Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 95 / Wednesday, May 17, 1995 / Notices 26417

$140,000,000 with industry providing

70% funding and DOE contributing

30%. DOE Phase 3 funding is

anticipated as $7,021,000 or 48% of the

total $14,488,727 cost of implementing

up to 10 MW of grid-connected

photovoltaic applications and 2 MW of

small-scale photovoltaic applications.

This notice is published for public

comment at least fourteen calendar days

prior to making an award.

Issued in Golden, Colorado, on May 4,

1995.

John W. Meeker,

Chief, Procurement, GO.

[FR Doc. 95–12036 Filed 5–16–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

for Waste Management at the

Savannah River Site, Aiken, South

Carolina

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Revision to one alternative in

the Savannah River Site Waste

Management Draft Environmental

Impact Statement (DOE/EIS–0217D).

SUMMARY: DOE issued the Savannah

River Site Waste Management Draft

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

on January 20, 1995. The EIS evaluates

alternative approaches to and

environmental impacts of managing

wastes at the Savannah River Site (SRS).

The EIS examines alternatives for

managing five types of waste (liquid

high-level radioactive, low-level

radioactive, hazardous, mixed

(radioactive and hazardous combined),

and transuranic) during the next decade

and establishes a baseline for assessing

options for waste management beyond

that time. DOE extended the initial 45-

day public comment period to March

31, 1995, in response to a request from

the SRC’s Citizens Advisory Board.

Throughout the comment period, DOE

continued to consider many of the

issues addressed in the draft EIS. As a

result of these considerations, DOE has

decided to change the treatment of lowlevel waste proposed in the ‘‘moderate

treatment’’ alternative. The change

concerns the location of, but not the

technology used in, the treatment of

about 40% of the expected volume of

low-level waste at the SRS. This change

would reduce disposal vault capacity

requirements by providing: (1)

Immediate utilization of commercial

volume reduction capacity in lieu of

construction of an onsite compactor, (2)

more detailed and effective sorting, and

(3) offsite waste treatment during

maintenance periods of onsite treatment

facilities.

In the draft EIS, the ‘‘moderate

treatment’’ alternative included onsite

incineration, supercompaction, or direct

disposal of low-level waste. In the final

EIS, this alternative would include: (1)

Onsite incineration or direct disposal of

low-level waste, and (2)

supercompaction, size reduction (e.g.,

sorting, shredding, and melting), and

incineration at an offsite commercial

treatment facility. In the event of offsite

treatment, all residues would be

returned to the SRS for further treatment

or disposal.

DOE is modifying this alternative in

the final EIS because at present the

Department does not consider

construction of an onsite

supercompactor to be a reasonable

component of the ‘‘moderate treatment’’

alternative. As licensed offsite

supercompaction services are currently

available, it would not be cost effective

for DOE to build a supercompactor at

the SRS. The modified alternative

allows DOE to conserve space in its

existing disposal vaults and to defer the

costs of building additional vaults.

DOE intends to continue with the

present schedule for issuing the final

EIS because the impacts of the treatment

technologies that would be used were

already evaluated as onsite options in

the draft EIS. The impacts of

transportation to commercial treatment

facilities and these facilities’ capacity

will be evaluated in the final EIS. DOE

does not consider this change in the

‘‘moderate treatment’’ alternative to be

sufficiently significant to reissue the

draft EIS. Minor modifications will also

be made to each alternative to account

for updates to the waste volume

forecasts.

DOE would solicit proposals from

commercial facilities for reducing the

volume of low-level radioactive waste in

the future, and would require the

facilities to supply information that

DOE would use to prepare an additional

environmental review as required by

Title 10 Code of Federal Regulation

(CFR) § 1021.216.

ADDRESSES: DOE will accept comments

on the above modifications through June

12, 1995. Any comments on the revision

or requests for further information

should be directed to: A.B. Gould, Jr.,

NEPA Compliance Officer, U.S.

Department of Energy, Savannah River

Operations Office, P.O. Box 5031,

Aiken, South Carolina 29804–5031,

Attention ‘‘WMEIS’’, e-mail:

nepa@barms036.b-r.com, or by

telephone or facsimile through the

Information Line (800) 242–8269.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

general information on DOE’s National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

process, please contact: Ms. Carol

Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA

Policy and Assistance (EH–42), U.S.

Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20585. Telephone:

(202) 586–4600 or leave a message at

(800) 472–2756.

Jill E. Lytle,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Waste

Management, Environmental Management.

[FR Doc. 95–12044 Filed 5–16–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–M

Draft Programmatic Environmental

Impact Statement for the Uranium Mill

Tailings Remedial Action Ground

Water Project

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy

announces the availability of the draft

Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement for the Uranium Mill Tailings

Remedial Action Ground Water Project.

The proposed action is to conduct the

Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action

Ground Water Project using appropriate

ground water compliance strategies at

the 24 uranium processing sites based

on a health and environmental riskbased framework that provides a

consistent and flexible approach. The

three other alternatives analyzed in the

programmatic environmental impact

statement are: No action, active

remediation to background levels at all

processing sites, and passive

remediation at all processing sites.

Separate site-specific National

Environmental Policy Act

documentation will be prepared to

address site-specific ground water

compliance activities.

DATES: The public comment period

extends through July 17, 1995. Written

comments should be postmarked by that

date to ensure consideration in

preparation of the final document.

Comments postmarked after that date

will be considered to the extent

practicable. Comments may also be

submitted orally or in writing at public

hearings to be held at the times, places,

and dates listed below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the

draft programmatic environmental

impact statement should be directed to

Mr. Rich Sena, Acting Director,

Environmental Restoration Division,

Department of Energy, Suite 4000, 2155

Louisiana N.E., Albuquerque, New

Mexico 87110. Addresses of Department

of Energy Public Reading Rooms and

public libraries where the draft
26418 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 95 / Wednesday, May 17, 1995 / Notices

document will be available for review

are listed below under SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for copies of the draft

programmatic environmental impact

statement and requests for further

information concerning this draft

document may be directed to Mr. Rich

Sena at the address above. Requests for

copies of the draft programmatic

environmental impact statement or

requests for more information may also

be made by leaving a message at 1–800–

523–6495 (outside New Mexico) and 1–

800–423–2539 (within New Mexico).

For general information on the

procedures followed by the Department

of Energy in complying with the

requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act, contact: Ms.

Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of

NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH–42),

U.S. Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20585, Telephone 1–

202–586–4600 or leave a message at 1–

800–472–2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Public concern regarding the potential

human health and environmental effects

from uranium mill tailings led to

passage of the Uranium Mill Tailings

Radiation Control Act (Public Law 95–

604, 42 USC § 7901 et seq.) in 1978,

wherein Congress acknowledged the

potentially harmful health effects

associated with uranium mill tailings at

24 abandoned uranium mill processing

sites. Pursuant to the Act, the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency

developed standards (40 CFR Part 192)

which include exposure limits for

surface contamination and

concentration limits for ground water, to

protect the public and the environment

from potential radiological and

nonradiological hazards from the

abandoned mill processing sites. Final

ground water protection standards were

published in the Federal Register [60

FR 2854 (Jan. 11, 1995)]. The

Department of Energy is responsible for

performing remedial action to bring the

surface and ground water contaminant

levels at the abandoned mill processing

sites into compliance with these

standards. The Department of Energy is

accomplishing this function through the

Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action

Project. Remedial action will be

conducted with the concurrence of the

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

and the full participation of affected

States and Indian tribes.

Uranium processing activities at most

of the 24 mill processing sites resulted

in the formation of contaminated

ground water beneath and, in some

cases, downgradient of the sites. The

purpose of the Uranium Mill Tailings

Remedial Action Ground Water Project

is to protect human health and the

environment by meeting the

Environmental Protection Agency

standards in areas where ground water

has been contaminated with hazardous

constituents, such as uranium and

nitrate, as a result of former uranium

processing activities.

A major first step in the Uranium Mill

Tailings Remedial Action Ground Water

Project is the preparation of the Ground

Water Project programmatic

environmental impact statement which

assesses the potential programmatic

impacts of conducting the Ground

Water Project, provides a method for

determining the site-specific ground

water compliance strategies, and

supplies data and information that can

be used to tier off site-specific

environmental impact analysis

documents to eliminate repetition. The

proposed action and the alternatives in

the document are considered

programmatic in that they broadly

address the overall plans for conducting

the Ground Water Project.

Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement Preparation

The Department of Energy published

a Notice of Intent [57 FR 54374, Nov. 18,

1992)] to prepare a programmatic

environmental impact statement and

commence the scoping process. The

public scoping process was completed

on April 15, 1993. Public scoping

meetings were held in Falls City, Texas;

Durango, Colorado; Moenkopi Village,

Arizona; Shiprock, Arizona; Tuba City,

Arizona; Window Rock, Arizona; Grand

Junction, Colorado; Gunnison, Colorado;

Rifle, Colorado; Bowman, North Dakota;

Lakeview, Oregon; Canonsburg,

Pennsylvania; Halchita, Utah; Salt Lake

City, Utah; St. Stephen, Wyoming; and

Riverton, Wyoming. The Department of

Energy received over 500 comments on

the proposed scope of the programmatic

environmental impact statement which

were considered in preparation of the

draft programmatic environmental

impact statement.

Availability of Copies of the Draft

Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement

Copies of the draft programmatic

environmental impact statement have

been distributed to Federal, State, and

local agencies, and to organizations,

environmental groups, and individuals

known to be interested in or affected by

the Ground Water Project. Additional

copies of the document may be obtained

by contacting the Uranium Mill Tailings

Project Office at the address or

telephone numbers listed above. Copies

of the draft programmatic

environmental impact statement and

applicable documents referenced in the

document are available for inspection at

the Department of Energy’s reading

rooms and at the public libraries in the

vicinity of the 24 former uranium

processing sites listed below.

Department of Energy Reading Rooms

Freedom of Information Reading Room,

Room 1E–190, Department of

Energy, Forrestal Building, 1000

Independence Avenue, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20585

National Atomic Museum Library,

Public Document Room,

Department of Energy, Albuquerque

Operations, Albuquerque, NM

87115

Grand Junction Project Office,

Department of Energy, 2597 B 3/4

Road, Grand Junction, CO 81302

Public Libraries

Arizona

Tuba City Public Library, Tuba City, AZ

86045

Navajo Nation Library System, Window

Rock, AZ 86515

Kykotsmovi Public Library, Community

Development Director, Kykotsmovi,

AZ 86039

Colorado

Cortez Public Library, 802 E.

Montezuma, Cortez, CO 81321

Denver Public Library, 1357 Broadway,

Denver, CO 80203

Rifle Branch Library, Second Street,

Rifle, CO 81650

Mesa State College Library, Grand

Junction, CO 81502

Dove Creek School Library, Dove Creek,

CO 81324

Durango Public Library, Reference

Department, Durango, CO 81301

Glenwood Springs Library, 413 9th

Street, Glenwood Springs, CO

81601

Gunnison Public Library, 307 N.

Wisconsin, Gunnison, CO 81230

Naturita Public Library, 312 W. Second

Street, Naturita, CO 81422

Montrose Public Library, 4349 First

Street, Montrose, CO 81424

Idaho

Boise Public Library, 715 S. Capitol

Bldg., Boise, ID 83805
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 95 / Wednesday, May 17, 1995 / Notices 26419

New Mexico

Navajo Community College Library,

Shiprock Branch, Shiprock, NM

87420

Mother Whiteside Memorial Library,

525 W. High Street, Grants, NM

87020

New Mexico State University Library,

1500 3rd St., Grants, NM 87020

University New Mexico Gallup Library,

200 College Road, Gallup, NM

87301

University New Mexico Zimmerman

Library, Albuquerque, NM 87131–

1466

New Mexico Environmental Department

Library, 1190 St. Francis Drive,

Santa Fe, NM 87502

North Dakota

Bowman Public Library, 104 Main

Street, Bowman, ND 58623

Dickinson Public Library, 139 West 3rd

Street, Dickinson, ND 58601

Oregon

Lake County Library, 513 Center Street,

Lakeview, OR 97630

Pennsylvania

Canonsburg Public Library, East Pike

Street, Canonsburg, PA 15317

People’s Library, 2889 Leechburg Road,

Lower Burrell, PA 15068

Texas

Falls City Public Library, P.O. Box 325,

Falls City, TX 78113

Utah

Bluff Public Library, Bluff, UT 84512

Marriott Library, University of Utah,

Salt Lake City, UT 84112

San Juan County Library, 25 West 300

St., Blanding, UT 84511

Grand County Library, 25 S. 1st East,

Moab, UT 84532

Green River Library, 85 South Lang St.,

Green River, UT 84525

Wyoming

Riverton Branch Library, 1330 West

Park, Riverton, WY 82501

Wyoming St. Library, Supreme Court

Building, 24th & Capitol Street

Cheyenne, WY 82002

University of Wyoming Library,

University Station, Laramie, WY

82071

Opportunity to Comment

Interested parties are invited to

comment on the draft programmatic

environmental impact statement. The

Department of Energy will consider

written and oral comments equally

when preparing the final programmatic

environmental impact statement.

