[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]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P