[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44598-44600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-15293]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Environmental Management


Notice of Preferred Sodium Bearing Waste Treatment Technology

AGENCY: Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Preferred Sodium Bearing Waste Treatment Technology.

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

SUMMARY: In October 2002, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the 
Department) issued the Final Idaho High-Level Waste (HLW) and 
Facilities Disposition Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0287 
(Final EIS)). The Final EIS contains an evaluation of reasonable 
alternatives for the management of mixed transuranic waste/sodium 
bearing waste (SBW),\1\ mixed HLW calcine, and associated low-level 
waste (LLW), as well as disposition alternatives for HLW facilities 
when their missions are completed. DOE's preferred alternative in the 
Final EIS for SBW waste processing was to implement the proposed action 
by selecting from among the action alternatives, options, and 
technologies analyzed in the Final EIS, and to construct facilities 
necessary to prepare the SBW located at the Idaho Nuclear Technology 
and Engineering Center (INTEC) for the preferred disposition path to 
the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). In the Final EIS DOE did not 
identify a preferred treatment technology for SBW from among the 
several technology options evaluated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The Final EIS refers to SBW as mixed transuranic waste/SBW. 
However, a determination that SBW is transuranic waste has not been 
made.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Department is now announcing that the Non Separations 
Alternative, Steam Reforming Option, as analyzed in the Final EIS and 
its associated Supplement Analysis (SA), DOE/ EIS-0287-SA-01, June 
2005, is DOE's preferred treatment technology for the SBW. DOE plans a 
phased decision-making process and will issue its first Record of 
Decision (ROD) focusing on SBW treatment and facilities disposition no 
sooner than 30-days from the date of this Notice. A subsequent ROD 
addressing Tank Farm Facility Closure

[[Page 44599]]

will be issued in coordination with the Secretary of Energy's 
determination pursuant to Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National 
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2005, Public Law 108-
375. A future ROD for HLW calcine disposition is scheduled for issuance 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
in 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for further information on 
the preferred technology should be addressed to: Richard Kimmel, 
Document Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, 
1955 North Fremont, MS-1222, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83415, Telephone (208) 
526-5583, or via email at [email protected]. Any 
comments on the preferred technology should be submitted to Mr. Kimmel 
no later than 30-days from the date of publication of this notice. The 
Final EIS and SA are available on the Internet at http://www.id.doe.gov/ and http://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa/.html.
    For further information on DOE's National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) process, please 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, Telephone: (202) 586-
4600, or leave a message at (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    SBW is a liquid mixed radioactive waste (contains hazardous and 
radioactive constituents) produced primarily from INTEC decontamination 
and cleanup activities. SBW also includes approximately one percent (by 
volume) commingled 1st cycle reprocessing waste, approximately two 
percent 2nd cycle reprocessing waste, and approximately four percent 
3rd cycle reprocessing waste. SBW contains large quantities of sodium 
and potassium nitrates; however, the radionuclide concentrations for 
liquid SBW are generally ten to 1,000 times less than for liquid HLW.
    In 1992, DOE entered into a Notice of Noncompliance Consent Order 
with the State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the 
Environmental Protection Agency that requires DOE to cease use of the 
tanks in which the SBW is stored by December 31, 2012.
    In 1995, DOE and the State of Idaho entered into a settlement 
agreement that resolved litigation and that established dates for the 
treatment of approximately 900,000 gallons of liquid SBW stored at 
INTEC.
    In September 1997, DOE published a Notice of Intent to complete an 
EIS in accordance with NEPA. In September 1998, the State of Idaho 
became a cooperating agency in the development of the EIS.
    In January 2000, DOE issued the Draft Idaho High-Level Waste and 
Facilities Disposition EIS (Draft EIS). Subsequently, DOE and the State 
of Idaho evaluated approximately 1,000 comments received on that 
document. The Final EIS was issued in October 2002 and reflects changes 
to the Draft EIS based on public comments, further review by DOE and 
the State of Idaho, and incorporation of the DOE and State of Idaho 
preferred alternatives.
    The Department's preferred alternative identified in the Final EIS 
was to implement the proposed action, which consists of five elements 
to meet the purpose and need for agency action: (1) Select appropriate 
technologies and construct facilities necessary to prepare INTEC SBW 
for shipment to WIPP, the preferred disposition path, (2) prepare the 
HLW calcine to allow disposal in a repository, (3) treat and dispose of 
associated radioactive wastes, (4) provide safe storage of HLW destined 
for a repository, and (5) disposition INTEC HLW management facilities 
when their missions are completed. Alternatives/Options not included in 
DOE's Preferred Alternative are: the No Action Alternative, storage of 
calcine in the bin sets for an indefinite period under the Continued 
Current Operations Alternative, the shipment of calcine to the Hanford 
Site for treatment under the Minimum Idaho National Engineering and 
Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Processing Alternative, and disposal 
of mixed LLW on the INEEL under any alternative. The INEEL is now known 
as the Idaho National Laboratory. The State of Idaho, as a cooperating 
agency, identified the Direct Vitrification Alternative for SBW and 
vitrification with or without separations of the HLW calcine as their 
preferred waste-processing alternatives. The Final EIS did not identify 
a DOE preferred treatment technology from among the several technology 
options evaluated for treatment of the SBW.
    DOE conducted four workshops to inform the public about the five 
technologies that the DOE was considering for treatment of the SBW with 
the preferred disposition at WIPP. The five technologies were Direct 
Vitrification, Cesium Ion Exchange with a grout waste form, Calcination 
with Maximum Achievable Control Technology upgrades, Direct 
Evaporation, and Steam Reforming. DOE issued a Federal Register notice 
on March 10, 2003, 68 FR 11388, announcing the public workshops. 
Workshops were held between March 13-April 28, 2003, in Jackson, 
Wyoming, and Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, and Fort Hall, Idaho. In 
addition, briefings were held with individual stakeholders through June 
2003. The public was given the opportunity to provide comments on all 
technologies presented through August 31, 2003, via e-mail or regular 
mail. Though the focus of the comment period was for SBW treatment, the 
nature of the comments received also included HLW calcine and closure 
of HLW facilities. DOE considered those comments, which addressed the 
following issues: Potential environmental impacts from waste processing 
operations, technical viability, uncertainties related to regulatory 
requirements and permits, public or agency acceptance, vitrification, 
cost, transportation of waste for disposal, waste form stability, and 
plan and schedule for cleanup activities. These comments did not raise 
any new issues that were not expressed during the comment period on the 
Draft EIS. DOE and the State of Idaho responses to these issues are in 
the Final EIS, Chapter 11.
    During the workshops and briefings, DOE informed the public that 
the DOE's strategy was to select one of the five technologies for 
treatment of the SBW. Subsequently, DOE changed this strategy by 
incorporating the requirement for a contractor to propose a treatment 
technology for SBW in a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Idaho 
Cleanup Project (ICP) contract to complete the Environmental Management 
accelerated cleanup mission. At public meetings of the Idaho 
Environmental Management Citizens Advisory Board, public meetings 
conducted by the National Academy of Sciences in Idaho, and other 
meetings with local stakeholders, DOE informed the public of the change 
in strategy and that the DOE would identify a preferred treatment 
technology for SBW after the contract was awarded. At these meetings, 
DOE also informed the public that they would have an opportunity to 
provide comments on the draft RFP.
    DOE issued the draft RFP for the ICP contract for comment in 
February 2004. The draft RFP required bidders to propose technologies 
for treating SBW for disposal at WIPP and an alternative technical 
approach to prepare this waste for disposal as HLW in the geologic 
repository for HLW and spent nuclear fuel if this waste could not be 
disposed of at WIPP. DOE responded to comments received on the draft 
RFP and issued the final RFP in July 2004. The