Written comments should be sent to Mr.

Rich Sena, UMTRA Team, at the

address given above. To be considered

in the document, written comments

should be postmarked by July 17, 1995;

comments postmarked after that date

will be considered to the extent

practicable.

Public Hearings and Information

Meetings

The public is invited to comment on

the draft programmatic environmental

impact statement to the Department of

Energy in person at the scheduled

public hearings. The purposes of the

hearings are to receive comments on the

subjects analyzed in the draft document;

to provide information to the public

concerning the content and adequacy of

the programmatic environmental impact

statement; and to respond to public

questions on the analyses or the

programmatic environmental impact

statement process. Hearings will be set

up to address these areas. Persons

presenting oral comments at the

hearings are encouraged to provide the

Department of Energy with written

copies of their comments.

Conduct of Hearings

Format for the conduct of the hearings

will be announced by the presiding

officer at the start of the hearings. The

Department of Energy personnel

conducting the hearings may ask

clarifying questions regarding

statements made at the hearings.

Transcripts of the comments made at

the hearings will be made available at

Department of Energy reading rooms

and public libraries listed above.

Hearing Schedules and Locations

Shiprock, New Mexico, June 7, 1995,

Shiprock Chapter House, 7:00–

10:00 p.m.

Durango, Colorado, June 8, 1995,

Durango City Hall, 7:00–10:00 p.m.

Halchita, Utah, June 13, 1995, Mexican

Hat Elementary School, 7:00–10:00

p.m.

Moenkopi, Arizona, June 14, 1995,

Moenkopi Community Center,

7:00–10:00 p.m.

Tuba City, Arizona, June 14, 1995, Tuba

City Chapter House, 2:00–5:00 p.m.

Grand Junction, Colorado, June 22,

1995, Grand Junction City Hall,

7:00–10:00 p.m.

Gunnison, Colorado, June 21, 1995,

Gunnison County Court House,

7:00–10:00 p.m.

Falls City, Texas, June 27, 1995, Falls

City Community Center, 7:00–10:00

p.m.

Riverton, Wyoming, June 28, 1995, St.

Stephens School, 7:30–10:30 p.m.

Issued in Washington, D.C., on May 10,

1995.

James M. Ownedoff,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Environmental Restoration.

[FR Doc. 95–12041 Filed 5–16–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

Privacy Act of 1974; Establishment of

a New System of Records

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Proposed establishment of a

new Privacy Act system of records.

SUMMARY: Federal agencies are required

by the Privacy Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93–

579, 5 U.S.C. 552a) to publish a notice

in the Federal Register of a proposed

system of records. The Department of

Energy (DOE) proposes to establish a

new system of records entitled, ‘‘DOE–

87 Human Radiation Experiments

Helpline Records’’.

DATES: The proposed new system of

records will become effective without

further notice June 26, 1995, unless

comments are received on or before that

date that would result in a contrary

determination and a notice is published

to that effect.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be directed to the following address:

Director, Freedom of Information Act

and Privacy Act Division, U.S.

Department of Energy, HR–78, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20585. Written

comments will be available for

inspection at the above address between

the hours of 9 a.m and 4 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: (1)

Ellyn R. Weiss, Director, U.S.

Department of Energy, Office of Human

Radiation Experiments, 1726 M Street,

NW, Washington DC 20036, or (2)

GayLa D. Sessoms, Director, Freedom of

Information Act and Privacy Act

Division, HR–78, 1000 Independence

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585

(202) 586–5955 or (3) Harold Halpern,

Office of General Counsel, GC–80, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20585 (202) 586–7406.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DOE

proposes to establish a new system of

records entitled ‘‘DOE–87, Human

Radiation Experiments Helpline

Records’’. This system will contain

records of telephone calls to the DOE or

the Interagency Helpline (operated by

DOE) and correspondence with or

involving the callers. The calls and

correspondence were in response to

DOE’s December, 1993, announcement

that it would declassify and publicize

information pertaining to Human