[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62244-62245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29578]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Plutonium Finishing 
Plant Stabilization, Hanford Site, Richland, Benton County, WA, Notice 
of Availability and Announcement of Public Hearing

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of 
the Plutonium Finishing Plant Stabilization Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DOE/EIS-0244-D). The Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, and its implementing regulations. The continued 
presence of relatively large quantities of chemically reactive 
materials in their present form and location within the Plutonium 
Finishing Plant (PFP) Facility poses an unacceptable long-term risk to 
workers, the public, and the environment. DOE has identified the need 
to expeditiously and safely reduce radiation exposure to workers and 
the risk to the public; reduce future resources to safely manage the 
Facility; and remove, stabilize, store, and manage plutonium, pending 
DOE's future use and disposition decisions.

DATES: DOE invites comments on the Draft PFP Stabilization EIS from all 
interested parties. Written comments or suggestions regarding the 
adequacy, accuracy, and completeness of the Draft EIS will be 
considered in preparing the Final EIS and should be submitted 
(postmarked) by January 16, 1996. Written comments received after that 
date will be considered to the degree practicable.
    DOE will also hold one public hearing at which agencies, 
organizations, and the general public will be invited to present oral 
comments or suggestions on the Draft EIS. Location, date, and time for 
the public hearing is provided in the section of this notice entitled 
``PUBLIC HEARING.'' Written and oral comments will be given equal 
weight and will be considered in preparing the Final EIS. Requests for 
copies of the Draft EIS or questions concerning the project should be 
sent to Mr. Ben F. Burton, DOE, at the address listed in the section of 
this notice entitled ADDRESSES.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the Draft EIS should be submitted 
(postmarked) by January 16, 1996, for incorporation into the public 
hearing record. Oral comments will be accepted at the public hearing. 
Written comments, requests to speak at the hearing, or questions 
concerning the PFP EIS should be directed to: Mr. Ben F. Burton, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Attn: PFP 
Stabilization EIS, P.O. Box 550, MSIN B1-42, Richland, Washington 
99352, (509) 946-3609, 1-800-249-8181.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on DOE's EIS 
process and other matters related to NEPA, please contact: Ms. Carol 
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 (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background, Purpose and Need for Agency Action

    In the late 1980s, a sudden halt in the production of weapons-grade 
plutonium froze the existing PFP Facility manufacturing pipeline in a 
state that was unsuited for long-term storage. On January 24, 1994, the 
Secretary of Energy commissioned a comprehensive assessment to identify 
and prioritize the environmental, safety, and health vulnerabilities 
that arise from the storage of plutonium in DOE facilities and 
determine which are the most dangerous and urgent. The DOE-wide 
assessment, commonly referred to as 

[[Page 62245]]
The Plutonium Vulnerability Study, identified 15 environmental, safety, 
and health vulnerabilities at the PFP Facility. These included storage 
of unstable forms of plutonium, a potential for criticality accidents, 
and seismic weaknesses. DOE has determined that a feasible alternative 
for resolution of the safety issues is removal of readily retrievable 
plutonium-bearing material in hold-up at the PFP Facility and 
stabilization of these and other plutonium-bearing materials at the PFP 
Facility through the following four treatment processes: (1) Ion 
exchange, vertical calcination and thermal stabilization of plutonium-
bearing solutions; (2) thermal stabilization of oxides, fluorides, and 
process residues in a continuous furnace; (3) repackaging of metals and 
alloys; and (4) pyrolysis of polycubes and combustibles.

