[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 198 (Friday, October 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60490-60494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8676]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for a 
Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-
Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, NV

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is 
announcing its intent to prepare a Supplement to the ``Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the 
Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at 
Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada'' (DOE/EIS-0250F, February 2002) 
(Yucca Mountain Final EIS). The Proposed Action addressed in the Yucca 
Mountain Final EIS is to construct, operate and monitor, and eventually 
close a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain in southern Nevada for 
the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
    The Yucca Mountain Final EIS considered the potential environmental 
impacts of a repository design for surface and subsurface facilities, a 
range of canister packaging scenarios and repository thermal operating 
modes, and plans for the construction, operation and monitoring, and 
eventual closure of the repository. The Yucca Mountain Final EIS also 
considered the environmental impacts of the transportation of spent 
nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from commercial and DOE 
sites to the repository by two principal modes--mostly truck and mostly 
rail. In the Yucca Mountain Final EIS DOE recognized that these 
repository design concepts and operational plans would continue to 
develop during the design and engineering process.
    Since publication of the Yucca Mountain Final EIS, DOE has 
continued to develop the repository design and associated plans. As now 
planned, the proposed surface and subsurface facilities would allow DOE 
to operate the repository following a primarily canistered approach in 
which most commercial spent nuclear fuel would be packaged at the 
commercial sites in multipurpose transport, aging and disposal 
canisters (TADs), and all DOE materials would be packaged in disposable 
canisters at the DOE sites. Waste packages would be arrayed in the 
repository underground to achieve what is referred to as a higher-
thermal operating mode, and most spent nuclear fuel and high-level 
radioactive waste would arrive at the repository by rail.
    To evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the current 
repository design and operational plans, DOE has decided to prepare a 
Supplement to the Yucca Mountain Final EIS \1\, consistent with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Nuclear Waste Policy 
Act, as amended (Pub. L. 97-425) (NWPA). This Supplemental Yucca 
Mountain EIS (DOE/EIS-0250-S1) is being prepared to assist the U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in satisfying its NEPA 
responsibilities pursuant to the NWPA (Section 114(f)(4)) \2\.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Coincident with this Notice of Intent, DOE is publishing an 
Amended Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental Yucca Mountain 
Rail Corridor and Rail Alignment EIS (DOE/EIS-0250F-S2 and DOE/EIS-
0369). That EIS will review the rail corridor analyses of the Yucca 
Mountain Final EIS, and update, as appropriate, and will analyze the 
proposed Mina corridor; it also will include detailed analyses of 
alternative alignments for the construction and operation of a rail 
line within the Mina corridor, as well as the Caliente corridor.
    \2\ Section 114(f)(4) of the NWPA provides that any 
environmental impact statement ``prepared in connection with a 
repository * * * shall, to the extent practicable, be adopted by the 
Commission [NRC] in connection with the issuance by the Commission 
of a construction authorization and license for such repository. To 
the extent such statement is adopted by the Commission, such 
adoption shall be deemed to also satisfy the responsibilities of the 
Commission under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 * * 
*.''

DATES: The Department invites comments on the scope of the Supplemental 
Yucca Mountain EIS to ensure that all relevant environmental issues are 
addressed. Public scoping meetings are discussed below in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. DOE will consider all comments 
received during the 45-day public scoping period, which starts with 
publication of this Notice of Intent and ends November 27, 2006. 
Comments received after this date will be considered to the extent 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
practicable.

ADDRESSES: Requests for additional information on the Supplemental 
Yucca Mountain EIS or on the repository program in general, should be 
directed to: Dr. Jane Summerson, EIS Document Manager, Regulatory 
Authority Office, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1551 Hillshire Drive, M/S 010, Las Vegas, NV 
89134, Telephone 1-800-967-3477. Written comments on the scope of the 
Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS may be submitted to Dr. Jane Summerson 
at this address, or by facsimile to 1-800-967-0739, or via the Internet 
at http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov under the caption What's New.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information regarding the 
DOE NEPA process contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of 
NEPA Policy and Compliance, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585, Telephone 202-586-4600, 
or leave a message at 1-800-472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 60491]]

Background

    Section 111(a)(4) of the NWPA states that the Federal government 
has the: ``responsibility to provide for the permanent disposal of 
high-level radioactive waste and such spent nuclear fuel as may be 
disposed of in order to protect the public health and safety and the 
environment.''

