[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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