[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]
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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.
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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]
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