Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2001 / Notices 23013

submitted by each offeror and will be

subject to the confidentiality

requirements of the procurement

process. DOE will prepare a publicly

available environmental synopsis, based

on the environmental critique, to

document the consideration given to

environmental factors in the contractor

selection process. The environmental

synopsis will be filed with the EPA and

will be incorporated into the EIS. In

accordance with 10 CFR 1021.216(i),

since the NEPA process will not be

completed prior to contract award, the

contract will be structured to allow the

NEPA review process to be completed

in advance of a go/no-go decision.

Preliminary Identification of EIS Issues

DOE intends to address the following

issues when assessing the potential

environmental impacts of the

alternatives in this EIS. Potential

environmental impacts will be

evaluated for the site-specific conditions

found at the Portsmouth, Paducah, and

ETTP sites, and at other sites, as

appropriate. DOE invites comment on

these and any other issues that should

be addressed in the EIS:

—Potential effects on the public and

workers from exposure to radiological

and hazardous materials from normal

operations and reasonably foreseeable

accidents at the sites and during

transportation of DUF6 cylinders and

conversion products between sites.

—Potential effects on air, soil, ecological

resources, water quality and cultural

resources.

—Potential socioeconomic impacts

associated with the workforce needed

for construction and operations, and

environmental justice issues.

—Compliance with applicable Federal,

state, local requirements and

agreements.

—Pollution prevention, waste

minimization, and energy and water

use reduction technologies to

eliminate or reduce use of energy,

water, and hazardous substances and

to minimize environmental impacts.

—Potential impacts on local and DOEwide waste management capabilities.

—Potential impacts on available

resources, including land, materials,

and energy.

—Potential cumulative impacts of the

past, present, and reasonably

foreseeable future actions (including

impacts resulting from the activities

of the United States Enrichment

Corporation).

—Potential irreversible and irretrievable

commitment of resources.

—Relationship between short-term use

of the environment and long-term

productivity.

Related NEPA Reviews

Final Programmatic Environmental

Impact Statement for Alternative

Strategies for the Long-Term

Management and Use of Depleted

Uranium Hexafluoride (DOE/EIS–0269,

April 1999); Final Waste Management

Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement for Managing Treatment,

Storage, and Disposal of Radioactive

and Hazardous Waste (DOE/EIS–0200–

F, May 1997); Disposition of Surplus

Highly Enriched Uranium, Final

Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/

EIS–0240, June 1996); Environmental

Assessment for the Refurbishment of

Uranium Hexafluoride Cylinder Storage

Yards C–745–K, L, M, N, and P and

Construction of a New Uranium

Hexafluoride Cylinder Storage Yard (C–

745–T) at the Paducah Gaseous

Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky

(DOE/EA–1118, July 1996);

Environmental Assessment for DOE Sale

of Surplus Natural and Low Enriched

Uranium (DOE/EA–1172, October 1996);

and Environmental Assessment for the

Lease of Land and Facilities within the

East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak

Ridge, Tennessee (DOE/EA–1175, 1997).

Scoping Meetings

The purpose of this Advance Notice is

to inform the public and interested

parties early about DOE’s plans to

prepare an EIS for proposed DUF6

conversion facilities and to encourage

early public involvement in the EIS

process. DOE intends to hold public

scoping meetings in Oak Ridge,

Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; and

Portsmouth, Ohio, to solicit both oral

and written comments from interested

parties. The dates and times of such

meetings will be announced in the NOI,

which DOE plans to issue later this year,

or in subsequent Federal Register

notices and in local media before the

meetings.

Signed in Washington, DC, this 1st day of

May, 2001.

Steven V. Cary,

Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of

Environment, Safety and Health.

[FR Doc. 01–11384 Filed 5–4–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste

