[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 144 (Monday, July 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44329-44331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19094]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Interim Management of Nuclear Materials; Savannah River Site 
Waste Management

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Amended record of decision.

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SUMMARY: In 1995 the Department of Energy (DOE) prepared an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the stabilization, processing, 
and safe storage of nuclear materials at the Savannah River Site (SRS) 
entitled Interim Management of Nuclear Materials (IMNM EIS). The IMNM 
EIS analyzed several alternate methods of stabilizing, processing, or 
storing various types of nuclear materials. None of those alternatives 
envisioned disposing of any of the materials directly as waste. Based 
on the analysis in the IMNM EIS, DOE issued a series of records of 
decision (RODs) selecting a storage, stabilization, and/or processing 
strategy for each type of material, and DOE continues to carry out 
those actions.
    In 1995 DOE also prepared an EIS for the treatment, storage and 
disposal of waste at SRS entitled Savannah River Site Waste Management 
Environmental Impact Statement (SRS WM EIS). The SRS WM EIS analyzed 
the management of SRS waste by general category, i.e., hazardous waste, 
mixed waste (radioactive and hazardous), low level waste (LLW), 
transuranic waste (TRUW) and high level waste (HLW).
    In this amended ROD, DOE is announcing that it has decided to 
dispose of as waste, pursuant to the SRS WM EIS, the majority of one 
type and a small portion of a second type of nuclear materials analyzed 
in the IMNM EIS. The materials will only be disposed of once it has 
been established that they meet the applicable waste criteria. This 
action will be taken in lieu of the earlier stabilization and 
processing decisions made for these materials. Because stabilization 
and processing activities result in the generation of additional waste, 
this decision will decrease by about 1,145 cubic meters (1,500 cubic 
yards) the amount of LLW, and by about 120 cubic meters (160 cubic 
yards) the amount of TRUW, to be managed at SRS as compared to the 
amounts that would have been generated under DOE's previous decisions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the interim 
management of nuclear materials and radioactive waste management at the 
SRS, or to receive a copy of the IMNM or SRS WM EIS's, contact: Andrew 
R. Grainger, NEPA Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Savannah River Operations Office, Building 730B, Room 2418, Aiken, 
South Carolina 29802, (800) 881-7292, Internet: [email protected].
    For further information on the DOE 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, (202) 586-4600, or leave a message at (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Programmatic Basis for the Revised Decision

    DOE's clean-up at the SRS is focused on an accelerated risk-based 
strategy. Under this strategy, the clean-up will be expedited by 
disposing of as waste all materials that are suitable for direct 
disposal, and by processing in the SRS canyon facilities only those 
materials that require such processing. This strategy will also allow 
DOE to reduce costs.

NEPA Reviews and Decisions

    DOE prepared a final environmental impact statement, Interim 
Management of Nuclear Materials (IMNM EIS) (DOE/EIS-0220, October 
1995), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
[42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.], Council on Environmental Quality regulations 
implementing NEPA [40 CFR 1500-1508], and DOE implementing procedures 
[10 CFR 1021]. The IMNM EIS grouped the nuclear materials at the SRS 
into three categories: Stable (thousands of items in nine material 
types), Programmatic (three material types), and Candidates for 
Stabilization (seven material types). Some of the ``Programmatic'' and 
all of the ``Candidates for Stabilization'' materials could have 
presented environmental, safety, and health vulnerabilities in their 
then-current storage condition.
    On December 12, 1995, DOE issued a ROD and Notice of Preferred 
Alternatives (60 FR 65300) on the interim management of several types 
of nuclear materials at the SRS. DOE decided to stabilize the 
Candidates for Stabilization material type known as

[[Page 44330]]

