[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17344-17346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8361]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Long-Term Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile 
Materials

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: On June 21, 1994, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a 
Notice of Intent to prepare a PEIS for the Long-Term Storage and 
Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials (59 FR 31985). By this 
notice of an amendment, DOE is amending the scope of the PEIS by 
removing the disposition of all surplus HEU from the PEIS. Instead, DOE 
will address the disposition of surplus HEU in a separate EIS. This 
action is based on the need to move forward on a rapid path for 
neutralizing the proliferation threat of surplus HEU and to demonstrate 
to other nations the United States' nonproliferation commitment. The 
disposition of HEU will involve different time frames, technologies, 
facilities and personnel than those required for the disposition of 
plutonium. Therefore, the decisions on surplus HEU disposition do not 
affect or preclude other decisions to be made on the long-term storage 
and disposition of other weapons-usable fissile materials, can proceed 
regardless of decisions pursuant to the PEIS, and are independently 
justified. The scope of the PEIS will continue to include the long-term 
storage of non-surplus weapons-usable fissile materials, including HEU, 
and the disposition of plutonium and other fissile materials. The EIS 
on the disposition of surplus HEU is scheduled for completion in early 
1996. To ensure consideration of comments in the Draft EIS, written 
comments must be postmarked by May 1, 1995. Late comments will be 
considered to the extent practical.

ADDRESSES: Written requests for the Implementation Plan, the Draft EIS, 
and Final EIS on the disposition of surplus HEU should be sent to: 
Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (MD-1), Attention: HEUEIS, 
Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW, Washington, DC 20585.
    Written requests for the Implementation Plan, the Draft PEIS, and 
Final PEIS on the long-term storage and disposition of weapons-usable 
fissile materials should be sent to: Office of Fissile Materials 
Disposition (MD-1), Attention: PEIS, Forrestal Building, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the DOE 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, please contact: Ms. 
Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-
42), Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585. Ms. Borgstrom can be reached at 
(202) 586-4600. Comments and questions about the NEPA process can also 
be left on the DOE NEPA hotline, 1-800-472-2756.

 [[Page 17345]] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the aftermath of the Cold 
War, significant quantities of HEU, a material used in nuclear weapons, 
have become surplus to national defense needs in both the United States 
and Russia. This surplus material could pose a danger to national and 
international security. The dangers exist not only in the potential 
proliferation of nuclear weapons but in the potential for environment, 
safety, and health consequences if these materials are not properly 
managed. For further background information on the storage and 
disposition of fissile materials, please refer to the original June 21, 
1994, Notice of Intent (59 FR 31985).
    In the course of the PEIS public scoping process, comments 
suggested that it would be more appropriate to analyze the impact of 
HEU disposition in a separate EIS. The Department held a public meeting 
on November 10, 1994, to obtain comments on preparing a separate 
environmental analysis for the disposition of surplus HEU. While many 
views were expressed at this meeting, there was substantial support for 
proceeding with a separate EIS. A separate action is the most rapid 
path for neutralizing the proliferation threat of surplus HEU, is 
consistent with the President's nonproliferation policy, would 
demonstrate the U.S. nonproliferation commitment to other nations, and 
is consistent with the course of action now underway in Russia to 
reduce Russian HEU stockpiles. In addition, the disposition of HEU 
could use existing technologies and facilities in the United States, in 
contrast to the disposition of plutonium.
    The disposition of HEU will involve different time frames, 
technologies, facilities and personnel than those required for the 
disposition of plutonium. Further, the decisions on surplus HEU will 
not impact or preclude other decisions which may be made regarding the 
disposition of surplus plutonium and other weapons-usable fissile 
materials, can proceed regardless of decisions on these other issues 
pursuant to the PEIS, and are independently justified.
    Three alternatives have been evaluated as reasonable for the 
disposition of surplus HEU: (1) Continued long-term storage (no action 
alternative), (2) blending down of HEU into low enriched uranium, and 
(3) blending down for disposal as waste. These alternatives are based 
upon technical studies, public input, and evaluation by a DOE Screening 
Committee.
    The purpose of this amendment notice is to inform the public of 
DOE's intention to prepare a separate EIS for disposition of surplus 
HEU. Because the issues related to the disposition of surplus HEU were 
included in the Long-Term Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable 
Fissile Materials Notice of Intent and the public scoping process for 
the PEIS, no additional scoping activities are anticipated. The 
Department will prepare an Implementation Plan, a Draft EIS, and a 
Final EIS. The Implementation Plan will briefly describe the scope of 
the EIS, public input and comments received on the scope and 
alternatives, the alternatives that will be analyzed, the schedule for 
completing the EIS, and the EIS work plan. The results of the 
environmental analysis in the Final EIS, along with information from 
technical and economic evaluations and national policy objectives, will 
form the basis for the Record of Decision on the disposition of surplus 
HEU.
    The Department is planning to issue the EIS Implementation Plan in 
June 1995, to issue the Draft EIS in late Summer 1995 with public 
meetings in that same time period, and to issue the Final EIS in late 
1995 or early 1996.

