[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 23 (Friday, February 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 3922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2242]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Electrometallurgical Treatment Research and Demonstration Project
in the Fuel Conditioning Facility at Argonne National Laboratory-West
Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment and Notice of Public
Meetings
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability and public meetings.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of
the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Electrometallurgical
Treatment Research and Demonstration Project in the Fuel Conditioning
Facility at Argonne National Laboratory-West. DOE also announces the
dates, times, and locations for public meetings on the Draft EA. The
proposed project would be conducted at the Fuel Conditioning Facility
at Argonne National Laboratory- West (ANL-W) near Idaho Falls, Idaho,
to demonstrate the feasibility of an advanced spent fuel treatment
technology using a small quantity of spent nuclear fuel from the
Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), which is also located at the
ANL-W site. The purpose of the proposed project would be to assess the
reliability and performance of the facility and the process equipment
and provide information on the characteristics of the waste forms
resulting from the treatment of the fuel.
DATES: Written and oral comments on the Draft EA are invited from the
public and other interested parties and organizations. DOE will
consider the comments in preparing the final version of the EA. The
public comment period will begin on February 5, 1996, and end on March
22, 1996. Written comments should be postmarked by March 22, 1996, to
ensure consideration; comments postmarked after that date will be
considered to the extent practicable. Public meetings on the Draft EA
will be held as follows:
Idaho Falls, Idaho--February 21, 1996, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00
p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the Shilo Inn, 780 Lindsay Boulevard
Washington, D.C.--February 27, 1996, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Loew's
L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Ballroom D, 480 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
The meetings will provide opportunities for the submittal of oral
and written comments as well as for information exchange and
discussion.
ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Draft EA, written comments on the
Draft EA, or other matters regarding this environmental review should
be addressed to: Mr. Greg Bass, NEPA Document Manager, Argonne Group-
West, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 2528, Idaho Falls, ID 83403.
Mr. Bass may be contacted by telephone at (208) 533-7184 and facsimile
at (208) 533-7422.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the DOE
NEPA process, contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA
Policy and Assistance, EH-42, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20585. Ms. Borgstrom may be
contacted by leaving a message at (800) 472-2756 or by calling (202)
586-4600. For general information on the Electrometallurgical Treatment
Research and Demonstration Project, contact: Mr. Robert G. Lange,
Associate Director, Office of Facilities, NE-40, U.S. Department of
Energy, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874. Mr. Lange may be
contacted by calling (301) 903-2915.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE is preparing an environmental assessment
to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of a proposal to
conduct research and demonstration at the Argonne National Laboratory-
West (ANL-W) of electrometallurgical technology for the treatment of
sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel. Without some form of treatment,
sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel is unlikely to be suitable for
disposal in a geologic repository because the fuel is saturated with
sodium, a reactive material. Electrometallurgical treatment of the fuel
is expected to stabilize the reactive metallic sodium by converting it
to common table salt (i.e., sodium chloride) and allow the fission
products to be collected, concentrated, and stabilized together with
the transuranic elements for disposal.
The proposed research and demonstration project would be conducted
in the Fuel Conditioning Facility at the ANL-W site near Idaho Falls,
Idaho. A small quantity of Experimental Breeder Reactorr-II (EBR-II)
spent nuclear fuel consisting of both driver fuel (highly-enriched
uranium fuel that was located in the center of the reactor core to
power the reactor) and blanket assemblies (depleted uranium fuel that
was located around the periphery of the core to provide shielding for
the reactor vessel) would be treated to determine whether
electrometallurgical treatment is a feasible management option for
sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel. The proposed project would also
assess the reliability and performance of the facility and the process
equipment and provide needed information about the waste forms
predicted to result from the treatment of the fuel. To achieve these
objectives, up to 100 EBR-II spent fuel driver assemblies and 25
irradiated blanket assemblies may be treated.
DOE will distribute copies of the Draft EA to interested members of
the public, Congressional members and committees, the State of Idaho,
American Indian tribal governments, local county governments, other
Federal agencies, and other interested organizations.
Signed in Washington, D.C., this 25th day of January, 1996, for
the United States Department of Energy.
Terry R. Lash,
Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 96-2242 Filed 2-1-96; 8:45 am]
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