[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 3 (Monday, January 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 741-742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-169]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Environmental Policy Act Record of Decision for the 
Disposal of the S1C Prototype Reactor Plant

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Record of decision.

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SUMMARY: This Record of Decision has been prepared on the proposed 
disposal

[[Page 742]]

of the defueled S1C Prototype reactor plant, located in Windsor, 
Connecticut, pursuant to Section 102(2) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and in accordance 
with the Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing NEPA 
procedures (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and Department of Energy 
regulations implementing NEPA procedures (10 CFR part 1021). The 
Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Naval Reactors (Naval Reactors) 
has decided to promptly dismantle the defueled S1C Prototype reactor 
plant. To the extent practical, the resulting low-level radioactive 
metals will be recycled at existing commercial facilities that recycle 
radioactive metals. The remaining low-level radioactive wastes will be 
disposed of at the Department of Energy Savannah River Site in South 
Carolina.
    Requests for further information should be directed to Mr. 
Christopher G. Overton, Chief, Windsor Field Office, Office of Naval 
Reactors, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 393, Windsor, CT 06095, 
telephone (860) 687-5610.

Supplementary Information: The S1C Prototype reactor plant is located 
on the 10.8-acre Windsor Site in Windsor, Connecticut, approximately 5 
miles north of Hartford. As a result of the end of the Cold War and the 
downsizing of the Navy, the S1C Prototype reactor plant was permanently 
shut down in March 1993. Removal of the spent nuclear fuel from the S1C 
Prototype reactor was completed in February 1995. After defueling, S1C 
Prototype reactor plant systems were drained and placed in a stable 
protective storage condition. Since the S1C Prototype reactor plant is 
the only activity at this small site and there is no further need for 
this plant, a decision is needed on its disposal.
    The alternatives analyzed in detail in the Final Environmental 
Impact Statement were the preferred alternative of prompt 
dismantlement, a deferred dismantlement alternative, and a ``no 
action'' alternative of keeping the defueled S1C Prototype reactor 
plant in protective storage indefinitely.
    The alternative that DOE is selecting, the preferred alternative, 
involves the prompt dismantlement of the reactor plant. All structures 
will be removed from the Windsor Site, and the Windsor Site will be 
released for unrestricted use. To the extent practical, the resulting 
low-level radioactive metals will be recycled at existing commercial 
facilities that recycle radioactive metals. The remaining low-level 
radioactive waste will be disposed of at the DOE Savannah River Site in 
South Carolina. There will be an estimated total of twenty-three 
radioactive material shipments to the Savannah River Site and to 
commercial recycling facilities. One or two of the shipments to the 
Savannah River Site will be by rail and the remainder of the 
radioactive material shipments will be by truck. 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 S1C Prototype reactor plant low-level waste fall within 
the projections of Naval Reactors waste provided to the Savannah River 
Site, which were included and analyzed in the Savannah River Site Waste 
Management Final Environmental Impact Statement dated July 1995.
    The deferred dismantlement alternative would involve keeping the 
defueled S1C Prototype reactor plant in protective storage for 30 years 
before dismantling it. Deferring dismantlement for 30 years would allow 
nearly all of the gamma radiation within the reactor plant to decay 
away.
    The ``no action'' alternative would involve keeping the defueled 
S1C Prototype reactor plant in protective storage indefinitely. This 
alternative would leave long-lived radioactivity at the Windsor Site 
indefinitely.
    Naval Reactors distributed the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
on the S1C Prototype Reactor Plant Disposal in June 1996. Comments from 
28 individuals and agencies were received in either oral or written 
statements at a public hearing or in letters. Nearly all of the 
commenters expressed a preference for the prompt dismantlement 
alternative. The Final Environmental Impact Statement, which includes 
responses to public comments, has been issued and distributed to 
interested parties.
    From an environmental perspective, no single alternative stands out 
as the environmentally preferred alternative. The no action alternative 
is the least preferable since it would leave long-lived radioactivity 
at the Windsor Site indefinitely and does not provide for eventual re-
use of the Windsor Site. Regarding prompt dismantlement and deferred 
dismantlement, neither alternative stands out in this comparison, and 
neither is considered on balance to be environmentally preferred. 
Deferred dismantlement has the advantage of lower occupational 
radiation exposure while still providing for eventual unrestricted 
release of the Windsor Site. Prompt dismantlement has the advantage of 
not requiring long term commitment of the land for surveillance and 
maintenance of the S1C Prototype reactor plant. The occupational 
radiation exposure associated with the prompt dismantlement alternative 
is comparable in magnitude to the radiation exposure routinely received 
during operation and maintenance of Naval prototype reactors. Also, the 
impacts associated with the prompt dismantlement alternative have a 
higher degree of certainty than those associated with actions thirty 
years in the future. Since prompt dismantlement will result in 
unrestricted release of the Windsor Site at the earliest time with 
little occupational exposure risk to the workers, and given that the 
impacts associated with prompt dismantlement have a higher degree of 
certainty, Naval Reactors has decided to proceed with the preferred 
alternative of prompt dismantlement.
    As discussed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, Naval 
Reactors implements a large number of conservative engineering 
practices in its operations. These conservative engineering practices 
will serve to assure that environmental impacts will be very small. No 
additional mitigative measures have been identified which are needed to 
further reduce the small impacts which were described in the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement. Accordingly, all practicable means to 
avoid or minimize environmental harm from the preferred alternative 
have been adopted.

    Issued at Arlington, VA this 30th day of December 1996.
F.L. Bowman,
Admiral, U.S. Navy, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
[FR Doc. 97-169 Filed 1-3-97; 8:45 am]
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