Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 22, 2024 / Notices 84349 

3 87 FR 26126 (May 3, 2022). 

4For a discussion of the 2014 incidents at the 

WIPP, see EPA’s third recertification determination. 

82 FR 33106, 33107 (July 19, 2017). 

5 Knerr, R. (DOE/CBFO), Dunagan, S. (NWP LLC). 

Class 3 Permit Modification Request [Letter to 

Maestas, R. (NMED)] (July 30, 2021). 

6 Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2024–0309 

(https://www.regulations.gov). 

7https://www.epa.gov/radiation/wippnews#WIPP-PCR. 

Certification Application (CCA) in 1996. 

The Agency then issued the certification 

decision on May 18, 1998, determining 

that the WIPP met the standards for 

radioactive waste disposal. Since the 

1998 certification decision, EPA has 

conducted ongoing independent 

technical reviews, certification/ 

recertifications, and inspections of all 

WIPP activities related to compliance 

with the Agency’s disposal regulations. 

The WIPP has been recertified four 

times since the initial CCA in 1996, 

with the most recent recertification 

decision occurring in 2022.3

As part of the original design of the 

WIPP repository in the initial CCA, the 

underground waste disposal region at 

WIPP is divided into panels. A panel is 

a group of rooms mined into the salt, 

connected by tunnels called drifts. EPA 

certified the WIPP in 1998 and most 

recently recertified the WIPP in 2022 

based on a planned footprint of 10 waste 

panels. 

On March 14, 2024, EPA received a 

planned change request (PCR) from DOE 

per 40 CFR 194.4(b)(3) that seeks the 

Agency’s approval to add two 

replacement waste panels to the west of 

the current repository. These two 

panels, 11 and 12, are being constructed 

to replace waste disposal volume that 

was lost in panels 7 and 9 due to the 

2014 radiological release that 

contaminated the south end of the 

repository.4 Additionally, panels 1 and 

2 were not completely filled due to 

ground control issues from being kept 

open so long before waste was 

emplaced. DOE has calculated that to 

replace the volume lost, 1.7 panels of 

waste volume will be needed, rounded 

up to 2 panels for construction. 5 DOE 

also states that the waste volume with 

panels 11 and 12 will not exceed the 

LWA waste disposal volume limit. The 

PCR contains a performance assessment 

DOE has conducted to support a 

demonstration that the repository will 

continue to meet the numeric release 

limits of EPA’s disposal regulations for 

the WIPP. As part of the performance 

assessment, DOE calculated releases 

based on a repository design of 19 

panels, which is the anticipated WIPP 

repository configuration at the time of 

closure. With this PCR, DOE is only 

seeking EPA’s approval of the two new 

planned panels and has provided 

documentation to address the two new 

panels within the context of the 19- 

panel design. DOE would have to 

submit a separate request for approval of 

any additional panels beyond panels 11 

and 12. 

II. Request for Comments 

A 60-day comment period provided 

for comments on the PCR ended on 

September 16, 2024. During this 

comment period a request for an 

extension to the comment period was 

received from several stakeholders, most 

recently at the Agency’s informal public 

meetings held in New Mexico in late 

August. 

The Agency is reopening the 

comment period and soliciting public 

comment on DOE’s documentation of its 

PCR to add two new waste panels— 

panels 11 and 12—at the WIPP facility, 

and the demonstration of compliance 

with EPA’s disposal regulations. 

Additional background information 

related to the Agency’s review of DOE’s 

application—including an electronic 

copy of the PCR itself—is available in 

the public docket 6 established for this 

action and on the EPA WIPP website.7

The Agency will continue to accept 

comment until it issues a future Federal 

Register notice that specifies the end of 

the public comment period. Upon 

completion of EPA’s evaluation of the 

PCR, the Agency will announce a 

decision on the proposed two new 

panels along with a response to 

comments document and related 

technical support documents. 

Jonathan D. Edwards, 

Director, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24450 Filed 10–21–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[FRL–12326–01–R6] 

Clean Air Act Operating Permit 

Program; Order on Petition for 

Objection to State Operating Permit for 

the Nucor Steel Louisiana, LLC, Direct 

Reduced Iron Facility, St. James 

Parish, Louisiana 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice of final order on petition. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) Administrator signed an 

order dated September 27, 2024, 

granting in part and denying in part a 

Petition dated December 4, 2023, from 

the Myrtle Felton, Barbara Washington, 

Gail Leboeuf, Inclusive Louisiana, and 

Louisiana Bucket Brigade (the 

Petitioners). The Petition requested that 

the EPA object to a Clean Air Act (CAA) 

title V operating permit issued by the 

Louisiana Department of Environmental 

Quality (LDEQ) to Nucor Steel 

Louisiana, L.L.C., Direct Reduced Iron 

(DRI) Facility, located in Covent, St. 

James Parish, Louisiana. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Elizabeth Layton, EPA Region 6 Office, 

Air Permits Section, (214) 665–2136, 

layton.elizabeth@epa.gov. The final 

order and petition are available 

electronically at: https://www.epa.gov/ 

title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petitiondatabase. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EPA 

received a petition from Myrtle Felton, 

Barbara Washington, Gail Leboeuf, 

Inclusive Louisiana, and Louisiana 

Bucket Brigade dated December 4, 2023, 

requesting that the EPA object to the 

issuance of operating permit no. No. 

3086–V10, issued by LDEQ to the Nucor 

Steel Louisiana, L.L.C., DRI Facility in 

St. James Parish, Convent, Louisiana. 

On September 27, 2024, the EPA 

Administrator issued an order granting 

in part and denying in part the Petition. 

The order explains the basis for the 

EPA’s decision. 

Sections 307(b) and 505(b)(2) of the 

CAA provide that a petitioner may 

request judicial review of those portions 

of an order that deny issues in a 

petition. Any petition for review shall 

be filed in the United States Court of 

Appeals for the appropriate circuity no 

later than December 23, 2024. 

Dated: October 16, 2024. 

David Garcia, 

Director, Air and Radiation Division, Region 

6. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24366 Filed 10–21–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE 

CORPORATION 

Designated Reserve Ratio for 2025 

AGENCY: Federal Deposit Insurance 

Corporation. 

ACTION: Notice of Designated Reserve 

Ratio for 2025. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal 

Deposit Insurance Act (FDI Act), the 

Board of Directors (Board) of the Federal 

Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) 

designates that the Designated Reserve 

Ratio (DRR) for the Deposit Insurance 

Fund shall remain at 2 percent for 2025. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1