[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 28, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15905-15909]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7607]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel From the K-Basins at the Hanford Site, 
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) pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality NEPA regulations (40 CFR 
Parts 1500-1508) and the DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part 1021) to 
examine alternatives for the management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) 
currently stored in the K-East and K-West SNF storage basins (K-Basins) 
at the Hanford Site. DOE also announces its intent to conduct public 
meetings on the proposed scope of the EIS and invites public comment on 
the proposed scope, including the issues and alternatives to be 
evaluated in the EIS.
    Approximately 2100 metric tons of uranium in the form of irradiated 
defense production reactor fuels are stored in the Hanford K-Basins, 
40-year-old facilities located near the Columbia River. The K-East 
Basin has leaked water in the past and may still be leaking small 
quantities of water. Much of the SNF stored there is damaged and 
continues to deteriorate. The K-Basins are not suitable for long-term 
SNF storage.
    In a November 1993 report entitled, ``Spent Fuel Working Group 
Report on Inventory and Storage of the Department's Spent Nuclear Fuel 
and other Reactor Irradiated Nuclear Materials and their Environmental, 
Safety, and Health Vulnerabilities,'' DOE identified K-Basins storage 
problems as requiring priority attention. Similar findings have been 
reached by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, in its 
recommendation 94-1, and by DOE stakeholders.
    The purpose of DOE's action would be to (1) prevent the potential 
release of radioactive materials into the air or the soil surrounding 
the K-Basins storage area and their potential migration through the 
soil column and into the nearby Columbia River due to a failure of the 
existing K-Basins, (2) reduce occupational radiation exposure, (3) 
enhance near-term safety by eliminating the risks posed to the public 
and workers by the formation of reactive compounds during continued 
deterioration of SNF in the K-Basins.
    DOE proposes to take expeditious action to reduce risks to public 
health and the environment by removing SNF from the K-Basins and, 
subsequently, to take action to manage the SNF in a safe and 
environmentally sound manner for up to 40 years until ultimate 
disposition decisions are made and implemented. The EIS would evaluate 
a range of implementation alternatives for the proposed action, 
including alternative SNF management locations (relocating the SNF to a 
new, or modified existing facility at the Hanford Site or other DOE 
sites), alternative storage methods (wet or dry storage), and 
alternative stabilization technologies that might be used to prepare 
the SNF for storage until decisions on ultimate disposition are made 
and implemented at either a domestic or foreign facility. The EIS would 
also evaluate a no action alternative involving continued storage of 
fuel in the K-Basins, including continued maintenance, monitoring and 
surveillance, and an alternative involving continued storage in the K-
Basins with safety upgrades that might include overpacking existing 
fuel containers and performing life extension upgrades for the K-
Basins.
    Under all of the implementation alternatives for the proposed 
action, sludge would be removed from the K-East Basin and stored, 
treated or disposed of using existing waste management systems. Water 
remaining in the K-Basins after SNF and sludge removal would be treated 
and disposed of and the K-Basins would be deactivated.
    DOE also proposes to take several interim actions to improve the 
safety posture of the K-Basins and to support the preparation of this 
EIS. These include the construction of cofferdams to mitigate the 
consequences of a basin failure, characterization of the K-Basins SNF 
and sludge, facility maintenance or upgrades needed for continued safe 
operations, dose reduction activities, and removal of debris such as 
unused canisters and discarded tools from the [[Page 15906]] K-Basins. 
DOE is also preparing an environmental assessment for a proposed 
interim action to move approximately four metric tons of SNF from the 
Plutonium Uranium Extraction Plant (PUREX) and the N-Reactor to the K-
Basins for storage and subsequent management with the SNF already in 
the K-Basins.
    DOE is considering system-wide management alternatives for all of 
its SNF (including that currently stored in the K-Basins and elsewhere 
at Hanford) in the Programmatic SNF Management and Idaho National 
Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management 
Programs EIS, DOE/EIS-0203 (SNF PEIS). In the Record of Decision for 
the SNF PEIS, which DOE expects to issue by June 1995, DOE will make 
strategic decisions regarding the future management of SNF until 
ultimate disposition decisions are made and implemented. Site-specific 
NEPA documents would be prepared, as appropriate, to implement the 
programmatic decisions made in the SNF PEIS.
    In the K-Basins EIS, DOE plans to address both the expeditious 
removal and temporary storage of K-Basins SNF, and the subsequent 
management of that SNF. DOE believes that expeditious removal and 
storage of K-Basins SNF away from the Columbia River is needed to 
reduce risks to public health and the environment, and that this part 
of its proposed action would be compatible with the full range of 
alternatives for subsequent management of K-Basins SNF being evaluated 
in the SNF PEIS (i.e., the K-Basins fuels would either be managed at 
the Hanford Site, or shipped offsite for management at another 
location).
    Any decision on expeditious removal and subsequent management of K-
Basins SNF would be made and implemented in a manner consistent with 
programmatic decisions on management of all of DOE's SNF that will be 
made in the SNF PEIS Record of Decision.

