[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 134 (Thursday, July 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36562-36566]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17438]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement on the, Disposition of Scrap Metals and Announcement of 
Public Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces the Department of Energy's (DOE's) 
intention to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(PEIS), under the National Environmental Policy Act, on the policy 
alternatives for the disposition of DOE scrap metals that may have 
residual surface radioactivity. The primary metals to be considered in 
the analysis are carbon steel and stainless steel. Other metals [e.g., 
copper, aluminum, lead, and precious metals (silver, gold, platinum)], 
which exist in smaller quantities, will also be addressed in the PEIS. 
The disposition alternatives to be analyzed include: continuation of 
the suspension on unrestricted release of scrap metals from DOE 
radiological areas for recycling; unrestricted release of scrap metals 
for recycling under existing DOE requirements; unrestricted release of 
scrap metals for recycling under alternative requirements; and no 
unrestricted release for recycling of scrap metals with any potential 
for residual surface radioactivity.

DATES: The public scoping period begins with publication of this Notice 
and concludes September 10, 2001. DOE invites Federal agencies, Native 
American tribes, state and local governments, and members of the public 
to comment on the scope of this PEIS. DOE will consider all comments 
received by the close of the scoping period and will consider comments 
received after that date to the extent practicable. DOE will conduct 
public scoping meetings to assist in defining the appropriate scope of 
the PEIS, including the alternatives and significant environmental 
issues to be considered. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION under Public 
Scoping Process for meeting locations.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the scope of the PEIS may be mailed to the 
address below or sent by facsimile or electronic mail. Written comments 
may be mailed to the following address: Kenneth G. Picha, Jr., Office 
of Technical Program Integration, EM-22, Attn: Metals Disposition PEIS, 
Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0113.
    Otherwise, send comments via facsimile to Metals Disposition PEIS 
at 301-903-9770 or send electronic mail to 
[email protected]. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION under 
Public Scoping Process for meeting locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request further information about 
this PEIS, the public scoping meetings, or to be placed on the PEIS 
distribution list, use any of the methods listed under ADDRESSES above. 
For background documents in hard copy related to this PEIS contact the 
DOE Center for Environmental Management Information at 800-736-3282. 
For general information concerning the DOE National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) process, contact: Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office 
of NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0119, Telephone: 202-
586-4600, Voice Mail: 800-472-2756, Facsimile: 202-586-7031.
    Additional NEPA information is also available on the DOE website: 
http//tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Definitions

    For purposes of this Notice, the following terms are defined:
    Continued Radiological Control: The disposition of surplus and 
scrap metals for subsequent reuse or recycle in a government or 
commercial radiological application. Such reuse or recycle activities 
would be conducted under established agency-to-agency protocols, 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licenses, or NRC Agreement State 
licenses.
    DOE Radiological Area: An area, designated under 10 CFR Part 835, 
for which DOE requires specific measures to be taken, such as access 
control and monitoring, to protect DOE workers from radiological 
hazards. A radiological area may or may not contain radioactive 
materials. An example of a radiological area that does not contain 
radioactive material is an area that contains only devices that produce 
radiation, such as X-ray machines, but which are not themselves 
radioactive and are unable to make other materials radioactive.
    Recycle: The series of activities, including collection, 
separation, and processing, by which products or other materials are 
recovered from the solid waste stream for use in the form of raw 
materials in the manufacture of new products. (Executive Order 13101)
    Residual Radioactivity: Any radioactivity that is in or on soil, 
air, equipment, or structures as a consequence of past operations or 
activities at a DOE site. (Residual radioactivity does not include 
background radioactivity.)
    Restricted Release: The release of scrap metals from DOE 
radiological control for a limited, specifically-stated application, 
subject to restrictions on use implemented by a designated party or 
through a specific process. An example would be the release of scrap 
steel specifically for use in making radioactive waste storage 
containers.
    Reuse: The subsequent use of a surplus item in its original form 
for the same or similar purpose.
    Scrap metal: Surplus metal that has no value except for its basic 
material content. Scrap metal could include items such as furniture and 
equipment

[[Page 36563]]

that cannot be reused, construction steel, and metals not yet put to 
use such as ingots that would have to be processed to be used.
    Surplus metal: Metal items that DOE does not need.
    Unrestricted Release: The release of property, including scrap 
metal, without any restrictions or controls on its use.
    Volumetrically Contaminated: A material that has residual 
radioactivity distributed throughout its volume, as opposed to residing 
only on the exterior surface of the material.