``Plutonium and Uranium Stored in Vaults'' by: (1) Heating or 
repackaging the material into better containers, and (2) dissolving 
some materials in the SRS canyon facilities to chemically remove 
impurities or radioactive decay products, and converting the resulting 
purified solutions to a metal, an oxide, or a glass (i.e., 
vitrification). On February 21, 1996, DOE issued a Supplemental ROD (61 
FR 6633) announcing its decision to stabilize the Candidates for 
Stabilization material type known as ``Other Aluminum-Clad Targets'' by 
dissolving them in acid in the SRS canyon facilities and transferring 
the resulting nuclear material solution to the high-level waste (HLW) 
tanks for future vitrification in the Defense Waste Processing 
Facility.
    The environmental impacts of disposing of low-level waste (LLW), 
and managing transuranic waste (TRUW) pending disposal, are analyzed in 
the Savannah River Site Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement 
(SRS WM EIS) (DOE/EIS-0217, July 1995).\1\ In preparing the SRS WM EIS, 
DOE recognized the difficulty in trying to comprehensively identify all 
of the wastes that would require treatment over a 30-year period. 
Therefore, in providing examples of different waste types, DOE used 
terms such as ``typical'' and ``includes'' to clearly indicate that 
other materials, such as those identified in this Amended ROD, could 
also be considered for waste treatment, storage, and disposal as long 
as those other materials met the definitions of the various waste 
categories in the SRS WM EIS.
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    \1\ Low-level radioactive waste is radioactive waste that is not 
high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, transuranic waste, 
byproduct material (as defined in section 11e.(2) of the Atomic 
Energy Act of 1954, as amended), or naturally occurring radioactive 
material. Transuranic waste is radioactive waste containing more 
than 100 nanocuries (3700 becquerels) of alpha-emitting transuranic 
isotopes per gram of waste, with half-lives greater than 20 years, 
except for: (1) High-level radioactive waste; (2) Waste that the 
Secretary of Energy has determined, with the concurrence of the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, does not need 
the degree of isolation required by the 40 CFR Part 191 disposal 
regulations; or (3) Waste that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has 
approved for disposal on a case-by-case basis in accordance with 10 
CFR Part 61. [DOE G 435.1-1, Implementation Guide for Use with DOE's 
Radioactive Waste Management Manual]
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    Action alternatives analyzed in the SRS WM EIS included three waste 
treatment configurations (limited, moderate, and extensive), all of 
which were found to protect human health and the environment, meet 
applicable storage and disposal requirements, and use reasonable 
treatment, storage, and disposal technologies. Each of these treatment 
configurations was analyzed in the context of multiple waste volume 
scenarios (expected, minimum, and maximum) which included projections 
of waste volumes the SRS would need to manage over a 30-year planning 
period (1995 through 2024). In a September 22, 1995, ROD (60 FR 55249), 
DOE selected the moderate treatment configuration for its waste 
management system. On June 28, 2001, DOE issued an Amended ROD (66 FR 
34431) announcing its decision to add offsite disposal of certain SRS 
waste as a management method, consistent with DOE policy.

