[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 125 (Thursday, June 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34431-34433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16264]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Amended Record of Decision; Savannah River Site Waste Management, 
Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, South Carolina

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Amended Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: This Record of Decision (ROD) modifies earlier Department of 
Energy (DOE) decisions concerning the treatment and disposal of low-
level radioactive waste (LLW) and mixed hazardous and low-level 
radioactive waste (MLLW) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to be 
consistent with DOE's subsequent programmatic decision. DOE Orders and 
policy require DOE to use its own facilities for treatment and 
disposal; however, an exemption may be granted, if this is not 
practical. Because of (1) SRS inability to meet state requirements for 
a MLLW disposal facility, (2) funding reductions for waste treatment 
facilities, and (3) the apparent adequacy of existing and planned 
capacity at either DOE regional or commercial treatment and disposal 
facilities, DOE has decided to: continue to treat some SRS LLW onsite 
or, if an exemption is granted, at commercial treatment facilities, as 
previously decided; continue to dispose of SRS LLW and treatment 
residuals onsite, as previously decided, and, in addition, dispose of 
some SRS LLW and treatment residuals at DOE regional or, if an 
exemption is granted, at commercial disposal facilities; continue to 
treat some SRS MLLW onsite or, if an exemption is granted, at 
commercial treatment facilities, as previously decided, and, in 
addition, treat some SRS MLLW at other DOE regional treatment 
facilities; and dispose of treated SRS MLLW and treatment residuals at 
DOE regional or, if an exemption is granted, at commercial disposal 
facilities, not onsite, as previously decided. This decision is 
consistent with agreements between DOE and the State of South Carolina 
concerning MLLW management under the Federal Facility Compliance Act 
(FFCAct) of 1992.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding SRS 
waste management, contact: Andrew R. Grainger, NEPA Compliance Officer, 
U.S. Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office, Building 
742-A/Room 185, Aiken, SC 29808, (800) 881-7292. Electronic mail: 
[email protected].
    For further information on DOE's Waste Management Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (WM PEIS) or its RODs, contact: Karen 
Guevara, WM PEIS Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of 
Environmental Management, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874, 
(301) 903-4981.
    For general information on the U.S. Department of Energy National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, 
Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH-42), U.S. Department 
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0119, 
(202) 586-4600, or leave a message at (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    SRS occupies approximately 300 square miles adjacent to the 
Savannah River, principally in Aiken and Barnwell Counties of South 
Carolina, about 25 miles southeast of Augusta,

[[Page 34432]]