[[Page 44600]]

ICP contract was awarded on March 23, 2005. The ICP contractor proposed 
Steam Reforming as the treatment technology for SBW. Under the contract 
DOE would have to fulfill its NEPA requirements before authorizing 
action to treat SBW.

Preferred Treatment Technology

    DOE has identified Steam Reforming as its preferred treatment 
technology for SBW after considering technical maturity, the regulatory 
schedule for treatment of the SBW, and the environmental impacts 
presented in the Final EIS. The central feature of the Steam Reforming 
process is the reformer, a fluidized bed reactor in which steam is used 
as the fluidizing gas and a refractory oxide material is used as the 
bed medium. An organic reductant and other additives are also fed to 
the bed to enhance denitration. Water in the waste is vaporized to 
superheated steam, while organic compounds in the waste are broken down 
through thermal processes and reaction with hot nitrates, steam, and 
oxygen. A solid, remote-handled waste consisting of primarily inorganic 
salts is produced. The solids are packaged for disposal. This 
technology supports the Department's objective to treat SBW in a manner 
such that it would be ready for shipment out of Idaho, by December 31, 
2012, in accordance with the Environmental Management Performance 
Management Plan for Accelerating Cleanup of the INEEL, DOE/ID-11006, 
August 2002.
    DOE prepared a SA in accordance with DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR 
1021.314) to determine whether there are substantial changes to the 
scope of the proposed action identified in the Final EIS or significant 
new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns 
within the meaning of CEQ NEPA regulations [40 CFR 1502.9(c)(1)] that 
would require preparation of a supplemental EIS. The SA contains DOE's 
evaluation of new information (e.g., updated waste characterization 
data) and revised methodologies (e.g., for estimating cancer risk). 
Based on the SA, DOE determined that a supplemental EIS is not 
required.
    DOE plans a phased decision-making process and will issue its first 
ROD focusing on SBW treatment and facilities disposition no sooner than 
30-days from the date of this Notice. DOE will consider any comments 
received before issuing this ROD.
    A subsequent ROD addressing Tank Farm Facility Closure will be 
issued in coordination with the Secretary of Energy's determination 
pursuant to Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan NDAA for Fiscal Year 
2005, Public Law 108-375. A future ROD for HLW calcine disposition is 
scheduled for issuance in 2009.

    Issued in Washington, DC, July 26, 2005.
Charles E. Anderson,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 05-15293 Filed 8-2-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P