Background

    DOE generates surplus and scrap material during the normal course 
of activities. The types of surplus and scrap material include metals, 
concrete, soils, paper, wood, chemicals, equipment, and facilities. 
Consistent with common industrial practice, DOE has historically sought 
to reduce the amount of material that must be disposed of by reusing 
and recycling as much of this surplus and scrap material as possible. 
This practice is consistent with the requirements of Executive Orders 
13101, Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and 
Federal Acquisition, and 13148, Greening the Government Through 
Leadership in Environmental Management. Historically, some of this 
material has been reused or recycled within the DOE system, some has 
been released for reuse or recycling outside of DOE, and some has been 
disposed of. The residual value of reused or recycled materials, along 
with the costs avoided by not having to pay to dispose of such 
materials, have reduced the cost of environmental cleanup and waste 
disposal activities at DOE sites.
    The recycling of materials that have residual radioactivity could 
affect workers involved in the recycling of those materials, and also 
the general public, because products manufactured from recycled 
materials may have many exposure pathways to the public. To protect 
recycle workers, the general public, and the environment, DOE has 
established requirements (DOE Order 5400.5, Radiation Protection of the 
Public) for surveying materials for radioactivity and for allowable 
residual radioactivity levels for unrestricted release of such 
materials. These requirements allow unrestricted release of materials 
with radioactivity slightly above background radioactivity levels. 
Release limits under DOE Order 5400.5 are comparable to those in 
corresponding regulations established by the NRC and NRC Agreement 
States, and are generally more stringent than international standards 
set by the International Atomic Energy Agency. These release limits are 
intended to provide assurance that potential exposures to the public 
from residual radioactivity will be well below general radiation 
exposure limits established by DOE and NRC for protection of the 
public.
    Despite these release limits, however, some members of the public 
and some industry groups have expressed concern regarding the potential 
impacts from radioactivity in or on the material released. This concern 
has primarily focused on releases of metals from DOE facilities, and is 
related to a number of factors, including the wide range of potential 
uses of recycled metals, such as in household products, and the 
potential effects on industrial operations and product acceptability. 
Although DOE has not identified any evidence that the public might be 
harmed by releases from DOE facilities, DOE has, in response to 
previously expressed concerns, identified opportunities to improve 
radiation monitoring, independent verifications, and record keeping and 
reporting.
    The Department also responded to the stakeholders' concerns by 
taking two actions. First, on January 12, 2000, the Department 
established a moratorium on the release of volumetrically contaminated 
metals from any DOE location pending a decision by the NRC on potential 
policy and technical approaches for release of solid materials. The NRC 
continues to review this issue and the DOE moratorium remains in 
effect. Second, on July 13, 2000, the Department: (1) Initiated a 
process to improve the administration of its release limits, (2) 
enhanced its criteria for controlling the release of metal for 
recycling, and (3) temporarily suspended the unrestricted release of 
scrap metal, for recycling, from radiological areas at DOE facilities. 
The suspension was to remain in effect until DOE directives and 
guidance were reviewed and amended as necessary to ensure that no metal 
with detectable radioactivity above background (using appropriate 
commercially available monitoring equipment) would undergo unrestricted 
release for recycling. The suspension does not apply to metals released 
from non-radiological areas.
    DOE subsequently proposed revisions to DOE Order 5400.5 that, if 
implemented, would permit the unrestricted release of scrap metals for 
recycling only if the metal had no residual radioactivity as determined 
by measurement or process knowledge. These proposed order revisions 
were made available for public comment (65 FR 60653, October 12, 2000). 
After considering comments received on the proposed revisions, DOE 
decided on January 19, 2001 to: (1) Continue the suspension on 
unrestricted release for recycling of scrap metals from radiological 
areas, and (2) suspend work on DOE Order 5400.5 revisions governing 
unrestricted release for recycling of metals, pending the preparation 
of a PEIS to allow an open discussion of concerns about such releases. 
(Note: This Notice of Intent to Prepare a PEIS is being provided to all 
persons who indicated they were interested in the proposed DOE Order 
5400.5 revisions.)
    DOE's materials release procedures that are not affected by the 
January 19, 2001, decision continue to be implemented. For example, all 
materials, including metals, located outside a DOE radiological area 
can be reused or recycled if the requirements established for 
radiological protection of the public (DOE Order 5400.5) are met. These 
same radiological protection requirements continue to govern the 
unrestricted release of surplus metal items from radiological areas for 
reuse rather than recycling.
    DOE is reviewing international and national consensus-based 
radiological standards for unrestricted release of materials and is 
monitoring and, as appropriate, participating in related NRC and 
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) activities, but DOE has no specific 
plans for changing its own standards until at least the NAS has 
completed the current studies. DOE is, however, implementing procedural 
improvements for the existing release requirements in DOE Order 5400.5 
to: (1) Clearly define areas and activities that can potentially 
radiologically contaminate materials; (2) clearly define radiological 
release criteria, including measurement and survey protocols; (3) 
ensure that released materials meet DOE requirements; and (4) improve 
DOE reporting on releases of material from radiological control. DOE 
also intends to prepare a PEIS on its policies relating to scrap metal 
recycling to allow for full and open dialogue with the public on the 
issues. While this PEIS is being prepared, DOE will continue the July 
2000 suspension on recycling of scrap metal from radiological areas 
into commerce, unless DOE makes a specific determination that the metal 
could not have been radioactively contaminated by DOE activities or 
operations.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The PEIS announced in this notice is being prepared in response to 
DOE's January 19, 2001, decision. DOE will use the PEIS as a basis for 
decisions

