Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 12 / Thursday, January 18, 2001 / Notices 4805

Analysis (DOE/EIS–0277–SA–1),

discussed below, DOE has decided to

blend down the plutonium fluoride

residues with inert material to less than

10 percent, apply a variance to the

safeguards termination limits, and

dispose of these residues at WIPP.

V. Basis for the Decision

The delay in obtaining the

certification for the shipping container

needed to transport the plutonium

fluoride residues to SRS could prevent

DOE from closing the Rocky Flats Site

by 2006. DOE now has the ability to

blend down this category of residues to

less than 10 weight percent of

plutonium and meet the variance

requirements for safeguards termination

limits. For the reasons described below

in Section VI, DOE has concluded that

blending the plutonium fluoride

residues down to less than 10%

plutonium by weight and shipping them

to WIPP for disposal would have low

impacts, well within those analyzed in

the Residues EIS.

DOE’s decision complies with Section

309 of the Fiscal Year 2001 Energy and

Water Development Appropriations Act

(Pub. L. 106–377), which specifies that:

‘‘None of the funds in this Act may be

used to dispose of transuranic waste in

WIPP which contains concentrations of

plutonium in excess of 20 percent by

weight for the aggregate of any material

category on the date of enactment of this

Act, or is generated after such date. For

the purposes of this section, the material

categories of transuranic waste at the

Rocky Flats Environmental Technology

Site include: (1) Ash residues, (2) salt

residues, (3) wet residues, (4) direct

repackage residues, and (5) scrub alloy

as referenced in the ‘Final

Environmental Impact Statement on

Management of Certain Plutonium

Residues and Scrub Alloy Stored at the

Rocky Flats Environmental Technology

Site.’ ’’ (Plutonium fluoride residues are

part of the ‘‘wet residues’’ category,

which overall contains approximately 7

percent plutonium by weight.)

Furthermore, disposal of the

plutonium fluoride residues at WIPP

now provides the least technical risk

and most cost-effective approach to the

management of plutonium fluoride

residues, and supports the Rocky Flats

closure schedule of 2006. Therefore,

there are no longer cost, waste

management, or schedule advantages in

shipping the plutonium fluoride

residues to SRS for separation.

VI. Prior NEPA Analysis

DOE prepared a Supplement Analysis

for the Final Environmental Impact

Statement on Management of Certain

Plutonium Residues and Scrub Alloy

Stored at the Rocky Flats Environmental

Technology Site (DOE/EIS–0277–SA–1).

This Supplement Analysis was

developed to determine whether the

activities and impacts associated with

blending down the plutonium fluoride

residues to less than 10 percent

plutonium by weight with a matrix of

inert material, applying a safeguard

termination limit variance, and

disposing of the resulting blend at WIPP

were encompassed within previous

NEPA reviews or would present any

significant new information or

circumstances relevant to

environmental concerns.

The results of this Supplement

Analysis indicated that the activities

and potential environmental impacts

associated with the new action are

encompassed within the activities and

impacts analyzed under Alternative 2

(blend down) of the Residues EIS. In

addition, the overall impacts for the

new action will be very small for both

the public and workers and within the

levels of impacts considered in the

Residues EIS. Worker exposure during

the new blend down activities would be

reduced to 8 person-rem from 365

person-rem estimated in the Residues

EIS. The number of Latent Cancer

Fatalities (LCF) for the total worker

population would be smaller for the

new action (0.003) than for Alternative

2 (0.142). The difference in LCF for the

total worker population between

Alternative 2 and the new action is a

result of two factors. The first is a

reduced duration of the blend down

operation as blending down to less than

10 weight percent plutonium rather

than 0.2 weight percent plutonium will

result in a shorter period in which the

material is handled. Secondly,

enhanced worker shielding will reduce

worker exposure during the blend-down

activities. Additionally, the new action

has fewer drums for transportation

reducing the potential for traffic

accidents during transportation of

plutonium fluoride residues to WIPP.

Accordingly, DOE determined that

carrying out the new action would not

constitute a substantial change in

actions previously analyzed and would

not constitute significant new

circumstances or information relevant to

environmental concerns and bearing on

the previously analyzed action or its

impacts. Therefore, DOE did not need to

undertake additional NEPA analysis

before issuing this amendment to the

1998 Record of Decision.

VII. Conclusion

This Amended Record of Decision is

effective upon being made public, in

accordance with DOE’s NEPA

implementation regulations (10 CFR

1021.315).

Issued in Washington, D.C., this 11th day

of January 2001.

Carolyn L. Huntoon,

Assistant Secretary for Environmental

Management.

[FR Doc. 01–1478 Filed 1–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Rocky Flats

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

meeting of the Environmental

Management Site-Specific Advisory

Board (EM SSAB), Rocky Flats. The

Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.

L. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that

public notice of these meetings be

announced in the Federal Register.

DATES: Thursday, February 1, 2001, 6

p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Arvada Center for the Arts

and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth

Boulevard, Arvada, CO.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken

Korkia, Board/Staff Coordinator, Rocky

Flats Citizens Advisory Board, 9035

North Wadsworth Parkway, Suite 2250,

Westminster, CO, 80021; telephone

(303) 420–7855; fax (303) 420–7579.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose of the Board: The purpose of

the Board is to make recommendations

to DOE and its regulators in the areas of

environmental restoration, waste

management, and related activities.

Tentative Agenda:

1. Quarterly update by the

Environmental Protection Agency.

2. Presentation and discussion on

recent worker contamination and safety

violations at the site.

3. Draft recommendations on

Radionuclide Soil Action Level review

process.

4. Other Board business may be

conducted as necessary.

Public Participation: The meeting is

open to the public. Written statements

may be filed with the Board either

before or after the meeting. Individuals

who wish to make oral statements

pertaining to agenda items should

contact Ken Korkia at the address or

telephone number listed above.

Requests must be received at least five

days prior to the meeting and reasonable

provisions will be made to include the

presentation in the agenda. The Deputy

4806 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 12 / Thursday, January 18, 2001 / Notices

Designated Federal Officer is

empowered to conduct the meeting in a

fashion that will facilitate the orderly

conduct of business. Each individual

wishing to make public comment will

be provided a maximum of five minutes

to present their comments.

Minutes: The minutes of this meeting

will be available for public review and

copying at the Public Reading Room

located at the Office of the Rocky Flats

Citizens Advisory Board, 9035 North

Wadsworth Parkway, Suite 2250,

Westminister, CO 80021; telephone

(303)420–7855. Hours of operations for

the Public Reading Room are 9 a.m. to

4 p.m., Monday–Friday, except Federal

holidays. Minutes will also be made

available by writing or calling Deb

Thompson at the address or telephone

number listed above.

Issued at Washington, DC on January 12,

2001.

Rachel M. Samuel,

Deputy Advisory Committee Management

Officer.

[FR Doc. 01–1480 Filed 1–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Semi-Annual

Chairs Meeting

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

meeting of the Environmental

Management Site-Specific Advisory

Board (EM SSAB), Semi-Annual Chairs

Meeting. The Federal Advisory

Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, 86 Stat.

770) requires that public notice of these

meetings be announced in the Federal

Register.

DATES: Thursday, February 8, 2001, 6:45

a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Friday, February 9, 2001, 8 a.m.–5:30

p.m.

Saturday, February 10, 2001 8 a.m.–1:30

p.m.

ADDRESSES: St. Tropez All Suite Hotel,

455 East Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas,

Nevada 89101, Phone: (702) 369–5400

or (800) 666–5400.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Martha Crosland, Designated Federal

Officer, U.S. Department of Energy,

1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586–5793.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose of the Board: The purpose of

the Board is to make recommendations

to DOE and its regulators in the areas of

future use, cleanup levels, waste

disposition, and cleanup priorities.

Tentative Agenda

Thursday, February 8, 2001: EM SSAB

Chairs Meeting (Day 1)

6:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m, Joint tour of the

Nevada Test Site and Yucca

Mountain

6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Opening reception

at the St. Tropez Hotel

Friday, February 9, 2001: EM SSAB

Chairs Meeting (Day 2)

6:30–8:00 a.m., Continental Breakfast

buffet in Truffles Lounge

8:00–8:20 a.m., Opening/Welcoming

Remarks/Overview of Agenda

(Martha Crosland, DOE/HQ; Carl

Gertz, DOE/NV AMEM; etc.)