Management; Yucca Mountain Science

and Engineering Report; Site

Recommendation Consideration and

Request for Comment

AGENCY: Office of Civilian Radioactive

Waste Management, Department of

Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability of report

and initiation of public comment

period.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy

(the Department or DOE) announces the

initiation of a public comment period

on the possible recommendation of the

Yucca Mountain Site in Nevada by the

Secretary of Energy to the President for

development as a spent nuclear fuel and

high-level nuclear waste geologic

repository. To facilitate the public

review and comment process, the

Department announces today the

availability of the Yucca Mountain

Science and Engineering Report

(YMS&ER). This report provides the

public with a summary of the

information and data collected to date

by the Department in its multi-year

study and characterization of the Yucca

Mountain site as a potential spent

nuclear fuel and high-level waste

repository. A decision to recommend

the site has not been made; the YMS&ER

is being issued to describe the results of

site characterization studies completed

to date, the waste forms to be disposed,

a repository and waste package design,

and updated assessments of the long

term performance of the potential

repository. The Department intends for

the YMS&ER, and its supporting

documents, to be used by the public as

an aid in providing comments on the

technical information and data

underlying the Department’s

consideration of a possible

recommendation of the site. This

summer, after the release of additional

information, DOE will announce the

dates, locations and times for public

hearings on the possible

recommendation and the date for the

end of the public comment period. In

addition, in recognition of the fact that

technical and scientific analyses are

continuing, and that the pertinent

regulatory framework is not currently in

final form, the issuance of additional

information, beyond that anticipated for

release this summer, may be warranted.

By making the large amount of

information developed by the

Department on the Yucca Mountain site

available in stages, the Department

intends to provide the public and

interested parties with ample time to

review all the available materials and

formulate their comments regarding a

possible site recommendation by the

Secretary.

DATES: The public may submit written

comments at this time. DOE will issue

additional information this summer and

will at that point announce the dates,

locations and times of public hearings

23014 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2001 / Notices

on the Secretary’s consideration of a

potential site recommendation.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be addressed to Carol Hanlon, U.S.

Department of Energy, Yucca Mountain

Site Characterization Office, (M/S #025),

P.O. Box 30307, North Las Vegas,

Nevada 89036–0307, or provided by

electronic mail to YMP_SR@ymp.gov.

Written comments should be identified

on the outside of the envelope, and on

the comments themselves, with the

designation: ‘‘Possible Site

Recommendation for Yucca Mountain.’’

Comments can also be submitted by

facsimile to 1–800–967–0739. Copies of

any written comments, and documents

referenced in this notice may be

inspected and photocopied in the DOE

Freedom of Information Act Reading

Room located at the Yucca Mountain

Science Center, 4101B Meadows Lane,

Las Vegas, Nevada, (702) 295–1312,

between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except for

Federal holidays. Documents referenced

in this notice may also be found on the

Internet at http://www.ymp.gov and at

http://www.rw.doe.gov (YMS&ER only).

For more information concerning public

participation, please refer to the

Opportunity for Public Comment

section of this notice.

Copies of the YMS&ER may be

requested by telephone (1–800–967–

3477) or over the Internet via the Yucca

Mountain Project website using the

document ordering form at http://

www.ymp.gov under the listing ‘‘Yucca

Mountain Science and Engineering

Report.’’

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S.

Department of Energy, Office of Civilian

Radioactive Waste Management, Yucca

Mountain Site Characterization Office,

(M/S #025), P.O. Box 30307, North Las

Vegas, Nevada 89036–0307, 1–800–967–

3477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

A. Yucca Mountain Site

Characterization

In 1982, Congress passed the Nuclear

Waste Policy Act (NWPA) (Public Law

97–425), designating the federal

government as the responsible entity for

the safe and permanent disposal of

spent nuclear fuel and high-level

radioactive waste. Also in the NWPA,

Congress established a comprehensive

framework for the siting, construction

and operation of a geologic repository as

the primary mechanism by which the

federal government would ensure the

safe and permanent disposal of such

radioactive material. In 1987, Congress

amended the NWPA. In the Nuclear

Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987

(Public Law No. 100–203), Congress

directed the Department to characterize

only the Yucca Mountain, Nevada site

for a possible geologic repository.

The Department has studied Yucca

Mountain for over 20 years. Over the

course of those years, the Department

has performed detailed scientific

investigations of the geology, hydrology,

geochemistry, and other characteristics

of the site to determine whether it is a

suitable place to build a geologic

repository. The DOE has also developed

a preliminary design for a potential

repository and for the waste packages in

which spent nuclear fuel and high-level

radioactive waste might be stored. The

results of these scientific investigations

and the preliminary design efforts have

been analyzed to assess the possible

future performance of the potential

repository in the geologic setting of the

site. The YMS&ER provides a summary

of these studies and design efforts to

date.

B. Site Recommendation Process

Under Section 114 (a)(1) of the

NWPA, as amended, the Secretary’s

decision whether to recommend the site

will be made following the completion

of public hearings and completion of

site characterization activities under

section 113 of the NWPA, as amended.