Environmental Impact Statement Preparation

    The Draft EIS has been prepared in accordance with Section 
102(2)(C) of the NEPA, as implemented in regulations promulgated by the 
Council on Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 
Parts 1500-1508) and by DOE's Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part 
1021). The Draft EIS has been prepared to assess the potential impacts 
of both the proposed action, and reasonable alternatives to the 
proposed action, on the human and natural environment.
    A Notice of Intent (Notice) to prepare the PFP EIS and hold public 
scoping meetings in Spokane, Richland, and Bellevue, Washington, and 
Hood River and Portland, Oregon, was published by DOE in the Federal 
Register on October 27, 1994. A subsequent Notice was published by DOE 
in the Federal Register on November 23, 1994, announcing additional 
meetings in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. The Notice 
invited oral and written comments and suggestions on the proposed scope 
of the EIS, including environmental issues and alternatives, and 
invited public participation in the NEPA process. Overall, scoping 
comments were received that assisted in identifying major issues for 
subsequent in-depth analysis in the Draft EIS. As a result of the 
scoping process, an Implementation Plan for the PFP Stabilization EIS 
was developed to define the scope and provide further guidance for 
preparing the Draft EIS.
    The Draft EIS considers the proposed action, other reasonable 
alternatives, and the no action alternative.

Comment Procedures

Availability of Draft EIS

    Copies of the Draft PFP Stabilization EIS are being distributed to 
federal, state, tribal and local officials and agencies, as well as 
organizations and individuals known to be interested in or affected by 
the proposed project. Additional copies may be obtained by contacting 
Mr. Burton as provided in the section of this notice entitled 
ADDRESSES. Copies of the Draft PFP Stabilization EIS, including 
appendices and reference material will be available for public review 
at the locations listed below.

(1) U.S. Department of Energy, Headquarters, Freedom of Information 
Reading Room, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., 
Washington D.C. 20585, (202) 586-3142
(2) U.S. DOE Public Reading Room, 100 Sprout Road, Room 130 West, 
Richland, WA 99352, (509) 376-8583
(3) Government Publications, University of Washington Library, Box 
352900, Seattle, WA 98185-2900, (206) 543-1937
(4) Gonzaga University, Foley Center, East 502 Boone Avenue, Spokane, 
WA 99258, (509) 328-4220
(5) Portland State University, Branford Price Millar Library, SW 
Harrison and Park, Portland, OR 97207, (503) 725-3690

    You may also receive a copy of the Draft EIS by calling the PFP 
Stabilization EIS toll-free line at 1-800-249-8181.

Written Comment

    Interested parties are invited to provide comments to DOE on the 
content of the Draft EIS as indicated in the section of this notice 
entitled ADDRESSES. Comments submitted (postmarked) after January 16, 
1996, will be considered to the extent practicable.

Public Hearing

Procedures

    The public is invited to provide oral comments to DOE on the Draft 
EIS at the scheduled public hearing. Advance registration for the 
presentation of oral comments at the hearing will be accepted up to the 
day prior to the scheduled meeting by calling 1-800-249-8181 (prior to 
3:00 p.m. Pacific Time). Requests to speak at a specific time will be 
honored, if possible. Registrants are only allowed to register 
themselves to speak and must confirm the time they are scheduled to 
speak at the registration desk the day of the hearing. Persons who have 
not registered in advance may register to speak when they arrive at the 
hearing to the extent that time is available. To ensure that as many 
persons as possible have the opportunity to present comments, five 
minutes will be allotted to each speaker. Persons presenting comments 
at the hearing are requested to provide DOE with written copies of 
their comments at the hearing, if possible. Written comments sent by 
mail to the office listed in the ADDRESSES section above, must be 
submitted (postmarked) no later than January 16, 1996.

Hearing Schedule and Location

    A public hearing will be held at the following location, date and 
time:

Red Lion Inn--Pasco, 2525 N. 20th, Pasco, Washington 99301, (509) 547-
0701
Thursday, January 11, 1996, 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Conduct of Hearing

    DOE's rules and procedures for the orderly conduct of the hearing 
will be announced by the presiding officer at the start of the hearing. 
The hearing will not be of an adjudicatory or evidentiary nature. 
Speakers will not be cross-examined, although the presiding officer and 
the DOE hearing panel members will respond to comments and questions 
from the public. In addition, DOE representatives will be available to 
discuss the project in informal conversations. A transcript of the 
hearing will be prepared, and the entire record of the hearing, 
including the transcript, will be placed on file by DOE for inspection 
at the public locations given above in the ``COMMENT PROCEDURES'' 
section.

    Signed in Richland, WA this 21st day of November 1995, for the 
United States Department of Energy.
John D. Wagoner,
Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office.
[FR Doc. 95-29578 Filed 12-4-95; 8:45 am]
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