[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 249 (Thursday, December 29, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-32112]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 29, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
 

Notice of Public Meetings and Request for Comment Concerning the 
National Ignition Facility and the Issue of Nonproliferation

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Public Meetings and Request For Comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) held a workshop on September 8, 
1994, to begin a dialogue with the public concerning issues arising 
from building and operating the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Two 
additional public meetings are planned for January 24 and January 30, 
1995, to continue this dialogue focusing exclusively on the issue of 
the NIF and nonproliferation. DOE is requesting both oral and written 
comments on an outline for a technical study on the NIF and 
nonproliferation.

DATES: Written comments (11 copies) are requested to be received by DOE 
on or before February 6, 1995. Oral views and data may be presented at 
a public meeting to be held in Oakland, CA, on January 24, 1995, and 
Washington, DC on January 30, 1995, both beginning at 9:30 a.m. The 
length of each oral presentation is limited to 10 minutes. The same 
format will be used and the same issue will be discussed at both 
locations; thus, it is not necessary to attend both meetings.

ADDRESSES: All written comments (11 copies) and requests to speak at a 
public meeting should be addressed to U.S. Department of Energy, NN-40, 
1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-3012. In 
the event any person wishing to submit a written comment cannot provide 
eleven copies, alternate arrangements can be made in advance by calling 
the phone number referenced above.
    The public meetings will be held at the following locations: 
Federal Building, Roybal Auditorium (3rd Floor), 1301 Clay Street, 
Oakland, CA, and U.S. Department of Energy, Auditorium, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585.
    Copies of the public meeting transcripts and written comments 
received may be read at DOE Freedom of Information Reading Room, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, 
Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-6020, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. 
and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday except Federal holidays. These 
documents may also be read during the same hours at DOE Oakland 
Operations Office, Federal Building, 1301 Clay Street, Room 1070N (10th 
Floor), Oakland, CA 94612, (510) 637-1762.
    For further information concerning public participation, see the 
``Opportunity For Public Comment'' section of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NIF and its potential impact on the 
nonproliferation of nuclear weapons was an issue which was raised at 
the September 8, 1994, NIF public workshop held in Washington, DC. As a 
result of this meeting, DOE has prepared an outline for a technical 
study of this issue. The purpose of the public meetings is to seek the 
comments of the public on the outline for the technical study and to 
ensure that the issues the Department plans to address in this study 
are comprehensive. As such, DOE is soliciting the public to provide 
oral statements concerning the outline at a public meeting and/or to 
provide written comments. Addresses, dates and times are provided at 
the beginning of this notice.
    The working title that DOE is using is, ``The National Ignition 
Facility and its Potential Impact on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear 
Weapons.''
    The outline that DOE is proposing to use for the technical study 
is:

I. Introduction
     Thermonuclear weapons
    --Fusion secondaries
     Controlled thermonuclear reactions
    --Inertially-confined fusion
    --Ignition and burn
II. The National Ignition Facility
     Overview
     How NIF differs from
    --Magnetic confinement
    --Its predecessors, NOVA, etc, and similar facilities in the 
U.S. and other countries
III. Fusion Science and High-Energy-Density Physics
     What important science can be learned at NIF
     How is it learned?
     What may NIF do that couldn't be done before?
     What do scientists want to do?
    --How does this differ from nuclear weapons science?
IV. Horizontal Proliferation
     What could proliferators learn by
    --Access to NIF or comparable facilities?
    --Access to unclassified NIF data and reports
     What could proliferators do with this information?
     How can this information be kept from proliferators?
    --Classification/declassification issues
    --Access/experimental program control
     Alternate paths to the same or equivalent information 
(or, what could/could not be done without this kind of information?)
     Other country plans for ICF
V. Vertical Proliferation
     What could U.S. weapons designers do with NIF data?
    --Impact on advanced designs
    --Ability to address stockpile problems
     Plans for ICF research in other nuclear weapons states

Opportunity for Public Comment

A. Written Comment Procedures

    Interested persons and organizations are invited to participate by 
submitting data and views with respect to the proposed outline and 
issues addressed by the technical study.
    Written comments (11 copies) should be identified on the envelope 
and on the documents themselves with the designation ``NIF & 
Nonproliferation'' and should be received by the date specified at the 
beginning of this notice.

B. Public Meeting Procedures

    DOE will hold two public meetings on the outline and issues 
addressed above. The public meetings will be held on the dates and at 
the locations indicated at the beginning of this notice. A request to 
speak at one of the public meetings should be addressed to the address 
or phone number indicated at the beginning of this notice. The person 
should provide a phone number where he or she may be contacted during 
the day. Persons will be notified as to the approximate time they will 
be speaking. Speakers should bring at least 11 copies of their 
statement to the public meeting, if possible. The length of each 
presentation will be limited to 10 minutes or based on the number of 
persons requesting an opportunity to speak.
    A DOE official will preside at the public meetings. The public 
meetings will be an opportunity for the public to provide DOE with its 
comments concerning the outline and issues addressed by the technical 
study. Any further procedural rules needed for the proper conduct of 
the meetings will be announced by the presiding official. A transcript 
of these meetings will be made and will be retained by DOE and made 
available for inspection at DOE Freedom of Information Reading Room and 
DOE Oakland Operations Office at the addresses indicated at the 
beginning of this notice.

    Issued in Washington, D.C., on December 22, 1994.
Kenneth N. Luongo,
Director, Office of Arms Control and Nonproliferation.
[FR Doc. 94-32112 Filed 12-28-94; 8:45 am]
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