    The NWPA directs the Secretary of Energy, if the Secretary decides 
to recommend approval of the Yucca Mountain site for development of a 
repository, to submit a final environmental impact statement with any 
recommendation to the President. The Department prepared the Yucca 
Mountain Final EIS to fulfill that requirement.
    On February 14, 2002, the Secretary, in accordance with the NWPA, 
transmitted his recommendation (including the Yucca Mountain Final EIS) 
to the President for approval of the Yucca Mountain site for 
development of a geologic repository. The President considered the site 
qualified for application to the NRC for a construction authorization 
and recommended the site to the U.S. Congress. Subsequently, on July 
23, 2002, the President signed into law (Pub. L. 107-200) a joint 
resolution of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate 
designating the Yucca Mountain site for development as a geologic 
repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level 
radioactive waste. The Department is now preparing a license 
application for submittal to the NRC seeking authorization to construct 
the repository, as required by the NWPA (Section 114(b)).
    In the Yucca Mountain Final EIS, DOE considered the potential 
environmental impacts of a repository design for surface and subsurface 
facilities, a range of canister packaging scenarios and repository 
thermal operating modes, and plans for the construction, operation and 
monitoring, and eventual closure of the repository. The Yucca Mountain 
Final EIS also described and evaluated the transportation of spent 
nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from commercial and DOE 
sites to the repository by two principal modes--mostly truck and mostly 
rail. DOE recognized at that time that these repository design concepts 
and operational plans would continue to develop during the design and 
engineering process.
    More specifically, the Yucca Mountain Final EIS included 
evaluations of separate canistered and uncanistered packaging scenarios 
for commercial spent nuclear fuel, and a repository design comprised of 
three primary surface operations areas (North Portal Operations Area, 
South Portal Development Area, Ventilation Shaft Operations Area) in 
which spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste would be 
handled in two principal facilities (Carrier Preparation Building, 
Waste Handling Building). The Yucca Mountain Final EIS also evaluated a 
range of underground thermal operating modes (referred to as lower- and 
higher-temperature modes) in which heat from the waste packages would 
raise the temperature of the adjacent rock to a range of temperatures 
from below the boiling point of water to above the boiling point. Two 
scenarios, mostly truck and mostly rail, were analyzed for the 
transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste 
from the commercial and DOE sites to the repository.
    Since publication of the Yucca Mountain Final EIS, DOE has 
continued to develop the repository design and associated plans. As now 
planned (and described in greater detail in the Proposed Action below), 
the proposed surface and subsurface facilities would allow DOE to 
operate the repository following a primarily canistered approach in 
which most commercial spent nuclear fuel would be packaged at the 
commercial sites in TADs, and all DOE materials would be packaged in 
disposable canisters at the DOE sites. These TADs and disposable 
canisters then would be transported mostly by rail \3\ to the 
repository where they would be placed on aging (or staging) \4\ pads 
prior to disposal, or inserted into waste packages and disposed of in 
the repository underground.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ On April 8, 2004 (69 FR 18557), the Department issued a 
Record of Decision selecting, both nationally and in the State of 
Nevada, the mostly rail scenario analyzed in the Yucca Mountain 
Final EIS. This decision will ultimately require the construction of 
a rail line to connect the repository site at Yucca Mountain to an 
existing rail line in the State of Nevada.
    \4\ The terminology refers to retaining commercial spent nuclear 
fuel on the surface at the repository to meet waste package thermal 
limits (aging), or to provide a surge capacity to maintain 
flexibility in waste handling operations (staging).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    At the repository site, spent nuclear fuel and high-level 
radioactive waste would now be handled in up to six principal 
facilities located within three primary surface operations areas. A 
fourth operations area would be developed to support excavation of the 
underground repository. A higher-thermal (temperature) operating mode 
would be employed.
    Based on the current planning, the Department does not believe that 
any of the developments to the repository design or operational plans 
would have a significant impact on the environmental effects considered 
in the Yucca Mountain Final EIS. Nevertheless, to assist NRC in 
satisfying its NEPA responsibilities pursuant to the NWPA (Section 
114(f)(4)), DOE has decided to prepare this Supplemental EIS.

