[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 48 (Monday, March 13, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13424-13425]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-6120]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Strategy for Management and Disposal of Greater-Than-Class C Low-
Level Radioactive Waste

AGENCY: Office of Environmental Management, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental 
Management, is soliciting public and stakeholder input to the 
development of a strategy for management and disposal of greater-than-
Class C low-level waste (GTCC LLW). Public workshops to discuss 
strategy options will be held in April 1995. The Department is inviting 
interested parties to prepare written input for use in developing the 
strategy, and to present their views at the workshops.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: Two public workshops are planned for the purpose 
of obtaining public and stakeholder input to the DOE's strategy for 
management and disposal of GTCC LLW. Those planning to attend the 
workshops are requested to notify the identified DOE contact office by 
telephone to assure adequate meeting room space is provided. Attendees 
should also notify the DOE in advance of the workshops, if they would 
like a specific time allocation for presentation of their views or have 
comments that will be useful in developing the workshop agendas. Dates 
and locations for the two workshops are as follows:
    April 11, 1995--Washington, DC, area (near Dulles International 
Airport), Hyatt Dulles, 2300 Dulles Corner Boulevard, Herndon, VA 
22071, Telephone (703) 713-1234 or toll-free 1-800-233-1234. A block of 
lodging rooms for workshop attendees will be held until April 1, 1995, 
under the heading ``GTCC DOE Strategy Workshop.''
    April 13, 1995--Portland, Oregon, Red Lion Hotel Lloyd Center, 1000 
N.E. Multnomah, Portland, OR 97232, telephone (503) 281-6111, or toll-
free 1-800-541-1111. A block of lodging rooms for workshop attendees 
will be held until March 29, 1995, under the heading ``GTCC Strategy 
Workshop.''
    The decision to convene two workshops in separate locations was 
based solely on consideration of attendee convenience; the workshops 
will be identical in planned format. Each workshop will begin at 8:30 
a.m. The morning session will be devoted to presentations by DOE and 
contractor personnel that provide background information on the GTCC 
LLW program strategy development, summaries of the two program 
reassessment reports, and description of the DOE's tentative program 
management strategy. Adequate time will be allowed during these 
presentations for question-and-answer discussions pertinent to the 
material presented. The afternoon session will be devoted to discussion 
of stakeholder comments and suggestions on the GTCC LLW management and 
disposal strategy options.
    A verbatim transcription will be made of the workshop proceedings. 
Written comments will also be incorporated into the proceedings, if 
received by the DOE no later than April 28, 1995. Workshop attendance 
is not required for submittal of written comments. All stakeholder 
comments and suggestions, both written and oral, will be addressed by 
the DOE in further developing and finalizing the GTCC LLW program 
strategy.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions or comments regarding this 
strategy development process, plans for the public workshops, or 
submittal of comments should be addressed to Mr. Terry L. Plummer, U. 
S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management (EM-32), 
Trevion II, Washington, DC 20585-0002, Telephone: (301) 903-7176.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Greater-Than-Class C low-level waste (GTCC LLW) is commercially 
generated low-level waste that exceeds the quantitative Class C limits 
presented in Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, part 61 (10 CFR 
61), entitled ``Licensing Requirements for Land Disposal of Radioactive 
Waste.'' In accordance with the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy 
Amendments Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-240, referred to herein as ``the 
Act''), the federal government is responsible for disposal of GTCC LLW 
that is generated by licensees of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC). Although the Act does not describe the particular approach or 
schedule for providing disposal capability, it requires that such 
disposal must be performed in a facility licensed by the NRC. NRC 
indicates that this material requires more stringent disposal methods 
than Class C LLW, and in the absence of specific proposals for disposal 
of such waste in a disposal site licensed pursuant to part 61 that are 
approved by the Commission, such wastes must be disposed of in a 
geologic repository as defined in part 60 (see 10 CFR 61.55(a)(2)(iv)). 
The Department of Energy (DOE) is assumed to be the Federal agency 
responsible for GTCC LLW disposal.
    Preliminary schedule forecasts indicate that GTCC LLW disposal 
capability may not be available for about 20 years or more. The DOE 
recognizes that during that time, some waste generators may be unable 
to provide continued safe storage for their GTCC LLW while disposal 
capability is being developed. Therefore, the DOE's strategy to date 
has maintained an option for DOE acceptance of GTCC LLW for storage 
prior to disposal, subject to terms and conditions that have not yet 
been established.
    In recent years, GTCC LLW characterization studies have shown that 
projected GTCC LLW quantities (roughly 2,000 cubic meters through year 
2035) are low relative to other radioactive waste types and earlier 
estimates. In addition, economic evaluations of alternative disposal 
concepts that would meet 10 CFR 61 licensing requirements have 
indicated [[Page 13425]] that the unit costs for separate GTCC LLW 
disposal would be much higher than is warranted by the low quantities 
and potential hazards of the waste. Therefore, the DOE initiated a 
program reassessment activity to identify strategy revisions that could 
effectively minimize the potential adverse impacts of GTCC LLW 
management and disposal scenarios.

Relationship to the Department's Preliminary Environmental Impact 
Statement (PEIS)

    The PEIS does not address specific management options for GTCC LLW, 
but indicates that future options will be developed. These stakeholder 
workshops will begin the process of identifying GTCC LLW management 
options. The final management strategy selected for GTCC LLW will be 
addressed in supplemental National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
documentation to be consistent with the PEIS.

Strategy Development

    Two independent program reassessment activities have been performed 
under the DOE's GTCC LLW Management Program: (1) a reassessment 
performed by EG&G Idaho, Inc. (now Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company) 
was based on proposed resolutions for known programmatic issues, and 
(2) a reassessment by Rogers and Associates Engineering Corporation 
postulated approaches for minimizing adverse cost, environmental, 
institutional, and safety impacts. The results of both reassessment 
studies have been used by DOE in the tentative selection of a strategy 
for GTCC LLW management and disposal. Copies of the reassessment 
reports are available from the DOE upon request.
    The Department is evaluating the feasibility of recovering 
radioactive material, including sealed source material, under the 
authority of the Atomic Energy Act. DOE is considering a recycle/reuse 
program for such recovered material that the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission (NRC) has identified as material of public health and safety 
concern. The Department has recovered sealed sources in the past that 
represented immediate threats to public health and safety at the 
request of NRC. Supplemental NEPA documentation will be required. 
Depending on its characteristics, any sealed source material that is 
not recycled may be added to the inventory of GTCC LLW for disposal.

Strategy Options

    (1) Pursue co-disposal of GTCC LLW with spent nuclear fuel and 
high-level waste in a geologic repository as the preferred co-disposal 
option. The repository will be an NRC-licensed facility that the NRC 
deems acceptable for GTCC LLW disposal, as well as for spent nuclear 
fuel and High Level Waste. Most of the projected GTCC LLW will be 
generated by nuclear utilities, and these utilities already have 
entered into Standard Contracts for repository disposal of their spent 
nuclear fuel and certain nonfuel-bearing components. Co-disposal of the 
remaining small quantity of non-utility GTCC LLW in the repository 
should also be feasible.
    (2) Pursue co-disposal of GTCC LLW with DOE Special Case Waste as 
an alternative or supplemental co-disposal option. Some GTCC LLW types 
may be deemed unsuitable for repository disposal. Therefore, an option 
for GTCC LLW co-disposal with DOE Special Case Waste will also be 
maintained. The term Special Case Waste (SCW) denotes DOE waste having 
characteristics similar to those of GTCC LLW, and generally lacking 
firm disposal plans. Progress in developing this option will 
necessarily be tied to the development of disposal plans for DOE's SCW 
inventory. There is a regulatory issue to be resolved where GTCC LLW 
requires licensed disposal but SCW does not.
    (3) Provide DOE storage capability for small quantities of GTCC LLW 
that DOE might accept for public health and safety reasons. Nuclear 
utilities generally have capability, and may prefer, to provide onsite 
storage capability for their GTCC LLW until disposal capability becomes 
available. However, some non-utility GTCC LLW generators may be 
financially unable to provide long-term storage for their GTCC LLW. 
Therefore, DOE storage for small amounts of GTCC LLW will be provided 
as needed to mitigate potential public health and safety issues. This 
contingency storage may be provided in conjunction with DOE's near-term 
acceptance program for sealed sources.
    (4) Develop fee determination and collection methods to recover 
DOE's costs for GTCC LLW management and disposal. Cost recovery for 
DOE's GTCC LLW management and disposal services is implied by the Act, 
and is required by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended, 
for repository disposal. Preliminary information on this subject will 
be developed using the best available assumptions regarding probable 
methods for DOE storage, treatment, and disposal.
    (5) Develop waste acceptance criteria for GTCC LLW co-disposal 
options. Waste acceptance criteria will be developed for the GTCC LLW 
co-disposal scenarios under consideration. These waste acceptance 
criteria are dependent upon the performance requirements that are 
imposed on the disposal facility, and may also be subject to 
constraints imposed by disposal facility design and siting 
considerations. Thus, the schedule for developing waste acceptance 
criteria will be tied to that of disposal facility development.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 7, 1995.
Jill E. Lytle,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Waste Management, Environmental 
Management.
[FR Doc. 95-6120 Filed 3-10-95; 8:45 am]
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