[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 194 (Friday, October 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 58698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20257]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Office of Environmental Management; Notice of Availability of 
Draft Section 3116 Determination Concerning Disposal of Residual Tank 
Wastes in Tanks 18 and 19 at the Savannah River Site

AGENCY: Office of Environmental Management, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of a 
draft determination concerning the permanent, in-situ disposal of 
residual tank wastes (including tank structure and equipment) in liquid 
radioactive waste tanks 18 and 19 at the F-Tank Farm (FTF) at the 
Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina. DOE prepared the 
draft determination pursuant to Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, which 
authorizes the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, to determine that certain waste from 
reprocessing is not high-level waste (HLW) if the provisions set forth 
in section 3116 are satisfied. 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 November 21, 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/swd, 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, 
Savannah River Operations Office, Public Reading Room, 171 University 
Parkway, Aiken, SC 29801, Phone: (803) 641-3320, or Fax: (803) 641-
3302. 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: Since 1954, SRS Tank Farms F and H have 
received over 140 million gallons (Mgal) of waste from SRS nuclear 
material processing facilities. Much of this waste resulted from the 
reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel for defense purposes, which has been 
commingled with non-reprocessing waste. The waste tanks contain two 
distinct types of radioactive waste material, approximately 3 Mgal of 
radioactive sludge and approximately 34 Mgal of salt waste. DOE's plans 
call for stabilizing and disposing of retrieved sludge in a deep 
geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive 
waste. Regarding the salt waste, DOE contemplates removing fission 
products and actinides from these materials using a variety of 
technologies and solidifying the remaining low-activity salt stream 
into a grout matrix, known as saltstone grout, suitable for disposal in 
vaults at the Saltstone Disposal Waste Determination.
    This Determination addresses only the permanent disposal of the 
residual materials contaminating Tank 18 and Tank 19, as well as the 
structure of the tanks themselves and ancillary equipment. Both tanks 
have a nominal operating capacity of 1.3 Mgal. Waste removal operations 
for Tank 18 were initiated in 1985 and completed in 2003. Tank 18 now 
holds approximately 4.3 thousand gallons (Kgal) of residual material. 
Waste removal operations for Tank 19 were initiated in 1981 and 
completed in 2001, and it now holds approximately 15.1 Kgal of residual 
material. DOE plans to fill both tanks with a reducing grout designed 
to stabilize and solidify the residual material. This method was chosen 
as the least hazardous and most environmentally preferable alternative. 
It will reduce migration of contaminants into the environment; prevent 
inadvertent intrusion; minimize free-standing liquids; and minimize 
void spaces in the tank. After final pouring of the stabilizing grout, 
a layer of higher-strength grout will be poured into the tanks to 
further discourage human/animal inadvertent intrusion. In addition, 
institutional controls (access restriction and groundwater monitoring) 
will be implemented and maintained in accordance with Federal and State 
agreements.
    Final Determination: Section 3116 authorizes the Secretary of 
Energy, in consultation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), 
to determine that certain waste from reprocessing is not HLW if the 
provisions set forth in Section 3116 are satisfied. DOE will issue a 
final waste determination for Tanks 18 and 19 following the completion 
of consultation with the NRC, and consideration of any public comments.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 3, 2005.
Mark A. Gilbertson,
Deputy Assistant, Secretary for Environmental Cleanup and Acceleration.
[FR Doc. 05-20257 Filed 10-6-05; 8:45 am]
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