[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 37 (Thursday, February 24, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-4283]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 24, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy

 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Cruiser, Ohio, and Los Angeles 
Class Naval Reactor Plants

AGENCIES: Department of the Navy and Department of Energy.

SUMMARY: The Department of Navy, with the Department of Energy as a 
cooperating agency, announces its intent to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), 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), and to conduct a series of public scoping meetings. This 
Environmental Impact Statement will address final disposal of 
decommissioned, defueled reactor plants from cruisers and OHIO 
(Trident) and LOS ANGELES (SSN 688) Class submarines and will analyze 
the associated reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts. The 
disposal of future reactor compartments from vessels that have not yet 
been commissioned (e.g., SEAWOLF Class of submarines) will be 
addressed, as appropriate, in future National Environmental Policy Act 
documents. By participating as a cooperating agency in this 
Environmental Impact Statement, the Department of Energy expects to be 
able to adopt this Environmental Impact Statement, if appropriate, to 
fulfill its environmental review obligations under the National 
Environmental Policy Act.
    In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality National 
Environmental Policy Act regulations, the Department of the Navy is 
preparing this Environmental Impact Statement to focus on the potential 
for significant environmental impacts and to consider reasonable 
alternatives.
    Because of the common design characteristics of the reactor plants 
and their reactor compartments, the method currently being used by 
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington to dispose of 
submarine reactor compartments is the preferred alternative for 
disposal of the defueled reactor plants from cruisers and OHIO and LOS 
ANGELES Class submarines. Briefly, this alternative would involve 
draining the piping systems, tanks, vessels, and other components to 
the maximum extent practical, sealing the radioactive systems, removing 
the reactor compartment and sealing it to provide a high integrity 
welded steel package. The reactor compartment package would be 
transported by barge out of Puget Sound through the Straits of Juan de 
Fuca, down the Washington coast, and up the Columbia River to the Port 
of Benton where it would be loaded onto an overland transporter for the 
short movement to the Department of Energy's low level radioactive 
waste burial grounds at Hanford, Washington.
    The reactor plants contain radioactivity due to neutron irradiation 
of structural alloys forming the reactor plant components. The reactor 
compartment packages would comply with the shipping container 
requirements of the Department of Transportation, the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, and the Department of Energy. Disposal of the 
reactor compartments would be in accordance with Department of Energy 
requirements for low level radioactive waste disposal. Disposal of the 
reactor compartments would be regulated by the State of Washington due 
to the lead shielding contained within the reactor compartments and by 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency due to the small quantity of 
polychlorinated biphenyls in materials within the reactor compartment 
such as insulation, electrical cables, and rubber parts.
    The Navy also will evaluate in detail a ``no action'' alternative. 
In this alternative, the defueled ships would be maintained in 
waterborne protective storage for an indefinite period of time at the 
inactive ships facilities at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Norfolk 
Naval Shipyard.
    Several other alternatives will be examined. These alternatives 
include sea disposal, land disposal at other sites, land disposal or 
reuse of subdivided portions of the reactor plant, and above ground 
storage or disposal.

DATES: The Navy invites interested agencies, organizations, and the 
general public to submit written comments or suggestions concerning the 
scope of the issues to be addressed, alternatives to be analyzed, and 
the environmental impacts to be addressed in the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement. The public also is invited to attend scoping meetings 
in which oral comments and suggestions will be received. Oral and 
written comments will be considered equally in preparation of the 
Environmental Impact Statement. Those not desiring to submit comments 
or suggestions at this time, but who would like to receive a copy of 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for review when it is issued, 
should write to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at the address below. When 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is complete, its availability 
will be announced in the Federal Register and in the local news media. 
Public hearings will be held, and comments will be solicited on this 
document.
    Written comments postmarked by March 21, 1994 will be considered in 
preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Comments 
postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent 
practicable. Oral and written comments will be received at public 
scoping meetings to be held at the locations and times indicated as 
follows:

Bremerton, Washington, March 10, 1994, 7pm-10pm
    Best Western Bayview Inn, 5640 Kitsap Way
Richland, Washington, March 11, 1994, 7pm-10pm
    Shiloh Inn--Rivershore, 50 Comstock
Olympia, Washington, March 14, 1994, 7pm-10pm
    Ramada Inn--Governor House, 621 So. Capitol Way
Portland, Oregon, March 15, 1994, 7pm-10pm
    Red Lion Inn--Jantzen Beach, 909 N. Hayden Island Dr.
Portsmouth, Virginia, March 17, 1994, 7pm-10pm
    Holiday Inn, 8 Crawford Parkway

    The meetings will be chaired by a presiding officer but will not be 
conducted as evidentiary hearings; speakers will not be cross examined 
although the presiding officer, Department of the Navy, and Department 
of Energy representatives present may ask clarifying questions. To 
ensure that everyone has an adequate opportunity to speak, five minutes 
will be allotted for each speaker. Depending on the number of persons 
requesting to speak, the presiding officer may allow more time for 
elected officials, or speakers representing multiple parties, or 
organizations. Persons wishing to speak on behalf of organizations 
should identify the organization. Persons wishing to speak may either 
notify Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in writing at the address below or 
register at the meetings. Persons registering at the meetings will be 
called on to speak if time permits. Written comments also will be 
accepted at the meetings.

ADDRESSES: Written comments, suggestions on the scope of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement, or requests to speak at the public 
hearings should be submitted to Mr. Robert Minnitti, Puget Sound Naval 
Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington 98314-5000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The United States Navy placed the world's first nuclear powered 
submarine, the NAUTILUS, into service in 1954. The first nuclear 
powered cruiser, the LONG BEACH, was commissioned in 1961. As of the 
end of 1993, the U.S. Navy had 106 nuclear-powered submarines and 15 
nuclear-powered surface ships in operation. Today, over 40% of the 
Navy's principal combatants are nuclear powered.
    At the end of their useful lifetime, when the cost of continued 
operation is not justified by their military capability, or when they 
are no longer needed, the defueled reactor compartments from these 
ships require disposal. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Navy 
evaluated a number of options for disposing of the pre-LOS ANGELES 
class nuclear powered submarine reactor compartments as the ships were 
beginning to approach the end of their design life. The options 
examined included disposal of the reactor compartment at an existing 
land burial site, with the non-radioactive remainder of the submarine 
disposed of either by sinking at sea or by cutting up for sale as scrap 
metal, and disposal by sinking the entire submarine in the deep ocean. 
The ``no action'' alternative of long term protective storage also was 
examined. The Navy's 1984 Final Environmental Impact Statement and 
Record of Decision concluded that permanent disposal would be 
environmentally safe and feasible using either the land burial or deep 
ocean option. The Record of Decision issued by the Secretary of the 
Navy stated that ``No unacceptable environmental impacts associated 
with either option have been identified as a result of the analysis or 
through the public review process'', and that ``Based on consideration 
of all current factors bearing on a disposal action of this kind 
contemplated, the Navy has decided to proceed with disposal of the 
reactor compartments by land burial.'' The Navy has successfully 
pursued this course of action and, as of the end of 1993, has safely 
shipped 35 submarine reactor compartments to the Department of Energy's 
burial grounds at Hanford, Washington.
    Today the Navy faces the necessity of downsizing the fleet to an 
extent that was not envisioned before the end of the Cold War. Over the 
next few years a number of major surface combatants, including nuclear 
powered cruisers, will be removed from service. Some LOS ANGELES Class 
submarines are scheduled for removal from service. Eventually, the Navy 
will also need to decommission OHIO Class submarines. These classes of 
nuclear powered ships were not considered in the 1984 Environmental 
Impact Statement. The total number of cruiser, OHIO, and LOS ANGELES 
Class reactor compartments is approximately 100. The purpose of this 
Environmental Impact Statement will be to assess the potential 
environmental impact of disposing of defueled reactor compartments from 
nuclear powered cruisers and the LOS ANGELES and OHIO Class submarines.

