U.S. Department of Energy

Finding of No Significant Impact

Proposed National Spherical Tokamak Experiment

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, New Jersey

**AGENCY**: U.S. Department of Energy

**ACTION**: Finding of No Significant Impact

**SUMMARY**: The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an
Environmental Assessment (EA), DOE/EA-1108, evaluating the environmental
effects of the proposed construction and operation of the National
Spherical Tokamak Experiment (NSTX) within the existing C-Stellarator
(CS) Building at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New
Jersey. The purpose of the NSTX is to investigate the physics of
spherically shaped plasmas as an alternative path to conventional
tokamaks for development of fusion energy. Fusion energy has the
potential to help compensate for dwindling supplies of fossil fuels and
the eventual depletion of fissionable uranium used in present-day
nuclear reactors. Construction of the NSTX in the CS Building would
require the dismantling and removal of the existing unused Princeton
Large Torus (PLT) device, part of which would be reused to construct the
NSTX.

Based on the analyses in the EA, the DOE has determined that the
proposed action does not constitute a major federal action significantly
affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.

The preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not required.
Thus, the DOE is issuing a FONSI pursuant to the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts
1500-1508) and the DOE NEPA implementing regulations (10 CFR Part 1021).

**DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION:**

The proposed action consists of the construction and operation of the
National Spherical Tokamak Experiment (NSTX) in the PLT Test Cell within
the existing C-Stellarator (CS) Building at C-Site of PPPL. The NSTX
would make use of existing parts, specifically, the upper and lower
domes and the poloidal field coils of the existing non-operational S-1
spheromak. It would be located on the platform presently used for the
non-operational PLT; thus, dismantlement and removal of the PLT device
would be required. All existing parts that would be used to assemble the
NSTX, as well as the waste resulting from dismantling and removal of the
PLT, would be nonradioactive.

The NSTX experimental program would be conducted at PPPL by a nationally
based research team. Its mission is to investigate the physics of
spherical tokamak plasmas with low aspect ratios (i.e., ratio of major
plasma radius to minor plasma radius) at dimensions and performance
levels larger than those previously studied on smaller scale devices.
This concept has the potential to simplify the application of the
tokamak approach for fusion power production and as a volume neutron
source.

The PLT equipment removed to make way for assembly of NSTX would either
be stored onsite at a different location, recycled offsite as scrap
metal, or disposed offsite. About 93 tons of material would be recycled
or disposed offsite. Constructing the NSTX device in the existing PLT
Test Cell would allow use of the following existing resources: PLT
platform (on which the device would be assembled), concrete radiation
shield walls, overhead crane, deionized water supply and plumbing for
component cooling, electrical power, and bus bars to supply power to the
field coils. The NSTX would also share the existing motor generators and
coil rectifier power supplies used by the existing Princeton Beta
Experiment - Modified (PBX-M) device to power the coil systems necessary
to confine and shape plasmas.

Design, fabrication and assembly of NSTX would occur in fiscal years
(FY) 96-98, with operations conducted over approximately a 10-year
period beginning in mid-1999. The cost for construction of NSTX is
estimated at about \$18M. The fusion reactions that would occur in the
NSTX tokamak involve various combinations of hydrogen (H) and deuterium
(D) (i.e., H-D and D-D reactions). Plasma current and pulse lengths
would range up to 1 MegaAmpere (MA) and 5 seconds in duration,
respectively. Later upgrades could include operation at plasma currents
up to 2 MA and pulse lengths up to 60 seconds.

**ALTERNATIVES:**

Two alternatives were considered: (1) the proposed action, dismantling
of PLT to allow for construction and operation of the NSTX at PPPL, and
(2) no action. The no action alternative would preclude efforts to
investigate a promising alternative to the present approach to fusion
which

utilizes high aspect ratio tokamaks. There would be no environmental
impacts from the no action alternative.

**ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS:**

The impacts of the construction and operation of the NSTX on the
environment were analyzed in the Environmental Assessment. The
Environmental Assessment considered impacts to air quality, noise, water
quality and quantity, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, threatened and
endangered species, visual environment, land use, historical and
archaeological resources, socioeconomic environment, radiological
conditions, and impacts of potential accidents. No significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action are
anticipated.

Radiation exposures to personnel in the PLT Test Cell during PLT
dismantlement and NSTX assembly from operation of the PBX-M device
located in an adjacent cell would not be expected to exceed 0.5 rem per
year. This occupational dose would result in an increased probability of
health effects of less than 2 chances in 10,000. For a construction
project of this scope, the potential exists for 0.4 lost work cases
(work related injuries requiring time-off from work or restrictions from
normal work activity) over the construction period. Waste material
generated during dismantling of the PLT machine would be sent to a local
landfill, which would not be adversely impacted due to the small volume
of waste compared to the capacity of the disposal facility.

Releases of nonradioactive plasma exhaust and cryogenic boiloff gases to
the environment during NSTX operation would be of similar nature to
those that have occurred during operation of PPPL\'s past and current
experimental devices. No adverse environmental impacts from this
operation are anticipated. Less than 0.015 Curies per year of tritium
may be produced and vented to the environment during NSTX D-D operation.
The annual effective dose equivalent to a hypothetical maximally exposed
individual at the site boundary from this released tritium plus direct
and scattered radiation produced during NSTX D-D operations would be
less than 0.001 rem per year, resulting in an increased probability of
health effects of less than 5 chances in 10,000,000 to a member of the
public. Potential occupational exposures during NSTX operation would be
essentially the same as during NSTX construction. No accident scenario
has been identified that would cause a release of hazardous material
from NSTX to the offsite environment. Tritium contaminated pump oil
wastes (less than 0.001 Curies per year), and waste material resulting
from eventual dismantlement of NSTX following the end of its operation
would be expected to qualify as low level radioactive waste and would be
disposed of at an appropriate DOE waste disposal facility.

**CUMULATIVE AND LONG TERM IMPACTS:**

No adverse cumulative or long term impacts from the proposed action are
anticipated based on PBX-M operating experience, the current absence of
measurable cumulative impacts between PPPL and other facilities in the
region, and the very low potential impacts from the proposed action.

**DETERMINATION:**

Based on the analyses in the Environmental Assessment, the DOE has
determined that the proposed action at the PPPL is not a major Federal
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment
within the meaning of the NEPA, consequently, an environmental impact
statement is not required.

**PUBLIC AVAILABILITY:** Copies of this EA (DOE/EA-1108) are available
from:

Milton D. Johnson, Manager

Princeton Area Office, U.S. Department of Energy

P.O. Box 102

Princeton, New Jersey 08542

\(609\) 243-3700

For further information regarding the DOE NEPA review process, contact:

Dr. W. S. White

U.S. Department of Energy

9800 South Cass Avenue

Argonne, Illinois 60439

\(708\) 252-2101

Issued in Argonne, Illinois., this \_\_\_[8th]{.underline}\_\_\_\_ day
of December, 1995.

Cherri J. Langenfeld

Manager

Chicago Operations Office