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 mode

tests 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

CAS-RM-79-102 COMMENT 20
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 230 /Tuesday, December 1, 1998 / Notices 66147

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 DOE

test 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.

CAS-RM-79-102 COMMENT 20