[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 23 (Friday, February 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3922-3923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2241]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for 
Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel From the K Basins at the Hanford Site, 
Richland, Washington

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.


[[Page 3923]]

ACTION: Notice of availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability 
of a Final EIS (FEIS) entitled ``Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel from 
the K Basins at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington,'' DOE/EIS-
0245F. The FEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of 
managing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) located in the K-East (KE) and K-West 
(KW) SNF storage basins at the Hanford Site located in southeastern 
Washington State. The FEIS was prepared in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969; 
the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing 
NEPA in 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508; and DOE's NEPA implementing procedures 
in 10 CFR Part 1021. The FEIS consists of the Draft EIS (DEIS) and an 
Addendum containing (1) public comments on the DEIS and DOE's responses 
to the comments, and (2) a compilation of errata.
    The FEIS has been filed with the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) and has also been distributed to interested members of the public 
and federal and state agencies. The FEIS will also be available for 
viewing by the public in the DOE public reading rooms and information 
repositories identified in this notice. DOE plans to issue a record of 
decision on the FEIS no sooner than 30 days after the publication of 
the notice of availability of the FEIS in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES AND FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for copies of the FEIS and 
further information on the FEIS should be directed to: Dr. Phillip G. 
Loscoe, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 550, M/S S7-41, Richland, 
Washington 99352. Dr. Loscoe may be contacted by telephone at (509) 
376-7434 or at (800) 321-2008. General information on the DOE NEPA 
process may be obtained from Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of 
NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, D.C. 20585. Ms. Borgstrom may be 
reached by telephone at (202) 586-4600 or by leaving a message at (800) 
472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    DOE issued a notice of availability and public hearing for the DEIS 
and the EPA published a notice of availability in the Federal Register 
on November 9, 1995 (60 FR 56581, 56590). The public comment period on 
the DEIS ended on December 29, 1995. One public hearing on the DEIS was 
held in Pasco, Washington on December 12, 1995. All written and oral 
public comments on the DEIS were assessed and considered by DOE both 
individually and collectively.
    Because there were no additional alternatives identified from the 
public and agency review process, DOE determined that an Addendum to 
the DEIS could be prepared in lieu of rewriting the DEIS. Comment 
letters, public hearing transcripts, the DOE responses to comments, and 
a compilation of errata are printed in the Addendum. The DEIS and the 
Addendum constitute the FEIS under the CEQ regulation at 40 CFR 
1503.4(c).
    Responses to some comments resulted in errata. Responses to other 
comments included answers to questions, explanations of technical 
issues, references to information in DOE's Programmatic SNF EIS (DOE/
EIS- 0203-F), references to the Draft EIS, explanations of the 
relationship of this EIS to other related DOE NEPA documents, 
statements of government policy, or indications that the comment was 
beyond the scope of this EIS.

Alternatives Considered

    The FEIS, like the DEIS, addresses the potential environmental 
impacts of alternative ways to provide for the safe management and 
storage of SNF currently stored in the Hanford K Basins. DOE's 
preferred alternative in the FEIS is the same as in the DEIS, i.e., 
drying/passivation (conditioning) of the SNF followed by dry vault 
storage. This alternative would provide for drying the SNF, placing it 
in multi-canister overpacks in an inert atmosphere, and storing it in a 
vault for up to 40 years. The FEIS compares the environmental impacts 
that would be expected to occur from continuing storage in the KE and 
KW basins (the no action alternative) with the consequences that would 
be expected to occur if DOE implemented the preferred alternative or 
one of five other alternatives. The five other alternatives are (1) an 
enhanced K Basin storage alternative under which SNF would be 
consolidated in the KW Basin; (2) removal of the SNF and subsequent 
storage in a new wet storage facility at Hanford; (3) removal of the 
SNF followed by calcination and dry storage at Hanford; (4) removal of 
the SNF followed by processing at Hanford and dry storage of the 
recovered uranium and plutonium at Hanford; and (5) removal of the SNF 
followed by foreign processing and dry storage of the recovered uranium 
and plutonium at Hanford.

Availability of Copies of the FEIS

    Copies of the FEIS have been distributed to federal, state, and 
local officials and agencies, organizations and individuals known to be 
interested in the EIS, and to persons and agencies that commented on 
the DEIS. Copies of the FEIS may be obtained by contacting Dr. Loscoe 
at the above address or telephone numbers.
    Copies of the FEIS, including reference materials, comment letters, 
public hearing transcripts, and the DOE responses to comments, will be 
available for public review at the DOE public reading rooms and 
information repositories listed below.
    (1) U.S. Department of Energy, Headquarters, Freedom of Information 
Public Reading Room, 1E-190 Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20585, (202) 586-6020, Monday-Friday 9:00 
a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
    (2) U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Public 
Reading Room, 100 Sprout Road, Room 130W, Richland, WA 99352, (509) 
376-8583, Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    (3) University of Washington, Suzzallo Library, Government 
Publications Room, Seattle, WA 98185, (206) 685-9855, Monday-Thursday 
9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    (4) Gonzaga University, Foley Center, East 502 Boone Avenue, 
Spokane, WA 99258, (509) 328-4220 ext. 3829, Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m. 
to midnight, Friday 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 
p.m., Sunday 11:00 a.m. to midnight.
    (5) Portland State University, Branford Price Millar Library, SW 
Harrison and Park, Portland, OR 97207, (503) 725-3690, Monday-Friday 
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Sunday 
11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
    (6) Nuclear and Mixed Waste Library, Washington State Department of 
Ecology, 300 Desmond Dr. S.E., Lacey, WA 98504, (360) 407-7097, Monday-
Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Potential users should call ahead to verify the open hours at the 
reading room of interest.

    Signed in Richland, WA this 25th day of January, 1996, for the 
United States Department of Energy.
John D. Wagoner,
Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office.
[FR Doc. 96-2241 Filed 2-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P