Proposed Action

    Under the Proposed Action, DOE would construct, operate and 
monitor, and eventually close a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain 
for the disposal of up to 70,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) of 
commercial and DOE-owned spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive 
waste.\5\ DOE would dispose of these materials in the repository using 
the inherent, natural geologic features of the mountain and engineered 
barriers to ensure long-term isolation of the spent nuclear fuel and 
high-level radioactive waste from the human environment. These 
materials would be emplaced underground at least 200 meters (660 feet) 
below the surface and at least 160 meters (530 feet) above the water 
table. The NRC, through its licensing process, would regulate 
repository construction, operation and monitoring, and closure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ The 70,000 MTHM includes 63,000 MTHM of commercial spent 
nuclear fuel, about 2,333 MTHM of DOE fuel (includes about 65 MTHM 
of naval fuel), and about 4,667 MTHM of DOE high-level radioactive 
waste.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Under the Proposed Action, most spent nuclear fuel and high-level 
radioactive waste would be shipped from 72 commercial and 4 DOE sites 
\6\ to the repository in NRC-certified transportation casks placed on 
trains dedicated only to these shipments. Some shipments, however, 
would arrive at the repository by truck.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ In 2002, fifty-four additional sites, primarily domestic 
research reactors, were expected to ship spent nuclear fuel to two 
DOE sites prior to disposal at the repository (see Records of 
Decision June 1, 1995 at 60 FR 28680, and March 8, 1996 at 61 FR 
9441). Also, the Yucca Mountain Final EIS analyzed fuel shipments 
from 5 DOE sites, including Fort St. Vrain, to the repository. 
Presently, it is anticipated that fuel from Fort St. Vrain will be 
shipped to Idaho National Laboratory prior to being shipped to the 
repository.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Under the Proposed Action, all DOE spent nuclear fuel and high-
level radioactive waste would be placed in disposable canisters at the 
DOE sites, and as much as 90 percent of the commercial spent nuclear 
fuel would be placed in TADs at the commercial sites prior to shipment. 
Upon arrival at the repository, both types of canisters (DOE disposable 
and TADs) would be placed into corrosion-resistant overpacks

[[Page 60492]]

