[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 184 (Tuesday, September 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 59518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20910]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Extension of Comment Period, Draft Waste Incidental to 
Reprocessing Evaluation for Vitrified Low-Activity Waste Disposed 
Onsite at the Hanford Site, Washington

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On May 26, 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') 
published in the Federal Register a Notice of Availability of the Draft 
Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Evaluation for Vitrified Low-Activity 
Waste Disposed Onsite at the Hanford Site, Washington (Draft WIR 
Evaluation). The original comment period began on May 26, 2020 and 
ended on September 26, 2020. This notice announces an extension of the 
comment period on the Draft WIR Evaluation until November 27, 2020; any 
comments received after that date will be considered to the extent 
practical.

DATES: The comment period in the Notice of Availability, published on 
May 26, 2020 (85 FR 31479), is extended until November 27, 2020. Any 
comments received after that date will be considered to the extent 
practical.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by email to [email protected]. 
Alternately, written comments may also be sent by mail to: Jennifer 
Colburn, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 450, MSIN H6-60, Richland, 
WA 99354. The Draft WIR Evaluation is available on the internet at 
https://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/VitrifiedLowActivityWaste and will be 
publicly available for review at the following locations once these 
facilities re-open following resolution of public health concerns 
associated with the coronavirus: U.S. DOE Public Reading Room, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, phone: (202) 586-5955, or 
fax: (202) 586-0575; and U.S. DOE Public Reading Room located at 2770 
University Drive, Consolidated Information Center (CIC), Room 101L, 
Richland, WA 99354, phone: (509) 372-7303.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gary L. Pyles by email at 
[email protected], by mail at U.S. Department of Energy, Richland 
Operations Office, 2420 Stevens Center Place H520, Richland, WA 99354, 
or by phone at (509) 376-2670.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 26, 2020, DOE published in the 
Federal Register a notice of availability of the Draft WIR Evaluation 
for comment by States, Tribal Nations, stakeholders and the public (85 
FR 31479). The original comment period began on May 26, 2020 and ended 
on September 26, 2020.
    In response to requests to extend the comment period, DOE is 
extending the comment period by 60 days, until November 27, 2020. DOE 
will consider comments received after that date to the extent 
practical.
    After carefully considering comments received, consulting with the 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and performing any necessary revisions 
of analyses and technical documents, DOE plans to issue a final WIR 
Evaluation. Based on the final WIR Evaluation, DOE may determine, in a 
future WIR Determination, whether the VLAW is incidental to 
reprocessing, is non-HLW, and may be managed (disposed of onsite at the 
Integrated Disposal Facility) as low-level radioactive waste.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on September 
15, 2020, by Elizabeth A. Connell, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Regulatory and Policy Affairs, pursuant to delegated 
authority from the Secretary of Energy. That document with the original 
signature and date is maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes 
only, and in compliance with requirements of the Office of the Federal 
Register, the undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been 
authorized to sign and submit the document in electronic format for 
publication, as an official document of the Department of Energy. This 
administrative process in no way alters the legal effect of this 
document upon publication in the Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on September 17, 2020.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2020-20910 Filed 9-21-20; 8:45 am]
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