[[Page 36564]]

concerning disposition policies for the recycle of scrap metals that 
may have residual surface radioactivity.
    In focusing the PEIS specifically on scrap metals, DOE considered 
whether the scope of the PEIS should include all potentially 
radioactive materials that might be released from DOE sites, including 
large volumes of concrete and soils. Recycled metals have comprised 
approximately one-quarter of the total amount of materials recycled by 
DOE. The options for reuse, recycling or disposal, however, vary widely 
among material categories. For example, the management of scrap metals 
and the steps by which they are recycled into commerce, and the 
consequent means by which people and the environment could be exposed 
to any residual radioactivity, are quite different from the 
corresponding process for other materials, such as soils, which might 
typically be used in highway construction projects rather than in 
manufactured products.
    In addition, radiation exposure pathways for the various metal and 
non-metal materials are not likely to be connected, cumulative, or 
similar, and assessments to date indicate that potential radiation 
exposure from any of these materials (including metals) is very small, 
both individually and collectively.
    DOE estimates that surplus metals currently in inventory and to be 
generated over the next 35 years will total more than a million tons, a 
significant fraction of which will contain no residual radioactivity. 
DOE estimates that approximately 30-50% of its surplus metals will be 
scrap metals that will be candidates for recycling, based on economic 
considerations. DOE's Environmental Management Program's 
decontamination and decommissioning activities are responsible for the 
majority of the current inventory of scrap metals, and will also 
generate the majority of the scrap metals that will become available 
for recycling in the future.
    The current and future expected surplus metals are mostly carbon 
steel, stainless steel, and nickel. There will be more surplus carbon 
steel than all other surplus metals combined. Unlike the steels 
proposed to be addressed in the EIS, all the nickel is considered to be 
volumetrically contaminated, and is not covered in the proposed scope 
of the PEIS. There are smaller quantities of other metals [e.g., 
copper, aluminum, lead, and precious metals (silver, gold, platinum)] 
that will be addressed in the PEIS. More than half of the current and 
forecast scrap metal amounts, including almost all of the scrap nickel, 
will result from the decommissioning of the Gaseous Diffusion Plants in 
Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. The estimated average generation rates 
through the year 2015 are 50,000 tons per year for carbon steel, 4,000 
tons per year for stainless steel, and 3,000 tons per year for nickel.
    DOE proposes that the PEIS would not address volumetrically 
contaminated nickel and other metals, which remain subject to a 
moratorium on their release pending the outcome of NRC's review 
process. DOE plans to focus the PEIS primarily on those metals that 
represent the greatest potential for impacts due to their volumes, 
i.e., carbon steel and stainless steel. By focusing on the recycle of 
non-volumetrically contaminated scrap metals, DOE believes it can most 
effectively evaluate the benefits and risks of specific disposition 
alternatives. This would present the public and DOE with relevant, 
timely, and immediately useful information for resolving the most 
pressing and significant of DOE's material disposition issues.
    For all these reasons, DOE believes the greatest value to the 
Department and the public for this effort will be to focus this PEIS on 
the recycle of scrap metals with potential for residual surface 
radioactivity.
    As noted above, similar issues are being evaluated through the 
ongoing process being conducted by the NRC and the NAS to address 
technical requirements and NRC standards for unrestricted release of 
radioactively contaminated solid materials. DOE expects that this PEIS 
will be useful to NRC and NAS, and DOE also intends to incorporate into 
the PEIS any timely and relevant information developed by NRC and NAS.

