[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68813-68814]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20107]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Determination Under Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 for the Idaho Nuclear 
Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm Facility at the Idaho 
National Laboratory

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA) provides that certain 
waste from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel is not considered high-level 
radioactive waste (HLW) if the Secretary of Energy, in consultation 
with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), determines that the waste 
meets the statutory criteria set forth in Section 3116(a). The 
Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the 
Secretary's Section 3116 Determination for the Idaho Nuclear Technology 
and Engineering Center (INTEC) Tank Farm Facility (TFF), which 
addresses the stabilized residuals in the TFF and TFF system on the 
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) near Arco, Idaho, and the document that 
sets forth the basis for the Section 3116 Determination (Basis 
Document). The Section 3116 Determination sets forth the Secretarial 
finding that the stabilized residuals in the TFF and TFF system: (1) Do 
not require permanent isolation in a deep geologic repository, (2) have 
or will have had highly radioactive radionuclides removed to the 
maximum extent practical, (3) will be disposed of in accordance with 
NRC performance

[[Page 68814]]

objectives for the disposal of low-level waste, (4) will be disposed of 
pursuant to DOE's disposal plan developed in consultation with the NRC, 
and (5) will be disposed of pursuant to closure plans approved by the 
State of Idaho. The Basis Document sets forth the facts and analyses 
supporting the Secretary's Section 3116 Determination. DOE's Amended 
Record of Decision to close the TFF pursuant to the Idaho High-Level 
Waste and Facilities Disposition Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(DOE/EIS-0287, September 2002) is being provided separately and 
concurrently with this Notice.

ADDRESSES: The Section 3116 Determination and the Basis Document, as 
well as the public comments received on the draft Section 3116 
Determination, are available on the Internet at http://apps.em.doe.gov/idwd, and are publicly available for review at the following locations: 
U.S. DOE, Public Reading Room, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 1E-
190, Washington, DC 20585, Phone: (202) 586-5955, or Fax: (202) 586-
0575; and U.S. DOE, Idaho Operations Office, Public Reading Room, 850 
Energy Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415-2300, Phone: 208-526-0709, Fax: 
208-526-8789.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the Section 
3116 Determination, contact Scott Van Camp, Assistant Manager, Facility 
and Materials Disposition Project, U.S. DOE, Idaho Operations Office, 
1955 Fremont Avenue, MS-1222, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, Telephone: (208) 
526-6503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The INTEC TFF and TFF system consists of 
eleven 300,000-gallon belowgrade stainless-steel tanks in unlined 
concrete vaults, four 30,000-gallon belowgrade 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 has 
initiated cleaning of the TFF and TFF system, a process that includes 
consolidating remaining wastes in the minimum number of tanks 
necessary, and then cleaning the empty tanks and ancillary equipment 
and piping. After completing cleaning operations, a small amount of 
residual radioactive waste that cannot be removed will remain in the 
tanks and ancillary equipment and piping. DOE plans to stabilize the 
residuals by filling the TFF and TFF system with grout. The Secretary's 
Section 3116 Determination concludes that the TFF and TFF system 
residuals will meet the criteria in NDAA Section 3116. Therefore, and 
pursuant to Section 3116, that material is not HLW. The Basis Document 
sets forth the reasons supporting the Section 3116 Determination. DOE's 
Amended Record of Decision to close the TFF pursuant to the Idaho High-
Level Waste and Facilities Disposition Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (DOE/EIS-0287, September 2002) is being provided separately 
and concurrently with this notice.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 20, 2006.
Charles E. Anderson,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.
 [FR Doc. E6-20107 Filed 11-27-06; 8:45 am]
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