DATES: DOE invites all interested parties 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 
assessed in the K-Basins EIS during a comment period ending May 12, 
1995.
    The public is also invited to attend scoping meetings at which oral 
comments may be presented on the scope of the EIS. Oral and written 
comments will be considered equally in preparation of the EIS.
    Written comments must be postmarked by May 12, 1995 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 to be held on the dates and at the locations 
given below:

Hanford-House Red Lion, 802 George Washington Way,  Apr. 18, 1995.      
 Richland, WA 99352, Phone: (509) 946-7611 or                           
 (800) 547-8010.                                                        
Spokane Shilo Inn, 923 East 3rd Avenue, Spokane,    Apr. 20, 1995.      
 WA 99202, Phone: (509) 535-9000.                                       
Portland Red Lion Inn, 310 S.W. Lincoln, Portland,  Apr. 25, 1995.      
 OR 97201, Phone: (503) 221-0450.                                       
Seattle Center, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA    Apr. 27, 1995.      
 98109, Phone: (206) 684-7202.                                          
                                                                        

    Each scoping meeting will begin with a short presentation by DOE 
officials on the EIS process, the overall Hanford Site SNF project, and 
the proposed action. Individuals and organization spokespersons will 
then be invited to present comments. The agenda will be repeated twice 
daily at each location, with afternoon and evening sessions. The hours 
for the sessions will be: 1 pm to 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm to 10 pm.
    Requests to speak at these meetings may be made at the meeting or 
by calling the toll-free telephone number, 1-800-321-2008, by 3:00 pm 
the day before the meeting or by writing to Suzanne Clark (see 
ADDRESSES, below). Speakers will be heard on a first-come first-served 
basis as time permits. Written comments will also be accepted at the 
meetings, and speakers are encouraged to provide written versions of 
their oral comments for the record.
    The meetings will be conducted by a moderator who may ask speakers 
clarifying questions. Individuals requesting to speak on behalf of an 
organization must identify the organization. Time limits for speakers 
will be determined by the number of speakers and the allotted time. 
Comments will be recorded by a court reporter and will become part of 
the scoping meeting record. DOE will also provide opportunities for 
informal discussions about the scope and content of the EIS, and will 
make subject matter experts available to answer questions about the 
proposal.
    DOE will review the comments and will prepare an Implementation 
Plan that will record the results of the scoping process; provide 
guidance for preparation of the EIS; and establish its scope, content, 
and schedule. Copies of the Implementation Plan will be made available 
for inspection in the public reading rooms listed below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the K-Basins EIS, questions 
concerning the Hanford Site SNF project, requests to speak at the 
public meetings, and requests for copies of the Implementation Plan 
and/or the Draft EIS should be directed to the DOE Document Manager 
listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne Clark, Document Manager, K-
Basins EIS Scoping Comments, U.S. Department of Energy, Post Office Box 
550, Richland, Washington 99352, Telephone: 509-376-9055 or 1-800-321-
2008.
    For 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, S.W., Washington, D.C. 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:

1. U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Freedom of 
Information Reading Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585, Phone: (202) 586-6020
2. Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate, Richland, WA 99352-3539, 
Phone: (509) 943-7457
3. Foley Center Library, Gonzaga University, E. 502 Boone, Spokane, WA 
99258, Phone: (509) 484-2831
4. Branford Price Millar Library, Government Documents Section, 
Portland State University, 924 Southwest Harrison, Portland, OR 97201, 
Phone: (509) 725-4617
5. Suzzallo Library, Government Publications, University of Washington, 
Seattle, WA 98195, Phone: (206) 543-9158
6. U.S. DOE Public Reading Room, Washington State University, 100 
Sprout Road (Room 130), Richland, WA 99352, Phone: (509) 376-8583

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE operated nine water-cooled, graphite-
moderated reactors, from 1944 to 1988 at the Hanford Site to produce 
plutonium by irradiating uranium. Most of the irradiated nuclear fuel 
(referred to in this Notice as SNF) from these reactors was reprocessed 
at Hanford chemical separations facilities to recover plutonium, 
uranium, and other materials to support the DOE nuclear weapons 
production mission. In 1992, [[Page 15907]] because additional 
quantities of these materials were no longer needed, reprocessing was 
halted at the Hanford Site before all the SNF was reprocessed. As a 
result, approximately 2100 metric tons of SNF remains in storage at the 
Hanford Site's K-Basins in the 100-K Area. Additional SNF from a 
variety of defense and research missions remains at other locations at 
the Hanford Site.
    The K-East and K-West Basins were constructed in the early 1950s to 
provide temporary storage of fuel discharged from the K Reactors. The K 
Reactors were shut down in 1970, and the basins were subsequently used 
to store SNF from N Reactor. The basins are located approximately 1,000 
feet from the Columbia River. They are unlined, concrete, 1.3 million-
gallon water pools with an asphaltic membrane beneath each basin. The 
K-East Basin presently stores approximately 1,150 metric tons of SNF. 
The SNF has been stored under water in open-top canisters for periods 
ranging from 6 to 23 years. The fuel is corroding, and an estimated 50 
cubic meters of sludge (containing radionuclides, corrosion products 
and miscellaneous materials) has accumulated in the basin. The K-East 
basin has leaked to the environment, most likely at the basin discharge 
chute construction joint. The asphaltic membrane does not extend 
beneath this area.
    The K-West Basin presently stores approximately 950 metric tons of 
SNF. Prior to storage in the K-West Basin, the SNF was placed in closed 
containers, so there is no appreciable sludge buildup in the K-West 
Basin. The K-West Basin is not believed to be leaking. The discharge 
chute construction joints between the foundations of the Basins and the 
K Reactors are not adequately reinforced, and a seismic event could 
trigger considerable leakage due to displacement.
    In February 1994, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, in 
its Recommendation 94-1 to DOE, expressed significant concern with 
continued storage at the K-East Basin, as follows:

    ``The K-East Basin at the Hanford Site contains hundreds of tons 
of deteriorating irradiated nuclear fuel from the N Reactor. This 
fuel has been heavily corroded during its long period of storage 
under water, and the bottom of the basin is now covered by a thick 
deposit of sludge containing actinide compounds and fission 
products. The basin is near the Columbia River. It has leaked on 
several occasions, is likely to leak again, and has design and 
construction defects that make it seismically unsafe.''

Proposed Action

    DOE proposes to take expeditious action to reduce risks to public 
health and the environment by removing SNF from the K-Basins and, 
subsequently, to take action to manage the SNF in a safe and 
environmentally sound manner until ultimate disposition decisions are 
made and implemented.