(waste packages) prior to emplacement in the repository underground.
    The remaining commercial spent nuclear fuel (about 10 percent) 
would be transported to the repository in dual-purpose canisters 
(canisters suitable for storage and transportation), or would be 
uncanistered. At the repository, uncanistered spent nuclear fuel would 
be placed directly into TADs and then waste packages for disposal. 
Commercial spent nuclear fuel arriving in dual-purpose canisters would 
first be removed from the canisters, placed into TADs and then into 
waste packages for disposal.
    Handling of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste 
would take place in the geologic repository operations area, which 
includes the North Portal area, the South Portal development area, a 
North Construction Portal development area, and the surface shaft 
areas. The surface portion of the geologic repository operations area 
also would include the facilities necessary to receive, package, and 
support emplacement of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive 
waste in the repository. Waste transfer operations would be conducted 
inside reinforced concrete and metal frame buildings designed and 
constructed to withstand earthquakes and other phenomena. Workers and 
the public would be protected from radiation by shielded transfer 
equipment and walls, exhaust filtering systems, and the use of remotely 
controlled equipment to remove the waste forms from the transportation 
casks for insertion into waste packages.
    The primary surface waste handling facilities include a wet 
handling facility, a receipt facility, and three separate canister 
receipt and closure facilities. DOE also is considering an initial 
handling facility. These facilities would allow the various types of 
materials received at the repository to be prepared for disposal.
    The wet handling facility would receive commercial spent nuclear 
fuel as bare fuel assemblies (uncanistered) or in dual-purpose 
canisters, either in truck or rail transportation casks. Commercial 
spent nuclear fuel would be transferred underwater from the 
transportation casks or dual-purpose canisters into TADs. The wet 
handling facility would include provisions for opening transportation 
casks and dual-purpose canisters, and for drying and closing the loaded 
TADs. Loaded TADs either would be placed into overpacks for placement 
on aging/staging pads, or would be transferred to the canister receipt 
and closure facilities for loading into waste packages for disposal.
    The receipt facility would receive TADs and dual-purpose canisters 
in rail transportation casks. The TADs and dual-purpose canisters would 
be transferred (dry) from the transportation casks either to overpacks 
for placement on the aging/staging pads, or to shielded transfer casks 
for transfer to the canister receipt and closure facilities. Shielded 
transfer casks also would transfer dual-purpose canisters to the wet 
handling facility, as necessary.
    The canister receipt and closure facilities would receive DOE 
disposable canisters and TADs in rail transportation casks, shielded 
transfer casks and aging/staging overpacks. These facilities also could 
receive truck casks. There, TADs and DOE disposable canisters would be 
placed into waste packages for disposal.
    If constructed, the initial handling facility would receive DOE 
high-level radioactive waste canisters and naval spent nuclear fuel 
canisters in truck and rail transportation casks. These canisters would 
be removed from the transportation casks and transferred to waste 
packages for disposal.
    Waste packages containing TADs, naval nuclear spent fuel, or DOE 
disposable canisters would be placed on pallets and loaded onto 
shielded waste package transporters. The shielded waste package 
transporters would transfer the waste packages to the underground for 
emplacement in dedicated tunnels (drifts). In these drifts, waste 
packages would be aligned end-to-end. Emplacement drifts would be 
excavated in a series of panels, phased to match the anticipated 
throughput rate of the surface waste handling facilities.
    The repository also would have other underground excavations. These 
would include, for example, main drifts to provide access to the 
surface and the emplacement drifts, and exhaust mains to exhaust 
ventilation air from the emplacement drifts.
    Under the Proposed Action, thermal output of the waste packages 
would heat the adjacent rock in excess of the boiling temperature of 
water (i.e., higher-thermal operating mode). In this higher-thermal 
mode, the repository emplacement drifts would remain open and 
ventilated for a nominal period of 50 years after emplacement of the 
spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; ventilation would 
remove much of the heat and humidity from the emplacement drifts during 
this period. The higher thermal operating mode would be achieved by a 
combination of closely spaced waste packages, a nominal ventilation 
period of 50 years, and managing waste package thermal output by mixing 
lower heat output waste packages with higher heat output packages in 
the drifts (for example).
    After the repository is closed and sealed, the rock around the 
emplacement drifts would dry, minimizing the amount of water that might 
contact the waste packages for hundreds of years. However, a 
substantial portion of the rock between the drifts would remain at 
temperatures below boiling, and this would promote drainage of water 
through the central portions of the rock, rather than into the 
emplacement drifts.
    The surface and subsurface facilities and associated 
infrastructure,\7\ such as the on-site road and water distribution 
networks and emergency response facilities, would be constructed in 
phases to accommodate the expected receipt rates of spent nuclear fuel 
and high-level radioactive waste. Emplacement (disposal) operations, 
which would last up to 50 years, would be followed by a preclosure 
monitoring period of 50 years. Towards the end of the preclosure 
monitoring period, titanium drip shields would be installed over the 
waste packages. The drip shields would divert moisture that might drip 
from the drift walls, as well as condensed water vapor around the waste 
packages, to the drift floor thereby increasing the life expectancy of 
the waste packages. Drip shields also would protect the waste packages 
from rock falls.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ DOE published a ``Draft Environmental Assessment for the 
Proposed Infrastructure Improvements for the Yucca Mountain Project, 
Nevada'' on July 6, 2006 (71 FR 38391). DOE proposes to repair, 
replace, or improve certain infrastructure at the site to enhance 
safety and to safely continue operations, scientific testing, and 
maintenance until such time as NRC decides whether to authorize 
construction of a repository. To the extent that activities proposed 
by DOE in its environmental assessment, such as construction of a 
new access road or new power lines, may not be undertaken in the 
timeframe considered in the environmental assessment, they will be 
considered in this Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS (DOE/EIS-0250F-
S1).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Under the Proposed Action, emplaced waste packages could be 
retrieved at any time prior to 100 years after the start of 
emplacement. Following waste emplacement, surface facilities would be 
decommissioned and after the monitoring period the repository would be 
closed. Closure would involve sealing the shafts, ramps, exploratory 
boreholes and other repository openings. The main drifts would be 
filled with crushed rock and surface caps would be installed to 
discourage human intrusion. A network of monuments and markers would be 
erected around the site surface to warn

[[Page 60493]]

future generations of the presence and nature of the buried radioactive 
waste.

