[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]



=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

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

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]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P