Preliminary Description of Alternatives

1. Preferred Alternative

    Because of the common design characteristics of the reactor plants 
and their reactor compartments, the method currently being used by 
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington to dispose of 
submarine reactor compartments is the preferred alternative for 
disposal of the defueled cruiser, OHIO and LOS ANGELES Class reactor 
plants. Briefly, this alternative would involve draining the piping 
systems, tanks, vessels, and other components to the maximum extent 
practical, sealing the radioactive systems, removing the reactor 
compartment and sealing it to provide a high integrity welded steel 
package, and transporting the package first by barge up the Columbia 
River and then a short distance over land to the Department of Energy's 
low level radioactive waste burial grounds at Hanford, Washington. The 
reactor compartment packages would be placed in a trench, backfilled 
with earth, and covered by an engineered cap to minimize future water 
infiltration.

2. No Action

    This alternative would involve keeping defueled nuclear powered 
ships in waterborne protective storage for an indefinite period of 
time. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Norfolk Naval Shipyard have 
inactive ships storage facilities for defueled nuclear powered ships. 
Rather than temporarily storing the ships until their reactor 
compartments can be removed, the ``no action'' alternative would result 
in a much larger number of ships in storage. This option would require 
periodic ship inspections as well as performance of drydocking 
preservations. If no permanent disposal alternative is available, the 
``no action'' alternative will occur by default.

3. Other Alternatives

    Several other alternatives will be examined including the 
following:
    The detailed evaluation of sea disposal contained in the Navy's 
1984 Environmental Impact Statement will be used and updated in this 
Environmental Impact Statement to take into account the number and 
radioactivity content of the cruiser, OHIO, and LOS ANGELES Class 
reactor compartments. The 1984 Environmental Impact Statement concluded 
that sea disposal could be performed in an environmentally safe manner 
with no significant adverse effect. However, the 1984 Record of 
Decision noted that Congress passed an amendment which restricted the 
issuance of permits for sea disposal of radioactive material and 
required Congressional approval before such a permit could be issued, 
and the Environmental Protection Agency stated that additional 
regulations may be required before a permit request could be reviewed. 
Also, in November 1993, the United States voted along with the majority 
of other signatories to the London Convention to ban sea disposal of 
low level radioactive waste subject to a scientific review in 25 years. 
Therefore, this alternative would now be precluded by treaty.
    Disposal sites other than the Department of Energy's burial site at 
Hanford will be considered for disposal of reactor compartment 
packages. Criteria to be considered in site evaluation will include 
availability of barge unloading facilities, navigability of waterways, 
bridge clearances, and overland transport requirements.
    Land disposal or reuse of subdivided portions of the reactor plant 
would involve the cutting up of the defueled reactor plant into smaller 
pieces. This option would require evaluation of locations and methods 
to dismantle and package the reactor plant components and determination 
of appropriate locations and methods for final disposal or reuse of the 
resulting subdivided portions of the reactor plant.
    Placement of the reactor compartments above ground in specially 
designed buildings or in an arid environment will be evaluated as an 
interim storage measure, and as a permanent disposal method. As in the 
case of the burial option, the above ground storage evaluation will 
consider the long term migration potential of long lived radionuclides.

Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues

    The following issues, subject to consideration of comments received 
in response to public scoping, have been tentatively identified for 
analysis in the Environmental Impact Statement. This list is presented 
to facilitate public comment on the scope of the Environmental Impact 
Statement. It is not intended to be all inclusive nor is it intended to 
be a predetermination of impacts.
    1. Potential impacts to the public and on-site workers from 
radiological and non radiological releases caused by activities to be 
conducted within the context of the proposed action and alternatives.
    2. Potential environmental impacts, including air and water quality 
impacts, caused by the proposed action and alternatives.
    3. Potential transportation impacts as a result of the proposed 
action and alternatives.
    4. Potential effect on endangered species, floodplain/wetlands, and 
archeological/historical sites as a result of the proposed action and 
alternatives.
    5. Potential impacts from postulated accidents as a result of the 
proposed action and alternatives.
    6. Potential socioeconomic impacts to the surrounding communities 
as a result of implementing the proposed actions and alternatives.
    7. Potential cumulative impacts from the proposed action and other 
past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions.
    8. Potential irreversible and irretrievable commitment of 
resources.

    Dated: February 5, 1994.
B. DeMars,
Admiral, U.S. Navy, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
    Dated: February 7, 1994.
Michael P. Rummel,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 94-4283 Filed 2-23-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-AE-P