[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 180 (Thursday, September 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 49693]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24957]



[[Page 49693]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Revised Draft Request for Proposals for Waste 
Acceptance and Transportation Services

AGENCY: Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management U.S. Department 
of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability of revised draft request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: This Notice announces the availability, within the next two 
weeks, of a revised draft Request for Proposals (RFP), concerning the 
acquisition of commercial spent nuclear fuel acceptance and 
transportation services. The draft RFP was revised to reflect current 
Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) program plans, 
and to address a number of comments received from industry, utilities 
and other interested parties based on the draft RFP dated November 24, 
1997.

ADDRESSES: The revised draft will be available on the OCRWM Home Page 
at the INTERNET address http: //www.rw.doe.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contracting Officer (HR-542), U.S. 
Dept. of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20585

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OCRWM is responsible under NWPA, for 
accepting and transporting spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from commercial 
nuclear reactor sites to a federal facility for ultimate disposal. The 
Standard Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/ or High-Level 
Radioactive Waste (10 CFR part 961) details the arrangements between 
the Department of Energy (DOE) and the owners and generators of SNF 
(Purchasers) for the Department to accept the SNF at the Purchasers' 
sites for transport to a federal facility. Section 137(a)(2) of the 
NWPA requires the utilization of private industry to the ``fullest 
extent possible'' in the transportation of SNF.
    In May 1996, OCRWM published in the Federal Register (61 FR 26508) 
and the Commerce Business Daily, a Request for Expression of Interest 
and Comments on a previous draft Statement of Work for these services. 
In July 1996, comments were received from interested parties at a 
presolicitation conference. In December 1996, OCRWM issued a draft RFP 
that requested comments on all aspects of its proposed contracting 
approach embodied in that draft document. In February 1997, OCRWM held 
another presolicitation conference to receive additional comments and 
questions on the first draft RFP. In December 1997, OCRWM published in 
the Federal Register (62 FR 63700) and the Commerce Business Daily a 
Request for Comments on a revised draft RFP. Comments were received, 
reviewed and many were incorporated into the version noticed herein.
    The revised draft RFP noticed herein conforms to the plans and 
schedules in the recently released OCRWM Program Plan (Civilian 
Radioactive Waste Management Program Plan, Rev. 2, July 1998, DOE/RW-
0504). Under current plans, a licensed geologic repository could be 
operational and transportation services could begin in 2010. In the 
near-term the Program plans to focus its efforts on those activities 
necessary to reach a repository siting decision, and further work on 
this RFP will be deferred until the destination is determined and 
transportation preparation becomes a near-term objective. A siting 
decision is scheduled for FY 2001. When a siting decision has been 
made, the program may issue another draft RFP and/or seek additional 
comments. The Department of Energy is therefore not soliciting comments 
on this version of the draft RFP at this time.
    This Notice should not be construed as a commitment to issue any 
RFP concerning the subject of this Notice or a final RFP.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 1998.
Scott E. Sheffield,
Director, Program Services Division, Office of Headquarters Procurement 
Services.
[FR Doc. 98-24957 Filed 9-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P