[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42151-42152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-20083]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Cruiser, Ohio 
Class, and Los Angeles Class Naval Reactor Plants

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] and 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), the Department of the Navy has prepared and filed with the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for disposal of reactor plants from U.S. Navy cruisers, OHIO 
Class submarines and LOS ANGELES Class submarines. The Department of 
Energy is participating as a cooperating agency and may adopt the 
Environmental Impact Statement, if appropriate, to fulfill its 
environmental review obligations under NEPA.
    The Department of the Navy invites public comments on the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement and will hold public hearings on the 
document.

DATES: The public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement ends on October 10, 1995. Written comments regarding the 
document should be postmarked by this date to ensure consideration in 
preparation of the Final Environmental Impact Statement. Comments sent 
after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. Four 
public hearings (which will also serve as informational meetings), will 
be held on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: September 18 in 
Bremerton, Washington; September 19 in Portland, Oregon; September 20 
in Seattle, Washington; and September 21 in Richland, Washington. 
Locations for these meetings are identified below.

ADDRESSES: Addresses for the public meeting locations are provided 
below. Written comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 
requests for copies of the document, and requests for further 
information should be directed to Mr. John Gordon (Code 1160), Puget 
Sound Naval Shipyard, 1400 Farragut Avenue, Bremerton, Washington 
98314-5001, telephone (360)476-7111.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Scope of the Draft EIS

    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement analyzes the alternative 
ways for disposing of decommissioned, defueled, reactor compartments 
from U.S. Navy nuclear-powered cruisers (BAINBRIDGE, TRUXTUN, LONG 
BEACH, CALIFORNIA Class and VIRGINIA Class) and submarines (LOS ANGELES 
and OHIO Classes). The total number of reactor compartments in these 
classes is expected to be approximately 100. A disposal method for the 
defueled reactor compartment is needed when a nuclear-powered ship no 
longer has sufficient military value to justify its continued 
maintenance, or it is no longer needed. For disposal, the ship can be: 
(1) placed in protective storage for an extended period followed by 
permanent disposal or recycling; or (2) prepared for permanent disposal 
or recycling.
    The alternatives examined in detail in the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement are the preferred alternative--land burial of the 
entire defueled reactor compartment at the Department of Energy Low-
Level Waste Burial Grounds at Hanford, Washington; the no action 
alternative--protective waterborne storage for an indefinite period; 
disposal and reuse of subdivided portions of the reactor compartments; 
and indefinite storage above ground at Hanford.
    Several other alternatives are examined in limited detail. These 
alternatives include sea disposal; land disposal of entire reactor 
compartments at other sites; and permanent above ground disposal of 
entire defueled reactor compartments at Hanford.

Public Scoping Process

    On February 24, 1994 the Department of the Navy published a Notice 
of Intent (59 FR 8915) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Cruiser OHIO, and LOS ANGELES 
Class Naval Reactor Plants. Subsequently, the Navy held five public 
scoping meetings at the following locations:

Bremerton, Washington, March 10, 1994;
Richland, Washington, March 11, 1994;
Olympia, Washington, March 12, 1994;
Portland, Oregon, March 15, 1994; and
Portsmouth, Virginia, March 17, 1994.

    The Navy received oral and written comments from individuals and 
organizations during the scoping process. All of those comments were 
considered during preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement.

Background Information

    Navy reactor plants constructed prior to the USS LOS ANGELES (SSN 
688) (referred to as pre-LOS ANGELES Class submarines) share many 
common design characteristics with reactor plants from cruisers, OHIO 
Class submarines and LOS ANGELES Class submarines. Pre-LOS ANGELES 
Class submarine reactor compartments are currently being disposed of at 
the Department of Energy Hanford Site in Eastern Washington by the 
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, consistent with 
the Secretary of the Navy's 1984 Record of Decision on disposal of 
decommissioned, defueled Naval submarine reactor plants. This method of 
disposal is the preferred alternative for disposal of reactor 
compartments from cruisers, OHIO Class submarines and LOS ANGELES Class 
submarines because it has minimal environmental impacts and appears to 
be preferable from an environmental standpoint to other alternatives.
    Except for sea disposal, no new legislation or Congressional action 
would be required to implement any of these alternatives. In all of the 
alternatives considered in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
there would be no spent nuclear fuel left in the reactor compartments; 
all the spent nuclear fuel would be removed before disposal. Management 
of the naval spent nuclear fuel has been addressed in a separate 
Department of Energy Environmental Impact Statement. Nevertheless, 
there would be some other radioactive materials left within the reactor 
compartments, and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement evaluates 
disposal of these residual materials. Types of U.S. Navy nuclear-
powered ships that are not expected to be decommissioned in the next 20 
years (e.g., aircraft carriers, SEAWOLF Class submarines) are not 
included in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement

    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement has been distributed to 
various federal, state, and local government agencies, tribes, elected 
officials, and special interest groups. Requests for copies of the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement should be directed to the address 
listed above. In addition, copies of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement and comments received during scoping are 

[[Page 42152]]
also available for public inspection in the following libraries:

Kitsap County Public Library, Main Branch, 1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton, 
Washington, (360)377-7601
Public Reading Room for U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations 
Office, Washington State University, Tri-Cities, 100 Sprout Road, Room 
130 West, Richland, Washington, (509)376-8583
Suzallo Library, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 
(206)543-9158
Multnomah County Library, 801 Southwest 10th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 
(503)248-5234

Information Meetings and Public Hearings

    The Department of the Navy will hold public hearings to inform the 
public of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and to solicit 
comments. Hearings will be held at the following locations:

September 18, 1995, 7 pm-10 pm
    Bremerton, Washington, Bremerton High School, Performing Arts 
Center, 1500 13th St.
September 19, 1995, 7 pm-10 pm
    Portland, Oregon, Red Lion Inn, Jantzen Beach, 909 N. Hayden Island 
Dr.
September 20, 1995, 7 pm-10 pm
    Seattle, Washington, H.M. Jackson Fed. Bldg, 915 2nd Ave.
September 21, 1995, 7 pm-10 pm
    Richland, Washington, Shiloh Inn, Rivershore (O'Callahan's), 50 
Comstock

    The hearings will be conducted by the Navy. Federal, state, tribal 
and local agencies and interested parties are invited to attend or be 
represented at the hearings. All statements, both oral and written, 
will become part of the public record. Equal weight will be given to 
both oral and written comments.

    Dated: August 3, 1995.
Michael A. Waters,
LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-20083 Filed 8-14-95; 8:45 am]
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