No Action Alternative

    Under the No Action Alternative, DOE would terminate activities at 
Yucca Mountain and undertake site reclamation to mitigate any 
significant adverse environmental impacts. Commercial nuclear power 
utilities and DOE would continue to manage spent nuclear fuel and high-
level radioactive waste at sites throughout the United States. The No 
Action Alternative was analyzed in the Yucca Mountain Final EIS as a 
basis for comparison with the Proposed Action.
    Since completion of the Yucca Mountain Final EIS, DOE has not 
identified any relevant changes in circumstances or information bearing 
on environmental concerns regarding the No Action Alternative. For this 
reason, DOE anticipates that the Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS will 
incorporate by reference the information describing and analyzing the 
No Action Alternative presented in the Yucca Mountain Final EIS 
(pursuant to Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations at 40 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1502.21).

Potential Environmental Issues and Resources To Be Examined

    The CEQ regulations direct Federal agencies preparing an EIS to 
focus on significant environmental issues (40 CFR 1502.1) and discuss 
impacts in proportion to their significance (40 CFR 1502.2). 
Accordingly, the Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS will analyze issues 
and impacts with the amount of detail commensurate with their 
importance. Under these guidelines, aspects of the Proposed Action with 
clearly small environmental impacts usually would require less depth 
and breadth of analysis. To the degree that the Proposed Action would 
affect public health or safety, however, the potential impacts 
generally are a matter of public interest, regardless of their 
significance. Therefore, DOE plans to pay particular attention to 
worker and public health and safety associated with the handling and 
disposal, and transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level 
radioactive waste, even where such impacts would not be significant.
    To facilitate the scoping process, DOE has identified a preliminary 
list of issues and environmental resources that it may consider in the 
Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS. The list is not intended to be all-
inclusive, but should be used as a starting point for public input on 
the scope of the Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS.
     Radiological releases. The potential impacts (i.e., latent 
cancer fatalities) to the public and workers from potential 
radiological releases during routine loading of canisters and 
transportation casks at the commercial sites, and from handling and 
disposal operations at the repository.
     Worker safety and health. Potential health and safety 
impacts (i.e., injuries and fatalities) to workers during handling and 
disposal operations at the commercial and DOE sites and the repository.
     Transportation. The potential radiological and non-
radiological impacts (i.e., traffic injuries and fatalities) to the 
public and workers associated with the shipment of materials to the 
repository under the mostly rail scenario.
     Accidents. The potential radiological impacts to workers 
and the public from reasonably foreseeable accidents during loading of 
canisters at the sites, transportation and repository operations, 
including any accidents with low probability but high potential 
consequences.
     Sabotage. The potential radiological impacts to workers 
and the public from sabotage of transportation and repository 
operations.
     Waste isolation. Potential radiological and non-
radiological impacts (e.g., chemically toxic materials) associated with 
the long-term performance of the repository.
     Socioeconomic conditions. Potential local regional 
socioeconomic impacts to the surrounding communities from construction, 
operation and closure of the repository.
     Water and air resources. Potential impacts to air 
resources, and water quality and use.
     Cultural resources. Potential impacts to archaeological 
and historic resources and American Indian issues of concern.
     Biological resources. Potential impacts to plants, animals 
and their habitats, including impacts to endangered and threatened 
species.
     Cumulative impacts from the Proposed Action and other 
past, present and reasonably foreseeable future actions.
     Environmental justice. Potential for disproportionately 
high and adverse impacts on minority or low-income populations.

