[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 21, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43233-43234]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21271]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
Disposal of the S3G and D1G Prototype Reactor Plants
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Naval Reactors (Naval
Reactors) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq., in accordance with the Council on Environmental
Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and
the DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part 1021), and to conduct a public
scoping meeting. This Environmental Impact Statement will address final
disposal of the S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants, located in West
Milton, New York. Naval Reactors is preparing this Environmental Impact
Statement to focus on the potential for significant environmental
impacts and to consider reasonable alternatives.
Naval Reactors invites interested agencies, organizations, and the
general public to submit written comments or suggestions concerning the
scope of the issues to be addressed, alternatives to be analyzed, and
the environmental impacts to be addressed in the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement. The public also is invited to attend a scoping
meeting in which oral comments and suggestions will be received. Oral
and written comments will be considered equally in preparation of the
Environmental Impact Statement. Those not desiring to submit comments
or suggestions at this time, but who would like to receive a copy of
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for review when it is issued,
should write to Mr. A. S. Baitinger at the address below. When the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement is complete, its availability will
be announced in the Federal Register and in the local news media. A
public hearing will be held, and comments will be solicited on this
document.
DATES: Written comments postmarked by September 23, 1996 will be
considered in preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Comments postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent
practicable. Oral and written comments will be received at a public
scoping meeting to be held September 10, 1996 at the Town of Milton
Community Center at the address listed below.
ADDRESSES: Written comments, suggestions on the scope of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement, or requests to speak at the public
scoping meeting should be submitted to Mr. A. S. Baitinger, Chief, West
Milton Field Office, Office of Naval Reactors, U.S. Department of
Energy, P.O. Box 1069, Schenectaday, New York 12301; telephone (518)
884-1234. The public scoping meeting will be held at 7 pm on September
10, 1996 at the Town of Milton Community Center, 310 Northline Road,
Balston Spa, New York.
[[Page 43234]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants are located on the
Kesselring Site in West Milton, New York, approximately 17 miles north
of Schenectady. The S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants first started
operation in 1958 and 1962 respectively, and served for more than 30
years as facilities for testing reactor plant components and equipment
and for training Naval personnel. As a result of the end of the Cold
War and the downsizing of the Navy, the S3G Prototype reactor plant was
shut down in 1991 and has been defueled, drained, and placed in a
stable protective storage condition. The D1G Prototype reactor plant
was shut down in March 1996 and is currently undergoing defueling.
Preliminary Description of Alternatives
1. Prompt Dismantlement
This alternative would involve the prompt dismantlement of the
reactor plants. All S3G and D1G reactor plant systems, components and
prototype structures would be removed from the Kesselring Site. To the
extent practicable, the resulting low-level radioactive metals would be
recycled at existing commercial facilities that recycle radioactive
metals. The remaining low-level radioactive waste would be disposed of
at the DOE Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The Savannah River
Site currently receives low-level radioactive waste from Naval Reactors
sites in the eastern United States. Both the volume and radioactive
content of the S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plant low-level waste fall
within the projections of Naval Reactors waste provided to the Savannah
River Site, which in turn are included in the Savannah River Site Waste
Management Final Environmental Impact Statement dated July 1995.
Transportation of low-level radioactive waste to the DOE Hanford Site
in Washington State will also be evaluated.
2. Deferred Dismantlement
This alternative would involve keeping the defueled S3G and D1G
Prototype reactor plants in protective storage for 30 years before
dismantlement. Deferring dismantlement for 30 years would allow nearly
all of the cobalt-60 radioactivity to decay away. Nearly all of the
gamma radiation within the reactor plant comes from cobalt-60.
3. No Action
This alternative would involve keeping the defueled S3G and D1G
Prototype reactor plants in a protective storage indefinitely. Since
there is some residual radioactivity with very long half lives such as
nickel-59 in the defueled reactor plants, this alternative would leave
this radioactivity at the Kesselring Site indefinitely.
4. Other Alternatives
Other alternatives include permanent on-site disposal. Such onsite
disposal could involve building an entombment structure over the S3G
and D1G Prototype reactor plants or developing a below ground disposal
area at the Kesselring Site. Another alternative would be to remove the
S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants as two large reactor compartment
packages for offsite disposal.
Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues
The following issues, subject to consideration of comments received
in response to public scoping, have been tentatively identified for
analysis in the Environmental Impact Statement. This list is presented
to facilitate public comment on the scope of the Environmental Impact
Statement. It is not intended to be all inclusive nor is it intended to
be a predetermination of impacts.
1. Potential impacts to the public and on-site workers from
radiological and non radiological releases caused by activities to be
conducted within the context of the proposed action and alternatives.
2. Potential environmental impacts, including air and water quality
impacts, caused by the proposed action and alternatives.
3. Potential transportation impacts as a result of the proposed
action and alternatives.
4. Potential effect on endangered species, floodplain/wetlands, and
archeological/historical sites as a result of the proposed action and
alternatives.
5. Potential impacts from postulated accidents as a result of the
proposed action and alternatives.
6. Potential socioeconomic impacts to the surrounding communities
as a result of implementing the proposed actions and alternatives.
7. Potential cumulative impacts from the proposed action and other
past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions.
8. Potential irreversible and irretrievable commitment of
resources.
Public Scoping Meeting
The public scoping meeting will be chaired by a presiding officer
but will not be conducted as an evidentiary hearing; speakers will not
be cross examined although the presiding officer and Naval Reactors
representatives present may ask clarifying questions. To ensure that
everyone has an adequate opportunity to speak, five minutes will be
allotted for each speaker. Depending on the number of persons
requesting to speak, the presiding officer may allow more time for
elected officials, or speakers representing multiple parties, or
organizations. Persons wishing to speak on behalf of organizations
should identify the organization. Persons wishing to speak may either
notify Mr. Baitinger in writing at the address provided above or
register at the meeting. As time permits, individuals who have spoken
subject to the five minute rule will be afforded additional speaking
time. Written comments also will be accepted at the meeting.
Issued at Arlington, VA this 13th day of August 1996.
B. DeMars,
Admiral, U.S. Navy, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
[FR Doc. 96-21271 Filed 8-20-96; 8:45 am]
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