    Note: Some of the technical terms used in this document are 
defined in a section at the end of the notice.

Classified Material

    DOE plans to prepare the HEU EIS in an unclassified form; however, 
DOE may review classified material while preparing the document. In the 
event that any classified material is included in the EIS, such 
material will be placed in a classified appendix which will not be 
available for general public review. This material will be considered 
by DOE in reaching a decision on the disposition of surplus HEU. DOE 
will provide as much information as possible in unclassified form to 
assist public understanding of the proposed action and environmental 
impacts.

Other DOE NEPA Documents

    There are several other NEPA documents in preparation by the DOE 
that will analyze proposals that are related to the proposed action 
described above. These are:

The Oak Ridge Interim Storage of Enriched Uranium Environmental 
Assessment (EA)

    This document addresses the expansion of interim storage capacity 
for enriched uranium at Oak Ridge. This interim storage will involve 
materials, quantities, and forms for which long-term storage and 
disposition will be implemented.

The Environmental Management PEIS

    This document addresses the programmatic level decisions for 
treatment, storage, and disposal of waste within the DOE complex. If 
any action to dispose of HEU results in a waste form, these waste forms 
will be treated, stored, and disposed of in accordance with the 
decisions resulting from the Environmental Management PEIS.

Other EISs and EAs

    Other environmental documents involving weapons-usable fissile 
materials are being, or will be, prepared as required, for the purpose 
of establishing the interim storage conditions for HEU. These other 
environmental documents include site-wide EISs and an EA on the 
disposition of HEU from the Republic of Kazahkstan.
Definitions
    As used in this Notice of an Amendment, the following definitions 
apply:
    Disposition is a process of use or disposal of material that 
results in the remaining material being converted to a form that is 
substantially and inherently more proliferation-resistant than the 
original form.
    Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) is uranium which has an isotopic 
content of uranium-235 of 20 percent or more.
    Low Enriched Uranium is uranium which has an isotopic content of 
uranium-235 of less than 20 percent. Most commercial reactor fuel is 
enriched to about 4 to 5 percent uranium-235.
    Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials refers to a specific set of 
nuclear materials that may be utilized in making a nuclear explosive or 
weapon. Weapons-usable fissile materials include uranium with uranium-
235 isotopic content of 20 percent or more, plutonium of any isotopic 
composition, and other isotopes such as uranium-233, and americium-241, 
which have been separated from spent nuclear fuel or irradiated 
targets. The term weapons-usable fissile materials does not include the 
fissile materials present in spent nuclear fuel or irradiated targets 
from reactors.

Invitation to Comment

    The DOE invites comments on the intention to prepare an EIS for the 
disposition of surplus HEU, including suggestions on significant 
environmental issues, from all interested parties, including affected 
Federal, State, and local agencies and Indian tribes. To ensure 
consideration of comments in the Draft EIS, written 
[[Page 17346]] comments must be postmarked by May 1, 1995. Late 
comments will be considered to the extent practical. Written comments 
should be sent to the Office of Fissile Materials Disposition at the 
address given above. Comments can also be provided via the Office of 
Fissile Materials Disposition's Electronic Bulletin Board. The bulletin 
board can be accessed via modem by dialing (800)-783-3349. Access to 
the bulletin board is also available via the Internet. The telnet 
address is telnet fedix.fie.com; the gopher space address is gopher to 
gopher.fie.com; the world wide web address is url=http://web.fie.com/.

    Signed in Washington, DC, this 29th day of March 1995, for the 
United States Department of Energy.
Tara O'Toole,
Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 95-8361 Filed 4-4-95; 8:45 am]
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