[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 177 (Wednesday, September 14, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54374-54375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-18224]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Environmental Management


Notice of Availability of Draft Section 3116 Determination Idaho 
Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm Facility

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of a 
draft determination that certain residual radioactive waste at the 
Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) Tank Farm 
Facility, located at the Idaho National Laboratory, is not high-level 
radioactive waste. DOE prepared the draft determination pursuant to 
Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2005. Although not required by the Act, DOE is making 
the draft determination available for public review and comment.

DATES: The comment period will end on October 28, 2005. Comments 
received after this date will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: The draft waste determination is available on the Internet 
at http://apps.em.doe.gov/idwd/, and is publicly available for review 
at the following locations: U.S. Department of Energy, Public Reading 
Room, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, Phone: (202) 
586-5955, or Fax: (202) 586-0575; and U.S. Department of Energy Idaho, 
Public Reading Room, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho 
83415, Phone: (208) 526-9162, or Fax: (208) 526-1697. Written comments 
should be addressed to: Mr. Matthew Duchesne, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Environmental Management, EM-2, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585. Alternatively, comments can be filed 
electronically by e-mail to [email protected], or by Fax at 
(202) 586-4314.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tank Farm Facility (TFF) at INTEC 
consists of eleven 300,000-gallon, below-grade, stainless-steel tanks 
in unlined concrete vaults; four 30,000-gallon, below-grade, stainless-
steel tanks; and associated ancillary equipment and piping. 
Historically, the TFF tanks were used to store various INTEC wastes, 
including those from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, decontamination 
waste, laboratory waste, and contaminated liquids from other INTEC 
operations. DOE is currently in the process of closing the

[[Page 54375]]

TFF, a process that includes consolidating remaining wastes in the 
minimum number of tanks necessary, and then cleaning the empty tanks 
and ancillary equipment. After completing cleaning operations, a small 
amount of residual radioactive waste that cannot be removed remains in 
the tanks and ancillary equipment. DOE plans to stabilize this residual 
waste, as well as the TFF system overall, by filling the system with 
grout.
    Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2005 authorizes the Secretary of Energy, in 
consultation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), to determine 
that certain waste from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel is not high-
level waste (HLW) and that it may instead be disposed of as low-level 
waste (LLW) if it meets the criteria set forth in Section 3116. The 
draft determination sets forth the basis for concluding that the TFF 
residual wastes, as well as the tanks, vaults, and associated piping, 
structures, and equipment will meet all of those criteria, and thus is 
not high-level waste.
    Final Determination: DOE will issue a final determination following 
the completion of consultation with the NRC, and consideration of any 
public comments.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 8, 2005.
Charles E. Anderson,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 05-18224 Filed 9-13-05; 8:45 am]
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