[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 198 (Friday, October 13, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53347-53348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25325]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Safe Interim Storage of Hanford Tank Wastes Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Limited Reopening of Public Comment Period.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) is evaluating alternatives for 
managing safety issues related to high level radioactive waste tanks at 
the Hanford Site located near Richland, Washington. On August 5, 1994, 
the DOE announced the availability of the SIS Draft EIS (59 FR 40018, 
August 5, 1994). Public hearings to receive comments were conducted and 
public comments were received from August 1994 through July 1995. The 
intent of this notice is to notify the public of changes in the U.S. 
Department of Energy's Safe Interim Storage (SIS) Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) Preferred Alternative and to reopen the comment period 
for 21 days in order to solicit comments on the proposed changes. DOE 
is proposing to eliminate construction of up to 6 new high level 
radioactive waste tanks as part of the Preferred Alternative and to 
proceed with a Preferred Alternative which continues to support 
construction of the Replacement Cross Site Transfer System to 
facilitate transfers of waste from the 200 West Area to existing tanks 
in the 200 East Area.

DATES: Comments on construction of the Replacement Cross Site Transfer 
System, including additional comments on the analysis of potential 
impacts described in the Draft SIS EIS are invited from the public on 
or before November 3, 1995. Comments received during this period and in 
response to the Final EIS will be responded to in the SIS EIS Record of 
Decision.

CONTACT: General questions concerning the Hanford Tank Waste 
Remediation Program and or comments on this notice can be stated and 
recorded over the telephone during the comment period by calling the 
toll free telephone number at 1-800-321-2008 or (509) 372-2731, by 
Facsimile (509) 372-1215, or by Electronic-Mail at InterNet address 
``[email protected]'', or by writing to: Ms. Carolyn H. Haass, 
U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 550, MSIN S7-51, Richland, WA. 
99352.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the DOE 
NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office 
of NEPA Policy and Assistance, EH-42, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-4600 or 1-
800-472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 28, 1994, in a Notice of Intent 
published in the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Energy, DOE 
announced its intent to prepare an interim action Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to resolve safety issues associated with Watchlist 
tanks, the Safe Interim Storage (SIS) EIS, and the Tank Waste 
Remediation System (TWRS) EIS (59 FR 4052). Specifically, the SIS EIS 
considered alternatives for the resolution of near-term safely concerns 
related to Hydrogen gas generation in Watchlist tanks.
    The Proposed action is subject to National Environmental Protection 
Agency (NEPA) (10 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500) and the 
Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) (RCW 43.21C). DOE and 
Ecology signed a Memorandum of 

[[Page 53348]]
Understanding on February 15, 1994 to jointly prepare both EISs (MOU 
1994). The co-preparation of the EIS streamlines the environmental 
review process while ensuring compliance with applicable Federal and 
State laws, regulations and policies.
    The Draft SIS EIS, issued for public comment on July 22, 1994, 
evaluated a proposed action to construct up to six new tanks and 
associated infrastructure including a waste retrieval system (the 
Initial Tank Retrieval System), and a replacement waste transfer system 
(the Replacement Cross Site Transfer System) which would be required if 
dilution at a ratio of 3:1 was used to remedy the gas problem. The SIS 
EIS also evaluated a No Action Alternative which allowed continued 
operation of a mixer pump designed to regulate the release of the gas 
so that levels would not be flammable.
    Comments on the proposed action were received from August 1994 
through July 1995. Since issuance of the Draft SIS EIS, DOE obtained an 
independent assessment by Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL, 10105, 
September 1994) of the effectiveness of the mixer pump in 101-SY. The 
PNL report supported continued use of the mixer pump to stir the tanks 
waste, thus releasing Hydrogen gases at a more predictable and regular 
rate. This action has been determined to adequately mitigate the safety 
question regarding whether episodic releases or ``burps'' could be 
ignited and pose a risk for uncontrolled release of fission products. 
Accordingly, DOE now believes that through continued use of mixer pump, 
waste exhibiting gas release activity may continue to be safely stored 
in existing tanks and may not need to be removed and diluted prior to 
final treatment for disposal, therefore DOE may not have a need to 
build additional tanks in the near term.
    As a result of the success of these actions taken and in response 
to comments from the public regarding a pronounced preference to 
proceed with the clean up and to not build additional high level waste 
(HLW) storage tanks, the DOE has decided to propose a Preferred 
Alternative in the Final SIS EIS which does not include construction of 
new HLW storage tanks in the near term.
    However, DOE still has an on-going need to continue safe management 
of wastes in Hanford tanks in the interim or until such time as the 
TWRS EIS evaluates final waste treatment and disposal options. DOE has 
decided that the SIS EIS is an appropriate means for providing a NEPA 
review of the remaining Watchlist tank safety related requirements in 
the interim. The Final SIS EIS will therefore evaluate a Preferred 
Alternative which includes construction of a Replacement Cross Site 
Transfer System (RCSTS) to replace the existing Cross Site Transfer 
System (ECSTS), because continued safe management of tank waste in the 
near term will require the assured capability for waste to be safely 
and reliably transferred between tank farm areas. The Preferred 
Alternative, would provide the means needed to move wastes from the 200 
West area to the existing double-shell tanks (DSTs) located in 200 East 
area.
    The Final SIS EIS will analyze the following alternatives to 
support continued safe storage and tank farm waste management 
activities: construction of a Replacement Cross-Site Transfer System 
(RCSTS); alternative waste transport by rail; alternative waste 
transport by truck transport; and construction of two new tanks in 
either the 200 West or 200 East areas.

