27448 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 91 / Thursday, May 10, 2012 / Notices 

DATES: Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at 

10 a.m. 

ADDRESSES: 1400 Key Boulevard, Level 

A, Room A101, Rosslyn, Virginia 22209. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Additional information concerning the 

meetings may be obtained by writing to 

the Chairman, Department of Defense 

Wage Committee, 4000 Defense 

Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–4000. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

provisions of section 10(d) of Public 

Law 92–463, the Department of Defense 

has determined that the meetings meet 

the criteria to close meetings to the 

public because the matters to be 

considered are related to internal rules 

and practices of the Department of 

Defense and the detailed wage data to be 

considered were obtained from officials 

of private establishments with a 

guarantee that the data will be held in 

confidence. 

However, members of the public who 

may wish to do so are invited to submit 

material in writing to the chairman 

concerning matters believed to be 

deserving of the Committee’s attention. 

Due to internal DoD difficulties, 

beyond the control of the Department of 

Defense Wage Committee or its 

Designated Federal Officer, the 

Committee was unable to process the 

Federal Register notice for its May 15, 

2012 meeting as required by 41 CFR 

102–3.150(a). Accordingly, the Advisory 

Committee Management Officer for the 

Department of Defense, pursuant to 41 

CFR 102–3.150(b), waives the 15- 

calendar day notification requirement. 

Dated: May 7, 2012. 

Aaron Siegel, 

Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison 

Officer, Department of Defense. 

[FR Doc. 2012–11269 Filed 5–9–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 5001–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Amended Notice of Intent To Revise 

the Scope of an Environmental Impact 

Statement for the Recapitalization of 

Infrastructure Supporting Naval Spent 

Nuclear Fuel at the Idaho National 

Laboratory 

AGENCY: Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Amended Notice of Intent to 

Revise the Scope of an Environmental 

Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.), the Council on Environmental 

Quality regulations for implementing 

the procedural provisions of NEPA 

(40 CFR part 1500–1508), and the 

Department of Energy (DOE) 

implementing procedures (10 CFR part 

1021), the DOE Naval Nuclear 

Propulsion Program (NNPP) announces 

its intent to revise the scope to the 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for the Recapitalization of Naval Spent 

Nuclear Fuel Handling and Examination 

Facilities at the Idaho National 

Laboratory (INL). The NNPP issued its 

Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the EIS 

for the Recapitalization of Naval Spent 

Nuclear Fuel Handling and Examination 

on July 20, 2010 (75 FR 42082). 

DATES: The NNPP invites interested 

parties to comment on the revised scope 

of the EIS. NNPP will consider all 

comments received by June 11, 2012, 

and to the extent practical comments 

received after that date, in the 

preparation of the EIS. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the 

revised scope of the EIS may be 

submitted by mailing to: Ms. Samantha 

O’Hara (08U–Naval Reactors), Naval Sea 

Systems Command, 1240 Isaac Hull 

Avenue SE., Stop 8036, Washington 

Navy Yard, DC 20376–8036. 

Comments provided by email should 

be submitted to ecfrecapitalization@

unnpp.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information about this project, 

contact Ms. Samantha O’Hara, as 

described above. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NNPP 

is responsible for all aspects of U.S. 

Navy nuclear power and propulsion. 

These responsibilities include design, 

maintenance, and safe operation of 

nuclear propulsion systems throughout 

their operational life cycles. A crucial 

component of this mission, naval spent 

nuclear fuel handling, occurs at the end 

of a nuclear propulsion system’s useful 

life. Once a naval nuclear core is 

depleted, the NNPP is responsible for 

removal of the spent nuclear fuel 

through a defueling or refueling 

operation. Both operations remove the 

spent nuclear fuel from a reactor core, 

but a refueling operation also involves 

installing new fuel into the reactor core, 

allowing the nuclear-powered ship to be 

redeployed into the U.S. Navy fleet. 

After the naval spent nuclear fuel has 

been removed from an aircraft carrier or 

submarine, NNPP spent fuel handling 

includes the subsequent transfer, 

preparation, and packaging required for 

dry storage pending transportation of 

the fuel to a national geologic repository 

or interim storage site. 

The NNPP ensures that naval spent 

nuclear fuel handling is performed in a 

safe and environmentally responsible 

manner in accordance with 50 U.S.C. 