Schedule

    The DOE intends to issue the Draft Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS 
in 2007, at which time its availability will be announced in the 
Federal Register and in media in Nevada. A public comment period will 
start upon publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's Notice 
of Availability in the Federal Register. DOE will hold public hearings 
during the comment period. The Department will consider and respond to 
comments received on the Draft Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS in 
preparing the Final Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS.

Other Agency Involvement

    The Department intends to consult with Federal agencies, such as 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. 
Air Force, and the U.S. Department of the Navy, and with state 
agencies, such as the Nevada Department of Transportation and the 
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, during preparation of the 
Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS.

Public Scoping Meetings

    DOE will hold public scoping meetings on the Supplemental Yucca 
Mountain EIS. The meetings will be held at the following locations and 
times:
     Washington, District of Columbia, L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 
480 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., October 30 from 4-7 p.m.
     Amargosa Valley, Nevada. Longstreet Hotel Casino, Nevada 
State Highway 373, November 1 from 4-7 p.m.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ DOE will hold a joint public scoping meeting on the 
Supplemental Yucca Mountain Rail Corridor and Rail Alignment EIS 
(DOE/EIS-0250F-S2 and DOE/EIS-0369) and on the Supplemental Yucca 
Mountain EIS (DOE/EIS-0250F-S1) in Amargosa Valley, Longstreet Hotel 
Casino, Nevada State Highway 373, November 1 from 4-7 pm. Additional 
public scoping meetings on the Supplemental Yucca Mountain Rail 
Corridor and Rail Alignment EIS will be held in Caliente, Caliente 
Youth Center, U.S. 93 North, November 8 from 6-8 pm; Goldfield, 
Goldfield School Gymnasium, Hall and Euclid, November 13 from 4-7 
pm; Hawthorne, Hawthorne Convention Center, 932 E. Street, November 
14 from 4-7 pm; and Fallon, Fallon Convention Center, 100 Campus 
Way, November 15, from 4-7 pm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Las Vegas, Nevada. Cashman Center, 850 North Las Vegas 
Blvd., November 2 from 4-7 p.m.
    The public scoping meetings will be an open meeting format without 
a formal presentation by DOE. Members of the public are invited to 
attend the meetings at their convenience any time during meeting hours 
and submit their comments in writing at the meeting, or in person to a 
court reporter who will be available throughout the meeting. This open 
meeting format increases the opportunity for public comment and 
provides for one-on-one discussions with DOE representatives involved 
with

[[Page 60494]]

the Supplemental Yucca Mountain EIS and the repository program.
    The public scoping meetings will be held during the public scoping 
comment period. The comment period begins with publication of this 
Notice of Intent in the Federal Register and closes November 27, 2006. 
Comments received after this date will be considered to the extent 
practicable. Written comments may be provided in writing, by facsimile, 
or via the Internet to Dr. Jane Summerson, EIS Document Manager (see 
ADDRESSES above).

Public Reading Rooms

    Documents referenced in this Notice of Intent and related 
information are available at the following locations: Beatty Yucca 
Mountain Information Center, 100 North E. Avenue, Beatty, NV 89003, 
(775) 553-2130; Esmeralda County Yucca Mountain Oversight Office, 274 
E. Crook Avenue, Goldfield, NV 89013, (775) 485-3419; Las Vegas Yucca 
Mountain Information Center, 4101-B Meadows Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89107, 
(702) 295-1312; Lincoln County Nuclear Waste Project Office, 100 Depot 
Avenue, Caliente, NV 89008, (775) 726-3511; Nye County Department of 
Natural Resources and Federal Facilities, 1210 E. Basin Road, Suite 
6, Pahrump, NV 89060 (775) 727-7727; Pahrump Yucca Mountain 
Information Center, 2341 Postal Drive, Pahrump, NV 89048, (775) 571-
5817; University of Nevada, Reno, The University of Nevada Libraries, 
Business and Government Information Center, M/S 322, 1664 N. Virginia 
Street, Reno, NV 89557, (775) 784-6500, Ext. 309; and the U.S. 
Department of Energy Headquarters Office Public Reading Room, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Room 1E-190 (ME-74) FORS, Washington, DC, 
20585, 202-586-3142.

    Issued in Washington, DC, October 10, 2006.
David R. Hill,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 06-8676 Filed 10-10-06; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P