### 66146 Federal Register /Vol. 63, No. 230 /Tuesday, December 1, 1998 / Notices

the repackaging operation, these residues may be mixed with other, lower plutonium concentration residues from the same material category, or with
an inert material.

VII. G. 2. Basis for the Decision

Repackaging at Rocky Flats was chosen as the preferred processing technology for this material category because it is the simplest and least costly of all processing technologies considered, and the one that will allow the site to complete processing and ready the material for disposal most expeditiously and at least cost. This approach will also allow use of the
resources that would otherwise be required to manage these residues to speed up other activities required to
close the site.

VII. H. Inorganic (Metal and Other)
Residues

VII. H. 1. Selected Alternative

DOE has decided to repackage the inorganic (metal and other) residues to prepare them for disposal in WIPP (Alternative 4). During the repackaging operation, these residues may be mixed with other, lower plutonium
concentration residues from the same material category, or with an inert
material.

VII. H. 2. Basis for the Decision

Repackaging at Rocky Flats was chosen as the preferred processing technology for this material category because it is the simplest and least costly of all processing technologies considered, and the one that will allow the site to complete processing and ready the material for disposal most expeditiously, and at the least cost. This approach will also allow use of the
resources that would otherwise be required to manage these residues to speed up other activities required to
close the site.

VII. I. Scrub Alloy

VII. I. 1. Selected Alternative

DOE has decided to package the scrub alloy, transport it to the Savannah River Site and use the F-Canyon to stabilize the material (i.e., Alternative 3). The separated plutonium will then be placed in storage at the Savannah River Site until it is dispositioned as determined by DOE after completion of the Surplus Plutonium Disposition Environmental Impact Statement (under preparation— see Section VII. A. 3. above).

VII. I. 2. Basis for the Decision

Purex plutonium separation at the
Savannah River Site was chosen as the preferred processing technology for this material category because this
alternative will allow the most expeditious and least expensive removal of the scrub alloy from Rocky Flats. Furthermore, scrub alloy has traditionally been processed at the Savannah River Site using the Purex technology, and it is a well understood operation that has been demonstrated to work. By comparison, the calcine and vitrify technology (Alternative 2) would
involve more technical risk because vitrification operations have never been conducted at Rocky Flats on a production basis.

VIII. Use of All Practical Means to
Avoid or Minimize Harm

Implementation of this decision will
result in low environmental and health impacts. However, DOE will take the following steps to avoid or minimize harm wherever possible:

VIII. A.

DOE will use current safety and health programs and practices to reduce impacts by maintaining worker radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable and by meeting appropriate waste minimization and pollution prevention objectives.

VIII. B.

DOE will provide a level of health and safety for DOE transportation operations that is equivalent to or greater than that provided by compliance with all applicable Federal, State, Tribal, and local regulations. In addition to meeting applicable shipping containment and confinement requirements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations on Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material (10 CFR Part 71) and Department of Transportation regulations at 49 CFR, all packaging for transportation of the material covered by this Record of Decision will also be certified by DOE. DOE also provides Federal, State, Tribal
and local authorities with access to training and technical assistance necessary to allow them to safely, efficiently, and effectively respond to any incident involving transportation of the materials covered by this Record of
Decision.

Items A and B above will be accomplished under existing business practices in the normal course of implementing this Record of Decision.

VIX. Conclusion

DOE has decided to implement the Preferred Alternative specified in the Final EIS to prepare the plutonium residue categories and scrub alloy specified in Sections I and VII. of this Record of Decision for disposal or other disposition. This decision is effective upon being made public, in accordance with DOE’s NEPA implementation regulations (10 CFR 1021.315). The goals of this decision are to prepare the plutonium residues and scrub alloy for disposal or other disposition in a
manner that addresses immediate health and safety concerns associated with storage of the materials and to support Rocky Flats’ closure. Disposal or other disposition of these materials will also eliminate health and safety concerns
and costs that would be associated with indefinite storage of these materials.

Issued in Washington, D.C. this 25th day of November, 1998.

James M. Owendoff, Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management.
[FR Doc. 98–32011 Filed 11–30–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Energy Conservation Program for
Consumer Products: Petition for Waiver of Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., From the Department of Energy
Central Air Conditioner and Central Air Conditioning Heat Pump Test Procedure. (Case No. CAC–009)

AGENCY : Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy.

ACTION : Notice.

SUMMARY : Today’s notice publishes a ‘‘Petition for Waiver’’ from Sanyo. Sanyo’s Petition for Waiver requests the Department of Energy (Department or DOE) to grant relief from the DOE heat pump test procedure for the Sanyo lines of gas source heat pumps, which operate in both the cooling and heating modes. Sanyo requests that the heating modetests be waived for its gas burnerassisted heat pumps because the DOE procedure has no provision for testing gas burner-assisted heat pumps. The Department is soliciting comments, data, and information respecting the
Petition for Waiver.

DATES : DOE will accept comments, data,
and information not later than December 31, 1998.