Other Aluminum-Clad Targets

    The Other Aluminum-Clad Targets material type includes 771 cobalt-
60 and 1 (one) thulium-170 ``slugs'' \2\ as well as approximately 150 
slugs and assemblies of other materials (e.g., thorium, uranium, and 
plutonium).
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    \2\ A ``slug'' is generally a short cylinder, approximately 12-
18 inches long by three to four inches in diameter, of fuel, target, 
or barrier material in the form of pellets, pins, or solid metal 
that is assembled with other slugs in a tube for insertion in a 
nuclear reactor as a single rod or combined with others to form an 
assembly.
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    DOE has determined that cobalt-60 and thulium-170 slugs, and 
potentially the remaining materials in the Other Aluminum-Clad Targets 
material type, may be disposed of as LLW without additional processing. 
One form of the Other Aluminum-Clad Targets, plutonium-242 flux monitor 
pins, may require disposal as TRUW rather than as LLW. In order to 
qualify for direct disposal the materials must meet the definition of 
LLW or TRUW,\3\ whichever is applicable, and meet the waste acceptance 
criteria of the receiving, treatment, storage, or disposal facility.
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    \3\ DOE Guide 435.1-1, Chapters III and IV, July 9, 1999.
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    Disposing of the cobalt-60 and thulium-170 slugs, and the 
qualifying remaining Other Aluminum-Clad Targets material type, as LLW 
would generate only about five cubic meters of LLW, as compared to 
approximately 1,150 cubic meters of LLW estimated for the processing 
stabilization alternative previously selected for this material 
type.\4\ This is a net reduction of approximately 1,145 cubic meters of 
LLW generation. These materials are currently stored in the L-Area 
Disassembly Basin, the Receiving Basin for Offsite Fuels, and the 
Savannah River Technology Center. The materials in this category that 
are determined to qualify for direct disposal as LLW will be buried in 
a shielded container or containers at the SRS or at an offsite facility 
to ensure that radiation exposure is kept as low as reasonably 
achievable.
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    \4\ Table 2-11 of the IMNM EIS indicates that 2,300 cubic meters 
of LLW could result from the stabilization processing of the entire 
Other Aluminum-Clad Targets material type. Some of this material 
type has already been processed. DOE estimates the remaining Other 
Aluminum-Clad Targets that are the subject of this Amended ROD 
represent approximately 50 percent of this material type analyzed in 
the IMNM EIS.
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Plutonium and Uranium Stored in Vaults

    Similarly, DOE has determined that some of the Plutonium and 
Uranium Stored in Vaults material type may be disposed of as TRUW 
without further processing. DOE has already characterized and 
stabilized about 90 percent of the approximately 3,000 containers of 
the Plutonium and Uranium Stored in Vaults material type. 
Characterization and stabilization of the remaining containers is 
scheduled to be complete by the end of Fiscal Year 2005. During 
characterization, DOE will determine which of the remaining 
approximately 300 containers can be directly disposed of as TRUW. 
Adding TRUW disposal as a management option does not change the 
characterization process. Disposing of this small portion of Plutonium 
and Uranium Stored in Vaults as TRUW could result in the generation of 
about eight cubic meters of TRUW, compared with approximately 130 cubic 
meters of TRUW estimated for processing this material as described in 
the IMNM EIS.\5\ If the plutonium-242 flux monitor pins discussed in 
the preceding section are disposed of as TRUW rather than as LLW, less 
than two additional cubic meters of TRUW would require management at 
the SRS, resulting in the generation of less than ten cubic meters of 
TRUW from this decision. This is a net reduction of approximately 120 
cubic meters of TRUW generation below the amount envisioned under 
previous RODs. In each case, the material to be directly disposed of 
must meet the TRUW definition and meet the applicable acceptance 
criteria for packaging, storage and disposal as TRUW. If any material 
cannot meet the applicable waste acceptance criteria, that material 
will be stabilized as described in previous RODs.
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    \5\ Table 2-8 of the IMNM EIS indicates that 1,300 cubic meters 
of TRUW could result from the stabilization processing of the entire 
Plutonium and Uranium Stored in Vaults material type. DOE estimates 
that processing the remaining ten percent of these materials would 
have a potential of generating only ten percent of this amount.
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Potential Environmental Impacts

    The IMNM EIS analyzed the potential impacts of a range of 
alternatives for managing all SRS nuclear materials.

[[Page 44331]]

Summaries of potential impacts from the alternatives, including the 
resulting generation of LLW and TRUW, are presented in the IMNM EIS, 
Table 2-2 through Table 2-12 (pp. 2-48 through 2-58). As described 
below, the direct disposal of the materials discussed herein as waste 
could reduce the impacts slightly.
    The impacts caused by the disposition of cobalt-60 and thulium-170 
slugs, and the remaining materials in the Other Aluminum-Clad Targets 
material category, as LLW would be within those described in Table 2-15 
of the SRS WM EIS, and remain consistent with the moderate treatment 
alternative selected by DOE in the October 30, 1995, ROD (60 FR 55249). 
The 1,145 cubic meter reduction forecast from this decision is a very 
small fraction of both the LLW volume forecast in the SRS WM EIS 
(approximately 475,000 cubic meters) and the current SRS forecast 
(approximately 300,000 cubic meters) resulting from program changes, 
waste minimization, and volume reduction activities. Any material 
disposed of as LLW must meet the definition of LLW and the disposal 
facility's waste acceptance criteria.
    Some of the Plutonium and Uranium Stored in Vaults materials, and 
potentially the plutonium-242 flux monitor pins in the Other Aluminum-
Clad Targets material type, may be determined to be TRUW. If so, they 
would represent a small fraction of the TRUW generated and stored at 
the SRS, and the potential impacts would not exceed those described for 
TRUW treatment and storage in Table 2-17 of the SRS WM EIS. TRUW would 
be stored at the SRS pending shipment to DOE's Waste Isolation Pilot 
Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico, for disposal. SRS has the capacity to 
store 34,400 cubic meters of TRUW and has a TRUW inventory of 
approximately 11,000 cubic meters. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 
Disposal Phase Supplemental EIS (DOE/EIS-0026-FS2) evaluated the 
transportation and disposal of up to 23,000 cubic meters of waste 
originating from the SRS. The most recent estimate of SRS-originated 
TRUW, which includes TRUW to be generated from the Mixed Oxide Fuel 
Fabrication Facility, is 21,155 cubic meters. Therefore, the estimated 
120 cubic meter reduction that could result from implementation of this 
decision is a small fraction of both the SRS storage capacity and the 
analyzed WIPP disposal capacity.

Decision

    DOE is amending the December 12, 1995, ROD and the February 21, 
1996, ROD by canceling, in part, the processing alternative selected 
for the Plutonium and Uranium Stored in Vaults material type and the 
Other Aluminum-Clad Targets material type. DOE instead will dispose of, 
as TRUW, that portion of the remaining Plutonium and Uranium Stored in 
Vaults, and possibly the plutonium-242 flux monitor pins in the Other 
Aluminum-Clad Target material type, which meets the criteria set forth 
below for TRUW. DOE also will dispose of, as LLW, the cobalt-60 and 
thulium-170 slugs, and any of the remaining Other Aluminum-Clad Target 
materials that meet the criteria set forth below for LLW. This LLW will 
be disposed of at the SRS, or at an offsite facility, along with other 
SRS LLW as discussed in the September 22, 1995, and June 28, 2001, RODs 
for the SRS WM EIS.
    Any material disposed of as LLW or TRUW must meet the definition of 
the relevant waste type under DOE Guide 435.1-1, which provides 
guidance for implementation of DOE Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste 
Management. In addition, disposal of any materials would be contingent 
upon a demonstration that they meet the appropriate treatment, storage, 
or disposal facility waste acceptance criteria. The environmental 
impacts of treatment, storage, and disposal of LLW and TRUW at the SRS 
are analyzed in the SRS WM EIS (DOE/EIS-0217, July 1995).
    Adding disposal as LLW or TRUW to the management methods available 
for Other Aluminum-Clad Targets and Plutonium and Uranium Stored in 
Vaults will allow DOE to optimize the use of the SRS canyon facilities 
to process higher priority materials. Additionally, implementing this 
additional management method for qualifying plutonium materials will 
reduce the amount of plutonium that would otherwise need to be 
processed to meet the plutonium storage standard (DOE-STD-3013), reduce 
vault storage space requirements for plutonium and the associated 
storage containers, and lower vault surveillance and maintenance costs. 
There is no programmatic need for the materials covered by this 
decision.

    Issued in Washington, DC, July 17, 2003.
Jessie Hill Roberson,
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 03-19094 Filed 7-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P