[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 197 (Thursday, October 12, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53172-53173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25219]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Disposal of The S1C Prototype Reactor Plant

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Naval Reactors (Naval 
Reactors) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq., in accordance with the Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and 
the DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part 1021), and to conduct a public 
scoping meeting. This Environmental Impact Statement will address final 
disposal of the S1C Prototype reactor plant, located in Windsor, 
Connecticut. Naval Reactors is preparing this Environmental Impact 
Statement to focus on the potential for significant environmental 
impacts and to consider reasonable alternatives.
    The preferred alternative is prompt dismantlement of the S1C 
Prototype reactor plant and disposal of the resulting radioactive waste 
at a DOE radioactive waste disposal site. Naval Reactors also will 
evaluate a deferred dismantlement alternative, where the reactor plant 
would be maintained in protective storage for 30 years to allow most of 
the radioactivity in the reactor plant to decay before it is 
dismantled, and the ``no action'' alternative, where the reactor plant 
would be maintained in protective storage indefinitely.
    Naval Reactors also will examine several other alternatives. These 
alternatives include permanent on-site entombment or burial, and 
removal and offsite disposal as a single large reactor compartment 
package.
    Naval Reactors invites interested agencies, organizations, and the 
general public 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 addressed in the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement. The public also is invited to attend a scoping 
meeting in which oral comments and suggestions will be received. Oral 
and written comments will be considered equally in preparation of the 
Environmental Impact Statement. Those not desiring to submit comments 
or suggestions at this time, but who would like to receive a copy of 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for review when it is issued, 
should write to Mr. C.G. Overton at the address below. When the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement is complete, its availability will be 
announced in the Federal Register and in the local news media. A public 
hearing will be held, and comments will be solicited on this document.

DATES: Written comments postmarked by November 6, 1995 will be 
considered in preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. 
Comments postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent 
practicable. Oral and written comments will be received at a public 
scoping meeting to be held at the following location and time: Ramada 
Inn--Bradley, October 18, 1995, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., 5 Ella Grasso Turnpike, 
Windsor Locks, CT.
    The meeting will be chaired by a presiding officer but will not be 
conducted as an evidentiary hearing; speakers will not be cross 
examined although the presiding officer and Naval Reactors 
representatives present may ask clarifying questions. To ensure that 
everyone has an adequate opportunity to speak, five minutes will be 
allotted for each speaker. Depending on the number of persons 
requesting to speak, the presiding officer may allow more time for 
elected officials, or speakers representing multiple parties, or 
organizations. Persons wishing to speak on behalf of organizations 
should identify the organization. Persons wishing to speak may either 
notify Mr. Overton in writing at the address below or register at the 
meeting. As time permits, individuals who have spoken subject to the 
five minute rule will be afforded additional speaking time. Written 
comments also will be accepted at the meeting.

ADDRESSES: Written comments, suggestions on the scope of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement, or requests to speak at the public 
scoping meeting should be submitted to Mr. C.G. Overton, Chief, Windsor 
Field Office, Office of Naval Reactors, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. 
Box 393, Windsor, CT 06095; telephone (860) 687-5610.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The S1C Prototype reactor plant is located on the 10.8 acre Windsor 
Site in Windsor, Connecticut, approximately 5 miles north of Hartford. 
The S1C Prototype reactor plant first started operation in 1959 and 
served for more than 30 years as both a facility for testing reactor 
plant components and equipment and for training Naval personnel. As a 
result of the end of the Cold War and the downsizing of the Navy, the 
S1C Prototype reactor plant was shut down in 1993. Since then, the S1C 
Prototype reactor plant has been defueled, drained, and placed in a 
stable protective storage condition.

Preliminary Description of Alternatives

1. Preferred Alternative--Prompt Dismantlement

    Because the S1C Prototype reactor plant is the only activity at 
this small site and there is no further need for this plant, the 
preferred alternative is to 

[[Page 53173]]
proceed with prompt dismantlement of the S1C Prototype reactor plant. 
All structures would be removed from the Windsor Site, and the Site 
would be released for unrestricted use. To the extent practicable, the 
resulting low-level radioactive metals would be recycled at existing 
commercial facilities that recycle radioactive metals. The remaining 
low-level radioactive waste would be disposed of at the DOE Savannah 
River Site in South Carolina. The Savannah River Site currently 
receives low-level radioactive waste from Naval Reactors sites in the 
eastern United States. Both the volume and radioactive content of the 
S1C Prototype reactor plant waste would be within the range of impacts 
of low-level radioactive waste that is currently received at Savannah 
River from Naval Reactors sites. The DOE Hanford Site in Washington 
State also will be evaluated as an alternate disposal site for the low-
level radioactive waste.

2. Deferred Dismantlement

    This alternative would involve keeping the defueled S1C Prototype 
reactor plant in protective storage for 30 years before dismantling it. 
Deferring dismantlement for 30 years would allow nearly all of the 
cobalt-60 radioactivity to decay away. Nearly all of the gamma 
radiation within the reactor plant comes from cobalt-60.

3. No Action

    This alternative would involve keeping the defueled S1C Prototype 
reactor plant in protective storage indefinitely. Since there is some 
residual radioactivity with very long half lives such as nickel-59 in 
the defueled reactor plant, this alternative would leave this 
radioactivity at the Windsor Site indefinitely.

4. Other Alternatives

    These alternatives include permanent on-site disposal. Such onsite 
disposal could involve building an entombment structure over the S1C 
Prototype reactor plant or developing a below ground disposal area at 
the Windsor Site. Another alternative would be to remove the S1C 
Prototype reactor plant as a single large reactor compartment package 
for offsite disposal.

Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues

    The following issues, subject to consideration of comments received 
in response to public scoping, have been tentatively identified for 
analysis in the Environmental Impact Statement. This list is presented 
to facilitate public comment on the scope of the Environmental Impact 
Statement. It is not intended to be all inclusive nor is it intended to 
be a predetermination of impacts.
    1. Potential impacts to the public and on-site workers from 
radiological and non radiological releases caused by activities to be 
conducted within the context of the proposed action and alternatives.
    2. Potential environmental impacts, including air and water quality 
impacts, caused by the proposed action and alternatives.
    3. Potential transportation impacts as a result of the proposed 
action and alternatives.
    4. Potential effect on endangered species, floodplain/wetlands, and 
archeological/historical sites as a result of the proposed action and 
alternatives.
    5. Potential impacts from postulated accidents as a result of the 
proposed action and alternatives.
    6. Potential socioeconomic impacts to the surrounding communities 
as a result of implementing the proposed actions and alternatives.
    7. Potential cumulative impacts from the proposed action and other 
past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions.
    8. Potential irreversible and irretrievable commitment of 
resources.

    Issued at Arlington, VA this 29th day of September 1995.
B. DeMars,
Admiral, U.S. Navy, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
[FR Doc. 95-25219 Filed 10-11-95; 8:45 am]
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