Preliminary Description of Alternatives

    The proposed K-Basins EIS would analyze the potential environmental 
consequences of reasonable alternatives for reducing risks associated 
with the management of SNF in the K-Basins. A preliminary list of 
alternatives includes: (1) Continued storage in the K-Basins with no 
modifications except for continued maintenance, monitoring, and ongoing 
safety upgrades (no action); (2) enhanced storage in the K-Basins, 
which would involve overpacking SNF and performing facility life 
extension safety upgrades at the K-Basins in addition to the 
monitoring, maintenance and ongoing safety upgrades; and (3) 
alternatives for implementing the proposed action that would involve 
removal of K-Basins SNF, temporary storage of the SNF at a newly 
constructed facility or modified existing facility, and subsequent 
management at Hanford or processing at a foreign facility or an offsite 
location, depending on decisions to be made based on the SNF PEIS. The 
no-action alternative is included to provide a baseline for comparison 
among alternatives, and to comply with the Council on Environmental 
Quality regulation (40 CFR 1502.14 (d)) that requires consideration of 
a no-action alternative.
    Under all of the removal alternatives, the first step would involve 
placing the K-Basin SNF canisters and sludge adhering to or within the 
canisters after sludge removal activities in wet or damp multi-canister 
overpacks, sealing an inert atmosphere in the overpacks, and 
transferring the overpacked SNF and canister sludge to a newly-
constructed or modified existing facility at the Hanford site for 
temporary storage. One option that DOE is considering involves 
modifying the existing foundation for the high-level waste canister 
storage building at Hanford to serve as a storage facility for the K-
Basin SNF. (Construction of the canister storage building was halted at 
the foundation stage when the high-level waste vitrification project 
was suspended.) The canister storage building could also be modified to 
accommodate subsequent (second step, see below) SNF management actions 
that may be needed, including SNF treatment and dry storage. As part of 
the first step, after removing the fuel, DOE would deactivate the K-
Basins, which would involve removal and, as appropriate, treatment, 
storage and disposal of the K-East Basin sludge and the water from both 
basins using existing waste management systems at the Hanford Site. 
Taking this first step would be compatible with the full range of the 
reasonable alternatives for subsequent management of K-Basin or other 
DOE SNF, and would be consistent with the full range of alternatives 
that DOE is considering in the SNF PEIS.
    The second step would involve subsequent actions to continue to 
manage the SNF in a safe and environmentally responsible manner until 
ultimate disposition decisions are made and implemented. DOE will 
consider a full range of reasonable alternatives, including deferring 
the second step. Alternatives to be considered would include 
alternative SNF management locations at the Hanford Site or, depending 
on decisions to be made based on the SNF PEIS, at other DOE sites. 
Alternative storage methods include wet storage and dry storage. The K-
Basin SNF may require stabilization to eliminate potential reactivity 
or pyrophoricity and ensure its safe management. Alternative 
stabilization technologies to be considered would include surface 
passivation (drying, dehydriding and then canning in an inert 
atmosphere), calcining (dissolving, oxidizing, and solidifying the 
SNF), and other processing (including dissolving, oxidizing, 
separating, and solidifying SNF components) at a domestic or foreign 
facility.
    Any decision to remove and subsequently manage K-Basin SNF would be 
made and implemented in a manner consistent with the SNF PEIS Record of 
Decision. The SNF PEIS alternatives include a No Action alternative 
under which DOE would take only those minimal actions that are required 
for safe and secure SNF management; a Decentralization Alternative that 
would require SNF irradiated at Hanford to be managed at Hanford; a 
1992/1993 Planning Basis Alternative that would ship TRIGA reactor fuel 
currently stored at Hanford to Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, 
but otherwise would be the same as the decentralization alternative; a 
Regionalization Alternative that considers shipping Hanford SNF offsite 
or naming Hanford as the regional management location for SNF west of 
the Mississippi River; and a Centralization Alternative where all 
[[Page 15908]] SNF would be sent to one site (Hanford or another 
candidate site) for management. Under these alternatives, K-Basins SNF 
would either be managed at Hanford or shipped to the regional or 
central storage site (if Hanford is not chosen as the regional or 
central storage site).

