaga University, E. 502 Boone, Spokane, 
Washington 99258

Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

    The Department is tentatively planning to hold public workshops in 
May 1994, in advance of issuing the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement. Additional announcements will be made at that time. 
The Department expects to distribute the Draft Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement between June and September 1994; public 
hearings on the Draft Statement will be scheduled at that time.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 10th day of February 1994.
Tara O'Toole,
Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 94-3642 Filed 2-16-94; 8:45 am]
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