[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13179-13183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6481]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS); Oak Ridge Y-12 
Plant

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), DOE 
announces its intent to prepare a Site-Wide Environmental Impact 
Statement (SWEIS) for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12), DOE's primary 
site for enriched uranium operations and storage related to the 
nation's nuclear weapons program. The SWEIS will analyze current levels 
of Y-12 operations and foreseeable new operations and facilities for 
approximately the next ten years. The alternatives to be analyzed in 
the SWEIS include: an extensive upgrade/retrofit of existing processes 
and facilities; construction of new facilities to replace existing 
processes and facilities; a combination of upgrades of existing 
processes and facilities and new construction; and the No Action 
alternative. The No Action alternative is to continue current facility 
operations throughout Y-12 in support of assigned missions. There is no 
preferred alternative at this time. The purpose of this notice is to 
invite public participation in the process and to encourage public 
dialogue on the alternatives that should be considered.

DATES: The DOE invites other federal agencies; state, local and tribal 
governments; and the general public to comment on the scope of this 
SWEIS. The public scoping period starts with the publication of this 
Notice in the Federal Register and will continue until May 17, 1999. 
DOE will consider all comments received or postmarked by that date in 
defining the scope of this SWEIS. Comments received or postmarked after 
that date will be considered to the extent practicable. Public scoping 
meetings will be held in the Oak Ridge area and their dates, times, and 
locations will be published in local newspapers and other appropriate 
media.
    The DOE is requesting, by separate correspondence and this Notice, 
that federal and state government agencies desiring to be designated as 
cooperating

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agencies on the Y-12 SWEIS inform DOE by April 30, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or suggestions to assist the DOE in 
identifying the appropriate scope of the Y-12 SWEIS should be directed 
to: Gary S. Hartman, SWEIS Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Oak Ridge Operations Office, Post Office Box 2001, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 
37831, or by facsimile at (423) 576-1237, or by E-Mail at 
[email protected].
    For general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact: 
Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance, EH-
42, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 
D.C. 20585.
    Ms. Borgstrom can also be reached at (202) 586-4600, or by leaving 
a message at 1-800-472-2756.
    Additional information regarding DOE NEPA activities and access to 
many NEPA documents is available on the Internet through the NEPA Home 
Page at http://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The DOE is the federal agency responsible for providing the nation 
with nuclear weapons and ensuring that those weapons remain safe and 
reliable. As one of the DOE major production facilities, Y-12 has been 
DOE's primary site for enriched uranium processing and storage, and one 
of the primary manufacturing facilities for maintaining the U.S. 
nuclear weapons stockpile. Y-12 is located on the Oak Ridge Reservation 
(ORR), approximately 40 km (25 mi) west of Knoxville, Tennessee. For 
purposes of the SWEIS, the Y-12 Site is defined as approximately 5,000 
acres of the 34,516 acre ORR, bounded by the DOE Boundary and Pine 
Ridge to the north, Scarboro Road to the east, Bethel Valley Road to 
the south, west to Mount Vernon Road, and then extending west down Bear 
Creek Valley to the security fence-line near the Roane/Anderson County 
boundary. Y-12 has a current annual budget of approximately $460 
million and houses approximately 5,000 employees on site.
    Nondefense-related activities at the Y-12 Plant include 
environmental monitoring, remediation, and deactivation and 
decontamination activities of the Environmental Management Program; 
management of waste materials from past and current operations; 
research activities operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory; 
support of other federal agencies through the Work-for-Others Program; 
and the transfer of highly specialized technologies to support the 
capabilities of the U.S. industrial base.
    In response to the end of the Cold War and changes in the world's 
political regimes, the emphasis of the U.S. weapons program has shifted 
dramatically over the past few years from developing and producing new 
weapons to dismantlement and maintenance of a smaller, enduring 
stockpile. Even with these significant changes, however, DOE 
responsibilities for the nuclear weapons stockpile continue, and the 
President and Congress have directed DOE to continue to maintain the 
safety and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile.
    In order to meet the challenges of the post-Cold War era, DOE has 
prepared several Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEISs) 
to determine how best to carry out its national security requirements. 
The Stockpile Stewardship and Management PEIS (SSM PEIS, DOE/EIS-0236), 
which was completed in September 1996, evaluated alternatives for 
maintaining the safety and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile 
without underground nuclear testing or production of new-design 
weapons. The Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Material 
PEIS (S&D PEIS, DOE/EIS-0229), which was completed in December 1996, 
evaluated alternatives for the long-term storage of fissile material, 
and the disposition of surplus fissile material. The Records of 
Decision (RODs) from these two PEISs form a starting point for the 
scope of actions that are contemplated in this Y-12 SWEIS.
    In the SSM PEIS ROD, DOE decided to maintain the national security 
missions at Y-12, but to downsize the plant consistent with reduced 
requirements. These national security missions include: (1) maintaining 
the capability to fabricate uranium and lithium components and parts 
for nuclear weapons, (2) evaluating components and subsystems returned 
from the stockpile, (3) storing enriched uranium that is designated for 
national security purposes (also referred to as non-surplus enriched 
uranium), (4) storing depleted uranium and lithium materials and parts, 
(5) dismantling nuclear weapon secondaries returned from the stockpile, 
(6) processing uranium (which includes chemical recovery, purification, 
and conversion of enriched uranium to a form suitable for long-term 
storage and/or further use), and (7) providing support to weapons 
laboratories. In the S&D PEIS ROD, DOE decided that Y-12 would also 
store surplus enriched uranium pending disposition.
    The DOE NEPA strategy for both the SSM and the S&D programs 
consists of multiple phases. The first phase was to prepare PEISs (now 
completed) to support program-wide decisions. In the second phase, DOE 
would prepare any necessary site-wide and/or project-specific NEPA 
documents required to implement any programmatic decisions. This Y-12 
SWEIS is the next step for DOE's NEPA strategy for the Y-12 Plant. As 
such, the proposals in this NOI are consistent with previous decisions 
of the DOE in the PEIS RODs to downsize the Y-12 Plant and store non-
surplus and surplus enriched uranium. As described in the 
``alternatives'' section of this NOI, DOE is proposing several 
different approaches to carrying out these missions.
    Public scoping meetings held in the Oak Ridge area will facilitate 
dialogue between DOE and the public and provide an opportunity for 
individuals to provide written or oral statements. In addition to 
providing comments at the public scoping meetings, all interested 
parties are invited to record their comments, ask questions concerning 
the Y-12 SWEIS, request time to speak, request assistance for special 
needs at the public meetings (e.g., an interpreter for the hearing 
impaired or special access), or request to be placed on the Y-12 SWEIS 
mailing or document distribution list. This may be done by contacting 
the SWEIS Document Manager at the address given above.

Proposed Action

    DOE proposes to continue to provide the capability and capacity to 
maintain the nation's stockpile, in support of the U.S. Nuclear Weapons 
Program. Further, DOE proposes to continue the processing and storage 
of enriched and depleted uranium, lithium compounds, and other 
materials; and the manufacturing and assembly/disassembly mission 
assigned to the Y-12 Plant in the safest and most efficient manner 
practicable. The SWEIS will provide a baseline of impacts associated 
with current activities, analyze the potential impacts of constructing 
a new enriched uranium storage facility, and address siting issues 
associated with other possible modernization projects.

Alternatives to be Analyzed

    As described below, DOE will analyze three broad alternatives 
involving upgrades of existing facilities, construction of new 
facilities, and a combination of these two approaches. Analysis will be 
performed at a level of detail sufficient to enable DOE to make

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decisions regarding approach (i.e., upgrade or construct) and location 
(i.e., where on the site) for each function or activity. Environmental 
considerations will be addressed for footprint reduction activities as 
Y-12 surplus facilities are transitioned into the Environmental 
Management program consistent with the SSM PEIS and the Department's 
Lifecycle Asset Management Order. For most major functions or 
activities, additional NEPA evaluations would be required as more 
detailed information becomes available in order to make subsequent 
decisions regarding construction and operation. However, as an 
exception to this general approach, DOE will analyze the potential 
impacts of designing, constructing, and operating a new enriched 
uranium storage facility, for which conceptual design has begun and 
sufficient information is available.
    Under the Upgrade Alternative, the SWEIS will assess impacts from 
extensive upgrade/retrofit of existing processes and facilities, such 
as: enriched uranium manufacturing, depleted uranium manufacturing, 
lithium manufacturing, assembly/disassembly, general manufacturing, 
office facilities, and other support facilities.
    Under the Construction Alternative, the SWEIS will assess the 
impacts of replacing existing processes and facilities with newly 
designed and constructed processes and facilities, such as: enriched 
uranium manufacturing, depleted uranium manufacturing, lithium 
manufacturing, assembly/disassembly, general manufacturing, office 
facilities, and other support facilities.
    Under the Upgrade/Construction Alternative, the SWEIS will assess 
the impacts of the combination of extensive upgrades to certain 
existing processes and facilities and the design and construction of 
certain new processes and facilities. This alternative will include a 
combination of both existing upgraded/new processes and facilities, 
such as: enriched uranium manufacturing, depleted uranium 
manufacturing, lithium manufacturing, assembly/disassembly, general 
manufacturing, office facilities, and other support facilities.
    The No Action Alternative would continue current facility 
operations throughout Y-12 in support of assigned missions. NEPA 
regulations require analysis of the No Action alternative to provide a 
benchmark for comparison with environmental effects of the other 
alternatives. This alternative reflects the current nuclear weapons 
program missions at Y-12, and includes the manufacture and assembly/
disassembly of weapons components, and the continued processing and 
storage of enriched uranium materials in existing facilities. As 
specified in the SSM PEIS and the S&D PEIS, these operations would 
continue in a reduced footprint of consolidated operations. This 
alternative also includes environmental considerations of footprint 
reduction activities as Y-12 surplus facilities are transitioned into 
the Environmental Management program consistent with the SSM PEIS and 
the Department's Lifecycle Asset Management Order. Limited upgrades of 
existing facilities are underway and their completion would be included 
in the No Action alternative.

Other Alternatives Considered

    Members of the public have in the past expressed interest in 
shutting down all operations at Y-12 and deactivating some or all 
facilities. As discussed in the Background section above, DOE has 
considered these suggestions in previous PEIS documents. DOE recognizes 
that Y-12 has unique capabilities and diverse roles supporting a 
variety of national programs, and that there is an essential near-term 
need to manage and maintain the safety and stability of the existing 
nuclear materials inventory. In addition, the National Security 
Strategy for a New Century, issued by The White House in October 1998, 
emphasizes the need to ``ensure the continued viability of the 
infrastructure that supports U.S. nuclear forces and weapons.'' 
Accordingly, the DOE view at this time is that a decision to shut down 
or further reduce Y-12 missions within the time frame of the SWEIS 
would be highly unlikely. Therefore, DOE does not plan to analyze an 
alternative involving an orderly shutdown or further reduction during 
this period.

The Role of the SWEIS in the DOE NEPA Compliance Strategy

    The SWEIS will be prepared pursuant to the NEPA of 1969, 42 USC 
4321 et seq., the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA 
regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and the DOE NEPA regulations (10 
CFR Part 1021). The DOE has a policy (10 CFR 1021.330) of preparing 
SWEISs for certain large, multiple-facility sites such as Y-12. The 
purpose of a SWEIS is to: (1) provide DOE and its stakeholders with an 
analysis of the individual and cumulative environmental impacts 
resulting from ongoing and reasonably foreseeable new operations and 
facilities (and reasonable alternatives) at a DOE site; (2) provide a 
basis for site-wide decision making; and (3) improve and coordinate 
agency plans, functions, programs, and resource utilization. A SWEIS 
can be used to efficiently and effectively analyze multiple proposals 
and help establish an efficient, environmentally sound, and cost-
effective plan for operating the site and its facilities. Additionally, 
a SWEIS provides an overall NEPA baseline for a site that is useful as 
a reference when project-specific NEPA documents are prepared. The NEPA 
process allows for federal, state, tribal, county, municipal, and 
public participation in the environmental review process.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 1021.330(d), DOE will evaluate the SWEIS 
at least every five years after its completion to determine whether it 
remains adequate, should be supplemented, or should be replaced with a 
new SWEIS.

The Y-12 Site-Wide Analysis

    The SWEIS will address operations and activities that DOE foresees 
at Y-12 for the ten years following the publication of the ROD. The 
SWEIS is expected to facilitate and streamline subsequent NEPA reviews 
at Y-12 by allowing DOE to focus on project-specific issues and narrow 
and simplify the scope of later reviews. This process is called 
``tiering'' (40 CFR 1508.28). DOE believes that the SWEIS analysis will 
provide adequate NEPA analysis for impacts related to existing and 
reasonably foreseeable activities and projects covered within the 
SWEIS.

Preliminary Environmental Analysis

    The following issues have been identified for analysis in the 
SWEIS. The list is tentative and intended to facilitate public comment 
on the scope of this SWEIS. It is not intended to be all-inclusive, nor 
does it imply any predetermination of potential impacts. The DOE 
specifically invites suggestions for the addition or deletion of items 
on this list.
    1. Potential effects on the public and workers from exposures to 
radiological and hazardous materials during normal operations, 
construction, and credible accident scenarios.
    2. Impacts on surface and groundwater, floodplains and wetlands, 
and on water use and quality.
    3. Impacts on air resources.
    4. Impacts to plants and animals and their habitat, including 
species which are federal- or state-listed as threatened or endangered, 
of special concern, or economically/recreationally important.
    5. Impacts on physiography, topography, geology, and soil 
characteristics.

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    6. Impacts to cultural resources such as historic, archaeological, 
scientific, or culturally important sites.
    7. Socioeconomic impacts to affected communities.
    8. Environmental Justice, particularly whether or not activities at 
Y-12 have a disproportionately high and adverse effect on minority and 
low-income populations.
    9. Potential impacts on land use plans, policies, and controls.
    10. Transportation of radiological and hazardous materials on and 
off the Y-12 Plant.
    11. Pollution prevention and waste management practices and 
activities.
    12. Impacts on aesthetics and noise levels of the Y-12 facilities 
on the surrounding communities and ambient environment.
    13. Unavoidable adverse impacts due to natural phenomena (e.g., 
floods, earthquakes, etc.).
    14. Cumulative effects of past, present, and future operations 
within the Y-12 region of influence.
    15. Reasonably foreseeable impacts associated with the shutdown of 
excess facilities.
    16. Status of compliance with all applicable federal, state, and 
local statutes and regulations; required federal and state 
environmental consultations and notifications; and DOE orders on 
environmental protection and waste management.

Related NEPA Reviews

    The following is a list of recent NEPA and other documentation 
related to the scope of this SWEIS. The summaries below are intended to 
familiarize the reader with the purpose of these other NEPA reviews and 
how Y-12 is considered in them.

Programmatic NEPA Reviews

    Stockpile Stewardship and Management PEIS (DOE/EIS-0236). A ROD was 
issued on December 19, 1996 (61 FR 68014, December 26, 1996). The DOE 
decided to maintain, but downsize, the weapons secondary and case 
component fabrication capability at Y-12.
    Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials PEIS 
(DOE/EIS-0229). A ROD was issued on January 14, 1997 (62 FR 3014, 
January 21, 1997). Oak Ridge, in particular Y-12, will continue to 
store non-surplus highly enriched uranium and surplus highly enriched 
uranium pending disposition in upgraded and consolidated facilities.
    Waste Management PEIS (DOE/EIS-0200). The Final PEIS was issued in 
May 1997. Multiple RODs are being prepared for various categories of 
waste. A ROD for the Treatment of Non-Wastewater Hazardous Waste was 
issued on July 30, 1998 (63 FR 41810, August 5, 1998). The DOE decided 
to continue to use off-site facilities for the treatment of major 
portions of the non-wastewater hazardous waste generated at DOE sites. 
The ORR will treat some of its own non-wastewater hazardous waste on 
site, where capacity is available in existing facilities and where this 
is economically favorable. A ROD for Transuranic Waste was issued on 
January 20, 1998 (63 FR 3629, January 23, 1998). Transuranic waste at 
the ORR will be packaged to meet waste acceptance criteria for the 
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico and then stored on 
site for eventual disposal at the WIPP. Decisions for managing low-
level radioactive waste, low-level radioactive and hazardous mixed 
waste, and high-level radioactive waste are still pending.

Project-Specific NEPA Reviews

    Disposition of Surplus Highly Enriched Uranium EIS (DOE/EIS-0240). 
A ROD was issued on August 5, 1996 (61 FR 40619, August 5, 1996). The 
ORR, particularly Y-12, is one of four DOE sites selected for 
implementing blending technologies for highly enriched uranium.
    Interim Storage of Enriched Uranium Environmental Assessment (EA) 
(DOE/EA-0929). A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was issued on 
September 14, 1995. This allowed for the continued interim storage of 
enriched uranium at Y-12, with an increase in the amount of material 
stored above the historical maximum level. The S&D PEIS, discussed 
above, confirmed and extended this mission beyond the ten years 
assessed in the EA.
    Replacement and Operation of the Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride (AHF) 
Supply and Fluidized-Bed Chemical Processing Systems EA (DOE/EA-1049). 
A FONSI was issued on September 20, 1995. This allowed for replacement 
of the AHF supply and fluidized-bed reactor systems at Y-12 to meet 
operational and safety requirements and extend the life of the process 
by approximately 20 years.

ORR Related NEPA Reviews

    Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) EIS (DOE/EIS-0247). The draft EIS 
was issued for review in December 1998. This document evaluates four 
alternative DOE sites for construction and operation of a new SNS 
facility. The preferred alternative is a site at the Oak Ridge National 
Laboratory (ORNL) on the ORR.
    Lease of Land and Facilities Within the East Tennessee Technology 
Park (ETTP) EA (DOE/EA-1175). A FONSI was issued on December 1, 1997. 
The EA evaluated impacts of alternatives on future use and/or 
disposition of surplus facilities at the former K-25 Site on the ORR, 
and allowed for the lease of some facilities and land to commercial 
entities.
    Long-Term Management and Use of Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride PEIS 
(DOE/EIS-0269). The final PEIS and ROD are scheduled to be issued in 
1999. The ETTP is an alternative site for management and storage of 
this material.
    Receipt and Storage of Uranium Materials from the Fernald 
Environmental Management Project Site EA (DOE/EA-1291). The draft EA 
was issued for review in February 1999. Y-12 and ETTP are among the 
candidates for storage of materials being removed in the cleanup effort 
at the Fernald site in Ohio.
    Transuranic Waste Treatment Facility EIS (DOE/EIS-030J). An NOI was 
published in January 1999. DOE proposes to treat wastes at ORNL at a 
new facility to be constructed near the Melton Valley Storage Tanks, 
where the material is currently being stored.

Other Documents

    Environmental, Safety and Health Vulnerabilities Associated with 
the Storage of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) (DOE/EH0525). This report 
was issued in December 1996; the related Management Plan (DOE/DP-0139) 
was issued in April 1997. In this report, the DOE evaluated 22 sites 
that handle and store HEU materials in a variety of forms, including 
disassembled weapons parts, reactor fuels, solids, solutions, and scrap 
and residues. Most of the HEU vulnerabilities identified at those 
sites, including Y-12, are associated with poor facility conditions and 
institutional weaknesses. Further analyses are being conducted on 
particular facilities and issues presented in the Vulnerability 
Assessment Report.
    Report on the Remedial Investigation (RI) of the Upper East Fork 
Poplar Creek Characterization Area at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (DOE/OR/
01-1641/D2). The RI was issued in August 1998. The feasibility study 
that accompanies the RI is still in draft form. A ROD on remediation of 
the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek watershed will be issued in the 
future.

The SWEIS Preparation Process

    After the scoping period, DOE will prepare the draft Y-12 SWEIS. 
Additional public meetings or

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workshops may be scheduled during this time based on stakeholder 
interest. The DOE intends to complete the draft SWEIS in early 2000 and 
will announce its availability in the Federal Register and through 
local media. The DOE will hold public hearings to solicit comments on 
the draft SWEIS from the public, organizations, and other agencies, and 
will consider all comments in the preparation of the final SWEIS. The 
DOE intends to complete the final SWEIS in August 2000, and issue a ROD 
in October 2000, but at least 30 days after the Environmental 
Protection Agency's Notice of Availability of the final SWEIS is 
published in the Federal Register.

Classified Material

    DOE will review classified material while preparing this SWEIS. 
Within the limits of classification, DOE will provide to the public as 
much information as possible to assist public understanding and 
comment. Any classified material DOE needs to use to explain the 
purpose and need for the action, or the uses, materials, or impacts 
analyzed in this SWEIS, will be segregated into a classified appendix 
or supplement, which will not be available for general public review. 
However, all unclassified results of calculations using classified data 
will be reported in the unclassified section of the SWEIS, to the 
extent possible in accordance with federal classification requirements.

Availability of Scoping Documents

    Copies of all written comments and transcripts of all oral comments 
related to the Y-12 SWEIS will be available at the following locations:

The DOE Public Reading Room, 230 Warehouse Road, Building 1916-T-2, 
Suite 300, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831.
Oak Ridge Public Library, 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 
37831.

    Issued in Washington, D.C., this 11th day of March 1999, for the 
United States Department of Energy.
Peter N. Brush,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 99-6481 Filed 3-16-99; 8:45 am]
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