[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3277-3278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-289]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent (NOI) To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for 
the Use of a More Efficient Shipping Container System for Spent Nuclear 
Fuel From Naval Aircraft Carriers

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental 
Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA 
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and the Chief of Naval Operations 
Environmental and Natural Resources Program Manual

[[Page 3278]]

(OPNAV Instruction 5090.1B), the Department of the Navy, Naval Nuclear 
Propulsion Program, announces its intent to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) on the potential environmental impacts associated with 
using a more efficient shipping container system for spent nuclear fuel 
to support refueling and defueling U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft 
carriers at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company (NNS) in 
Virginia, and the associated rail shipment of this spent nuclear fuel 
to the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF) in Idaho for temporary storage.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to provide comments on 
environmental issues and concerns relative to this NOI and the scope of 
the EA, on or before February 21, 2006, to ensure full consideration 
during the completion of the EA.

ADDRESSES: All comments should include name, organization, and mailing 
address. Written comments should be addressed to Mr. Alan Denko (08U-
Naval Reactors), Naval Sea Systems Command, 1240 Isaac Hull Avenue, SE 
Stop 8036, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20376-8036. Comments provided by E-
Mail should use the following address: [email protected]. 
Comments provided via phone should use this number: 1-866-369-4802.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Consistent with the Record of Decision for 
the April 1995 Department of Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for Spent Nuclear Fuel Management, Naval spent nuclear 
fuel is shipped by rail from refueling shipyards to NRF in shipping 
containers meeting Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Department 
of Transportation (DOT) requirements. These requirements provide for 
public safety and protect the environment. A new shipping container 
system is being proposed to provide improved support for the refueling 
schedules and operational needs of the U.S. Navy fleet, while 
continuing to provide for public safety and environmental protection. 
The new shipping containers would be longer than existing containers 
and could be used for any type of Naval spent nuclear fuel; however, 
their primary function would be to transport aircraft carrier spent 
nuclear fuel assemblies without disassembly of the spent nuclear fuel 
from its non-fuel structural components. Elimination of this 
disassembly operation at the shipyard would result in more efficient 
defueling/refueling operations, which are necessary to meet the current 
refueling schedules for the fleet in support of national defense. The 
aircraft carrier spent nuclear fuel assemblies would be loaded directly 
into the new containers and shipped to NRF in Idaho for temporary 
storage and processing, which includes examination, removal of non-fuel 
structural components, and placement into canisters that are ready for 
shipment to the geologic repository. This method of direct loading of 
Naval spent nuclear fuel into shipping containers and removing non-fuel 
structural components at NRF is the same processing approach used for 
submarines.
    The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program's conservative design 
practices and stringent operating procedures have resulted in a 
demonstrated safety record for Naval nuclear propulsion plants with 
respect to operations, transportation, and handling of spent nuclear 
fuel. There has never been an accident resulting in personnel injury or 
release of radioactivity to the environment in over 1.5 million miles 
traveled by the Naval spent fuel shipping containers. The new longer 
shipping container would be designed to the same robust criteria and 
Federal regulations as current Naval spent nuclear fuel shipping 
containers. These regulations require that the shipping container meet 
specific criteria for protection of the public and the environment 
under normal transport as well as accident conditions. The new 
container will meet the same high standards as existing shipping 
containers with respect to minimizing radiation exposure to the public 
and workers.
    The increased length of the containers would require new railcars 
capable of carrying containers in a horizontal position, versus the 
vertical position used for current container designs. The new railcars 
and containers would meet NRC and DOT regulations and provide 
equivalent safety to existing design railcars and containers used for 
transporting Naval spent nuclear fuel.
    Construction of a new facility at NNS to support loading the longer 
shipping containers would be needed. Equipment used to remove and 
transfer the spent nuclear fuel assemblies from the ship to the new 
shipping container would be the same as that currently used for 
aircraft carrier defueling/refueling operations.
    No new facilities would be needed at NRF, but minor facility 
modifications would be required to support unloading of the new 
containers and to allow for scheduled return of the containers to NNS. 
The return of the emptied shipping containers to NNS is needed to 
support defueling/refueling schedules and to minimize the number of 
containers that must be procured and maintained. To support container 
turnaround, the Navy is evaluating the option of increasing spent fuel 
receiving capability at NRF to include temporary dry storage of spent 
nuclear fuel prior to processing. The fuel would be stored in concrete 
shielded overpacks in the temporary dry storage building. Operations 
for temporary dry storage of spent nuclear fuel prior to processing 
would be similar to current NRF operations for temporary dry storage 
after processing.
    The EA will evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the 
new container, construction of a new shipping container loading 
facility at NNS, loading the shipping containers with Naval spent 
nuclear fuel at NNS, and transport from the shipyard to NRF. The EA 
will evaluate the modification of facilities at NRF, unloading the 
spent nuclear fuel assemblies, temporary dry storage, disassembly of 
the spent nuclear fuel from its non-fuel structural components, and 
disposal of the non-fuel structural components. The environmental 
impacts associated with these operations are expected to be similar to 
those associated with the use of existing shipping container systems. 
Use of the proposed new container system will not impact continued 
compliance with the 1995 Settlement Agreement between the U.S. Navy and 
the State of Idaho concerning the management of Naval spent nuclear 
fuel.
    The EA will also address the viability of alternative actions to 
the proposed action to use the new longer shipping container system. 
These alternatives include (1) Changing the aircraft carrier defueling/
refueling schedules, (2) increasing the facilities at the refueling 
shipyard, (3) procurement of additional shipping containers of the 
existing design, (4) performing some activities at other facilities, 
and (5) the no action alternative, continuing to use the existing 
shipping containers.

    Dated: January 6, 2006.
Eric McDonald,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 06-289 Filed 1-19-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P