[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 31, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 78844]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30707]



[[Page 78844]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Availability of Secretarial Determination and Basis for 
Determination for Closure of the H-Tank Farm at the Savannah River Site 
and the High-Level Waste Tank Closure Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Savannah River Site, Supplement Analysis

AGENCY:  U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION:  Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of 
the Secretary's Section 3116 Determination for Closure of H-Tank Farm 
at the Savannah River Site and the Basis for Section 3116 Determination 
for Closure of H-Tank Farm at the Savannah River Site (HTF 3116 Basis 
Document) concerning closure of the H-Tank Farm (HTF) at the Savannah 
River Site (SRS). Under Section 3116(a) of the Ronald W. Reagan 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA), the 
Secretary of Energy may, in consultation with the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC), determine that certain waste from the 
reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is not high-level waste if the 
provisions set forth in Section 3116(a) are satisfied, specifically 
that the waste: (1) Does not require permanent isolation in a deep 
geologic repository for spent fuel or high-level radioactive waste; (2) 
has had highly radioactive radionuclides removed to the maximum extent 
practical; and (3)(A) does not exceed concentration limits for Class C 
low-level waste and will be disposed of in compliance with the 
performance objectives in 10 CFR part 61, subpart C and pursuant to a 
State approved closure plan or State-issued permit; or (3)(B) exceeds 
concentration limits for Class C low-level waste but will be disposed 
of in compliance with the performance objectives of 10 CFR part 61, 
subpart C; pursuant to a State-approved closure plan or State-issued 
permit; and pursuant to plans developed by DOE in consultation with the 
NRC. For the reasons set forth in the HTF 3116 Basis Document, and 
based on consultation with the NRC, Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz 
determined (in the Section 3116 Determination for Closure of H-Tank 
Farm at the Savannah River Site) that the stabilized residuals, tanks, 
and ancillary structures at closure in the HTF will meet the criteria 
in Section 3116(a) of the NDAA, are not high-level radioactive waste, 
and may be disposed of in place.
    DOE has also issued the High-Level Waste Tank Closure Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Savannah River Site, Supplement 
Analysis (Supplement Analysis) which analyzes the potential 
environmental impacts associated with new information and changes in 
operations for the tank closure process as applied to the F-Area and H-
Area Tank Farms at SRS. Based on this Supplement Analysis, DOE has 
determined that the proposed actions in the FTF and HTF and the tank 
closure program do not constitute substantial changes from those 
evaluated in the original High-Level Waste Tank Closure Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Savannah River Site that are 
relevant to environmental concerns, or significant new circumstances or 
information relevant to environmental concerns and bearing on the 
proposed action, and therefore, no further documentation is necessary 
under the National Environmental Policy Act.

ADDRESSES: The Secretary's Section 3116 Determination for Closure of H-
Tank Farm at the Savannah River Site, the Basis for Section 3116 
Determination for Closure of H-Tank Farm at the Savannah River Site and 
the High-Level Waste Tank Closure Final Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Savannah River Site, Supplement Analysis are available on the 
Internet at http://sro.srs.gov/f_htankfarmsdocuments.htm, and are 
publicly available at the following locations:

District of Columbia

    U.S. Department of Energy, Freedom of Information Act, Public 
Reading Room, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Room 1G-033, Washington, DC 
20585, (202) 586-5955.

South Carolina

    University of South Carolina-Aiken, Gregg-Graniteville Library, 471 
University Parkway, Aiken, SC 29801, (803) 641-3320.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sherri Ross, DOE SR, Building 704-
S, Room 43, U.S. Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations 
Office, Aiken, SC 29802 (ATTN: H-Tank Farm Secretarial Determination 
and Basis), (803) 208-6078.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The HTF is a 45-acre site, located at the 
SRS near Aiken, South Carolina. The HTF consists of 29 underground 
radioactive waste storage tanks and supporting ancillary structures. 
The major HTF ancillary structures are 3 evaporator systems, transfer 
lines, 8 diversion boxes, 1 catch tank, 2 concentrate transfer systems, 
10 pump pits, 9 pump tanks, and 11 valve boxes. There are four waste 
tank types in HTF with operating capacities ranging from 750,000 
gallons (Type I tanks), to 1,030,000 gallons (Type II tanks), to 
1,300,000 gallons (Type III/IIIA and Type IV tanks). The waste tanks 
have varying degrees of secondary containment and in-tank structural 
features such as cooling coils and columns. All HTF waste tanks are 
constructed of carbon steel. The HTF was constructed to receive waste 
generated by various SRS production, processing, and laboratory 
facilities.
    DOE has initiated waste removal and cleaning of tanks and ancillary 
structures in the HTF using a process that includes removing bulk waste 
from tanks and ancillary structures and then deploying tested 
technologies to removing the majority of the remaining waste. After 
completing cleaning operations, a small amount of residual radioactive 
waste will remain in the tanks, ancillary equipment and piping. DOE 
plans to stabilize the residuals in the tanks and certain ancillary 
structures with grout. Tank waste storage and removal operations in the 
HTF are governed by a South Carolina Department of Health and 
Environmental Control (SCDHEC) industrial wastewater operating permit. 
Removal of tanks from service and stabilization of the HTF waste tanks 
and ancillary structures will be carried out pursuant to a State-
approved closure plan, the Industrial Wastewater General Closure Plan 
for H-Area Waste Tank Systems. Specific Closure Modules for each tank 
or ancillary structure or groupings of tanks and ancillary structures 
will be developed and submitted to SCDHEC for approval. After grouting, 
the tank/system will be removed from the State's industrial wastewater 
permit. The HTF 3116 Basis Document applies to stabilized residuals in 
the waste tanks and ancillary structures, the waste tanks, and 
ancillary structures in the HTF at the time of closure.


    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 19, 2014.
Mark A. Gilbertson,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Site Restoration.
[FR Doc. 2014-30707 Filed 12-30-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P