Georgia, and about 20 miles south of Aiken, South Carolina. DOE's 
primary mission at SRS from the 1950s until the recent end of the Cold 
War was the production and processing of nuclear materials to support 
defense programs. The end of the Cold War has led to a reduction in the 
size of the United States nuclear arsenal. Many of the facilities that 
were used to manufacture, assemble, and maintain the arsenal are no 
longer needed. Some of these facilities can be converted to new uses 
after decontamination; others must be decommissioned. Some facilities 
continue to operate to stabilize and prepare nuclear materials for 
disposition, and new facilities may be required for material 
disposition. Wastes generated must be managed in a safe and cost-
effective manner. In addition, DOE must continue to comply with 
applicable environmental requirements in managing wastes that may be 
generated in the future.
    In July 1995, DOE issued the SRS Waste Management Environmental 
Impact Statement (WMEIS) to evaluate the potential environmental 
impacts and costs of storing, treating, and/or disposing of certain SRS 
wastes. In an October 1995 ROD (60 FR 55249; October 30, 1995), DOE 
announced its intention to implement the ``Moderate Treatment 
Configuration Alternative.'' The ROD announced offsite treatment of 
some SRS LLW and MLLW, and stated that, for waste treated offsite, the 
treated waste and residuals for both LLW and MLLW would be returned to 
SRS for onsite storage or disposal.
    The radioactive component of MLLW is regulated under the Atomic 
Energy Act and the hazardous component under the Resource Conservation 
and Recovery Act, as amended by the FFCAct of 1992. The FFCAct required 
DOE to prepare Site Treatment Plans (STPs) that identified treatment 
for mixed waste, including MLLW, for each DOE site that stores and/or 
generates mixed waste. For SRS, DOE developed a STP that the State of 
South Carolina reviewed and subsequently approved on September 20, 
1995, and DOE and the State executed a Consent Order on September 29, 
1995, specifying implementation requirements for the approved STP. The 
SRS WMEIS evaluated the potential environmental impacts of treatment 
options identified in the STP, but due to the simultaneous development 
of the WMEIS, STP and Consent Order, the October 1995 ROD made few MLLW 
decisions.
    In May 1997, DOE issued a supplemental ROD (62 FR 27241; May 19, 
1997) that announced DOE's decision on treatment of MLLW, consistent 
with the STP and Consent Order between DOE and the State of South 
Carolina under the FFCAct. The May 1997 supplemental ROD also stated 
that the residuals of MLLW shipped offsite for treatment would be 
returned to SRS for storage or disposal.
    In May 1997, DOE also issued the Waste Management Programmatic EIS 
(WM PEIS) (DOE/EIS-0200), which studied the potential nationwide 
impacts of managing four types of radioactive waste (i.e., LLW, MLLW, 
transuranic waste, and high-level waste) and non-wastewater hazardous 
waste generated by defense and research activities at 54 sites around 
the United States. The WM PEIS analyzed the potential environmental 
impacts of alternatives for treatment, storage, and disposal of wastes 
for DOE's waste management program. WM PEIS analyses include evaluating 
potential impacts associated with transporting wastes by truck and by 
rail.
    Based on the WM PEIS, DOE issued a ROD (65 FR 10061; February 25, 
2000) for the treatment and disposal of LLW and MLLW, which is 
described below. Current DOE Orders and policy require treatment and 
disposal of LLW and MLLW to be at DOE sites. If this is not practical, 
an exemption to this requirement may be requested through the DOE Order 
process. The WM PEIS ROD does not preclude DOE's use of commercial 
facilities for LLW and MLLW treatment or disposal, should such an 
exemption be granted.
    For treatment of LLW, DOE decided that each site will perform at 
least minimum treatment on its own LLW, although each site may perform 
additional treatment as would be useful to decrease overall costs.
    For disposal of LLW, DOE decided to establish regional LLW disposal 
facilities at the Hanford Site and Nevada Test Site (NTS), which will 
each dispose of its own LLW onsite, and also will receive and dispose 
of LLW that meets its waste acceptance criteria and is generated and 
shipped (by either truck or rail) by other DOE sites. In addition, DOE 
will continue, to the extent practicable, to dispose onsite LLW that is 
generated at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental 
Laboratory (INEEL), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge 
Reservation (ORR), and SRS. INEEL and SRS also will continue to dispose 
of LLW generated by the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
    For MLLW treatment, DOE decided to conduct regional MLLW treatment 
at the Hanford Site, INEEL, ORR, and SRS, or onsite at other DOE 
generator sites, as would be consistent with current STPs.
    For MLLW disposal, DOE decided to establish regional MLLW disposal 
operations at the Hanford Site and Nevada Test Site, which will each 
dispose of its own MLLW onsite and will receive and dispose of MLLW 
generated and shipped (by truck or rail) by other sites, consistent 
with permit conditions and other applicable requirements.

Decision

    This ROD announces DOE's amended decision concerning SRS LLW and 
MLLW to:
     Continue to treat some SRS LLW onsite or, if an exemption 
to the requirement to treat at a DOE facility is granted, at commercial 
treatment facilities, as previously decided;
     Continue to dispose of SRS LLW and treatment residuals 
onsite, as previously decided, and, in addition, dispose of some SRS 
LLW and treatment residuals at DOE regional facilities, or, if an 
exemption to the requirement to use DOE facilities is granted, at 
commercial disposal facilities;
     Continue to treat some SRS MLLW onsite or, if an exemption 
to the requirement to use DOE facilities is granted, at commercial 
treatment facilities, as previously decided, and, in addition, treat it 
at other DOE regional treatment facilities; and
     Dispose of treated SRS MLLW and treatment residuals at DOE 
regional or, if an exemption to the requirement to use DOE facilities 
is granted, at commercial disposal facilities, not onsite at SRS as 
previously decided.
    To implement this decision, DOE will undertake the following 
activities to further implement the environmentally preferable 
``Moderate Treatment Configuration Alternative'' previously selected 
for SRS LLW and MLLW:
    Onsite treatment of about 90% of SRS LLW will continue, to the 
extent practicable, at existing SRS facilities (e.g., the Super 
Compactor Facility). For certain LLW streams (about 10%), onsite 
treatment is not practicable. If treatment at another DOE facility is 
not practicable and an exemption is granted, these wastes will be sent 
to an offsite commercial treatment facility (e.g., liquid LLW to 
Diversified Scientific Services, Inc., a commercial facility in Oak 
Ridge, Tennessee). Onsite disposal of about 90% of SRS LLW will 
continue, to the extent practicable, at existing SRS facilities (e.g., 
the Low Activity Waste Vaults and Intermediate Level Vaults). For 
certain LLW streams (about 10%), onsite disposal is not practicable. 
These wastes will be sent to a DOE regional disposal facility (i.e., 
Hanford Site or NTS) or, if this is not practical and an