Need for Action

    Waste management of tank farms in the near term will require that 
DOE transfer waste in a reliable and compliant manner from the West 
side of the 200 area to the East side in order to safely manage waste 
and to expedite clean up of the Hanford Site. Part of that requirement 
is to remove salt well liquids (SWL) from older single-shell tanks 
(SSTs) and transfer to newer double-shell tanks (DSTs) to reduce the 
likelihood of liquid waste escaping from the corroded tanks into the 
environment. In the event of certain types of unsafe waste conditions, 
such as gas generation or tank leaks, DOE also may need to remove waste 
from one tank and place it in another tank. No additional waste is 
permitted to be added to SSTs, and most of the newer DSTs are located 
on the East side of the 200 area, necessitating waste transfers from 
West to East Areas. Additional requirements for safe management of tank 
wastes during the interim period prior to the TWRS EIS ROD could 
include retrieval of 102-SY solids, such that tank 102-SY could stage 
both organic and inorganic SWL for transfer.
    The existing cross-site transfer system (ECSTS) is only partially 
usable, given that 4 of the 6 lines are either plugged or failed, and 
the other 2 lines may or may not prove usable after pressure testing. 
Recently a single line was tested and approximately 435,000 gallons of 
supernatant was transferred from Tank 102-SY in the 200 West Area, to a 
DST in the 200 East Area. However, the continuing viability of these 
lines is uncertain and cannot be relied upon. In addition, the ECSTS 
was built prior to environmental protection requirements implemented by 
the Environmental Protection Agency under the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act (RCRA), 40 CFR 264.193, which requires double containment 
and leak detection capabilities for all hazardous waste tanks and 
ancillary equipment (e.g., piping). The ECSTS lines are also not 
compliant with the Washington State Dangerous Waste Regulations, WAC 
173-303-640, which is the State requirement for double containment and 
leak detection capability. By mutual agreement between RL and Ecology, 
a limited amount of Salt Well Liquid may be transferred, until such 
time as RL implements a replacement waste transfer system. At present, 
waste containing solids may not be transferred via the ECSTS due to the 
likelihood of plugging the old lines.
    DOE believes that continued safe management of wastes is supported 
in this Interim Action EIS, while the final treatment and disposal 
options are being evaluated in the TWRS EIS. The RCSTS will not 
prejudice consideration of any of the alternatives being evaluated in 
the TWRS EIS, as the ability to transfer liquids between tanks and 
areas is necessary even under a No Action alternative.
    The public is invited to comment on the change in the Preferred 
Alternative pursuant to this notice for a period of 21 days. Comments 
received during this period and in response to the Final EIS will be 
responded to in the Record of Decision.

    Issued in Richland, Washington this 5th day of October, 1995, 
for the United States Department of Energy.
Susan Brechbill,
Acting Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office.
[FR Doc. 95-25325 Filed 10-12 -95; 8:45am]
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