Interim Actions

    DOE has prepared an Environmental Assessment for the proposed 
Characterization of Stored Defense Production Spent Nuclear Fuel and 
Associated Materials at Hanford Site, Richland, Washington, (DOE/EA-
1030, March 1995), to obtain information needed to analyze the 
environmental impacts of alternative methods of removing and managing 
the fuel and sludge in the K-Basins. The proposed characterization 
would support the preparation of this EIS. The characterization data 
are also needed to help DOE develop safety analyses for management of 
K-Basins and other Hanford SNF, including those for transportation and 
conditioning. DOE issued a Finding of No Significant Impact for this 
action on March 13, 1995.
    DOE is also preparing an environmental assessment for the proposal 
to transfer approximately four metric tons of defense production 
reactor irradiated fuel to the K-Basins to enable deactivation of the 
Plutonium/Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant and the N-Reactor. This 
proposed transfer of fuel, which involves a relatively small amount of 
SNF, is intended to eliminate safety risks associated with continued 
storage of SNF at the PUREX plant and N-Reactor. The PUREX Plant and N-
Reactor inventories would not add appreciably to the amount of SNF 
currently stored in the K-Basins or to the environmental impacts of 
continued storage in the K-Basins during the time needed for the 
Department to implement decisions on management of K-Basins SNF.
    DOE also proposes to take other near-term actions to improve the 
safety posture of the K-Basins. Installation of cofferdams would 
isolate the discharge chute and prevent leaks in the event of a basin 
failure. The cofferdams also would prevent the potential release of 
radioactively contaminated water and possible airborne releases that 
could result from exposed sludge and SNF after a basin failure. (Sludge 
could be released to the air as a dry powder, or the potentially 
pyrophoric SNF could ignite if it is not kept wet until it is 
stabilized.) Systems needed for safe operations would be upgraded, 
including the electrical, potable water, fire protection, and certain 
maintenance systems, and the ion exchange system used to treat the 
water in the K-Basins. Debris (unused canisters, discarded tools and 
similar items) would be removed from the K-Basins and managed as solid 
waste.

Compatibility With Possible Future Decisions

    The phase-out of chemical reprocessing in support of the weapons 
production mission throughout the DOE complex resulted in the need to 
identify a strategy for the management of all DOE-owned SNF until its 
ultimate disposition. To that end, DOE is preparing the SNF PEIS. The 
Draft SNF PEIS was issued for public comment in June 1994, the final 
SNF PEIS is scheduled to be issued by April 30, 1995, and the Record of 
Decision by June 1995. The SNF PEIS Record of Decision would establish 
programmatic direction for DOE SNF management, and would identify which 
DOE sites would manage DOE SNF until ultimate disposition decisions are 
made and implemented. Proposals to implement the programmatic decisions 
regarding Hanford's role in the Department's overall SNF strategy would 
be covered in Hanford-specific NEPA documents, such as the K-Basins 
EIS.
    DOE plans to address in the K-Basins EIS both the expeditious 
removal and temporary storage of K-Basins SNF, and the subsequent 
management of that SNF. DOE believes that expeditious removal and 
temporary storage of K-Basins SNF away from the Columbia River is 
needed to reduce risks to public health and the environment, and that 
this part of its proposed action would be compatible with the full 
range of alternatives for subsequent management of K-Basins SNF to be 
evaluated in the SNF PEIS (i.e., the K-Basins fuels would either be 
managed at the Hanford Site, or shipped offsite for management at 
another location). Any decision on expeditious removal and subsequent 
management of K-Basins SNF would be made and implemented in a manner 
consistent with decisions on management of other SNF that DOE will make 
in the SNF PEIS Record of Decision.