Preliminary Alternatives

    Consistent with NEPA implementation requirements, the PEIS will 
assess the range of reasonable alternative policies regarding 
disposition of DOE scrap metals with any potential for residual surface 
radioactivity. Each alternative identified below is a strategy or 
policy option. DOE welcomes comments on these or other reasonable 
alternatives and on the identification of a preferred alternative.
    No Action Alternative (Continue Current Suspension on Unrestricted 
Release for Recycling of Scrap Metals from Radiological Areas)--The No 
Action Alternative would continue the status-quo established by the 
July 13, 2000, DOE policy decision, suspending the unrestricted release 
for recycling of scrap metals from DOE radiological areas. Such metals 
would be dispositioned through continued radiological control, 
restricted release for recycle, onsite storage, or disposal. Disposal 
would be either as radioactive waste at DOE or non-DOE facilities, in 
accordance with DOE's requirements for the applicable waste 
classification (i.e., transuranic, low-level, or mixed low-level), or 
as non-radioactive waste at appropriate facilities (industrial 
landfills, sanitary landfills, or hazardous waste disposal sites), 
depending upon the waste's characteristics after final treatment. 
Disposal in an industrial or sanitary landfill or a hazardous waste 
disposal facility would be considered a restricted release from 
radiological control.
    Alternative 1 (Unrestricted Release for Recycling of Scrap Metals 
under Requirements in DOE Order 5400.5, Radiation Protection of the 
Public)--This alternative would permit unrestricted release of scrap 
metals from DOE radiological areas and scrap metals outside 
radiological areas that may have residual surface radioactivity, 
through application of radiological control standards currently 
incorporated in DOE Order 5400.5 (August 1993). This was the practice 
DOE followed before the July 2000 suspension. Such metals that could 
not meet these requirements would be dispositioned through continued 
radiological control, restricted release for recycle, onsite storage, 
or disposal, as described above under the No Action Alternative.
    Alternative 2 (Unrestricted Release for Recycling of Scrap Metals 
for Recycle under Alternative Standards)--This broad alternative would 
permit unrestricted release of scrap metals from DOE radiological areas 
and scrap metals outside radiological areas that may have residual 
surface radioactivity, if they satisfy specific radiation protection 
requirements other than those in DOE Order 5400.5. DOE would analyze 
several alternative threshold radiological criteria for unrestricted 
release. Alternative radiological criteria that could be considered 
include international (e.g., International Atomic Energy Agency, 
European Commission) and U.S. (e.g., NRC, American National Standards 
Institute, National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements) 
standards for unrestricted release. In addition, a more stringent 
standard that requires ``radioactivity indistinguishable from 
background'' will be evaluated. Under each alternative standard, metals 
that do not satisfy the standard for unrestricted release would be 
dispositioned through continued radiological control, restricted 
release for recycle, onsite