2406, 2511 (codifying Executive Order 

12344). Nuclear fuel handling is an 

intricate and intensive process requiring 

a complex infrastructure. Naval spent 

nuclear fuel handling includes the 

transfer of spent nuclear fuel removed 

from a reactor to the Expended Core 

Facility (ECF) at the Naval Reactors 

Facility (NRF) at the INL, where it is 

received, unloaded, prepared, and 

packaged for disposal. 

The NNPP is proposing to recapitalize 

the existing ECF infrastructure at the 

INL. The purpose of the proposed action 

is to ensure the continued availability of 

the infrastructure needed to support the 

transfer, handling, examination, and 

packaging of naval spent nuclear fuel 

removed from nuclear-powered aircraft 

carriers and submarines, as well as from 

land-based prototype reactors for at least 

the next 40 years. This action is needed 

because, although the ECF at the NRF, 

where this work is currently supported, 

continues to be maintained and 

operated in a safe and environmentally 

responsible manner, a significant 

portion of the ECF infrastructure has 

been in service for over 50 years. 

Deterioration of the ECF infrastructure 

could immediately and profoundly 

impact the NNPP mission, including the 

NNPP’s ability to support refueling and 

defueling of nuclear powered 

submarines and aircraft carriers. The 

ECF capabilities to transfer, prepare, 

examine, and package naval spent 

nuclear fuel, and other irradiated 

materials are vital to the NNPP’s 

mission of maintaining the reliable 

operation of the naval nuclear-powered 

fleet and developing militarily effective 

nuclear propulsion plants. 

Consistent with the Record of 

Decision for the April 1995 DOE 

Programmatic EIS for Spent Nuclear 

Fuel Management (DOE/EIS–0203–F), 

naval spent nuclear fuel is shipped by 

rail from shipyards and prototype 

facilities to NRF for examination and 

processing. After processing, naval 

spent nuclear fuel is transferred into dry 

storage containers and placed into 

temporary storage at NRF, prior to offsite transfer consistent with the Record 

of Decision for the November 1996 Navy 

EIS for a Container System for 

Management of Naval Spent Nuclear 

Fuel (DOE/EIS–0251). Ongoing efforts to 

sustain the infrastructure needed to 

transfer, prepare, examine, and package 

naval spent nuclear fuel will preserve 

these essential capabilities and ensure 

that the NNPP high standards for 

protecting the public and the 

environment continue to be met. 

Facility age, however, is expected to 

cause a growing maintenance burden 

and increase the likelihood of 

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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 91 / Thursday, May 10, 2012 / Notices 27449 

unacceptable workflow interruptions 

that could adversely impact the fleet. 

The NNPP proposes to recapitalize 

the infrastructure for transferring, 

preparing, examining, and packaging 

naval spent nuclear fuel and other 

irradiated materials, to ensure these 

capabilities are maintained for the vital 

NNPP mission of supporting the naval 

nuclear-powered fleet. The 

recapitalization will be carried out as 

two projects. The first project will be the 

Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization 

Project; the second project will be the 

Examination Recapitalization Project. 

The NNPP was initially pursuing two 

recapitalization projects in the same 

time frame; however, since the initiation 

of the NEPA process, the project 

schedules have changed such that the 

Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization 

Project has progressed further than the 

Examination Recapitalization Project. 

Preparing one EIS that includes both 

projects would require decisions about 

the Examination Recapitalization 

Project too early in the design process 

prior to having sufficient information to 

fully analyze the environmental impacts 

of the project. Additionally, funding 

uncertainties have made the timing of 

the Examination Recapitalization 

Project speculative in nature. To ensure 

an EIS is completed in support of the 

Navy’s need for the Spent Fuel 

Handling Recapitalization Project, it is 

necessary to reduce the scope of the EIS 

to cover only the Spent Fuel Handling 

Recapitalization Project. The proposed 

Examination Recapitalization Project 

will be considered in the cumulative 

impacts section of the EIS along with 

other reasonably foreseeable projects on 

the INL. A separate document will be 

prepared in accordance with NEPA for 

the Examination Recapitalization 

Project once this project has been more 

clearly defined. 