The following steps describe the

process for the Secretary’s

determination whether to recommend

the site to the President; for the

President’s decision whether to approve

the site; and for the role of the state of

Nevada and Congress in the approval or

denial of any recommendation by the

President. Also summarized are the

steps necessary for the DOE to prepare

a license application to the Nuclear

Regulatory Commission (NRC) and for

the NRC to grant an authorization to

begin construction, if the site is

approved.

Step 1. The NWPA, as amended,

requires the Secretary to hold public

hearings in the vicinity of the Yucca

Mountain site. The hearings will

provide the DOE with an opportunity to

inform residents of the area that the site

is being considered for possible

recommendation for development of a

repository and receive their comments.

The YMS&ER, issued this date, provides

a summary of scientific and technical

information relevant to the site

recommendation process. This summer,

DOE will be issuing additional

information that the Secretary will use

in his consideration of a possible

recommendation for the Yucca

Mountain site. This information will

include the results of ongoing

sensitivity studies and uncertainty

study analyses (Supplemental Science

and Performance Analyses), as well as

the results of a preliminary evaluation

of the Yucca Mountain site’s preclosure

and postclosure performance against the

Department’s proposed site suitability

guidelines (Preliminary Site Suitability

Evaluation). That preliminary

evaluation will consider any newly

available information in addition to the

information provided in the YMS&ER.

Although there is no statutory

requirement for development or

issuance of these documents, the DOE is

providing the documents to facilitate

public comments before and during the

public hearings.

Step 2. Comments received during the

public comment period will be

considered by the Secretary before a

decision is made whether to recommend

the site to the President. After

considering the comments received, if

the Secretary decides to recommend the

site, the NWPA requires the Secretary to

notify the governor and legislature of

the state of Nevada and wait at least 30

days before submitting the

recommendation to the President. If the

Secretary decides not to recommend the

site, appropriate notification will be

made to the Congress and the State of

Nevada.

Step 3. If the Secretary decides to

recommend approval of the site and 30

days has elapsed since notification of

the State of Nevada, the Secretary would

then provide the recommendation to the

President along with the basis for the

recommendation, as required under

section 114(a)(1) of the NWPA. That

basis for recommendation would

include, among other items, comments

received on the YMS&ER and

subsequent documents; the views and

comments submitted by the governor

and legislature of any state, along with

the Secretary’s response to such views;

the preliminary comments of the NRC

concerning the extent to which the atdepth site characterization analysis and

the waste form proposal seem to be

sufficient for inclusion in any

subsequent license application; and a

final Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) for the Yucca Mountain site. (The

Department is in the process of

preparing this EIS. For more

information on the status of that process

see a separate Federal Register Notice of

May 4, 2001.) Upon submission to the

President, the Secretary’s

recommendation and basis for the

recommendation would be available to

the public.

Step 4. If, after receiving a

recommendation by the Secretary and

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2001 / Notices 23015

the basis for the recommendation, the

President considers the Yucca Mountain

site qualified for application for a

construction authorization for a

repository, the President may approve

the site for the development of a

repository and recommend the site to

Congress. The President’s

recommendation to Congress would be

accompanied by the Secretary’s

recommendation, and the basis for the

recommendation.

Step 5. If the President submits a

recommendation of the site to Congress,

the state of Nevada will have 60 days to

submit a notice of disapproval to

Congress. If Nevada does not submit a

notice, the Yucca Mountain site

designation will become effective, 60

days after the President’s

recommendation is submitted to

Congress. If the state of Nevada does

submit a notice, the Yucca Mountain

site designation would be disapproved

unless, during the first 90 days of

continuous session after the notice of

disapproval is submitted, Congress

passes a joint resolution of repository

siting approval and the President signs

it into law.

Step 6. If the site designation becomes

effective, the Secretary will

subsequently submit a license

application to the NRC for authorization

to construct a repository and provide a

copy to the governor and legislature of

Nevada. The NWPA requires the NRC to

issue a final decision approving or

disapproving the construction

authorization within three years after

receiving the application. However, the

law provides that the NRC can extend

the deadline by up to one year if it

submits to the Secretary of Energy and

Congress a written report explaining the

reason for the NRC’s failure to meet the

three-year deadline.

C. Information for the Public Comment

Process

As explained above, the Department

is making available the YMS&ER in

conjunction with the initiation of the

site recommendation process. The

report describes the results of site

characterization, the waste forms to be

disposed of, the preliminary design of

the repository and the waste packages,

and the results of assessments of

potential repository performance. The

information presented provides the

Department’s existing technical basis for

public and stakeholder comments on

the possible recommendation. The

Department will continue to collect and

refine its analysis and information base,

in response to public comments and as

part of its ongoing characterization

activities, before reaching any decision

on a possible site recommendation.

