[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 26, 1997)] [Notices] [Pages 63138-63139] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 97-31073] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Disposal of the S3G and D1G Prototype Reactor Plants AGENCY: Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Naval Reactors (Naval Reactors) has published the Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Disposal of the S3G and D1G Prototype Reactor Plants. The Final Environmental Impact Statement was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969; Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500- 1508); and DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part 1021). The Final Environmental Impact Statement and its supporting references are available to the public at the Saratoga Springs Public Library in Saratoga Springs and the Schenectady County Public Library in Schenectady, New York. The Final Environmental Impact Statement is also available by mail upon request. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants are located on the Kesselring Site near 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 of U.S. Navy personnel. As a result of the end of the Cold War and the downsizing of the Navy, the S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants were shut down in May 1991 and March 1996, respectively. Since then, the S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants have been defueled and placed in a safe and stable protective storage condition. The Kesselring Site will not be released for other uses in the foreseeable future since two active prototype reactor plants continue to operate to perform training of U.S. Navy personnel and testing of naval nuclear propulsion plant equipment. Alternatives Considered 1. Prompt Dismantlement--Preferred Alternative The Final Environmental Impact Statement identifies prompt dismantlement as the preferred alternative. If selected, this alternative would be subject to the availability of appropriated funding. This alternative would involve the prompt dismantlement of the S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants. All S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plant systems, components and 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. 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 are included in the Savannah River Site Waste Management Final Environmental Impact Statement, dated July 1995. For the purposes of providing an upper bound in transportation related risk analyses, transportation of low-level radioactive waste to the Hanford Site in Washington State is also evaluated. There are no current plans to ship low-level radioactive wastes from S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plant dismantlement activities to the Hanford Site. In the event that shipment of these wastes to Hanford Site becomes necessary, waste disposal plans and activities would comply with all applicable State and Federal statutes and regulations. [[Page 63139]] 2. Deferred Dismantlement The deferred dismantlement 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. Nearly all of the gamma radiation within the reactor plant comes from cobalt- 60. The very small amount of longer-lived radioisotopes, such as nickel-59, would remain and would have to be addressed during dismantlement. 3. No Action The no action alternative would involve keeping the defueled S3G and D1G Prototype reactor plants in protective storage indefinitely. Since there is some residual radioactivity with long half-lives, such as nickel-59, in the defueled reactor plant, this alternative would leave some radioactivity at the Kesselring Site indefinitely. 4. Other Alternatives Considered The other alternatives considered include permanent on-site disposal. Such on-site 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. Each of these alternatives was considered but eliminated from detailed analysis. Public Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement Naval Reactors held a public hearing with two sessions on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement in Milton, New York on August 13, 1997. Comments from 14 individuals and agencies were received in either oral or written statements at the hearing or in comment letters. Approximately one-third of the commenters expressed a preference for the preferred alternative, prompt dismantlement. Two commenters favored the deferred dismantlement alternative and the remaining commenters expressed no specific preference for any of the alternatives. Public comments resulted in only minor clarifications in the Final Environmental Impact Statement. Based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, EPA rated the proposed project as ``LO'' (Lack of Objection). All of the comments and Naval Reactors'' responses are included in an appendix to the Final Environmental Impact Statement. Preferred Alternative Naval Reactors has identified the prompt dismantlement alternative as the preferred alternative since it is consistent with the Naval Reactors' record of managing waste efficiently and minimizing its generation. Prompt dismantlement would allow Naval Reactors to utilize an experienced work force that is presently located at the Kesselring Site. Prompt dismantlement could be accomplished safely, economically, and with a high degree of certainty that the environmental impacts would be small. Availability of Copies of the Final Environmental Impact Statement The Final Environmental Impact Statement has been distributed to interested Federal, State, and local agencies, and to individuals who have expressed interest. Copies of the Final Environmental Impact Statement and its supporting references are available for review at the Saratoga Springs Public Library at 49 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, and at the Schenectady County Public Library at 99 Clinton Street, Schenectady, NY 12301. Requests for copies of the Final Environmental Impact Statement should be directed to Mr. A. S. Baitinger, Chief West Milton Field Office, Office of Naval Reactors, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 1069, Schenectady, NY 12301; telephone (518) 884-1234. Issued at Arlington, VA this 18th day of November 1997. F. L. Bowman, Admiral, U.S. Navy Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. [FR Doc. 97-31073 Filed 11-25-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P