[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 55 (Thursday, March 21, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10576-10577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05387]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket Number MARAD-2019-0043]


Notice of Availability of Supplemental Environmental Assessment 
for Decommissioning of the Defueled Nuclear Power Plant Onboard the NS 
SAVANNAH

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), has made 
available for review to interested parties the Supplemental 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the decommissioning of the 
deactivated and inoperable nuclear power plant onboard the NS SAVANNAH 
(NSS), currently moored in Baltimore, Maryland. The Supplemental EA 
analyzes three Proposed Action Alternative locations: Baltimore, MD, 
the Preferred Alternative; Hampton Roads, VA; Philadelphia, PA; and the 
No-Action Alternative. The analysis focuses on the following 
environmental resources: Water resources, biological resources, air 
quality, waste management, and health and safety. The Supplemental EA 
demonstrates that implementing the Proposed Action would result in no 
significant impacts to the human or natural environment and the 
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not warranted.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the Supplemental EA is available for public review 
online at the Regulations.gov website: http://www.regulations.gov. Once 
at regulations.gov, perform a search using MARAD docket number ``MARAD-
2019-0043'' to locate the Supplemental EA. For in-person access to the 
docket, go to Room W12-401 of the Department of Transportation, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal Holidays, and ask for the MARAD docket 
number identified above. If you have questions on viewing the Docket, 
call Docket Operations, telephone: 202-366-9317 or 202-366-9826.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kris Gilson, REM, CHMM, MARAD 
Office of Environment, at telephone number: 202-366-1939 or by email at 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during 
business hours. The FIRS is available twenty-four hours a day, seven 
days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. 
You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the standards promulgated in Title 10 
of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50, the NSS is licensed and 
regulated by the U.S. Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NSS operated 
from 1962 to 1970, after which it was removed from service. In 1971, 
the vessel's nuclear reactor was de-fueled and made permanently 
inoperable in 1975-76. The NSS is still licensed by the NRC and will 
remain so until the nuclear facilities are dismantled, removed from the 
ship, and properly disposed--a regulated process collectively known as 
decommissioning.
    On September 11, 2006, MARAD published a notice in the Federal 
Register (71 FR 53490) entitled, ``Availability of a Draft 
Environmental Assessment.'' This notice announced that a draft EA for 
decommissioning of the nuclear power plant onboard the NSS had been 
prepared and made available to the public for comment in accordance 
with NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq., the CEQ regulations for implementing 
NEPA, 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, DOT Order 5610.1C, and MARAD MAO 600-1. 
The notice informed the public on how to obtain, and submit comments 
on, the draft EA. The draft EA analyzed the impacts associated with the 
full nuclear decommissioning of the vessel. The draft EA was made 
available for a 30-day public comment period, beginning on the date of 
the publication of the notice. The comment period ended on October 11, 
2006. MARAD received comments. A Final EA was issued in March 2008. 
Based on the Final EA, MARAD determined that the environmental effects 
of the decommissioning of the NSS would not significantly affect the 
quality of the human or natural environment and therefore would not 
warrant the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. A Finding 
of No Significant Impact was issued on May 6, 2008. The environmental 
effects of the specific location and method of decommissioning were to 
be analyzed in a separate environmental review document. The 
Supplemental EA is that separate environmental review document and it 
analyzes those effects and supports a finding that the Proposed Action 
would result in no significant impacts to the human or natural 
environment.
    Under the provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Acts for 
2017 and 2018, funding was appropriated to MARAD to begin nuclear 
decommissioning of the NSS. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to 
reduce residual radioactivity to levels that allow termination of the 
NRC license. The Proposed Action is needed to reduce costs associated 
with maintaining the NSS and to meet the MARAD mission objective to 
decommission its nuclear reactor and terminate its NRC license.
    The Proposed Action would be to award a decommissioning contract to 
a domestic company that is technically capable of segregating Low Level 
Radioactive Waste (LLRW) and decommissioning to support license 
termination in accordance with applicable Federal, State, and local 
environmental and safety and health laws and regulations. Construction 
of new facilities and dredging would not be required because all three 
locations have existing infrastructure and deep water to accommodate 
NSS and support decommissioning. The towing would meet requirements for 
safety, navigation, environmental, and other safeguards.
    If MARAD is unable to award a contract, the No-Action alternative 
would result by default. The No-Action Alternative includes continuous 
berthing of NSS at Baltimore and MARAD's continued environmental 
liabilities and costs associated with continuing to maintain the vessel 
in a protective storage condition. The No-Action Alternative does not 
meet MARAD's mission objectives and may result in future significant 
unplanned and unbudgeted expense.


[[Page 10577]]


    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq., 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, 
Department of Transportation Order 5610.1C, and MARAD Administrative 
Order 600-1.
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    Dated: March 18, 2019.

    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-05387 Filed 3-20-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-81-P