[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20375-20376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8075]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Availability of Secretarial Determination and Basis for 
Determination Under Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA) for Closure of 
the F-Tank Farm at the Savannah River Site and Clarification for Its 
Record of Decision: Savannah River Site High-Level Waste Tank Closure

AGENCY: Office of Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of 
the Secretarial Determination and Basis for Section 3116 Determination 
for Closure of the F-Tank Farm (FTF) at the Savannah River Site (FTF 
3116 Basis Document). DOE prepared and approved the FTF 3116 Basis 
Document pursuant to Section 3116(a) of the NDAA, which provides that 
the Secretary of Energy may, in consultation with the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC), determine that certain waste from 
reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is not high-level waste if the 
provisions set forth in Section 3116(a) are satisfied. To make the 
determination for the FTF, the Secretary of Energy determined that the 
waste in the FTF: (1) Does not require permanent isolation in a deep 
geologic repository for spent fuel or high-level radioactive waste; (2) 
has had highly radioactive radionuclides removed to the maximum extent 
practical; and (3)(A) does not exceed concentration limits for Class C 
low-level waste and will be disposed of in compliance with the 
performance objectives in 10 CFR part 61, Subpart C and pursuant to a 
State approved closure plan or State-issued permit; or (3)(B) exceeds 
concentration limits for Class C low-level waste but will be disposed 
of in compliance with the performance objectives of 10 CFR part 61, 
Subpart C; pursuant to a State-approved closure plan or State-issued

[[Page 20376]]

permit; and pursuant to plans developed by DOE in consultation with the 
NRC. DOE has also clarified its Record of Decision: Savannah River Site 
High-Level Waste Tank Closure issued on August 19, 2002 (67 FR 53784) 
in which the Department decided to implement the ``Stabilize Tanks--
Fill with Grout'' option evaluated in the Savannah River Site High-
Level Waste Tank Closure Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
(DOE/EIS-0303; May 2002). DOE is not changing its decision to implement 
the ``Stabilize Tanks--Fill with Grout'' option but is publishing this 
Notice to clarify that the decision to close the tanks has been made 
pursuant to NDAA Section 3116(a). All other aspects of the 2002 Record 
of Decision remain unchanged.

ADDRESSES: The Basis for Determination and the Supplement Analyses to 
the NEPA ROD is available on the Internet at http://sro.srs.gov/f_htankfarmsdocuments.htm, and http://www.em.doe.gov/stakepages/wmdi_swd.aspx?PAGEID=WMDI is publicly available at the following locations:

District of Columbia

    U.S. Department of Energy, Freedom of Information Act, Public 
Reading Room, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Room 1G-033, Washington, DC 
20585, (202) 586-5955.

South Carolina

    University of South Carolina-Aiken, Gregg-Graniteville Library, 471 
University Parkway, Aiken, SC 29801, (803) 641-3320.
    For more information, contact: Ms. Sherri Ross, DOE-SR, Building 
704-S, Room 43, U.S. Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations 
Office, Aiken, SC 29802 (ATTN: F-Tank Farm Secretarial Determination 
and Basis).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FTF is a 22-acre site, located at the 
Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina. The FTF consists of 22 
underground radioactive waste storage tanks and supporting ancillary 
structures. Two of those waste tanks, Tanks 17 and 20 were cleaned and 
operationally closed in 1997, prior to enactment of NDAA Section 3116. 
Accordingly, Tanks 17 and 20 are not within the scope of this FTF 
Section 3116 Basis Document. The major FTF ancillary structures are two 
evaporator systems, transfer lines, six diversion boxes, one catch 
tank, a concentrate transfer system, three pump pits, three pump tanks 
and eight valve boxes. There are three waste tank types in FTF with 
operating capacities ranging from 750,000 gallons (Type I tanks) to 
1,300,000 gallons (Type III/IIIA and Type IV tanks). The waste tanks 
have varying degrees of secondary containment and in-tank structural 
features such as cooling coils and columns. All FTF waste tanks are 
constructed of carbon steel. The FTF was constructed to receive waste 
generated by various SRS production, processing and laboratory 
facilities.
    DOE has initiated waste removal and cleaning of tanks and ancillary 
structures in the FTF using a process that includes removing bulk waste 
from tanks and ancillary structures and then deploying tested 
technologies to removing the majority of the remaining waste. After 
completing cleaning operations, a small amount of residual radioactive 
waste will remain in the tanks, ancillary equipment and piping. DOE 
plans to stabilize the residuals in the tanks and certain ancillary 
structures with grout. Tank waste storage and removal operations in the 
FTF are governed by a South Carolina Department of Health and 
Environmental Control (SCDHEC) industrial wastewater operating permit. 
Removal of tanks from service and stabilization of the FTF waste tanks 
and ancillary structures will be carried out pursuant to a State-
approved closure plan, the Industrial Wastewater General Closure Plan 
for F-Area Waste Tank Systems (GCP). Specific Closure Modules for each 
tank or ancillary structure or groupings of tanks and ancillary 
structures have been developed and submitted to SCDHEC for approval. 
SCDHEC approved the specific and final closure configuration 
documentation and after grouting, the tank/system will be removed from 
the State's industrial wastewater permit. This FTF Section 3116 Basis 
Document applies to stabilized residuals in the waste tanks and 
ancillary structures, the waste tanks, and the ancillary structures in 
the FTF at the time of closure.

    Dated: Issued in Washington, DC, on March 29, 2012.
Mark Gilbertson,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Site Restoration.
[FR Doc. 2012-8075 Filed 4-3-12; 8:45 am]
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