[[Page 36565]]

storage, or disposal, as described above under the No Action 
Alternative.
    Alternative 3 (No Unrestricted Release for Recycling of Scrap 
Metals with Potential for Residual Surface Radioactivity)--This 
alternative would permit the unrestricted release for recycling of 
scrap metals from DOE sites only if there is clear process knowledge, 
confirmed by monitoring, that there is no potential for residual 
surface radioactivity. Metals that do not meet this condition would be 
dispositioned through continued radiological control, restricted 
release for recycle, onsite storage, or disposal, as described above 
under the No Action Alternative.

Preliminary Identification of Issues

    DOE intends to address the issues listed below in the process of 
considering the potential impacts of alternatives for disposition of 
scrap metals from radiological areas or scrap metals outside 
radiological areas that may have residual surface radioactivity. DOE 
invites comment from Federal agencies, Native American tribes, state 
and local governments, and the public on these and any other issues 
that should be considered in the PEIS:
     Potential impacts on public health from using products 
made from recycled metals.
     Improvements in DOE's procedures for unrestricted release 
of scrap metals.
     Potential impacts from alternative approaches for 
determining which scrap metals on DOE sites may have come from 
radiological areas or may have residual radioactivity. Such approaches 
include: (1) Using records pertaining to the locations of the metal 
during its use and the circumstances to which it was subjected, (2) 
conducting radiation surveys of scrap metals, (3) using records to 
determine appropriate radiation survey strategies, and (4) integrating 
elements of each approach into formal procedures or protocols.
     Potential effects on air, soil, and surface and ground 
water from recycling, storage and disposal activities, and from 
reasonably foreseeable accidents associated with these activities.
     Potential impacts on ecological resources, including 
threatened and endangered species, floodplains, and wetlands.
     Potential health impacts on the public and DOE's workers 
from exposure to radiological and chemical hazards during routine 
recycling, storage or disposal operations and reasonably foreseeable 
accidents.
     Radiological considerations related to the management of 
recycled materials by both the commercial scrap metal recycle and 
metal-producing industries, including potential impacts on workers.
     Potential environmental and health impacts that might be 
avoided by recycling metals, as opposed to their disposal.
     Potential effects on industrial applications of recycled 
metals.
     Socioeconomic impacts.
     Compliance with applicable Federal, state and local 
requirements and agreements, and consistency with U.S. and 
international standards for unrestricted release.
     Potential effects on radioactive waste and non-radioactive 
waste disposal site construction and operation if scrap metals that 
might otherwise be recycled were instead disposed of.
     Potential effect on DOE's environmental cleanup activities 
and related costs.
     Pollution prevention, waste minimization, and energy and 
water use reduction technologies to reduce the use of energy, water, 
and hazardous substances, and to mitigate environmental impacts during 
activities to disposition scrap metals from DOE sites.
     Impacts on cultural and historic resources.
     Cumulative environmental impacts of past, present and 
reasonably foreseeable future actions.
     Irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources.
    In addition, DOE requests that the public provide information on, 
or responses to, specific topics such as:
     What other impacts beyond those identified above should 
DOE consider?
     Information sources for evaluating environmental impacts 
associated with the recycling of scrap metals that may have residual 
surface radioactivity.
     What specific health and safety impacts have arisen from 
implementing DOE's metals recycling program?
     What specific harm could occur to the general public or 
recycle industry workers under implementation of DOE Order 5400.5 or 
other standards for unrestricted release of scrap metals?

Related NEPA Documents

    This PEIS will consider the information and analyses in the 
following DOE NEPA documents, which can be found at DOE Field Office 
Public Reading Rooms, the Environmental Management Information Center 
(800 736-3282), the DOE Environmental Management website (http://www.em.doe.gov/index4.html ), or the DOE NEPA website (http://tis.doe.gov/nepa/).
     Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement for Managing Treatment, Storage, and Disposal of Radioactive 
and Hazardous Waste (DOE/PEIS-0200-F, May 1997).
     Sale of Radioactively Contaminated Scrap Nickel Ingots at 
the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, KY (DOE/EA-0994, April 
1996).
     Recycling of Slightly Activated Copper Coil Windings from 
the 184-inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, 
California (DOE/EA-0851, June 1993).

Public Scoping Process

    DOE will hold meetings in the following locations.
July 31, 2001
2:00-5:00 pm
8:00-11:00 pm
North Augusta Community Center, 495 Brookside Avenue, North Augusta, 
South Carolina 29841
August 2, 2001
2:00-5:00 pm
8:00-11:00 pm
American Museum of Science & Energy, 300 South Tulane Avenue, Oak 
Ridge, Tennessee 37830
August 7, 2001
2:00-5:00 pm
8:00-11:00 pm
Holiday Inn Oakland Airport, 500 Hegenberger Road, Oakland, California 
94621
August 9, 2001
2:00-5:00 pm
8:00-11:00 pm
Red Lion Hotel, 802 George Washington Way, Richland, Washington 99352
August 14, 2001
2:00-5:00 pm
8:00-11:00 pm
Omni Netherland Plaza Hotel, 35 West Fifth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 
45202
August 16, 2001
2:00-5:00 pm
8:00-11:00 pm
Hilton Crystal City, 2399 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington Virginia 
22202

    At 1:00 and 7:00 pm prior to each public scoping meeting, an 
information/open house will be offered to persons interested in 
radiation fundamentals, including sources and health effects, not 
specifically related to metal recycling.
    At each scoping meeting, the public will have the opportunity to 
ask questions and to comment orally or in writing on the scope of the 
PEIS, including the alternatives and issues that DOE should consider. 
Also, at these meetings, DOE plans to provide background information on 
the program and the PEIS preparation schedule.

[[Page 36566]]

    To ensure that the full range of issues related to the preparation 
of this PEIS is addressed, DOE is inviting comments on the proposed 
scope of the PEIS from all interested parties during the scoping 
period. Written comments should be addressed to Mr. Kenneth G. Picha, 
Jr. as provided above under the heading ADDRESSES. Agencies, 
organizations, and the general public are also invited to present oral 
comments at the public scoping meetings to be held at the places listed 
above. Written and oral comments will be given equal consideration. To 
ensure that everyone has an adequate opportunity to speak, each speaker 
at a scoping meeting will be allotted five minutes. Depending on the 
number of persons who ask to speak, more time may be provided for 
speakers representing organizations. Persons wishing to speak on behalf 
of organizations should identify the organization in their request. 
Written comments will also be accepted at the meetings. Speakers at the 
scoping meetings are encouraged to provide written versions of their 
oral comments for the record.
    DOE will record and prepare transcripts of the oral comments 
received during the public scoping meetings. Interested persons will be 
able to receive copies of the transcripts and written comments by 
requesting this information from Mr. Picha (see ADDRESSES).

Preliminary PEIS Schedule

    DOE plans to complete the Draft PEIS by January 2002. DOE will 
announce the availability of the Draft PEIS in the Federal Register and 
other media, and will provide the public, organizations, and agencies 
with an opportunity to submit comments. These comments will be 
considered and addressed in the Final PEIS, which DOE plans to issue by 
about July 2002. DOE will issue a Record of Decision no sooner than 30 
days after publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's notice 
of availability of the Final PEIS.

    Issued in Washington, D.C, on July 6, 2001.
Steven V. Cary,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Environment, Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 01-17438 Filed 7-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P