8:20–8:25 a.m., Introduction of

Facilitators and Review of Ground

Rules (Ted McAdam, et.al.)

8:25–9:30 a.m., Round Robin Ice

Breaker. SSAB Chairs will

introduce participants from their

Boards and briefly list their Boards’

Top Three Issues of Concern

9:30–9:40 a.m., Overview of Survey

Results and Objectives of TopicSpecific Round Robins and

Facilitated Discussions

9:40–10:30 a.m., Topic #1 Round Robin

(five minutes for each SSAB). What

is your Board’s desired composition

and how are new members

recruited and selected? How

effective is that process?

10:30–10:45 a.m., Morning break

10:45–11:25 a.m., Topic #1 Facilitated

Discussion

11:25 a.m.–12:05 p.m., Topic #2 Round

Robin (four minutes for each

SSAB). How does your Board

develop its annual work plan? How

does your Board set its agenda?

12:05–12:40 p.m., Topic #2 Facilitated

Discussion

12:40–1:45 p.m., Buffet lunch served in

the hotel

1:45–2:25 p.m., Topic #3 Round Robin

(four minutes for each SSAB). How

are your Boards’s committees

structured? How do your Board’s

committees function? Do nonmembers participate in committee

work?

2:25–3:00 p.m., Topic #3 Facilitated

Discussion

3:00–3:15 p.m., Afternoon Break

3:15–3:55 p.m., Topic #4 Round Robin

(four minutes for each SSAB). How

does your Board develop its

recommendations/advice? To

whom are your recommendations

addressed?

3:55–4:30 p.m., Topic #4 Facilitated

Discussion

4:30–5:15 p.m., Review and Approval of

Stewardship Core Value Statements

5:15–5:30 p.m., Public Comment

5:30–7:00 p.m., Free time

7:00 p.m. Dine Around Las Vegas.

Groups depart for area restaurants—

transportation to be provided

Saturday, February 10, 2001: EM SSAB

Chairs Meeting (Day 3)

6:30–8:00 a.m., Continental Breakfast

Buffet in Truffles Lounge

8:00–8:10 a.m., Welcome and Recap of

Previous Day’s Work (Martha

Crosland or Ted McAdam)

8:10–8:50 a.m., Topic #5 Round Robin

(five minutes for each SSAB). How

does your Board conduct public

outreach and how effective is that

effort?

8:50–9:25 a.m., Topic #5 Facilitated

Discussion

9:35–10:15 a.m., Topic #6 Round Robin

(five minutes for each SSAB). How

does your Board conduct selfevaluations, who else evaluates the

Board’s performance, and how

effective is/are that/those

process(es)?

10:15–10:55 a.m., Topic #6 Facilitated

Discussion

10:55–11:10 a.m., Morning break

11:10a.m.–12:10 p.m., Facilitated

Discussion of Issues of Concern to

Each Site. Issues discussed will be

based on those recorded during the

Friday morning Ice Breaker Round

Robin discussion.

12:10–12:30 p.m., Updates from DOE

Headquarters

• Revised DOE Public Participation

Policy Public Review & Comment

• Status Report Regarding Changes at

DOE Under the New

Administration (Betty Nolan)

12:30–12:45 p.m., Critique of the SSAB

Chairs Meeting

12:45–1:00 p.m., Future SSAB Meetings

and Workshops—Martha Crosland

1:00–1:15 p.m., Public comment

1:15–1:30 p.m., Closing remarks

1:30 p.m., Adjourn

(Agenda topics may change up to the

day of the meetings: please contact

Martha Crosland, Designated Federal

Officer, (202) 586–5793 for the current

agenda.

Public Participation: The meeting is

open to the public. Written statements

may be filed with the Board facilitator

either before or after the meeting.

Individuals who wish to make oral

statements pertaining to agenda items

should contact the Board Chair at their

specific site, or Martha Crosland.

Requests must be received five days

prior to the meeting and reasonable

provision will be made to include the

presentation in the agenda. The

Designated Federal Officer, Martha

Crosland, U.S. Department of Energy, is

empowered to conduct the meeting in a