The EIS will consider the 

environmental effects related to the 

Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization 

Project. The alternatives being evaluated 

have been revised to remove aspects 

related to an Examination 

Recapitalization Project and to address 

public comments received during initial 

EIS scoping. The NNPP will evaluate 

building a new facility at two potential 

sites on the NRF, an ECF Overhaul 

Alternative, and a No Action 

Alternative: 

• Alternative 1—Construct and 

operate a new facility for spent fuel 

handling capabilities at one of two 

potential locations at the NRF on the 

INL. 

• Alternative 2—Overhaul the spent 

fuel handling capabilities of the ECF at 

NRF by implementing major 

infrastructure and water pool 

refurbishment projects while performing 

corrective maintenance and repair 

actions as necessary. 

• Alternative 3 (No Action)— 

Maintain the spent fuel handling 

capabilities of the ECF by continuing to 

use the current ECF infrastructure while 

performing corrective maintenance and 

repairs necessary to keep the 

infrastructure in good working order 

(i.e., actions sufficient to sustain the 

proper functioning of structures, 

systems, and components). 

The NNPP proposes to address the 

issues listed below when considering 

the potential impacts of the proposed 

alternatives in the EIS. This list is 

presented to facilitate public comment 

during the scoping period and is not 

intended to be comprehensive, or to 

imply any predetermination of impacts. 

Issues include: 

• Potential impacts of emissions on 

air and water quality. 

• Potential impacts on plants, 

animals, and their habitats, including 

species that are listed by either State or 

Federal government as threatened, 

endangered, or of special concern. 

• Potential impacts from postulated 

accidents, as well as potential impacts 

from acts of terrorism or sabotage. 

• Potential effects on the public 

health from exposure to hazardous 

materials or radiological releases under 

routine operations. 

• Potential safety and health impacts 

to workers. 

• Impacts on cultural resources, such 

as historic, archeological, and Native 

American culturally important sites. 

• Socioeconomic impacts to the 

potentially affected communities. 

• Compliance with applicable Federal 

and state regulations. 

• Potential disproportionately high 

and adverse effects on low-income and 

minority populations (environmental 

justice). 

• Cumulative impacts. 

NEPA implementing regulations 

require an early and open process for 

determining the scope of an EIS and for 

identifying the significant issues related 

to the proposed action. Accordingly, 

NNPP invites Federal agencies; Tribal, 

State, and local governments; and the 

general public to comment on the 

revised scope of the EIS including 

identification of reasonable alternatives 

and specific issues that should be 

addressed. All public comments 

received as described above will be 

considered during the development of 

the EIS. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 4, 2012. 

John M. McKenzie, 

Director, Regulatory Affairs, Naval Nuclear 

Propulsion Program. 

[FR Doc. 2012–11292 Filed 5–9–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

Combined Notice of Filings 

Take notice that the Commission has 

received the following Natural Gas 

Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings: 

Filings in Existing Proceedings 

Docket Numbers: RP12–465–000. 

Applicants: Equitrans, L.P. 

Description: Equitrans, L.P. Response 

to FERC’s March 30 Order under RP12– 

465. 

Filed Date: 4/19/12. 

Accession Number: 20120419–5249. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 5/9/12. 

Docket Numbers: RP12–719–000. 

Applicants: Columbia Gas 

Transmission, LLC. 

Description: Negotiated Rate Service 

Agreement—NNE to be effective 5/4/ 

2012. 

Filed Date: 5/3/12. 

Accession Number: 20120503–5052. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 5/15/12. 

Docket Numbers: RP12–720–000. 

Applicants: CenterPoint Energy Gas 

Transmission Company, LLC. 

Description: CEGT LLC—May 3, 2012 

Negotiated Rate Filing to be effective 

5/3/2012. 

Filed Date: 5/3/12. 

Accession Number: 20120503–5094. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 5/15/12. 

Docket Numbers: RP12–721–000. 

Applicants: Midwestern Gas 

Transmission Company. 

Description: Non-Conforming 

Agreement Clean Up to be effective 

6/4/2012. 

Filed Date: 5/4/12. 

Accession Number: 20120504–5079. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 5/16/12. 

Any person desiring to intervene or 

protest in any of the above proceedings 

must file in accordance with Rules 211 

and 214 of the Commission’s 

Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and 

385.214) on or before 5 p.m. Eastern 

time on the specified comment date. 

Protests may be considered, but 

intervention is necessary to become a 

party to the proceeding. 

The filings are accessible in the 

Commission’s eLibrary system by 

clicking on the links or querying the 

docket number. 

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