Additional Technical Information

    Additional technical information on the conditions at the K-Basins 
is provided in the November 1993 report, ``Spent Fuel Working Group 
Report on Inventory and Storage of the Department's Spent Nuclear Fuel 
and other Reactor Irradiated Nuclear Materials and their Environmental, 
Safety, and Health Vulnerabilities.'' This evaluation was followed by a 
Plan of Action to Resolve Spent Nuclear Fuel Vulnerabilities in 
February 1994, which identified three phases to resolve those 
vulnerabilities. The Phase I Action Plan, which addresses the most 
urgent activities (including the Hanford K-Basins), was issued 
immediately. The Phase II Action Plan was released in April 1994 for 
public comment. The Phase III Action Plan was issued in October 1994. 
All of these documents are available upon request from the K-Basins EIS 
Document Manager identified above.

Related NEPA Documentation

    Department of Energy NEPA documents have been or are being prepared 
that are related to, but not within the proposed scope of, the K-Basins 
EIS. These include:
    1. Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National 
Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management 
Programs Draft EIS, DOE/EIS-0203-D, June 1994. Hanford is being 
considered as a candidate site for a full range of SNF management 
functions. Alternatively, Hanford Site SNF would be transported for 
management at other DOE site(s). DOE expects to complete the Final EIS 
in April, 1995 and Issue a Record of Decision by June 1, 1995.
    2. Proposed Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning 
Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel, Draft EIS in preparation, 
DOE/EIS-0218D. Hanford is being considered as a candidate site for the 
management of foreign research reactor fuel. Management alternatives at 
Hanford include wet or dry storage as well as processing in new or 
existing facilities. The Draft EIS is scheduled to be issued in April, 
1995.
    3. Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, 
Draft EIS in preparation (DOE/EIS-0200). Hanford is being considered as 
an alternative site for centralized or regionalized management of DOE 
wastes. Alternatively, Hanford would manage its own wastes or ship its 
wastes offsite for management at another DOE facility and/or a 
commercial facility. DOE plans to issue a draft EIS in May 1995, and 
complete the final EIS in February 1996.
    4. Environmental Impact Statement, Tank Waste Remediation System, 
Draft EIS under preparation. This EIS will examine the continued 
management, and eventual treatment, storage and disposal of high-level 
radioactive wastes stored in the Hanford Tank farms.
    5. Environmental Impact Statement, Disposal of Hanford High-Level, 
[[Page 15909]] Transuranic, and Tank Wastes, DOE/EIS-0113, December 
1987.
    6. Environmental Impact Statement, Operation of PUREX and Uranium 
Oxide Plant Facilities, DOE/EIS-0089, February 1982.
    7. Environmental Impact Statement, Waste Management Operations, 
Hanford Reservation, Richland, Washington, ERDA-1538, 1975, U.S. Energy 
and Research Development Administration, Washington, D.C.
    8. Environmental Impact Statement, Decommissioning of Eight Surplus 
Production Reactors at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington, DOE/EIS-
0119, December 1992.
    9. Environmental Assessment of 105-KE and 105-KW Basins Fuel 
Encapsulation and Repackaging, 100-K Area, Hanford Site, Richland, 
Washington, DOE/EA-0535, June 1992.
    10. Environmental Assessment for Characterization of Stored Defense 
Production Spent Nuclear Fuel and Associated Materials at Hanford Site, 
Richland, Washington, DOE/EA-1030, March 1995.
    11. Environmental Assessment: Transfer of Plutonium Uranium 
Extraction Plant and 105 N Reactor Irradiated Fuel for Encapsulation 
and Storage at the 105 KE and 105 KW Reactor Fuel Storage Basins, 100 
and 200 Areas, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington, DOE/EA-0988, in 
preparation.

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.
     Effects on air and water quality from normal operations 
and accidents.
     Cumulative effects, including impacts from other past, 
present, and reasonably foreseeable actions at the site.
     Effects on endangered species, archaeological/historical 
sites, floodplains, and wetlands.
     Effects on future decommissioning actions.
     Effects from transportation and from 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.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 20th day of March, 1995.
Peter N. Brush,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and 
Health.
[FR Doc. 95-7607 Filed 3-27-95; 8:45 am]
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