The information and analyses in the

YMS&ER are also based on the status of

regulations, as presently proposed, that

would govern the public health and

safety standard for a spent nuclear fuel

and high-level waste repository at Yucca

Mountain (EPA standards proposed for

codification at 40 CFR part 197), the

licensing requirements for such a

repository (NRC requirements proposed

for codification at 10 CFR part 63), and

the suitability of the Yucca Mountain

site for a repository (DOE guidelines

proposed for codification at 10 CFR part

963). The Department expects that the

subject regulations will be finalized in

the near future. The currently proposed

regulations provide a reasonable basis

for the consideration of a possible site

recommendation. In recognition of the

fact that technical and scientific

analyses are continuing, and that the

pertinent regulatory framework is not

currently in final form, the issuance of

additional information or analyses,

beyond that anticipated for release this

summer, may be warranted.

The YMS&ER is available on the

Internet, on compact disc, and in print.

The document contains information

that would be included in the basis for

any site recommendation from the

Secretary to the President, as specified

by Section 114(a)(1)(A), (B), and (C) of

the NWPA. The organization of the

YMS&ER is consistent with the order of

information identified in Section 114 of

the NWPA. Section 1 introduces the

report and provides background

information on the site recommendation

approval process and a summary of the

information in the succeeding sections

of the report. Section 2 describes the

design of the potential repository at

Yucca Mountain, including preliminary

engineering specifications for the

facility. Section 3 describes the waste

forms to be disposed and proposed

waste package designs. Section 4

discusses the data related to the safety

of the Yucca Mountain site, including a

description of how the natural and

engineered repository systems would

work together to protect public health

and limit the release of radionuclides to

the environment. It explains the

relationship between the waste form,

the waste package, and the geologic

medium at Yucca Mountain. It also

describes analyses of the future longterm performance of a Yucca Mountain

repository. Section 5 describes the

analyses performed to evaluate the

safety of the potential repository during

operation and before final closure.

The YMS&ER references numerous

supporting documents, which are

available on the Internet (http://

www.ymp.gov) or in print. The public is

encouraged to review these documents,

in addition to the YMS&ER, in

developing comments on the possible

site recommendation. The supporting

documents incorporate an extensive

foundation of scientific, engineering,

and programmatic research that

analyzed the Yucca Mountain site, the

proposed repository and waste package

designs, and other information. The

supporting documents are hierarchically

organized: at the top are comprehensive

integrating documents that support this

report directly, and an extensive set of

technical reports that explain in more

detail the basis for the analyses

presented. Some of the major integrating

documents are:

The Total System Performance

Assessment—Site Recommendation.

The Preliminary Preclosure Safety

Assessment for a Monitored Geologic

Repository.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement

for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of

Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level

Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye

County, Nevada.

The Yucca Mountain Site Description.

The Monitored Geologic Repository Project

Description Document.

Key technical references include nine

process model reports that describe how the

natural and engineered systems at a potential

repository are expected to behave. For

example, these reports describe how water

would move from the surface to the

repository and how the waste package would

perform over time. Reports summarizing

hundreds of scientific and engineering

studies on a wide variety of topics support

the YMS&ER in more detail, including:

Analysis model reports describing the

detailed scientific models of how the

potential repository might behave in the

future;

Scientific reports of the results of site

characterization investigations, regional

studies, and studies of natural analogues to

a potential repository;

Descriptions of design requirements,

design analyses, and design alternative

studies for the repository surface and

subsurface facilities, engineered barrier

systems, and waste packages.

Concurrent with the release of the

YMS&ER, DOE will also be issuing a

Supplement to the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement for a Geologic

Repository for the Disposal of Spent

Nuclear Fuel and High-Level

Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain,

Nye County, Nevada. The availability of

that document was announced in a

separate Federal Register Notice, dated

May 4, 2001, together with information

on the opportunities for public

comment on the document and public

hearings to be held.

23016 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2001 / Notices

II. Opportunity for Public Comment

A. Participation in Comment Process

Interested persons are invited to

participate in the comment process by

submitting written data, views, or

comments with respect to the subject set

forth in this notice. The Department

encourages the maximum level of public

participation possible in this process.

Individuals, coalitions, states or other

government entities, and others are

urged to submit written comments on

the possible recommendation of the

Yucca Mountain site.