[[Page 34433]]

exemption is granted, to a commercial facility, consistent with the 
facility's waste acceptance criteria. DOE will select facilities based 
on the technical requirements and capabilities of the receiving 
facility and cost, consistent with applicable requirements, such as the 
DOE Radioactive Waste Management Order, DOE O 435.1, and the 
corresponding Manual, DOE M 435.1-1, and Guide DOE G 435.1-1.
    DOE will continue onsite treatment of SRS MLLW streams (about 20%) 
for which SRS has the capacity, unless an exemption is granted (e.g., 
the Effluent Treatment Facility or Consolidated Incineration Facility). 
Certain MLLW streams (about 80%) for which onsite treatment capacity 
does not exist or is not cost effective will be treated at two of DOE's 
four regional treatment facilities (i.e., Hanford Site or ORR), or, if 
an exemption is granted, at a commercial facility (e.g., MLLW High 
Efficiency Particulate Air Filters to Materials & Energy Corp., a 
commercial facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee). All treated MLLW and 
residuals (100%) from onsite or offsite treatment will be disposed of 
at a DOE regional disposal facility (i.e., Hanford Site or NTS), 
consistent with the disposal facility's waste acceptance criteria, or, 
if an exemption is granted, at a commercial facility (e.g., solidified 
incinerator ash at Envirocare in Clive, Utah). DOE will use DOE 
facilities, whenever practical. When this is not practical, DOE will 
select other facilities based on the technical requirements and 
capabilities of the receiving facility and cost, consistent with 
applicable requirements, such as DOE Radioactive Waste Management 
Order, DOE O 435.1, DOE M 435.1-1, and DOE G 435.1-1.

Reasons for Decision

    This decision modifies the October 1995 and May 1997 RODs for the 
SRS WMEIS to be consistent with DOE's programmatic decisions concerning 
LLW and MLLW treatment and disposal and to reflect regulatory and 
budgetary conditions at SRS. Some onsite treatment facilities for MLLW 
(e.g., the Mixed Waste Treatment Facility) and disposal facilities for 
LLW and MLLW (e.g., additional LLW disposal vaults and MLLW disposal 
vaults) that would have been implemented under previous decisions do 
not exist or are no longer planned at SRS. The reasons for the 
cancellation of additional onsite facilities are: The inability of SRS 
to meet current South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental 
Control Resource Conservation and Recovery Act waste disposal facility 
requirements, funding reductions for treatment and disposal facilities 
at SRS, and the apparent adequacy of existing or planned treatment and 
disposal capacity at other DOE and commercial facilities.
    This decision is consistent with agreements between DOE and the 
State of South Carolina concerning MLLW management under the FFCAct of 
1992.

Environmental Impacts

    Potential impacts of this decision on SRS land use and ecological 
resources are expected to be less than the impacts previously analyzed 
in the SRS WMEIS, due to canceling construction and operation of 
additional SRS treatment and disposal facilities, and, instead, using 
existing or planned offsite commercial or DOE treatment and disposal 
facilities. Before implementing this decision at receiving sites other 
than SRS, DOE will determine the need for additional site-specific or 
project level NEPA reviews.

Mitigation

    DOE believes that all practicable means to avoid and minimize 
environmental harm from the previously selected ``Moderate Treatment 
Configuration Alternative'' have already been adopted.

Conclusion

    DOE has reviewed the information and analyses in the SRS WMEIS and 
WM PEIS (Chapters 6 and 7), and determined that this amended decision 
is adequately supported by these EISs. In making this amended decision, 
DOE considered beneficial and adverse environmental impacts, costs, and 
regulatory commitments.

    Issued in Washington, DC on this 4th day of June, 2001.
Carolyn L. Huntoon,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 01-16264 Filed 6-27-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P