[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 105 (Friday, May 31, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25243-25244]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11221]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for Disposal of Decommissioned, 
Defueled Ex-Enterprise (CVN 65) and Its Associated Naval Reactor Plants 
and To Announce Public Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality, and Presidential Executive Order 12114, the 
Department of the Navy (DON) announces its intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS/OEIS) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated 
with the disposal of the decommissioned, defueled ex-Enterprise (CVN 
65), including its associated reactor plants. The proposed action 
executes the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) policy for inactive ships 
stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and designated for disposal by 
dismantling in order to reduce the Navy's inactive ship inventory and 
eliminate costs associated with maintaining the ship in a safe stowage 
condition.

DATES: The 45-day public scoping period begins May 31, 2019 and ends 
July 15, 2019. Public scoping meetings will be held on June 18, 20, 25, 
and 27, 2019. All public comments are due by July 15, 2019.

ADDRESSES: The public scoping meetings will be held at the following 
locations (all times local):
    1. June 18, 2019, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Denbigh Community Center, 
15198 Warwick Boulevard, Newport News, VA 23608-2631.
    2. June 20, 2019, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Fort Brown Memorial 
Center, 600 International Boulevard, Brownsville, TX 78520-5738.
    3. June 25, 2019, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Mountain View Middle 
School, 2400 Perry Avenue, Bremerton, WA 98310-5139.
    4. June 27, 2019, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Richland Public Library, 
955 Northgate Drive, Richland, WA 99352-3505.
    Comments may be provided at the public scoping meetings, by mail, 
and through the project website at: https://www.CarrierDisposalEIS.com. 
Mailed comments must be postmarked no later than July 15, 2019 and 
mailed to the address: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate 
Maintenance Facility, 1400 Farragut Avenue, Bremerton, WA 98314-5001, 
Attn: Kellie M. Randall, Public Affairs Officer, CVN65 EIS, for 
consideration in the Draft EIS/OEIS preparation. The DON is requesting 
public comments on the scope of the analysis, including potential 
environmental issues and viable alternatives to be considered during 
the development of the Draft EIS/OEIS.
    The scoping meetings will consist of an informal, open house 
session with informational poster stations staffed by DON 
representatives. Meeting details will be announced in local area 
newspapers. Additional information on the public scoping meetings and 
comment submittal will be available on the project website at: https://www.CarrierDisposalEIS.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and 
Intermediate Maintenance Facility, 1400 Farragut Avenue, Bremerton, WA 
98314-5001, Attn: Kellie M. Randall, Public Affairs Officer, CVN65 EIS, 
360-476-7111, or project website: https://www.CarrierDisposalEIS.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DON's action proponent is the Director, 
Naval Nuclear Propulsion (CNO N00N). The Department of Energy (DOE) is 
a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS/OEIS. The proposed 
action is to dispose of the decommissioned, defueled ex-Enterprise (CVN 
65) aircraft carrier, including its reactor plants. The proposed action 
would entail dismantling and recycling the non-radioactive hull 
sections of the ex-Enterprise at a designated facility in accordance 
with applicable Federal, state and local laws, and the removal and 
packaging of the ex-Enterprise reactor plants for transportation and 
disposal as low-level radioactive waste to authorized radioactive waste 
burial ground(s). The removal of nuclear fuel from the ex-Enterprise 
reactor plants has already taken place and is not part of the proposed 
action. The disposal of the ex-Enterprise is needed to comply with CNO 
policy for inactive ships stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and 
with the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program's statutory responsibilities 
under 50 U.S.C. 2406 and 2511. The purpose of the proposed action is to 
reduce the U.S. Navy inactive ship inventory, eliminate costs 
associated with maintaining the ship in a safe stowage condition, and 
to dispose of legacy radiological and hazardous wastes in an 
environmentally responsible manner, while meeting the operational needs 
of the United States Navy.
    The DON, in coordination with the DOE as a cooperating agency, 
prepared a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) entitled, ``Disposal of 
Decommissioned, Defueled Naval Reactor Plants from USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 
65)'' dated August 2012. In the Finding of No Significant Impact, the 
Navy decided to remove the reactor compartments from ex-Enterprise at 
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS 
& IMF), prepare the reactor compartments for disposal as reactor 
compartment packages, recycle non-radioactive hull sections, and 
transport the reactor compartment packages for disposal at the DOE 
Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The DON has since identified 
new preliminary alternatives that could address the disposal of the ex-
Enterprise.
    DON is preparing this EIS/OEIS to consider these preliminary 
alternatives and potentially others that may be identified during the 
EIS/OEIS scoping process. The DON is considering the following 
preliminary alternatives to satisfy the purpose and need:
    Alternative 1--Partial dismantlement of ex-Enterprise at an 
authorized commercial dismantlement facility by removing areas of the 
ship outside the naval reactor compartments. The remainder of the ship 
containing the naval reactor compartments would then be transported to 
PSNS & IMF to prepare eight single reactor compartment packages for 
disposal at DOE Hanford Trench 94. This alternative is an extension of 
the reactor plant disposal program at PSNS & IMF as discussed in the 
2012 EA.
    Alternative 2--Partial dismantlement of ex-Enterprise at an 
authorized commercial dismantlement facility by removing areas of the 
ship outside the naval reactor compartments. The remainder of the ship 
containing the naval reactor compartments would then be transported to 
PSNS & IMF to prepare four reactor compartment packages for disposal at 
DOE Hanford Trench 94. Each package would contain two of the ship's 
eight reactor plants.
    Alternative 3--Dismantlement of the ex-Enterprise at an authorized 
commercial dismantlement facility, including cutting apart the eight 
reactor

[[Page 25244]]

plants into segments for packaging into several hundred small 
containers that meet Department of Transportation requirements for 
subsequent disposal at either a DOE and/or commercial low-level 
radioactive waste facility.
    Alternative 4--No action. Under the no action alternative, the 
defueled ex-Enterprise would be stored waterborne. The vessel would 
require periodic maintenance to ensure that storage continues in a safe 
and environmentally responsible manner.
    DON will evaluate the potential environmental impacts from the no 
action alternative and identified action alternatives. DON will analyze 
potential impacts on environmental resources resulting from activities 
included in identified alternatives in accordance with 40 CFR 1502.16. 
Direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts will be analyzed.
    Ship dismantlement activities will be performed in accordance with 
all applicable Federal, state, and local environmental laws and 
regulations, occupational safety and health laws and regulations, and 
in accordance with the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program's statutory 
responsibilities under 50 U.S.C. 2406 and 2511.
    The scoping process is helpful in identifying public concerns and 
local issues to be considered during the development of the EIS/OEIS. 
Federal, state, and local agencies; federally recognized tribes; non-
governmental organizations; and interested persons are encouraged to 
provide substantive comments to the DON on potential impacts to 
environmental resources. All substantive comments provided orally, 
electronically, or in writing at the scoping meetings, submitted via 
the project website, or mailed to the address provided in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section will be taken into consideration 
during the development of the EIS/OEIS.

    Dated: May 23, 2019.
M.S. Werner,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-11221 Filed 5-30-19; 8:45 am]
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