B. Written Comment Procedures

The DOE invites the public to

comment on a possible site

recommendation for the Yucca

Mountain site. Written comments

should be identified on the outside of

the envelope, and on the comments

themselves, with the designation:

‘‘Possible Site Recommendation for

Yucca Mountain.’’ In the event any

person wishing to submit written

comments cannot provide them directly,

alternative arrangements can be made

by calling [(800) 967–3477]. All

comments received and other relevant

information will be considered by the

DOE before a decision is made on the

potential site recommendation. All

comments submitted will be available

for examination at the Yucca Mountain

Science Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR

1004.11, any person submitting

information or data that is believed to be

confidential, and which may be exempt

by law from public disclosure, should

submit one complete copy, as well as

two copies from which the information

considered confidential has been

deleted. The Department of Energy will

make its own determination of any such

claim and treat it accordingly.

Issued in Washington, DC on April 27,

2001.

Lake Barrett,

Acting Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive

Waste Management.

[FR Doc. 01–11383 Filed 5–4–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. ER01–1381–000]

AES Medina Valley Cogen, L.L.C.;

Notice of Issuance of Order

May 1, 2001.

AES Medina Valley Cogen, L.L.C.

(AES Medina) submitted for filing a rate

schedule under which AES Medina will

engage in wholesale electric power and

energy transactions at market-based

rates. AES Medina also requested

waiver of various Commission

regulations. In particular, AES Medina

requested that the Commission grant

blanket approval under 18 CFR Part 34

of all future issuances of securities and

assumptions of liability by AES Medina.

On April 11, 2001, pursuant to

delegated authority, the Director,

Division of Corporate Applications,

Office of Markets, Tariffs and Rates,

granted requests for blanket approval

under Part 34, subject to the following:

Within thirty days of the date of the

order, any person desiring to be heard

or to protest the blanket approval of

issuances of securities or assumptions of

liability by AES Medina should file a

motion to intervene or protest with the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426, in accordance with Rules 211

and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of

Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211

and 385.214).

Absent a request to be heard in

opposition within this period, AES

Medina is authorized to issue securities

and assume obligations or liabilities as

a guarantor, indorser, surety, or

otherwise in respect of any security of

another person; provided that such

issuance or assumption is for some

lawful object within the corporate

purposes of the applicant, and

compatible with the public interest, and

is reasonably necessary or appropriate

for such purposes.

The Commission reserves the right to

require a further showing that neither

public nor private interests will be

adversely affected by continued

approval of AES Medina’s issuances of

securities or assumptions of liability.

Notice is hereby given that the

deadline for filing motions to intervene

or protests, as set forth above, is May 11,

2001.

Copies of the full text of the Order are

available from the Commission’s Public

Reference Branch, 888 First Street, N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20426. The Order may

also be viewed on the Internet at http:/

/www.ferc.fec.us/online/rims.htm (call

202–208–222 for assistance). Comments,

protests, and interventions may be filed

electronically via the internet in lieu of

paper. See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii)

and the instructions on the

Commission’s web site at http://

www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm.

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–11343 Filed 5–4–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. ER01–1807–001]

Carolina Power & Light Company and

Florida Power Corporation; Notice of

Filing

May 1, 2001.

Take notice that on April 26, 2001,

Carolina Power & Light Company

(CP&L) and Florida Power Corporation

(FPC), tendered for filing revision to the

modification of the Open Access

Transmission Tariff (OATT) of CP&L

and FPC that was tendered for filing

April 16, 2001 in this docket. The

modification consists of a complete

copy of the OATT in the format required

by Order No. 614. The modification is

being made to comply with the

requirement of Order No. 614 that when

a tariff or rate schedule is revised, the

entire tariff or rate schedule must be

refiled in the format required by that

order. The filing also incorporates

amendments to the OATTs of CP&L and

FPC that the Commission accepted for

filing prior to the consummation of their

merger.

Copies of the filing were served upon

the public utility’s jurisdictional

customers, North Carolina Utilities

Commission and South Carolina Public

Service Commission.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

protest such filing should file a motion

to intervene or protest with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426,

in accordance with Rules 211 and 214

of the Commission’s Rules of Practice

and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and

385.214). All such motions and protests

should be filed on or before May 17,

2001. Protests will be considered by the

Commission to determine the

appropriate action to be taken, but will

not serve to make protestants parties to

the proceedings. Any person wishing to

become a party must file a motion to

intervene. Copies of this filing are on

file with the Commission and are

available for public inspection. This

filing may also be viewed on the

Internet at http:

//www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call

202–208–2222 for assistance).

Comments, protests and interventions

may be filed electronically via the

internet in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR

385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions