[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 202 (Thursday, October 19, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54068-54069]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25949]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for 
the Proposed Interim Storage of Enriched Uranium at the Y-12 Plant, Oak 
Ridge, TN

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability--Finding of No Significant Impact.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of 
the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Environmental 
Assessment (EA), ``Proposed Interim Storage of Enriched Uranium Above 
the Maximum Historical Storage Level at the Y-12 Plant Oak Ridge, 
Tennessee'' (DOE/EA-0929), as modified in September 1995. After careful 
consideration of all comments received, and after consideration of the 
impact of transporting only three metric tons of low enriched uranium 
(LEU) as analyzed in the modification to the EA, the Department has 
determined that the receipt, prestorage processing, and interim storage 
at the Y-12 Plant of up to 506 metric tons of enriched uranium, 
including storage of up to 500 metric tons of highly enriched uranium 
(HEU) and 6 metric tons of LEU (3 metric tons more than is currently 
stored at the Y-12 Plant), does not constitute a major Federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within 
the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. 
Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required and 
the Department has issued a FONSI.

DATES: The EA (DOE/EA-0929), as modified, and FONSI were approved by 
DOE on September 14, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Questions regarding the EA and FONSI should be addressed to: 
Mr. William R. Lynch, U.S. Department of Energy, DP-24, 19901 
Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20585, (301) 903-3011.
    Copies of the EA and FONSI are available for public review at the 
following Department of Energy reading rooms:

U.S. Department of Energy, Freedom of Information Reading Room, 
Forrestal Building, Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, D.C. 20585, (202) 586-6020
U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Public Reading Room, 55 Jefferson 
Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, (615) 241-4780

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the Y-12 
project, 

[[Page 54069]]
interested parties may contact Mr. Lynch at the address and phone 
number above. For general information regarding 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 
Ave., SW., Washington DC 20585, (202) 586-4600 or 1-800-472-2756

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE prepared an EA for the ``Proposed 
Interim Storage of Enriched Uranium Above the Maximum Historical 
Storage Level at the Y-12 Plant Oak Ridge, Tennessee'' (DOE/EA-0929, 
September, 1994). The EA was prepared pursuant to NEPA (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). The 
EA evaluates the environmental effects of transportation, prestorage 
processing, and interim storage of bounding quantities of enriched 
uranium over a ten-year period. The bounding quantities of enriched 
uranium analyzed in the EA include the transportation of up to 7,102.9 
metric tons of LEU and about 100 metric tons of highly enriched uranium 
plus HEU shipments from the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas. The 
bounding quantities of enriched uranium analyzed for interim storage 
include the existing inventories (approximately 3 metric tons LEU and 
170 metric tons HEU) plus the bounding quantities that would be 
shipped. HEU placed in interim storage at the Y-12 Plant would not 
exceed 500 metric tons. Storage of HEU beyond this interim period is 
being addressed by the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials (DOE/
EIS-0229); the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0236); and the Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Disposition of Surplus Highly Enriched Uranium 
(DOE/EIS-0240), all of which are currently in preparation.
    A predecisional draft EA was first released to the State of 
Tennessee and the public in February 1994, followed by public meetings 
and workshops in March and April 1994. After careful consideration of 
all comments, DOE issued a revised pre-approval EA in September 1994 
followed by additional public meetings in December 1994 and March 1995. 
Additional comments were received and were carefully considered by DOE. 
Because the preapproval EA analyzed bounding quantities of enriched 
uranium as discussed above, an additional analysis was conducted in 
August 1995 to determine the potential impacts of the transportation of 
only three metric tons LEU. This analysis is attached to the FONSI, is 
incorporated into the EA, and refines the analysis in the pre-approval 
EA. As a result of this process, the Department decided that, in 
addition to its existing inventory (which includes approximately 3 
metric tons LEU), DOE will receive an additional 3 metric tons of LEU 
and up to a total of 500 metric tons HEU for interim storage of up to 
506 metric tons enriched uranium at the Y-12 Plant.
    Based on the public participation process, the analyses in the EA, 
the attachment to the FONSI, and after careful consideration of all 
comments received, DOE has determined that transportation, prestorage 
processing and interim storage at the Y-12 Plant of up to 506 metric 
tons of enriched uranium, including up to 500 metric tons of HEU and 6 
metric tons of LEU, does not constitute a major Federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within 
the meaning of NEPA. Therefore, an EIS is not required and the DOE 
approved the EA, as modified, and issued a FONSI on September 14, 1995.

    Signed in Washington, DC, this 12th day of October, 1995, for 
the United States Department of Energy.
Henry K. Garson,
Acting Associate Deputy Secretary for Facility Transition and Technical 
Support, Office of Defense Programs.
[FR Doc. 95-25949 Filed 10-18-95; 8:45 am]
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