ADDRESSES : Written comments and
statements shall be sent to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Case No. CAC–009, Mail Stop EE–43, Room

### 66147 Federal Register /Vol. 63, No. 230 /Tuesday, December 1, 1998 / Notices

1J–018, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586–
9145.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT : Michael G. Raymond, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail Station EE–43, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585–0121, Telephone: (202) 586-9611, E-mail: michael.raymond@ee.doe.gov or Eugene Margolis, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General Counsel, Mail Station GC–72, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585–0121, Telephone: (202) 586–9507.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION : The Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products (other than automobiles) was established pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended, which requires DOE to prescribe standardized test procedures to measure the energy consumption of certain consumer products, including heat pumps. The intent of the test procedures is to provide a comparable measure of energy consumption that will assist consumers in making purchasing decisions, and will determine whether a product complies with the applicable energy conservation standard. The test procedures appear at 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B, Appendix
M.

The Department amended the prescribed test procedures by adding 10 CFR 430.27 on September 26, 1980, creating the waiver process. 45 FR 64108. Subsequently, DOE further amended the waiver process to allow the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (Assistant Secretary) to grant an Interim Waiver from test procedure requirements to manufacturers that have petitioned DOE for a waiver of such prescribed test procedures. 10 CFR Part 430, § 430.27(a)(2).

The waiver process allows the Assistant Secretary to waive temporarily test procedures for a particular basic model when a petitioner shows that the
basic model contains one or more design characteristics which prevent testing according to the prescribed test procedures, or when the prescribed test procedures may evaluate the basic model in a manner so unrepresentative of its true energy consumption as to provide materially inaccurate comparative data. Waivers generally
remain in effect until final test procedure amendments become effective, resolving the problem that is the subject of the waiver.

On March 3, 1998, Sanyo filed a Petition for Waiver and an Application for Interim Waiver regarding the heat pump tests. On July 21, 1998, Sanyo withdrew its request for an interim waiver. Sanyo’s application seeks a Waiver from the DOE test of heating mode operation for its burner-assisted heat pumps because the current DOEtest procedure does not address burnerassisted heat pumps.

The Department has granted a waiver to Kool-Fire (Division of Friedrich Corporation) for a burner assisted heat pump product similar to Sanyo’s. Pursuant to paragraph (b) of 10 CFR Part 430.27, DOE is hereby publishing the ‘‘Petition for Waiver’’ in its entirety. The
Petition contains no confidential information. The Department solicits comments, data, and information respecting the Petition.

Issued in Washington, DC, on November 23, 1998.
Dan W. Reicher, Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

March 3, 1998 ATTN: Ms. Christine Ervin, Assistant

Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, Mail Station EE–1, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585 CC: Mr. T. Hada (Gas Appliances), Mr. W. C.

Ryan (Ryan Co., Inc.) RE: Petition for Waiver and Application for

Interim Waiver for Sanyo Gas Source Heat Pump Dear Ms. Ervin: Sanyo described a gas source heat pump product to your Mr. Mike Raymond and Mr. Ed. Pollock during a meeting on June 24, 1997. The recommendation from this meeting was for Sanyo to submit an application for Interim
Waiver and Petition for Waiver from the Department of Energy central air conditioning heat pump test procedure for Sanyo’s gas source heat pump. Sanyo’s business plan is to provide our unique cooling and heating design for the United
States domestic market. Our business will suffer economic hardship without a waiver from Department of Energy heating operation test procedures and efficiency standard for this product line.

Sanyo’s ductless split type air conditionergas source heat pump product operates as a conventional air conditioner for cooling. Cooling efficiency is to be evaluated under DOE test procedures for the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) product rating. The cooling mode test procedure is specified in 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B, Appendix M,
Section 2.1.

For heating operation this product employs a fuel gas burner to apply heat to the interior wall of a second heat exchanger located in
the outdoor section. The exterior wall of this heat exchanger is in close contact with tubing containing a refrigerant. Refrigerant is heated through intimate contact with the exterior wall of this heat exchanger and circulated by the refrigerant compressor from the outdoor tubing to the indoor tubing of the evaporator coil. The indoor fan motor and blower system extracts heat from the circulated refrigerant into the conditioned space. During heating operation the outdoor fan motor and air conditioning heat transfer tubing are isolated from the active circuit by valves and
electrical controls.

Accordingly, a DOE test procedure for heating mode of such a gas source heat pump is not developed. Sanyo has no knowledge of an industry standard or test method for evaluating heating efficiency of this type of product. Requirements in 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B, Appendix M, Section 2.3 do not apply for gas source heat pump units.

In order for this product to comply with the requirements of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (Pub. L. 94–163) and amendments, Sanyo’s business needs require that DOE favorably consider our application for an interim waiver and petition for waiver from the heating efficiency requirements for our combination ductless split air conditioner and gas-source heat pump product line.

Your review and consideration is appreciated. If more information is needed, we will be pleased to provide what you need. Truly yours,
S. Ukai, Engineer.

K. Mori, Manager, International Operation, Air Conditioning Division, Environmental Systems, Business Head Quarter, Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Mike Raymond, U.S. Department of Energy

Sanyo’s letter dated March 3, 1998 was a request for a waiver and interim waiver of DOE heating test procedures for their gas source heat pump products.

Sanyo requests you disregard their request for an interim waiver and proceed to extend the final waiver in response to their letter request.

This modification is due to Sanyo’s product introduction schedule having sufficient time to allow for completion of the final ruling.

If you have questions or need more information please contact me. Sincerely, W. C. Ryan, Ryan Company, Inc.
[FR Doc. 98–32008 Filed 11–30–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

Agency Information Collection Under Review by the Office of Management and Budget

AGENCY : Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy.