[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 173 (Thursday, September 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54908-54909]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21983]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Extension of the Public Review and Comment Period and 
Announcement of an Additional Public Hearing for the Draft Surplus 
Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Extension of the public review and comment period and 
announcement of an additional public hearing.

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SUMMARY: On July 27, 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 
published a notice of availability for the Draft Surplus Plutonium 
Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SPD 
Supplemental EIS; DOE/EIS-0283-S2) for public review and comment. That 
notice stated that the public review and comment period would continue 
until September 25, 2012. DOE has decided to extend the public comment 
period by 15 days, and to hold an additional public hearing.

DATES: The public comment period is extended by 15 days from September 
25, 2012 through October 10, 2012.
    The additional public hearing will be held on Tuesday, September 
18, 2012 in Espa[ntilde]ola, NM.

ADDRESSES: The Draft SPD Supplemental EIS and reference material are 
available for review at National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) 
NEPA Web site at http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/nepa/spdsupplementaleis.
    Please direct written comments on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS to 
Ms. Sachiko McAlhany, SPD Supplemental EIS NEPA Document Manager, U.S. 
Department of Energy, P.O. Box 2324, Germantown, MD 20874-2324. 
Comments may also be submitted via email to [email protected] 
or by toll-free fax to 877-865-0277. DOE will give equal weight to 
written, email, fax, telephone, and oral comments.

[[Page 54909]]

Comments, questions regarding the Supplemental EIS process, and 
requests to be placed on the SPD Supplemental EIS mailing list should 
be directed to Ms. McAlhany by any of the means given above or by 
calling toll-free 877-344-0513.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information about the DOE 
NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of 
NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-54), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, telephone 202-586-4600, 
or leave a message at 800-472-2756. Additional information regarding 
DOE NEPA activities and access to many of DOE's NEPA documents are 
available on the Internet through the DOE NEPA Web site at http://www.energy.gov/nepa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 27, 2012, the U.S. Department of 
Energy (DOE) published a notice of availability for the Draft Surplus 
Plutonium Disposition Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SPD 
Supplemental EIS; DOE/EIS-0283-S2) for public review and comment. (77 
FR 44222) That notice stated that the public review and comment period 
would continue until September 25, 2012. DOE has decided to extend the 
public comment period by 15 days through October 10, 2012.
    Also, in addition to the public hearings being conducted as 
announced in the notice of availability, DOE will hold one additional 
hearing on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS at the following location:
     September 18, 2012 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Northern New 
Mexico College, Espa[ntilde]ola Campus, Center for Fine Arts Building, 
921 N. Paseo de O[ntilde]ate, Espa[ntilde]ola, New Mexico 87532.
    Individuals who would like to present comments orally at this 
hearing should register upon arrival at the hearing. Speaking time will 
be allotted by the hearing moderator to each individual wishing to 
speak to ensure that all who wish to speak have the opportunity to do 
so. DOE representatives will be available during an open house portion 
of these hearings to discuss the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS. Following 
a presentation by DOE, the public will have an opportunity to provide 
oral and written comments during the formal portion of the hearing.
    The Draft SPD Supplemental EIS analyzes the potential environmental 
impacts of alternatives for disposition of 13.1 metric tons (14.4 tons) 
of surplus plutonium for which DOE has not made a disposition decision, 
including 7.1 metric tons (7.8 tons) of plutonium from pits that were 
declared excess to national defense needs. It also updates previous DOE 
NEPA analyses on plutonium disposition to consider additional options 
for pit disassembly and conversion, which entails processing plutonium 
metal components to produce an oxide form of plutonium suitable for 
disposition, and the use of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabricated from 
surplus plutonium in domestic commercial nuclear power reactors to 
generate electricity, including five reactors at two specific Tennessee 
Valley Authority (TVA) reactor plants. DOE is not revisiting the 
decision to fabricate 34 metric tons (MT) (37.5 tons) of surplus 
plutonium into MOX fuel in the MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) (65 
FR 1608, January 11, 2000 and 68 FR 20134, April 24, 2003), now under 
construction at DOE's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, and 
to irradiate the MOX fuel in commercial nuclear reactors used to 
generate electricity.
    TVA is a cooperating agency on this SPD Supplemental EIS. TVA is 
considering the use of MOX fuel, produced as part of DOE's Surplus 
Plutonium Disposition Program, in its nuclear power reactors.
    Comments on the Draft SPD Supplemental EIS may be submitted 
according to the instructions provided above under ADDRESSES. In 
preparing the final SPD Supplemental EIS, DOE will consider all 
comments presented at the hearing, comments received by fax or email 
and comments postmarked by the end of the comment period. DOE will 
consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 30, 2012.
Neile Miller,
Principal Deputy Administrator for the National Nuclear Security 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-21983 Filed 9-5-12; 8:45 am]
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